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The best sale you’ll find on a Garmin watch during the ongoing Amazon Big Spring Sale is probably this Forerunner 265, which will run you $344.95. It’s an excellent watch—I said as much when I reviewed it. If this watch appeals to you, go ahead and buy it—but there are some caveats you should consider before buying one.
It’s a low price—but only a little cheaper than usual
The first to know is that older-model watches are not always as good a deal as they appear. This watch is $344.95 today, down from an original price of $449.99, and it’s got a “Big Spring Sale” tag; that makes it look like an excellent deal. But the price history tells a different story: Earlier this month, it was going for $349.99 (only $5 more) and the highest price in the last few days was $368.99 ($24 more). Looking over the last year or so of price data, the 265 and 265S have spent a month or more at $349.99 (or lower) on at least two occasions—the first big one when the 570 launched in early summer, and the second for the holiday shopping season.
Older watches reveice fewer updates from Garmin
And since the 265 has been replaced by the 570, I need to talk about what that means for people who buy the 265. The 265 is an older watch, having launched in 2023. Now, that’s not a problem in itself—Garmins tend to age well. Whatever you would have liked about the watch in 2023, it’s got all the same features now. It’s still a good watch.
But ever since the launch of the 570 and 970, Garmin’s regular updates have been bringing new features to the ’70 series, but not the ’65. (Similarly, the Fenix 8 has been getting upgrades that the Fenix 7 does not.) In the past, Garmin hasn’t walked away from older models this quickly, but it seems like the new models are different enough from their predecessors that most new features only make sense to roll out on the newer hardware.
The 265 is still getting updates for stability and bug fixes (here’s the latest, from just two months ago) so it’s still supported, it’s just not getting the best new features. For example, the new glances for battery health, sports scores, and lifestyle logging are only for the newer watches.
The Garmin Forerunner 265 is still a strong buy
With all that in mind, is the 265 still a good watch? Honestly, yes, but it no longer occupies a “sweet spot” at the center of features and value. In 2026, if you want a watch with all the best Garmin features, it’s better to upgrade to the Forerunner 570 or 970, or for more of a lifestyle watch, the Venu 4. On the budget side, the Vivoactive 6 is a good pick from the newer generation. But none of those are currently seeing significant discounts, so if price is a major factor in your buying decision, I’d consider looking at Coros or Suunto too.
