The Garmin Forerunner 965 is a premium running watch that takes fitness tracking to the next level. It boasts a vibrant 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, making it easy to view your stats at a glance. This smartwatch offers up to 23 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, allowing users to track their activities for extended periods without frequent charging.
The Forerunner 965 comes packed with advanced features for runners and multisport athletes. It includes built-in maps, wrist-based running dynamics, and training load metrics to help users improve their performance. The watch also supports phone-free music playback, adding entertainment to your workouts.
Garmin has upgraded the Forerunner 965 with a titanium bezel, giving it a sleek and durable design. While it lacks some features like solar charging and ECG capabilities, the watch still offers a comprehensive set of tools for serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Garmin Forerunner 965: A Runner’s Dream
The Garmin Forerunner 965 is a top-of-the-line GPS running smartwatch. It’s packed with features to help runners of all levels train smarter and go farther. With a vibrant AMOLED display and advanced training metrics, the Forerunner 965 is a great choice for serious athletes.
What’s New in the Forerunner 965?
The Forerunner 965 builds on the success of its predecessor, the Forerunner 955. Here are some key upgrades:
- Stunning AMOLED Display: The 1.4-inch AMOLED display is a major highlight. It’s bright, colorful, and easy to read, even in direct sunlight. This makes it much easier to view maps and data during your runs.
- Lightweight Design: Despite the larger screen, the Forerunner 965 is lighter than the 955. It’s comfortable to wear all day long, even during intense workouts.
- Enhanced Mapping: The built-in maps are now in full color, making navigation a breeze. You can also download maps for offline use, so you can explore new routes without worrying about losing signal.
Features for Runners
The Forerunner 965 is loaded with features to help you track your runs, monitor your progress, and improve your performance. Here are some highlights:
- Advanced Training Metrics: Track key metrics like pace, distance, heart rate, and cadence. The watch also provides insights into your training load, recovery time, and overall fitness level.
- Running Power: Measure your running power directly from your wrist, giving you a more accurate picture of your effort and helping you pace yourself effectively.
- Built-in GPS: Accurately track your routes and distance with multi-band GNSS support for improved accuracy in challenging environments.
- Music Storage: Store up to 2,000 songs on the watch and connect your Bluetooth headphones for phone-free listening.
- Safety and Tracking: Stay safe with features like incident detection and live tracking, which can alert your emergency contacts in case of an accident.
Beyond Running
While the Forerunner 965 is designed for runners, it also offers features for other activities, including cycling, swimming, and triathlons. It can track your sleep, stress levels, and overall wellness. You can even use it for contactless payments with Garmin Pay.
Specifications at a Glance
| Feature | Specification |
| Display | 1.4-inch AMOLED, touchscreen |
| Battery Life | Up to 23 days in smartwatch mode, up to 31 hours in GPS mode |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM |
| Sensors | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, heart rate, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, thermometer |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ANT+ |
The Garmin Forerunner 965 is a premium GPS running smartwatch that offers a wealth of features for serious athletes. With its stunning display, advanced training metrics, and comprehensive tracking capabilities, it’s a powerful tool to help you achieve your running goals.
Key Takeaways
- The Forerunner 965 features a bright AMOLED display and long battery life
- It offers advanced training metrics and built-in maps for runners
- The watch supports multisport profiles and phone-free music playback
Design and Build
The Garmin Forerunner 965 sports a sleek look with high-end materials. It balances style and function for athletes who want a watch that performs well and looks good.
Display and Materials
The Forerunner 965 has a 1.4-inch AMOLED display. This screen is bright and easy to read in different lighting. The watch face is protected by Gorilla Glass 3, which helps prevent scratches and cracks.
The bezel is made of titanium. This metal is strong but light, keeping the watch’s weight down. The Forerunner 965 weighs only 52 grams without the band. This is slightly less than the older Forerunner 955 model.
Garmin uses a 22 mm QuickFit watch band system. This lets users swap bands easily for different looks or activities.
Wearable Comfort and Aesthetics
The Forerunner 965 is made to be worn all day. Its light weight and slim design make it comfy for long-term use. The watch doesn’t feel bulky or get in the way during workouts or daily tasks.
Garmin offers a “Design Your Own Watch” feature. This lets users pick different watch faces and layouts. People can make the watch look how they want.
The watch comes in black, white, and blue color options. These choices fit different styles and preferences. The mix of sporty and classy looks means the Forerunner 965 works well for both exercise and everyday wear.
Advanced Training Features
The Garmin Forerunner 965 offers a range of tools to help athletes improve their performance and track their health. These features provide data on training readiness, recovery, and key metrics for running and cycling.
Performance Metrics
The Forerunner 965 tracks several key performance indicators. It measures Training Load to show how much strain you’re putting on your body. This helps prevent overtraining and injury.
