Garmin Forerunner 265 vs Vivoactive 6
Size, specs & wrist fit compared
As an Amazon Associate, WatchFitTool earns from qualifying purchases.
Which one fits you
On wrists narrower than about 49mm, the Vivoactive 6 is the safer pick — it stays proportionate down to roughly 44mm, where the Forerunner 265 starts to hang over the edge. Above 49mm both sit cleanly, and the Forerunner 265 gives you more presence.
The Forerunner 265 wears larger than the Vivoactive 6 (46.1mm vs 42.2mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
The Vivoactive 6 is the slimmer of the two (10.9mm vs 12.9mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Vivoactive 6 feels lighter (23g vs 47g, case only).
The Forerunner 265 is middle-of-the-pack for thickness among the 150 46mm watches in the database.
Among the 694 42mm watches we hold thickness for, the Vivoactive 6 is thinner than 84%, so it wears flatter than its width suggests.
The Forerunner 265 is 3.9mm wider, 3.9mm longer, 2mm thicker and 24g heavier than the Vivoactive 6. Both are circular.
Forerunner® 265
vívoactive 6
Case width
46.1mm
42.2mm−3.9mm
Lug-to-lug
46.1mm
42.2mm−3.9mm
Thickness
12.9mm
10.9mm−2mm
Weight
47g
23g−24g
Switch or add watches
Garmin
Forerunner® 265
Garmin
vívoactive 6
Fit tool
Watch Fit Tool
For sports watches, lug-to-lug (L2L) is what matters most — it decides whether a watch overhangs your wrist. Bulky is fine; overhang is not.
Your wrist
mm
≈ 146.9mm aroundHow to Measure Your Wrist
1
Measure at the point where you wear your watch — typically just below the wrist bone.
2
Flat width — lay your arm on a table, palm facing up, and measure straight across the top of your wrist with a ruler. Bone to bone; do not follow the curve down the sides.
3
Around — wrap a tape measure snugly round the wrist. No tape? Wrap a strip of paper, mark the overlap and hold the strip against a ruler.
⚠ Important
Width ≠ circumference. They are different numbers — around 170mm is about 64mm across — so set the toggle to whichever one you actually measured before you type it in.
Garmin Forerunner® 265
Case 46.1mm · Lug-to-lug 46.1mm · Thickness 12.9mm · 47g
Balanced Fit
46.1mm on a 55mm wrist
Understated Balanced Sweet Spot Bold Overhang ⚠
Comfortably inside the edges of your wrist, and it seats and sits low enough to wear without thinking about it.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 46.1mm, so you could go bigger.
How to Measure
Measure where you wear it, just below the wrist bone. Either of these works — the tool converts between them.
- 1. Flat width — arm flat on a table, palm up. Measure straight across the top of the wrist, bone to bone, ignoring the curve down the sides.
- 2. Around — a tape, or a strip of paper marked and held against a ruler, snug the whole way round.
Against one you know
Leather: Attaches at the lugs, so the case back rests on your skin. Thins and softens with wear. Typical figures, not this model’s own.
Show the measurementsHide the measurements
- Across the wrist4.4mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist12.9mm off the skin
Normal sports-watch height for a wrist this size. (12.9mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~5.7mm under the rim
Seats well, with the case back following most of the wrist.
- Weight on the wrist47g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.9g per mm of wrist)
Garmin vívoactive 6
Case 42.2mm · Lug-to-lug 42.2mm · Thickness 10.9mm · 23g
Balanced Fit
42.2mm on a 55mm wrist
Understated Balanced Sweet Spot Bold Overhang ⚠
Comfortably inside the edges of your wrist, and it seats and sits low enough to wear without thinking about it.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 42.2mm, so you could go bigger.
How to Measure
Measure where you wear it, just below the wrist bone. Either of these works — the tool converts between them.
- 1. Flat width — arm flat on a table, palm up. Measure straight across the top of the wrist, bone to bone, ignoring the curve down the sides.
