If you’re looking to get into running—or upgrade from an older tracker—Garmin’s top entry-level watch is back at its lowest-ever price. Amazon has reduced the Garmin Forerunner 165 to $199.99 (down from $249.99).
If you want to run phone-free with offline Spotify playlists, the Forerunner 165 Music is also on sale for $249.99 (down from $299.99).
These prices match the lows we saw in May 2025. And while we expect these deals to return through Black Friday, it’s unlikely either version will drop any lower than this.
A saving that makes the Forerunner 165 truly entry-level
In our Garmin Forerunner 165 review from launch in early 2024, we called it the ideal running watch for beginners and intermediates.
At the time, it filled a crucial gap in Garmin’s lineup, offering a stunning AMOLED display—usually reserved for much pricier watches—at an accessible price point. And, even 18 months later, it’s our go-to recommendation for almost all runners at the beginning of their tracking journey.
It ditches the duller screens of older Garmins for a bright, punchy interface that’s easy to read in direct sunlight. And, despite the screen upgrade, battery life remains solid.
Crucially, it nails the basics: in our testing, both GPS accuracy and heart rate monitoring were excellent, rivaling much more expensive models like the Fenix 8 or Forerunner 970.
Our main gripe in the review was that Garmin separates the ‘Music’ and ‘Standard’ features into two different watches, forcing you to pay extra for offline playback. However, with this $50 discount, the Music version is now the same price as the standard model’s MSRP, making that pill much easier to swallow.
That’s also true of the standard edition, though. Ultimately, though this is Garmin’s entry-level running watch, its usual asking price is still a little high—but the fact that you can shave off 20% and grab it for $200 makes it very hard to fault.
