Garmin Forerunner 165 Music GPS Running Smartwatch review

? Have you been thinking about a running watch that feels like part of your daily routine, not just another gadget in the drawer?

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Quick Take

You get a lot of thoughtful design and practical power with the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music GPS Running Smartwatch, Fitness Tracker Smart Watch for Women and Men Bundle with Accessories – Mist Gray/Whitestone. It balances fitness-first features with music streaming and a vivid AMOLED display, making it useful whether you’re training for a race or fitting short workouts into a crowded life.

Product Overview

This bundle pairs the Forerunner 165 Music watch with several accessories to make getting started easier and more complete right out of the box. The watch brings music streaming from services like Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music to your wrist, GPS accuracy, extensive activity profiles, and wrist-based monitoring designed to help you read your body’s signals over days and weeks.

Who this is for

If you want a familiar, approachable training tool that feels polished rather than clinical, this could be the one you take with you every morning. It suits people who run, cycle, swim indoors, or simply want more insight into day-to-day stress, sleep, and recovery without hauling a phone.

Design & Build

The Forerunner 165 Music shows Garmin’s intention to create something that is both durable and comfortable for everyday wear. You’ll notice the watch sits low on the wrist and the Mist Gray/Whitestone colorway is subtle, giving it a subdued presence that fits into both workouts and workdays.

Fit and Comfort

You’ll appreciate the lightweight case and soft strap, which means you can sleep, run, and work with the watch on without constant awareness of it. The band breathes well and the sizing options cover a wide range of wrists, so you’re likely to find a comfortable fit without extra fuss.

Buttons and Controls

Garmin retains physical buttons alongside the touchscreen, which makes it easier to operate during sweaty runs or when your fingers are cold. You’ll find the combination reliable and reassuring—touch for quick interactions and buttons for controlled navigation when you need it.

Display

The 1.2” bright AMOLED display is one of the standout features, providing crisp text and colorful watch faces that remain readable in daylight. The screen brings a liveliness to metrics and maps that turns routine stats into something you can glance at and understand quickly.

Touchscreen and Responsiveness

The touchscreen is responsive and generally smooth for swipes and taps during menus or managing music, while haptic feedback gives confirmations so you don’t feel lost in a setting. You won’t need to choose between responsiveness and reliability because you have both touchscreen and button input at your disposal.

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Battery Life

Garmin promises up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, and that translates into a comfortable cadence: charge once a week or less depending on how much streaming and GPS you use. In typical mixed use—daily activity tracking, some GPS runs, and periodic streaming—you can expect multi-day endurance that won’t demand nightly plugging.

Real-world Performance

When you actually put the watch to use, battery life varies with features active: continuous heart rate, sleep tracking, and music streaming are the main drains. If you turn on extended GPS usage with music streaming, you’ll see shorter runtimes, but the battery still performs well compared to many AMOLED-equipped competitors.

GPS and Sensors

The Forerunner 165 Music is equipped with a robust multi-band GPS and a suite of sensors that feed into detailed running metrics and health insights. These sensors collect cadence, stride length, ground contact time, and heart rate, painting a fuller picture of your movement than distance and pace alone.

Accuracy

On city runs and park loops, GPS tracking holds steady with few surprises in route shape or pace smoothing. Heart rate readings are solid for steady-state training and recovery monitoring; for very high-intensity intervals or variable efforts you might notice small lag or smoothing, which is common in wrist-based HR measurements.

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Music and Connectivity

One of the most freeing features is being able to stream music directly from your watch via Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music, which removes a common barrier to phone-free runs. Pairing earbuds like the included Air Pro TWS or other Bluetooth headphones is straightforward, and the watch handles playlists and controls smoothly.

Streaming and Offline Playback

You can stream music while you’re in range of a Wi‑Fi or phone connection, and you can also download playlists for offline playback so that your long runs don’t depend on a signal. The onboard storage and streaming options mean you’re not forced to carry a phone, and you’ll feel lighter on runs when you leave it behind.