- 2. Around — a tape, or a strip of paper marked and held against a ruler, snug the whole way round.
Against one you know
Leather: Attaches at the lugs, so the case back rests on your skin. Thins and softens with wear. Typical figures, not this model’s own.
Show the measurementsHide the measurements
- Across the wrist6.4mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist10.9mm off the skin
Normal sports-watch height for a wrist this size. (10.9mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~4.1mm under the rim
Seats well, with the case back following most of the wrist.
- Weight on the wrist23g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.4g per mm of wrist)
2D Dimension Schematics
Every case drawn to scale on a shared centre — from above, and in profile against the wrist.
Highlight
- Garmin Forerunner® 26546.1mm · 12.9mm thick
- Garmin vívoactive 642.2mm · 10.9mm thick
3D preview
Forerunner® 265 vs vívoactive 6 on a wrist
Sized to your own wrist, turned any way you like.
Shapes are built from published measurements, not manufacturer 3D models — accurate proportions, generic dial.
Battery life compared
Furthest apart in Smartwatch mode, where the Forerunner 265 lasts 1.2× as long as the Vivoactive 6 (13 days against 11 days).
Forerunner 265Vivoactive 6
Smartwatch
13 days11 daysGPS-Only GNSS
20 hours—SatIQ GNSS
16 hours—All-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band
14 hours—GPS-Only GNSS with music
7 hours—SatIQ GNSS with music
6.5 hours—All-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band with music
6 hours—
Specifications
The short version
7 key specs| Spec | GarminForerunner® 265 | Garminvívoactive 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 46.1mm | 42.2mm |
| Thickness | 12.9mm | 10.9mm |
| Weight | 47g | 23g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) |
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 13 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 20 hours SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode: Up to 16 hours All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band: Up to 14 hours GPS-Only GNSS mode with music: Up to 7 hours SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode with music: Up to 6.5 hours All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band with music: Up to 6 hours See Details | Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days (5 days display always-on) Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 21 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 21 hours All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours All-Systems GNSS mode with music: Up to 8 hours See details |
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
Every specification
425 specs| Spec | Garmin Forerunner® 265 | Garmin vívoactive 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | Garmin | Garmin |
| General | ||
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 13 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 20 hours SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode: Up to 16 hours All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band: Up to 14 hours GPS-Only GNSS mode with music: Up to 7 hours SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode with music: Up to 6.5 hours All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band with music: Up to 6 hours See Details | Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days (5 days display always-on) Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 21 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 21 hours All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours All-Systems GNSS mode with music: Up to 8 hours See details |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | Lithium ion |
| Display Size | 1.3" (32.5 mm) diameter | 1.2" (30.4 mm) diameter |
| Color display | Yes | Yes |
| Lens Material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 | — |
| Bezel Material | fiber-reinforced polymer | — |
| Memory/History | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Strap material | silicone | silicone |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Large font option | Yes | Yes |
| Display resolution | 416 x 416 pixels | 390 x 390 pixels |
| Quick Release bands | yes (22 mm, Industry standard) | yes (20 mm, Industry standard) |
| Weight | — | 23 g (36 g with included band) |
| Case material | — | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Lens material | — | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 |
| Physical size | — | 42.2 x 42.2 x 10.9 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 125-190 mm |
| Bezel material | — | anodized aluminum |
| Sensors | ||
| GPS | Yes | — |
| QZSS | Yes | — |
| BeiDou | Yes | — |
| Compass | Yes | — |
| GLONASS | Yes | — |
| Galileo | Yes | — |
| Gyroscope | Yes | — |
| Thermometer | Yes | — |
| Accelerometer | Yes | — |
