Garmin Venu 3 vs Forerunner 265 In-Depth Comparison - 20+ Differences! 

The segmentation between these watches insane. How to make customers feel like they've made the wrong purchase or had to make uncomfortable trade-offs between your own products.

Great comparisons, thank you. But please start adding chapters or bookmarks (or whatever they are called) to your 20min+ videos. Would really help a lot of us

Ty Des For the review and taking the time to offer your insight into the comparison. Excellent as always! Right now because the information and fitness characteristics of the watches, I’m leaning more towards the 265. It is strange that when they do the upgrade why they didn’t included Gen5 HR sensor, but well 🤷🏻‍♂️. And since the 265 is close to 965 why they didn’t include the maps another head scratcher! Beyond that, I feel that with the training readiness and the runner “trainer” modes it seals the deal for the 265!

Finally, been waiting for this!!! Thanks a lot for the detailed comparison

i found my way here at the suggestion of a post i stumbled across while researching the differences. excellent breakdown. the time and effort is greatly appreciated. my vivosports best days are behind it and it looks like the 265 is for me. smart watch things are cool/handy, but im more in it for the fitness aspects and insights. thanks again, have a nice day.

Awesome comparison and so much requested by many I guess! Thanks DesFit! 👍

This is phenomenal. Thank you. I haven't found anything else like this and appreciate the work.

Thanks for all you do. These are always ridiculously informative. I've a Venu 2 and have been considering a move, but after watching this, wound up with a FR955. :) As an aside, as the sports activity list continues to grow and grow to the extreme, I can't figure out why they dont develop a fully native Jump Rope activity mode - it's such an important part of *many* peoples' training and has only grown more popular recently (dare I say trendy). The existing Garmin app is better than nothign but not really any better than the couple 3rd part options. Would love to see some dev time from Garmin to bring a quality mode to the ecosystem.

Been looking for this comparison, well done, and TY!!!

Finally the comparison is there, thanks for the detailed and well-done video! (I even had notifications turned on for new videos so I wouldn't miss it). :) I think I will choose the Venu 3.

Awesome comparison, thank you. Thought I wanted the Venu 3, now looking at the 965!

Thanks for the video. Im happy with my 265. Training readiness is the game changer for my training.

Thanks for getting this video out - was worth the wait! I ordered the Venu 3 (upgrading from Venu 1). It has newer tech and nothing I would miss from the 265. The clincher for me was the large fonts feature - I have 'old man eyes' so I expect this will be very helpful.

This was by far the most helpful information I have found! Thank you!!!!

Thanks for these comparisons. Answer a lot of questions!

Excellent comparison, Des. Two additional differences that could matter during, say, an interval workout are the wrist gesture sensitivity and the font legibility. The V3 affords the ability to adjust sensitivity and font size, whereas the 265 does not. My questions are (a) whether the large font choice, plus the larger screen size and higher resolution, of the V3 give it a noticeable advantage over the 265 when you are using a three or four data field screen, and (b) whether the sensitivity of the V3 set on high surpasses that of the 265 so that the gesture need not be as pronounced. Thank you!!

The comparison I've been waiting for 💪🏼✔️

Cool! thanks for a detailed review. Lots of useful staff to know between these two devices

Hello from Australia, Des. I bought a Venu2 20 months ago and used your reviews (and DCR) in my purchasing decision (I bascially wanted a fitness orientated smart watch with better battery life than a samsung). Ive tracked over 550 exercises in it now and wear it every day, only taking it off for charging and during shower. When I first purchased it I did put a protective cover over the glass as I knock my watches around a bit and it has held up great since purchase. Only issue I have with it is that the heart rate tracking can be way off during exercises - once heart rate spikes during exercise it can take quite awhile for it to drop back to a lower rate on display even though my heart rate has dropped notably, this has been going on for months now. Apart from that its been great and I've had no issues with it, battery lasts as long now as it did when I got it. I'll probably look to upgrade in another 12 months or so but it gets an 8/10 from me. Thanks for the reviews.

Excellent! Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge! Very helpul!👏

Amazing review and comparison, great video, you definitely never disappoint

I am looking into buying a watch and these videos are great for deciding on one. Thanks!

I was waiting for this for days! Let’s go!! 🎉

I found out you can use these Garmin Watches as bike computers, as long as you have the strap on heart rate monitor, speed and cadence sensors, some even can pair up a power meter in it, the venu line can't use a power meter though. Oh, it actually does have a speedometer in them. Even the cheapest one, the Forerunner 45s can do that. I have the Venu 2 Plus now, its a huge difference in the screen brightness and quality. I can see what I'm doing at night when I train. I still run, when my body feels good to do that, I go pretty hard and intense on them, cycling fitness is helping out big time with my running speed and my fitness at doing that.