Health & Wellness Tracking

The Forerunner 165 Music collects a broad set of wellness metrics to help you interpret your day-to-day energy and long-term recovery. Garmin’s Body Battery, stress tracking, sleep analysis, and continuous HR monitoring give you a sense of where you sit between rest and exertion.

Heart Rate and Recovery

You’ll be able to monitor continuous heart rate during activities and throughout the day, with recovery advisories that help you choose between pushing hard or taking an easier day. The metrics tie into adaptive training plans so that guidance is not just a number but a suggestion you can act on.

Sleep and Body Energy

Sleep tracking provides stages and duration, and the Body Battery aggregates sleep, stress, and activity into an energy score you can use to schedule workouts or rest. Over time you’ll see patterns—days where sleep quality and activity align well, and others where stress nudges your energy lower.

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Sports and Training Features

The watch supports 25+ built-in GPS and indoor activity profiles, including cycling, open-water swimming, strength training, and yoga. For running specifically, it supplies advanced metrics and training tools that feel both immediate and long-term, helping you progress steadily.

Running Metrics

You’ll see cadence, stride length, ground contact time balance, and more, presented in ways that are actionable rather than overwhelming. These metrics can highlight small, meaningful changes in your form and efficiency, which accumulate into better performance over months.

Adaptive Training Plans

Adaptive training plans tailor workouts to your progress and goals, adjusting intensity and volume as your performance data comes in. You’ll find these plans supportive: they keep you moving forward without assuming an all-or-nothing commitment, adapting if you miss a workout or overreach.

Apps and Compatibility

Garmin’s ecosystem is mature: you’ll sync your watch with the Garmin Connect app for activity history, deeper analysis, and social features. The watch works with both iOS and Android and supports third-party connections for music services and training platforms.

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Software & Interface

Garmin’s interface balances detail and accessibility; it’s designed so that you can get to what you need during a run without reading a manual mid-stride. Menus are logically organized and the watch supports downloadable widgets and watch faces if you want to tailor the experience.

Accessories & Bundle Contents

The bundle includes more than just the watch: USB charging adapters (white cube and car adapter), a USB3.0 to Type-C female adapter, a P-Bank battery, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and Air Pro TWS earbuds (color may vary). These extras mean you’re equipped to use the music features and keep the device charged across travel and daily life.

Here’s a compact table summarizing the key specs and bundle contents for quick reference:

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Unboxing and First Impressions

When you open the box, the watch feels like a deliberate object: compact, neatly packaged, and accompanied by accessories that immediately reduce the friction of first use. You’ll appreciate that Garmin has included both travel and car charging options as well as earbuds, because it signals the intention that this watch is meant to leave the house with you.

Setup Experience

Pairing with your phone and streaming accounts is a guided process that’s simple enough to finish without fuss. You’ll link music services in Garmin Connect, sync playlists or offline downloads, and be ready to run often in less time than it takes to lace up.

Daily Use and Practical Notes

In daily life the watch becomes a quiet partner: a glance at your wrist gives you the context you need for pacing, stress, and energy. Notifications, step counts, and timers integrate into routine without shouting for attention, which is exactly the tone you want if the watch is part of a busy day.

Notifications and Smartwatch Features

Notifications are handled cleanly—texts, calls, and app alerts appear, and you can silence or act on them without rummaging for your phone. The watch aims to assist rather than interrupt, offering quick replies on compatible phones and controls for music that keep your hands free.

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Durability and Maintenance

Garmin designs its Forerunners to be used and not babied: the materials resist daily wear, sweat, and the rain you’ll sometimes run through. You’ll want to wipe the watch down occasionally and keep the charging port clean, but the included microfiber cloth makes that an easy habit.

Long-term Care

The straps can show wear sooner than the body if you don’t alternate or clean them regularly, especially after salt-sweat or pool laps. Rotate bands, rinse after heavy exposure to chlorine or salt, and keep firmware up to date to maintain a smooth experience.