The watch also provides a Training Status. This tells you if you’re training productively, peaking, or overdoing it. It uses data from your workouts and recovery time to give this feedback.
For runners, there’s a Race Widget. This predicts your finish times for common race distances based on your current fitness level. It can help you set realistic goals for upcoming events.
The watch tracks Running Dynamics like cadence and ground contact time. These metrics can help improve running form and efficiency.
Health and Wellness Tracking
The Forerunner 965 monitors several health metrics. It tracks your heart rate variability (HRV) status. This can show how well your body is coping with stress and recovery.
The Body Battery feature measures your energy levels throughout the day. It uses data on sleep, stress, and activity to give you a score out of 100. This can help you plan when to work out or rest.
The Morning Report gives a daily overview of your sleep, recovery, and workout plans. It helps you start each day with useful health info.
The watch also tracks standard health metrics like steps, calories burned, and sleep stages.
Running Dynamics and Cycling Analysis
For runners, the Forerunner 965 measures advanced metrics right from the wrist. It tracks cadence, stride length, and ground contact time. These can help refine running technique.
The watch can measure running power without extra sensors. This metric helps gauge effort on hills or in changing conditions.
For cyclists, it tracks speed, distance, and elevation. When paired with extra sensors, it can measure pedaling cadence and power output.
For indoor cycling, it can connect to smart trainers. This lets you do structured workouts or virtual rides from your wrist.
Connectivity and Smart Features
The Garmin Forerunner 965 offers a wide range of connectivity options and smart features. These include smartphone integration, music streaming, contactless payments, and safety tools.
Smartwatch Capabilities
The Forerunner 965 pairs with compatible phones using the Garmin Connect app. This unlocks features like notifications, calendar sync, and weather updates. The watch also connects to Wi-Fi networks for faster data syncing and software updates.
Users can install apps and custom watch faces from the Connect IQ store. This adds extra functionality like navigation tools and specialized sports tracking.
The watch face displays useful information at a glance. This includes steps, heart rate, and upcoming calendar events. A controls menu gives quick access to common functions.
Music and Payment Functions
The Forerunner 965 can store up to 2000 songs for offline playback. It supports popular music services like Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer. Users can sync playlists and podcasts directly to the watch.
Bluetooth headphones connect easily for wire-free listening during workouts. The watch has buttons to control playback and volume.
Garmin Pay allows contactless payments at supported terminals. Users can add credit cards to make purchases without carrying a wallet or phone.
Safety and Tracking Enhancements
The Forerunner 965 includes several safety features. Incident detection can alert emergency contacts if it senses a fall during certain activities.
LiveTrack lets friends and family follow your real-time location during workouts or races. The watch can also send your live location to contacts in case of emergency.
Built-in maps help with navigation on runs or bike rides. Users can create courses on their phone and send them to the watch for turn-by-turn directions.
Features and Specifications
The Garmin Forerunner 965 is a high-end GPS running smartwatch that was released in March 2023. It’s the successor to the popular Forerunner 955 and boasts several upgrades, including a vibrant AMOLED display and some design refinements. Here’s a summary of what’s new and noteworthy:
Key Features:
- Bright AMOLED Display: This is the most significant upgrade. The 1.4-inch AMOLED display is a major step up from the memory-in-pixel display on the 955. It’s brighter, more vibrant, and makes it easier to view maps and data, especially in sunlight. Â
- Lightweight and Comfortable: Despite the larger screen, the Forerunner 965 is lighter than its predecessor. The watch case is made of fiber-reinforced polymer with a titanium bezel, giving it a premium look and feel.
- Advanced Training Metrics: Like the 955, the 965 offers advanced training metrics such as Training Readiness, Training Status, and Running Power. These features help you understand your fitness level and optimize your training. Â
- Full-Color Mapping: The built-in maps are now in full color, making navigation easier and more enjoyable. You can also download maps for offline use. Â
- Music Storage: You can store up to 2,000 songs on the watch, allowing you to leave your phone at home during runs.
- Other Features: The 965 includes all the standard features you’d expect from a high-end Garmin watch, including wrist-based heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, contactless payments (Garmin Pay), and smartphone notifications. Â
What’s Missing:
- ECG and Blood Oxygen Monitoring: Unlike some newer Garmin models, the 965 doesn’t have an ECG app or blood oxygen sensor.
- Solar Charging: The 965 doesn’t offer solar charging, a feature available on the Forerunner 955 Solar.
- Limited Size Options: The Forerunner 965 is currently only available in one size (47mm).
Overall:
The Garmin Forerunner 965 is an excellent GPS running watch that offers a great combination of features, performance, and style. The AMOLED display is a welcome upgrade, and the watch is comfortable to wear even during long runs. If you’re a serious runner looking for a top-of-the-line smartwatch, the Forerunner 965 is worth considering. However, if you’re looking for features like ECG or solar charging, you might want to look at other Garmin models.