I got the Venu 3 yesterday. I've also had the 265. So far I'm not liking the Venu 3. They did something weird with the apps/glances. It just looks weird. It's like they tried to make it more like a smart watch with apps but comparing it to the apple watch it just looks cheap. The apps/glances are bigger but they just looked zoomed in compared to other Garmin watches. I'll proably return this and go back to the 265. Edit: Also hard to navigate. Some of the screens only use the touchscreen.

This was a fantastic video with lots of helpful information and visuals 👏

Super detailed! Great work Des! 💪

Awesome work! Lean on the venue would say but not easy pick. Also some functions are added along the way

Very thorough comparison, thanks a lot for that

Thank you. I like the fact that your reviews are not sponsored & are honest. I have just bought the 2S and am reassured that I won’t regret spending more for the 3S. Greetings from Glasgow, Scotland ❤

Perfect comparison! Thank you very much

Just picked up the three. Can't wait to listen to this!

Thank you for your comparison, so I ordered the Venu 3 :)

Thanks for this in depth comparison! I’m mildly active (rock climbing and disc golf would be my two main sports) and I wanted a smart watch that would help track my general fitness a little bit better than my Apple Watch. I ended up ordering a Venu 3s Today, and your video confirmed that it’s the perfect watch for me right now. I know very little about the Garmin lineup, so videos like these are super helpful!

I find it strange that Garmin not only has two, but three OLED-UI-designs (EPIX vs. Forerunner vs. Venu lines) in addition to two MIPS-UI-designs (Fenix line vs Vivo/Forerunner design). The amount of additional work is really something you have to WANT to invest.

Very good video with great in depth information. Thank you!

Fantastic video, thank you. After a few years of having the Fitbit charge 4, I realized how poorly it measure data. I recently purchased a COROS pace 3. I was very disappointed by the screen. It was extremely dim, and I have very good vision. this video helped me make up my mind as I was torn between the venue and the forerunner. Thanks very much.

Thanks, I was waiting for this video to drop. I was leaning toward the Venue 3 for smartwatch targeted feature. However, I just can't give up training status, readiness, run dynamics, etc. So it looks like I'll be getting a 265 instead. It seems like such an unnecessary division in their product line. I guess it is too much to ask for them to make a forerunner w/ a speaker& mic. Or just add the forerunner software features to the venue.

Amazing comparison. Thank you!

The swimming features are also different. The forerunner 265 can identify drills and strokes automatically if I remember correctly. While the venue three cannot. I still haven't made my mind up on these yet.

Thank you for the comparison! I was on the fence if I should return my FR965 for the Venu 3, but after watching the video, I decided to keep it!

Amazing review. In a positive way I am tired after watching it. Wow there is a lot to unpack. The only feature holding me back from getting the Venu is the Training readiness.

Excellent Videos as Always!

Great comparison! Many thanks! Still undecided. I'm usually a very techy person. So the possibility to use Assistant and answer calls from the wrist is great. On the other hand I like stats, though I am amateur sports person, so much of the stuff I would not know what to do with it. Still... would love more data. I noticed on one of the side by side comparison when starting a running workout there was an animation of a running person. On the 265 it seemed more sluggish. Don't know if it is because of chipset used or if it is because of simple software animation is not so good on the 265. Which one seemed more responsive and faster?

A great video as always, may I give a feedback though? I think it'd be great if you can add Video Chapters in your videos, it will give us audience a good overview of what to expect next. Been missing that in your videos.. Your content is top notch as always though, can't complain!

Thanks man ! U have certainly been my go2 reviewer 4 everything GARMIN over the years ! LOL ! I'm a lifetime runner and biker and been using my vivoactive 3 for far too many years! LOL ! in addition, over the last 2 years I've started to use my vivoactive 3's Golf activity feature..... Of course, the battery only last about 9 holes ! LOL ! Would you know if the Golf features of the Venu 3 are on par with Garmin's dedicated Golf watches ? Thanks for your help !

Really great video! Thank you so much for making it! I was wondering if the touchscreen on the Venu 3 can be switch off during activities? If not, is there is a chance an activity could unintentionally be stopped during a work out?

Thanks for this. I have tried both and I agree with your review. It's 265 for me. I can't give up the Training Readiness metric. If Garmin folks are reading this, we need Training Readiness on Venu 3!

