Garmin Forerunner® 965 Running Smartwatch, Colorful AMOLED Display, Training Metrics and Recovery Insights, Black and Powder Gray, 010-02809-00

I'm A Cat 🐈‍⬛Canada

Health + Fitness tracking that is superior to apple/google

Used both Google watch pixel 2, pixel 3. And comparing to apple Ultra 2. Battery life blows the competition straight out of the water. The watch predicts up to 23 days of battery life and so far with excessive use of notifications and smart features and non-stop health tracking. The accuracy of the battery tracking has stayed in line with what is projected. In terms of fitness and health tracking, there are so many different ways the watch can track your activity. It has skipping rope. It has fitness like lifting boxing, running, mountain climbing. It is ridiculous compared to the pixel watch or the Apple watches In terms of build quality, the watch is made out of plastic with rubbery straps and an allegedly titanium bezel around the screen, mine has already accumulate d scratches. The screen is just regular mineral glass of some sort and it will scratch if you don't put a screen protector on. This is not a sapphire screen on the 965 so be aware that scratches can happen if the screen is not protected My biggest recommendation is replacing the strap with perhaps a velcro strap that does not have loop holes. The rubber sits tight snugly against your wrist and it sort of irritates my skin. I think I got an allergic reaction to it. So because of that reason I would highly recommend using a cloth strap so that your skin does not have any reaction, especially when sweating. It has partial smartphone features integration. Where to some notifications that arrive, you can respond with generic messages or you can create a custom message, but you cannot type up a message or speak into the watch to type up a message. It's not like a smartwatch that's like a pixel or an Apple watch in that regard. You can also answer phone calls but the watch itself does not have a microphone so it just picks up the call on your phone and you have to reach for your phone and answer there. Not very useful especially if you are trying to answer on your watch and your phone is in another room or not close to you. The 24-hour health monitoring is by comparison very accurate to some other devices that are on the market such as the Google pixel or the Apple watch. However, I feel that the Garmin health tracking is slightly more precise and more accurate in predicting your sleep patterns and energy levels. It seems that my Garmin is far more accurate at tracking my sleep cycles, then the Google pixel because there is a discrepancy of 1 hour and I have accurate account of when I fall asleep and when I wake up and I can certainly say that the garmin is far more accurate. Overall, buying the watch on sale was a really good decision. It has provided me with everything I needed in terms of fitness tracking. I do a lot of running and try to get better and this has coaching programs that are far superior compared to other competition. YMMV

Cecilia VuUnited States

Finally Made the Jump to Garmin - So Long Battery Anxiety!

I'd been struggling with my Pixel 3 watch on longer runs – it just couldn't hang in there past 17 miles, which was incredibly frustrating. I started looking for something with serious battery life but didn't want to feel like I was downgrading on cool features. The Forerunner 965 kept popping up, and I decided to give it a shot. Man, am I glad I did. I purchased the one with the white band, I think it looks very sleek and modern compared to the black one. Pros: Battery for Days (Well, Miles and Miles!): This is the biggest one for me. I can go on my long runs, and then some, without even thinking about the battery percentage. It's a huge relief not to have that anxiety anymore. I used to have to charge my pixel watch daily, I can go a full week without charging this watch! That Screen is Gorgeous: The AMOLED display is no joke. It's so bright and clear, even when I'm out in direct sunlight. Data is super easy to read at a glance, which is exactly what you need when you're trying to focus on your pace. Buttons I Actually Like Using: I didn't realize how much I'd appreciate good, tactile buttons until I had them. They're really responsive and make navigating menus or starting/stopping activities a breeze, especially with sweaty hands when a touchscreen can be finicky. Still Feels Smart: While it's definitely a running-focused watch, it still has a lot of the smart features I liked on my Pixel. I get my notifications, can control music, and it tracks all sorts of health metrics. Cons: Missing True Independence (No LTE): The only real drawback for me is the lack of LTE. I can't take calls or send texts if I don't have my phone with me. It's not a dealbreaker, as I'll wear my old Pixel watch with LTE on my other wrist to avoid me needing my bulky phone with me. Overall: Switching to the Forerunner 965 has been a game-changer for my running. The battery life alone makes it worth it, but the awesome screen and user-friendly buttons are fantastic bonuses. I finally get why so many runners swear by Garmin. If you're a runner who needs reliability and great performance without sacrificing too many smartwatch conveniences, I’d definitely recommend checking this one out. Edit: Added a screenshot of my first run with the watch. 10 miles and the battery only went down 3% throughout while listening to music. I made the right choice to switch!

CemmiUnited States

Freaking AMAZING!!!!

Love, Love, LOVE my Garmin Forerunner 965!! I switched from an apple watch and the only thing I really miss at all was the ability to "Close my Rings" in Activity and Health. Garmin has much better training stats and I'm loving the gps/maps for my trail running. This baby lasted through a marathon and still had battery life to go! My apple watch could NEVER. The features are superior from any previous watch, and I very much think it was worth the hefty price! I'm still getting used to having to use the buttons on the side to clear notifications etc, but I'm slowly adapting to how this watch functions!! As for how comfortable, light, and nice it fits on me– I'm a pretty small gal! I'm 5'3" and 120lbs soaking wet haha, I was worried about this watch being too heavy and big on my wrist but it fits quite well! It doesn't bug me on my wrist while I'm active, or even while I'm sleeping! I do wish it came with instructions on how to change the band, but youtube and a quick google search will give me the information I need! I do really like that the watch had a black colored metal option for the bezel of the watch, as I only wear gold jewelry and would've been a bit bummed if my watch was silver. I know that's minor, but black looks so much sleeker with the clothes I wear and whatnot, and I feel that it doesn't look too distracting since it's darker.

Harshil PatelUnited States

Best fitness watch I've bought

I love my Forerunner 965 because it fits into my life without trying to hype me up or guilt me. It’s just there, quietly tracking things and giving me information I actually use. I like waking up and checking how I slept, not because I expect perfection, but because it explains why some days feel harder than others. When my sleep or HRV is off, it usually lines up with how I feel. That makes the data feel real, not gimmicky. Running with it feels natural. The screen is easy to read without thinking, even when I’m tired or zoning out. I don’t have to fight the watch to get what I need. Pace, heart rate, distance — it’s all just there when I glance down. I like that it doesn’t force motivation. If I’m ready to train, it confirms it. If I’m not, it doesn’t shame me — it just says I might want to take it easy. Some days I listen, some days I don’t. Either way, it adapts. I also like the small things: the battery lasting long enough that charging isn’t part of my routine, the way trends build over time, and how progress shows up slowly instead of all at once. It makes improvement feel realistic.