Garmin Forerunner 965 Review

The Garmin Forerunner 965 is one of the most premium running watches available, featuring cutting-edge features, and a beautifully bright AMOLED display. With best-in-class fitness tracking capabilities and health metrics when you wear it all day and night, the Forerunner 965 is packed with technology to help you reach your goals and track your health and fitness.

But is it worth the $600 price tag? I mean is it really worth paying extra for the additional features you get, over some of the cheaper (but also good) running watches?

Well, I’m a professional running gear reviewer, who loves to run EVERYTHING, from roads to mountain trails, speed training, and even ultra marathons – I also develop custom training plans for all distances so I need a watch that can do it all, and then some!

That’s why I ultimately landed on the decision to buy the 965. This Garmin Forerunner 965 review (yes, I know, it has been a long time coming) shares why I decided to keep this watch it over the competition like Coros, Apple Watch, and Suunto – all of which I have also used.

Key Specifications

• Price: $600 at Garmin or £500 at Sportsshoes.com (for UK readers)
• Display: 1.4” AMOLED with 454×454 pixel resolution
• Battery Life: Up to 23 days in smartwatch mode (without always-on), 31 hours of GPS, and 7 days with always-on display
• Case Size: 47mm (47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2) – Fits wrists with a circumference of 135-205 mm
• Weight: 1.9oz – Very lightweight with titanium bezel
• Health Metrics: Sleep tracking, heart rate variability (HRV), stress monitoring, wrist-based running power, training readiness, chronic training load, Endurance score, Hill score, step counter, and so much more
• Mapping & Navigation: Built-in maps, Route following, Stamina tracking, ClimbPro
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi

The features that matter to me

This honest review of the Forerunner 965 should give you a clear picture of whether this running watch is the right fit for your training needs. As always, please feel free to ask me anything about this product – I literally use it 24/7 for health and fitness tracking and wear it on every run.

I have a lot of experience with this one, and I didnt want this review to get too long and bogged down with boring, nerdy stats that don’t portray how it performs in the hands of an everyday runner who runs both road and trail. If you follow my YouTube Channel, you’ll have seen me wearing it all the time in my running shoe reviews.

I’m going to quickly start by saying I love how tactile and easy the buttons are to use.

Now, although there is touch screen capability, I have turned this feature off both during a run and for general use – I just don’t like it on a watch – plus I have a 15 month old son, who loves playing with my Garmin watch so there’s no way I’m having that on right now, lol.

AMOLED display

The 965’s 1.4” screen is a noticeable improvement over older models, with better legibility even in direct sunlight. Data fields and maps look crisp, and workouts become easier to track with bold, colorful readouts.

I just love how all the information you could ever want (you can customise what’s shown on the running screen) is displayed in such an easy-to-read manner.

Custom data displays for trail racing

Oh my gawwwd – this has to be one of the coolest features for me. To best explain this, I’m going to talk about some of the sneaky metrics that I have displayed on my watch whilst trail racing and training.

First off, when it comes to race day, I always import the race route for navigation (and other cool features) when I race (and train on specific routes) – you can usually download race routes them from the race organisers websites.

Having the route on my watch during a race ensures I never take a wrong turn and lose valuable time, and I can feed such cool actionable data from the imported route which I’ll also share in a moment.

I also display my heart rate in real time so that I can keep it in the right zones that optimise performance for the type of run or race I’m currently doing. Heart Rate Training is a runner’s secret when it comes to maintaining steady fitness gains without busting yourself.

With a route loaded, I can use ClimbPro to see climb graphs which tells me in real time how far through my current climb I am, allowing me to put pressure on other runners or go easy, depending on what’s necessary at that time.

ClimbPro also shares how many climbs remain, and things like how much elevation remains in the route based on how far I am through that route.

I set alerts for when I’m 10km and 5km away from the finish line, so that I know that I can gradually start increasing effort as I near the finish line.

I also set an alert to beep every time I burn through 200 calories, this reminds me that I need to consume an energy gel to maintain energy levels, rehydrate with water and electrolytes, and keep muscle cramping away. The Forerunner knows calories burned using data like heart rate, step count, and gps distance travelled over time.

The option to set intervals based on distance or time is so good, and I love how the watch notifies you after every rest period to ensure you start each interval on time – it’s great for speed training.

I also include other data on my run screens including:’ sunset countdown’ so I don’t get stuck in the dark, ‘gradient adjusted pace’ for hill training, ‘temperature’, ‘Estimated time of completed’ of the route, and so much more.

Accurate fitness tracking

With wrist-based running dynamics and running power, you no longer need external sensors to track detailed metrics.

GPS accuracy and heart rate tracking are reported to be within impressive margins (+/- 0.05 miles for GPS and +/- 0.76 BPM for heart rate), meaning you can trust the Forerunner 965 for precise data. It has been my experience that 99% of my runs, this data has been consistent and accurate.

I compared it with the super accurate COROS Heart Rate Monitor, that’s designed to be worn around your bicep and it was so close that I just didn’t personally feel the need to use both.