| SatIQ™ Technology | Yes | — |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | — |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | Yes | — |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | — |
| Stocks | — | Yes |
| Calendar | — | Yes |
| Passcode | — | Yes |
| Calculator | — | Yes |
| Connectivity | — | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
| Garmin Share | — | Yes |
| Find My Phone | — | Yes |
| Evening report | — | Yes |
| Morning report | — | Yes |
| Red shift mode | — | Yes |
| Weather forecasts | — | Yes |
| Smart Notifications | — | Yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | — | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Controls smartphone music | — | Yes |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | — | Yes |
| Plays and controls watch music | — | Yes |
| Find My Phone during GPS activity | — | Yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | — | Yes |
| Find My Garmin (helps locate lost device) | — | Yes |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | — | Yes |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | — | Yes |
| View images from notifications on watch (Android™ only) | — | Yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | — | Yes |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | — | Yes |
| Product Info | ||
| Main SKU | 010-02810-01 | — |
| Product ID | 886785 | — |
| Product Name | Forerunner® 265 | — |
| Release Date | 3/2/2023 | — |
| Product Variation | Black Bezel with Whitestone Case and Whitestone/Tidal Blue Silicone Band | — |
| Clock Features | ||
| Timer | Yes | — |
| Stopwatch | Yes | — |
| Time/date | Yes | — |
| Alarm clock | Yes | — |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | — |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | — |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | — |
| Sleep | — | yes (advanced) |
| Hydration | — | Yes |
| Breathwork | — | Yes |
| Meditation | — | Yes |
| Fitness age | — | Yes |
| Sleep coach | — | Yes |
| Health status | — | Yes |
| Nap detection | — | Yes |
| All-day stress | — | Yes |
| Women's health | — | Yes |
| Health snapshot | — | Yes |
| Sleep alignment | — | Yes |
| Respiration rate | — | Yes |
| Lifestyle logging | — | Yes |
| Resting heart rate | — | Yes |
| Breathing variations | — | Yes |
| Relaxation reminders | — | Yes |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | — | yes (high and low) |
| Relaxation breathing timer | — | Yes |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | — | Yes |
| Heart rate (constant, every second) | — | Yes |
| Cycling Features | ||
| Courses | Yes | — |
| Race an activity | Yes | — |
| Power meter compatible | Yes | — |
| Power curve and % FTP workouts | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Varia headlight camera | Yes | — |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | Yes | — |
| Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor) | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Vector™ and Rally™ (power meters) | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Varia Vision™ (head-mounted display) | Yes | — |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | Yes | — |
| Time and distance alerts | — | Yes |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | — | Yes |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | — | Yes |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | — | Yes |
| Running Features | ||
| Run workouts | Yes | — |
| Running power | Yes | — |
| Race predictor | Yes | — |
| Foot pod capable | Yes | — |
| Running dynamics | Yes | — |
| Lactate threshold | Yes | — |
| Grade-adjusted pace | Yes | — |
| Trail run auto climb | Yes | — |
| Performance condition | Yes | — |
| Run/Walk/Stand detection | Yes | — |
| Stride length (real time) | Yes | — |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | Yes | — |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio | Yes | — |
| Ground contact time and balance | yes (with compatible accessory) | — |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | — |
| Course- and weather-specific race predictor | Yes | — |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | — |
| PinPointer | — | Yes |
| Tournament legal | — | Yes |
| Digital scorecard | — | Yes |
| Garmin AutoShot™ | — | Yes |
| Round timer/odometer | — | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | — | Yes |
| Hazards and course targets | — | Yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Golf app | — | Yes |
| Green View with manual pin position | — | Yes |
| CT1 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | — | Yes |
| CT10 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | — | Yes |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | — | Yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | — | Yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | — | automatic |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | Swim, 5 ATM |
| Garmin Pay™ | Yes | Yes |
| Music storage | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-band GPS | Yes | — |