Just discovered this gesture: palm cover the entire watch and it’ll return to the watch face. Helpful when you’re deep in a menu or in notifications

Is it fair to say that the Venu 3 is a better pick over the 265 for someone that does an equal mix of HIIT sprinting/weight lifting/cycling/walks ? It seems like its more of an all-rounder versus the 265 which is very running centric. The 5th gen HR monitor looks like a big upgrade for accurately tracking HR for HIIT hill sprints and weight lifting.

Great review. Thanks. I feel like... I'd be happy with either one.

Great comparison as always :) Lack of Resume Later and physical buttons in Venu series is a deal breaker for me - a skier and a hiker.

Bought a 265 last week, sent it back after a good look at it. Then bought Venu 3 and am extremely happy with it, for various specific reasons 👍

I saw the Fitness age data on the Venu 3 as you were going through the screens. Does the 265 have this also? I really enjoy your videos as you do not talk over the heads of people like me who don't understand the highly technical information but want to upgrade our systems. Thank you.

Great video! Can someone explain the difference between Training Readiness and Boddy Battery? It is a bummer that the Venu 3 doesn't have Training readiness.

Great video as always. I've read that the Venu 3 has the hardware for both ECG and body temperature sensing but Garmin hasn't received regulatory approval for either yet (but the expectation is that both will be added once they receive regulatory approval). Is this something the 265 will be capable of adding?

Thank you for your video's! For the last couple of years I've had the Garmin 645 and I have been very happy with it. I especially liked the looks of that watch and it was the first sports watch i've been wearing 24/7. Unfortunately, the strap of my watch broke of when I was playing around with my daughter. It can't be fixed since something broke of. The sports I do: I run a couple of times a week, I do inline skating, fitness exersizes such as jumping rope, I love cycling, I like to go walking /hiking in the mountains in my summer holiday. Sometimes I do to much so i like the idea of a morning report and sports advice. For the sports I do : garmin 265 would be a super watch but I have to say: i don't really like the looks of both the 965/265 because of the black watch face and they are also quite big. The size of garmin 265s would be better but the thing i like about the 265 is that i could use the straps I have from my garmin 645! (and I also don't really like the looks of the 265s. either) I think the Venu3 is a lot nicer to see but I worry that I'd might miss the sportfunctions of the 265. In your video you mentioned that with garmin venu3 you won't be able to pause and resume an activity - and I do use that a lot when i'm hiking. Do you think it's worth while waiting for the fenix? I've also been looking at the polar vantage 3. I like the looks of that watch a lot but it's also quite big and expensive comparing to what you get. What would you advise me to buy.

I'm still hesitating between these two watches. I mainly bike and have a Garmin edge 840 for that. I don't run, although there are other physical activities, such as kayaking, hiking or weightlifting at the gym. I'm more leaning towards Venu 3 due to the possibilities of the smartwatch, such as conversations, texting, or the ability to display images sent in messages. Will these sports functions in the forerunner 265 change something for me enough to choose this smartwatch? Bearing in mind that I use a Garmin edge for the bike.

Really assisted me in making a decision. Thank you 😊

Thanks for the amazing info loaded review. Question: Just to confirm , Venu 3 won’t even have the bread crumps style maps once a gpx format map is loaded to it ? Will have to get forerunner series then.

All the time I was watching the video I've been thinking how much effort it took! The result is amazing though, very helpful and it opened my mind to things I did not consider before! Thank you. Do you happen to know whether the wheelchair profile will be rolled to other models?

Well explained. Thanks Bro!

Thanks for taking the time to make this, would you know which one is better at trracking how many calories you are actively burning throughout the day through activity? I know smart watches aren't 100% accurate when it comes to this but I'm looking for a watch that comes close enough within a 10% range. I was thinking maybe because the Venu 3 has a new gen of HR monitor it might be better for tracking active calories but not entirely sure.

@Desfit Great video. Can you shed some light on whether the 265 is purely for runners? I like the training readiness feature and was waiting for that to come to the Venu 3 but sadly no. So do you still get the full benefit of training readiness if you're not a runner? Awesome videos by the way, this and the Venu 3 one.

Great video, so useful! Just one question, does any of these watches give you the current altitude as a data point on demand? I'm currently using a Coros Apex and I really check my current altitude at all times, it appears as a data point along with my steps, calories, etc at all times, not only when working out. Do you know if these watches can do the same?

Thank you for the sharing DesFit!

