[summary] The best running watch under £400 — not close AMOLED display that's actually readable in direct sunlight Battery life takes a hit vs older Forerunners — plan accordingly [/summary]
What we tested
Eight weeks across three testers — a 5k parkrun regular, a half marathon trainer logging 40 miles a week, and someone who runs twice a week and mostly just wants to know their pace. We compared it directly against the Garmin Forerunner 255 and a Polar Pacer Pro.
The 265 is the first Forerunner to get an AMOLED display. That's the headline feature. It's not the only reason to buy it.
Display
The AMOLED screen is a genuine upgrade over the MIP display on the 255. Sharp, bright, and readable in direct sunlight in a way that most smartwatch displays are not. During outdoor runs in summer conditions it never once required shading with a hand to read.
The always-on display mode works well but cuts battery life significantly. Most runners will want to leave it off during runs and use the raise-to-wake gesture instead.
Running metrics
This is where Garmin earns its reputation. Training readiness, HRV status, race predictor, daily suggested workouts, recovery time — all of it is here and all of it is genuinely useful if you engage with it.
The training load and acute vs chronic workload tracking is the feature that separates Garmin from most competitors. It tells you not just how hard you trained today but whether that fits into a sensible pattern over the past few weeks. For anyone serious about improving rather than just logging miles, this matters.
Our half marathon tester found the suggested workouts accurate enough to follow as a loose training plan. Not a replacement for a coach, but a genuinely useful guide.
GPS accuracy
Excellent. Multi-band GPS locks quickly and track accuracy is tight even in urban environments with tall buildings. On trail runs through wooded areas it held position better than the Polar Pacer Pro in our testing.
Battery life
13 days in smartwatch mode, around 20 hours in GPS mode with the AMOLED display on. That's the official figure and it's roughly accurate.
The 255 gets significantly longer battery life. If you're running ultras or multi-day events where charging isn't practical, the 255 remains the better choice. For everyone else the 265's battery is perfectly workable.
Should you buy it
If you run regularly and want the best data available under £400, yes. The AMOLED screen and training intelligence make this the most complete running watch at this price.
If you run occasionally and mostly want to track distance and pace, it's more watch than you need. The Garmin Forerunner 55 does the basics for considerably less.
If battery life is a priority above everything else, get the Forerunner 255.