Extensive health metrics

From sleep tracking to stress and recovery metrics, the Forerunner 965 offers an array of health data. Garmin’s new Training Readiness feature is fun (and actionable), helping you decide whether you’re physically ready for your next session based on your recent performance, stress levels, and sleep quality.

I particularly enjoy watching my VO2 Max score rise as follow my training plans ready for an upcoming race, oh and of course the Acute Load (and load ratio) within the Training Status section which is such an awesome metric to monitor in conjunction with Heart Rate Variability (HRV), to ensure you don’t over train – see the photos below for examples of that.

Chronic Training Load also keeps you aware of long-term training effects, helping to prevent overtraining. Then there’s the day to day tracking including the step counter that actually displays real time step count on the home screen – believe it or not, apple watch still can’t do this without an app (ridiculous!).

Battery life (within limits)

While the Forerunner 965 may not offer insane battery life like Garmin’s more rugged models (Enduro 3 and Fenix 8), 29 hours of GPS is more than enough for most runners and triathletes, unless you start heading into 100 milers where you could potentially exhaust the battery.

In smartwatch mode (without always-on), you can stretch this up to around 20 days, which is still miles ahead of most competitors (I’m looking at you Apple watch).

Navigation

The Garmin Forerunner 965 excels in navigation and it’s one of my favorite features that no other watch can compete with. It has an extensive suite of Nav features designed for runners and adventurers who like to trail blaze, as I do.

You can follow routes with ease by going to Garmin Connect either grabbing someone else’s route, or building your own with their tools that allow you to snap to roads, trails, popular paths etc – it’s awesome and I use this all the time. This allows me to plan routes in advance and get turn-by-turn directions, making it ideal for long-distance trail runs or exploring unfamiliar areas.

Once wirelessly transferred to your watch from the app, the detailed maps make navigating very easy, with clear visuals and topographical data that go beyond simple breadcrumb-style mapping, and turn notifications, as well as wrong direction notifications if you sway off course – super useful for trail racing!

The high-resolution AMOLED display further enhances map detail, allowing you to see where NOT to run, such as restricted paths, forks in the trail, offering a level of safety and situational awareness that traditional breadcrumb maps simply can’t match. This makes it a great option for trail running and hiking.

Lightweight design

Despite the premium titanium bezel, the Forerunner 965 remains only 1.9oz, making it comfortable to wear 24/7 (including during sleep) and ideal for endurance running events.

Its slim profile doesn’t sacrifice durability, and the sleek, modern look elevates its appeal for everyday wear, in my opinion. It’s worth noting that the Forerunner 965 only comes in one size, so if you have particularly small wrists, maybe look at the Forerunner 165 (43mm) or Fenix 8 (43mm) at the Garmin store instead.

Things I still wish it had

• USB-C: I feel like it’s time for Garmin to do away with their proprietary charging port, the cable doesn’t stay attached very well, and USB-C would produce a faster charge.
• A Nylon strap: yes you can buy these aftermarket from the Garmin store, or Amazon (heap versions that don’t last as long) but I think this should be an option an point of sale – if it was, I’d go for the Sylon strap option.
• No solar charging: The lack of solar charging isn’t a huge deal for me – I had that on my Fenix 7 which was an awesome running watch but I don’t really miss that feature. For those accustomed to extended battery life during summer runs, the absence of this feature might feel like a step back from the previous model which had this as an option.
• Shorter battery life with AMOLED The AMOLED display, while stunning, does drain the battery more quickly. If you prefer the always-on mode, expect to charge the watch every six days or so. For 100 mile ultra-endurance athletes or those participating in multi-day events, this may be a limiting factor.
• High price At $600, the Forerunner 965 sits at the top of Garmin’s running watch range. While it delivers premium features, this price point might not be justifiable for more casual runners who don’t need the extra features that make it a great trail and ultra running watch. By the way, there are much more expensive ultra running watches out there, so this is actually a great price point for what you get.

My verdict

The Garmin Forerunner 965 is undeniably one of the best running watches available today, particularly for runners who prioritize a lightweight design, accurate fitness and health tracking and a watch that can keep up with the demands of trail running, speed training, and battery life that lasts most ultra marathons.

Its AMOLED display adds a modern touch, improving visibility during workouts and making the watch more enjoyable to use day-to-day. However, the trade-offs such as shorter battery life and the absence of solar charging should give extreme ultra-distance athletes pause for thought.

For those focused on events under 24 hours (most people), the Forerunner 965 is a fantastic option. It packs premium performance in a sleek, lightweight design and comes with all the health and fitness metrics you’d expect from a top-tier Garmin. But if you need a watch that can last through multi-day events or you’re not ready to let go of solar charging, you might want to consider alternatives like the Garmin Fenix 7 or Suunto Race.

In summary, if your priorities are display quality, weight, and fitness accuracy, the Garmin Forerunner 965 is a solid investment. Just be aware of its battery “limitations” if you’re a 100 mile runner, and the missing features (when compared to a Fenix 8 or Enduro 3, for example) before committing to the $600 price tag.

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