Amazing video! Thanks for your great effort in making this. 🥰

I think a good general way to look at it is - venu 3 is more like a smartwarch whereas the forerunner is more of a fitness outdoors watch

Great comparison, thank you!

THANK U SO MUCH FOR THIS

The screen on the venue looks a bit more crisp and the colours more vivid side by side. A shame that it gets scratched so easily. Between these two it’s the venue for me, or has anyone ever took any real value of things like ground contact time? Accuracy of the hr sensor and gps and the smaller footprint with a bigger, crisper screen seems way more relevant. Ian gonna save up for an epic though I think, I want sapphire crystal.

Training Readiness is really something i would lit to have. But i ordered Venu 3s yesterday given the look and hope i could use Body Battery instead.

Just ordered the Venu 3. I weight lift and run primarily. Wished the Venu 3 had track run just to have the option, although I mainly just run on the road or treadmill. Coming from an Apple Watch (series 3, hey it did the job lol) I like the ability to talk on the watch. Aesthically, it's more versatile than the 265 and I wanted the watch I didn't feel the need to take off depending on the occasion I was getting dressed for. Nevermind wanting the newer, shinier toy available lol

Great video. The buttons were the decider for me, the venu3 buttons just felt a bit too flimsy for me.

Loved the review, I'm currently trying to decide between the two to replace my Vivoactive 4. My Edge 1040 is my primary cycling device but I use the watch at the gym. I've got a question on the 265. I go to Orangetheory for workouts, Usually I record a Weight Lifting, Treadmill and Row session separately, but some days when they have you cycle through the 3 stations twice or three times I just start a Cardio workout so I don't have 9 activities from 1 gym session. Can the resume later feature be leveraged to pause the treadmill, go do a row, pause the row and then resume the treadmill activity? Thanks

Great video. Helped me choose the Forerunner 265.

This is great. Thank you

Great review, just wondering if the Venu 3 has the daily suggested workout feature?

As always... an excellent video!

Hi Des, grate video, only one mistake, swimming activity is saved on the upper Butten, and not on touch screen as other activities, i almost did not by the v3 because of it, i took my risk because swimming is my favorite sport, and i am very pleased so far withe the V3

just the video that i was looking for. i'm giving away my 265 to my wife (quite an avid runner too) since i've been diagnosed with slipped disc recently. chances are i would not be running for quite some time for my recovery. or even worse that i may be not be running forever depending on chances of my recovery. therefore i'm searching for a new fitness watch to replace my 265 and venu 3 seems to be the perfect choice. however i really miss the training readiness, status, suggestion and pacepro etc on 265 that were absent on venu 3. it's a hard choice as i really love the amoled screen but buying the same watch (265) again would be weird.

So fr265 for me. Was waiting for comprehensive comparison. The trainjng readiness and vo2max for cycling are what sway me. Whilst i prefer the thinner metal bevel of the venu3 have to think of the usability and i dont need a speaker of mic on my watch! 😂

Good comparisons

Which watch would you recommend in order to build muscle in the gym effeciently and 1x/2x a week running (6km) ? Thank you in advance

a definitive guide to the choice of the right device.

Good comparison. I still feel like those watches are really similar. Time would have probably been invested better in coming up with a real Coros Pace 3 competitor at 250 euro.

Great content. Thumbs up! 👍 👍 👍

Thanks for this 👍👍😊

can you do a comparison with the forerunner 265 and the coros pace 3?

If you are mostly a runner, you can’t track tennis natively by getting the 265. If you are mostly a tennis player who would not mind training load metrics, you can’t get the Venu 3. If you want all those, you have to go top of the line 965/Fenix/Epix. Except, none of the top of the line options have a speaker/microphone. Seems bizarre to me. 🧐

Brilliant video. Going to cancel my Venu 3 order for the 265.

I have the venu 3 but I am thinking about buying the FR 265 as well. Venu for the office, FR for sports. I wonder if I can sync both in my Connect application. If Connect will add steps and other activities from both watches to one number.

Amazing video!

Very nice! Which one for open water swimming?

i don't need chapters or bookmarks. Love the video very informative and precise .

Which should I buy Forerunner 265 or Forerunner 955?

It’d be great to see a comparison with Apple Watch ultra vs Venu 3. Both are on the smartwatch & Health data watches range. Different price range but Garmin is stepping up on this smartwatch game.

Does training readiness apply only to running and cycling or also to weight training?

The exact video that i need

This is a great video... It's so odd to me that Garmin hasn't done a new LTE watch since the 945lte