Should I buy the Garmin Forerunner 265 or Venu 3?

Choosing between the Garmin Forerunner 265 and the Garmin Venu 3 mostly comes down to training focus versus everyday smartwatch features.

• Buy the Forerunner 265 if you’re mainly a runner, cyclist, or triathlete and want a more training-focused watch. It’s the better pick for structured workouts and a more athlete-oriented Garmin experience.
• Buy the Venu 3 if you want a more balanced lifestyle smartwatch with strong battery life and more everyday smart features. Garmin lists up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.

If you care more about workouts and structured training, go Forerunner 265. If you want a more everyday watch with longer battery life and smartwatch conveniences, go Venu 3.

If you’re deciding purely on feature set, the Forerunner 265 is generally the better training watch, while the Venu 3 is the better all-around smartwatch.