Pros and Cons

You’ll find the watch has a generous mix of features and strong battery life, balanced against some trade-offs inherent in wrist-based devices. It’s worth considering both the strengths and limitations to decide if it suits your priorities.

Advantages

• Music streaming and offline playback let you run phone-free and carry less.
• Bright AMOLED display with touchscreen offers clarity and polish.
• Strong battery life for an AMOLED watch in smartwatch mode.
• Robust running metrics and adaptive training plans support long-term progress.
• Bundle adds convenience with charging options and earbuds.

Limitations

• Wrist-based heart rate can be less precise during extreme intensity compared to chest straps.
• Heavy GPS + streaming sessions shorten runtime significantly.
• If you’re deeply invested in another platform (e.g., a training app not supported), integration may require extra steps.
• The included earbuds’ quality can vary, and they may not replace higher-end headphones for audiophiles.

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How it Fits into Your Life

You’ll find the watch most valuable if you want data that blends into your daily narrative, not something that demands a second life of spreadsheets and dashboards. It supports the quiet accumulation of fitness—small runs, measured recovery, and the music that keeps you company while you move.

Everyday Scenarios

For morning runs you’ll appreciate being untethered from your phone; for commute workouts the battery and music options make transitions smoother; and for long-term training the metrics scaffold steady improvement. Over time the watch becomes a ledger of habit and small choices rather than a mere counter.

Comparisons with Similar Models

Compared to older Forerunner models, the 165 Music adds a brighter AMOLED screen and improved music integration while keeping the core Garmin strengths intact. If you’re weighing this against Garmin’s higher-end models, you get many of the essentials at a friendlier price point but with fewer ultrarunning or multi-sport specialist features.

How it stacks up in the field

Against competitors with similar price points, the Forerunner 165 Music stands out for its music streaming and solid balance of battery and display quality. If your priorities are training guidance plus a pleasurable UI, this model scores highly; if you want maximal battery life above screen fidelity, you might consider alternatives.

Buying Advice

You should buy this if you want a reliable, music-friendly training watch that won’t complicate your routine. Consider whether the included accessories align with your needs—if you already have a trusted pair of earbuds or charging solutions, the bundle is less compelling but still useful.

When to wait or look elsewhere

If you need professional-level triathlon features, longer GPS + music battery life for ultramarathons, or specialized sensors (like advanced running dynamics from a foot pod), another model may fit better. If budget is the main constraint, watch for sales or stripped-down Forerunner variants without music.

Final Verdict

The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music GPS Running Smartwatch, Fitness Tracker Smart Watch for Women and Men Bundle with Accessories – Mist Gray/Whitestone is a thoughtful package that blends music, training guidance, and everyday wearability. You’ll find it encourages consistency and enjoyment in training—small, meaningful aids that help you sustain movement and rest without complicating life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can you use the music features without a phone?
A: Yes; you can stream when connected and download playlists for offline playback so you can run without your phone. You’ll need Wi‑Fi or a phone for initial downloads and account linking.

Q: Is the watch waterproof for swimming?
A: The Forerunner 165 Music is suitable for pool swims and sweat, and it supports open-water activity profiles. Rinse after exposure to salt or chlorinated water and check the manual for depth ratings if you plan frequent swimming.

Q: How often will I need to charge if I run with music?
A: Heavy GPS use plus music streaming reduces battery life substantially, so plan to charge more frequently during periods of frequent long runs. For everyday mixed use, expect multiple days to over a week between charges.

Q: Will it work with my phone?
A: The watch is compatible with iOS and Android and syncs through the Garmin Connect app. Some smartwatch features (like quick replies) may be limited by your phone type.

Q: Are the included earbuds good enough?
A: The Air Pro TWS earbuds included in the bundle are convenient for running and general use, but sound quality and fit vary by user preference. If you’re particular about audio, you might prefer using your own premium earbuds.

If you want, you can ask for a side-by-side comparison with a specific competitor or request buying tips based on your training goals and budget—I’ll give you tailored help so your next decision feels right for the life you live.

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