| Training status | yes (improved) | — |
| Training readiness | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | yes (spot-check, and optional all-day acclimation and in sleep) | yes (spot-check, and optional all-day and in sleep) |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 13 days | Up to 11 days (5 days display always-on) |
| Timer | — | Yes |
| Stopwatch | — | Yes |
| Time/date | — | Yes |
| Alarm clock | — | Yes |
| GPS Time Sync | — | Yes |
| Wheelchair mode | — | Yes |
| Smart wake alarm | — | Yes |
| Sunrise/sunset times | — | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | — | Yes |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Jump Roping | — |
| Swim | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming | — |
| Cycling | Biking, Mountain Biking, eBiking, eMountain Biking, Indoor Biking | — |
| Wellness | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Indoor Walking | — |
| Multisport | Triathlon | — |
| In the ring | Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts | — |
| Team sports | Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Football/Soccer, American Football, Lacrosse, Rugby, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Softball, Baseball | — |
| On the Water | Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing | — |
| Racket sports | Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball | — |
| Snow & winter | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing | — |
| Indoor running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Virtual Running | — |
| Outdoor running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running | — |
| Outdoor recreation | Hiking, Bouldering, Archery | — |
| Other activity profiles | Inline skating | — |
| Assistance | — | Yes |
| Incident Detection during select activities | — | Yes |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | — | Yes |
| Swimming Features | ||
| Pool swim workouts | Yes | — |
| Critical swim speed | Yes | — |
| Time and distance alerts | Yes | — |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Drill logging (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Pacing alerts (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Countdown start (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | Yes | — |
| "Repeat on" rest timer (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | — |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | — |
| Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim) | yes (with HRM-Swim, HRM-Pro, HRM-Pro Plus or HRM 600) | — |
| Outdoor Recreation | ||
| Up Ahead | Yes | — |
| Auto rest | Yes | — |
| TracBack® | Yes | — |
| Back to start | Yes | Yes |
| Fish forecast | yes (via Connect IQ™) | — |
| UltraTrac mode | Yes | — |
| Vertical speed | Yes | — |
| Area calculation | yes (via Connect IQ™) | — |
| Elevation profile | Yes | — |
| Projected waypoint | Yes | — |
| Total ascent/descent | Yes | — |
| Future elevation plot | Yes | — |
| Distance to destination | Yes | — |
| Sun and moon information | Yes | — |
| Point-to-point navigation | Yes | — |
| Rest Timer (Ultra Run only) | Yes | — |
| Bread crumb trail in real time | Yes | — |
| Barometric trend indicator with Storm Alert | Yes | — |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| Stocks | yes (optional Connect IQ app) | — |
| Calendar | Yes | — |
| Passcode | Yes | — |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | — |
| Garmin Share | Yes | — |
| Find My Phone | Yes | — |
| Find My Watch | Yes | — |
| VIRB® Remote | Yes | — |
| Morning report | Yes | — |
| Red shift mode | Yes | — |
| Weather forecasts | Yes | — |
| Smart Notifications | Yes | — |
| Smart trainer control | Yes | — |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | — |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | — |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | Yes | — |
| Plays and controls watch music | Yes | — |
| Find My Phone during GPS activity | Yes | — |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | Yes | — |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | Yes | — |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | Yes | — |
| View images from notifications on watch (Android™ only) | Yes | — |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | — |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | Yes | — |
| HIIT workouts | — | Yes |
| Yoga workouts | — | Yes |
| Cardio workouts | — | Yes |
| Pilates workouts | — | Yes |
| Strength workouts | — | Yes |
| Garmin Running Coach | — | Yes |
| Garmin Coach - Strength | — | Yes |
| Garmin Running Coach Experts | — | Yes |
| On-screen workout animations | — | Yes |
| On-screen workout muscle maps | — | Yes |
| Workouts for wheelchair users | — | Yes |
| Garmin Coach - Prebuilt Cycling Plans | — | Yes |
| Daily suggested workout - Walking (duration based) | — | Yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | Yes | — |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | — |
| Step counter | Yes | — |
| Floors climbed | Yes | — |
| Calories burned | Yes | — |
| Distance traveled | Yes | — |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | — |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | — |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ app) | — |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | Yes | — |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | — |
| % HR max | — | Yes |
| HR zones | — | Yes |
| HR alerts | — | Yes |
| HRV status | — | Yes |
| Manual lap | — | Yes |
| Auto scroll | — | Yes |
| HR calories | — | Yes |
| Voice alerts | — | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | — | Yes |
| Recovery time | — | Yes |
| VO2 Max (Run) | — | Yes |
| Training effect | — | Yes |
| Workout benefit | — | Yes |
| Advanced workouts | — | Yes |
| Interval training | — | Yes |
| GPS speed and distance | — | Yes |
| Customizable data pages | — | Yes |
| Touch and/or button lock | — | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | — | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | — | Yes |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | — | Yes |
| HRM running pace and distance | — | Yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | — | Yes |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | — | Yes |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | — | yoga, breathwork and meditation only |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | — | Yes |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | — | yes (using ANT+ or BLE) |
| Improved interval (includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection) | — | Yes |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| HIIT workouts | Yes | — |
| Yoga workouts | Yes | — |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | — |
| Pilates workouts | Yes | — |
| Strength workouts | Yes | — |
| Garmin Cycling Coach | Yes | — |
| Garmin Running Coach | Yes | — |
| Garmin Coach - Strength | Yes | — |
| Garmin Running Coach Experts | Yes | — |
| On-screen workout animations | Yes | — |
| On-screen workout muscle maps | Yes | — |
| Garmin Coach - Prebuilt Cycling Plans | Yes | — |
| Daily Suggested Workout - Cycling (Pace and Heart Rate Based) | Yes | — |
| Daily Suggested Workout - Running (Pace and Heart Rate Based) | Yes | — |
| Gym | — | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing, Jump Roping |
| Swim | — | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
| Cycling | — | Biking, Road Biking, Gravel Biking, Bike Touring, eBiking, Handcycling, Indoor Handcycling Indoor Biking, Cyclocross |
| Wellness | — | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Indoor Walking, Mobility |
| In the ring | — | Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts |
| Team sports | — | Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Football/Soccer, American Football, Lacrosse, Rugby, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Softball, Baseball |
| Motor sports | — | Motorcycling, Overlanding, Motocrossing, ATVing, Snowmobiling |
| On the water | — | Stand Up Paddleboarding, Kayaking, Rowing, Snorkeling |
| Racket sports | — | Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball |
| Indoor running | — | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running |
| Outdoor running | — | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Obstacle Running |
| Snow and winter | — | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, XC Skate Skiing, Ice Skating, Snowshoeing |
| Outdoor recreation | — | Hiking, Horseback Riding, Golfing, Mountaineering, Disc Golf, Archery |
| Other activity profiles | — | Inline Skating |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| Sleep | yes (advanced) | — |
| Hydration | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | — |
| Breathwork | Yes | — |
| Meditation | Yes | — |
| Fitness age | Yes | — |
| Sleep coach | Yes | — |
| Nap detection | Yes | — |
| All-day stress | Yes | — |
| Women's health | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | — |
| Health snapshot | Yes | — |
| Jet lag adviser | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate | Yes | — |
| Resting heart rate | Yes | — |
| Breathing variations | Yes | — |
| Relaxation reminders | Yes | — |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | yes (high and low) | — |
| Relaxation breathing timer | Yes | — |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | Yes | — |
| Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second) | Yes | — |
| GPS | — | Yes |
| QZSS | — | Yes |
| BeiDou | — | Yes |
| Compass | — | Yes |
| GLONASS | — | Yes |
| Galileo | — | Yes |
| Gyroscope | — | Yes |
| Thermometer | — | yes (tempe™ sensor required) |
| Accelerometer | — | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | — | Yes |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | — | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | — | Yes |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| Assistance | Yes | — |
| Live Event Sharing | Android™ Only | — |
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | — |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | Yes | — |
| TrueUp™ | — | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | — | Yes |
| Step counter | — | Yes |
| Calories burned | — | Yes |
| Distance traveled | — | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | — | Yes |
| Weight shift alert | — | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | — | Yes |
| Wheelchair push tracker | — | Yes |
| Move Alert movement options | — | Yes |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | — | Yes |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | — | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | — | Yes |
| Kid Activity Tracking Features | ||
| Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app) | — |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | ||
| % HRR | Yes | — |
| % HR max | Yes | — |
| HR zones | Yes | — |
| HR alerts | Yes | — |
| Shortcuts | Yes | — |
| HRV status | Yes | — |
| Load ratio | Yes | — |
| Manual lap | Yes | — |
| Rest timer | Yes | — |
| Auto max HR | Yes | — |
| Auto scroll | Yes | — |
| Finish time | Yes | — |
| HR calories | Yes | — |
| Voice alerts | Yes | — |
| Custom alerts | Yes | — |
| Physio TrueUp | Yes | — |
| Recovery time | Yes | — |
| Training load | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (Run) | Yes | — |
| Course guidance | Yes | — |
| Training effect | Yes | — |
| Virtual Partner | Yes | — |
| Race an Activity | Yes | — |
| Advanced workouts | Yes | — |
| Interval training | Yes | — |
| Race glance/widget | Yes | — |
| Training load focus | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (Trail Run) | Yes | — |
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | — |
| Improved recovery time | Yes | — |
| Configurable lap alerts | Yes | — |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | — |
| Unified training status | Yes | — |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | — |
| Activity history on watch | Yes | — |
| Multisport auto transition | Yes | — |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | — |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | Yes | — |
| Manual multisport activities | Yes | — |
| HRM running pace and distance | Yes | — |
| Customizable activity profiles | Yes | — |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | yes (with compatible accessory) | — |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | Yes | — |
| Primary benefit (Training Effect labels) | Yes | — |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | Yes | — |
| Improved interval (includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection) | Yes | — |
| Run workouts | — | Yes |
| Race predictor | — | Yes |
| Foot pod capable | — | Yes |
| Running dynamics | — | Yes |
| Run/Walk/Stand detection | — | Yes |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | — | Yes |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | — | Yes |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | — | Yes |
| Variant | ||
| Color | — | Lunar Gold with Bone Band |
| Available Colors | — | Slate with Black Band; Metallic Pink Dawn with Bone Band; Cream Gold with French Gray Band; Lunar Gold with Bone Band; Metallic Jasper Green with Jasper Green Band; Metallic Pink Dawn with Pink Dawn Band; Slate with Pebble Gray Band |
| Golfing Features | ||
| Sun and moon information | — | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| Mapping & Navigation | ||
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | — | Yes |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | — | yes (using ANT+ or BLE) |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | — | Yes |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | — | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Forerunner 265
Sits best on wrists ~49–66mm wide (≈ 13.1–17.6cm circumference).
Garmin Vivoactive 6
Sits best on wrists ~44–60mm wide (≈ 11.7–16.0cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Forerunner 265 bigger than the Garmin Vivoactive 6?
The Garmin Forerunner 265 is bigger — 46.1mm vs 42.2mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Forerunner 265 or the Garmin Vivoactive 6?
The Garmin Forerunner 265 suits wrists around 49–66mm wide, and the Garmin Vivoactive 6 around 44–60mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Forerunner 265 and Garmin Vivoactive 6 side by side at true scale?
Yes — the schematics and photos above show both watches at matched scale, and our fit tool overlays each on your wrist width.
Related Comparisons
Garmin Forerunner® 265 vs Garmin MARQ® Commander (Gen 2) - Carbon EditionGarmin Forerunner® 265 vs Garmin MARQ® Athlete (Gen 2) - Carbon EditionGarmin Forerunner® 265 vs Garmin MARQ® Golfer (Gen 2) - Carbon EditionGarmin vívoactive 6 vs Garmin vívoactive® 5Garmin vívoactive 6 vs Garmin Forerunner® 570 - 42mm