Garmin Forerunner 265S vs Lily 2
Size, specs & wrist fit compared
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Which one fits you
On wrists narrower than about 44mm, the Lily 2 is the safer pick — it stays proportionate down to roughly 37mm, where the Forerunner 265S starts to hang over the edge. Above 44mm both sit cleanly, and the Forerunner 265S gives you more presence.
The Forerunner 265S wears larger than the Lily 2 (41.7mm vs 35.4mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
The Lily 2 is the slimmer of the two (10.1mm vs 12.9mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Lily 2 feels lighter (24.4g vs 39g, case only).
Both are middle-of-the-pack for thickness among the 42mm and 35mm watches in the database.
The Forerunner 265S is 6.3mm wider, 6.3mm longer, 2.8mm thicker and 14.6g heavier than the Lily 2. Both are circular.
Forerunner® 265S
Lily® 2
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Garmin
Forerunner® 265S
Garmin
Lily® 2
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.
Measure at the point where you wear your watch — typically just below the wrist bone.
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.
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.
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® 265S
Case 41.7mm · Lug-to-lug 41.7mm · Thickness 12.9mm · 39g
Balanced Fit
41.7mm on a 55mm wrist
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 41.7mm, so you could go bigger.
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.
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 wrist6.6mm 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~3.9mm under the rim
Seats well, with the case back following most of the wrist.
- Weight on the wrist39g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.7g per mm of wrist)
Garmin Lily® 2
Case 35.4mm · Lug-to-lug 35.4mm · Thickness 10.1mm · 24g
Understated
35.4mm on a 55mm wrist
Well inside your wrist on every measurement — you have room to go a size up if you want more presence.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 35.4mm, so you could go bigger.
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.
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 wrist9.8mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist10.1mm off the skin
Normal sports-watch height for a wrist this size. (10.1mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~2.3mm under the rim
Sits flat on the wrist with contact right across the case back.
- Weight on the wrist24g
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.
- Garmin Forerunner® 265S41.7mm · 12.9mm thick
- Garmin Lily® 235.4mm · 10.1mm thick
3D preview
Forerunner® 265S vs Lily® 2 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
Runtime for every power mode either watch publishes, aligned by mode.
Forerunner 265SLily 2
Smartwatch
15 days—Battery life
—5 daysGPS-Only GNSS
24 hours—SatIQ GNSS
18 hours—All-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band
15 hours—GPS-Only GNSS with music
7.5 hours—SatIQ GNSS with music
7 hours—All-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band with music
6 hours—
Specifications
The short version
7 key specs| Spec | GarminForerunner® 265S | GarminLily® 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 41.7mm | 35.4mm |
| Thickness | 12.9mm | 10.1mm |
| Weight | 39g | 24.4g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | Liquid Crystal |
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 24 hours SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode: Up to 18 hours All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band: Up to 15 hours GPS-Only GNSS mode with music: Up to 7.5 hours SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode with music: Up to 7 hours All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band with music: Up to 6 hours See Details | Up to 5 days See Details |
| Released | 2023 | 2024 |
Every specification
249 specs| Spec | Garmin Forerunner® 265S | Garmin Lily® 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | Garmin | Garmin |
| General | ||
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 24 hours SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode: Up to 18 hours All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band: Up to 15 hours GPS-Only GNSS mode with music: Up to 7.5 hours SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode with music: Up to 7 hours All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band with music: Up to 6 hours See Details | Up to 5 days See Details |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | — |
| Display Size | 1.1" (28.1 mm) diameter | 1.00” x 0.84” (25.4 mm x 21.3 mm) |
| Color display | Yes | no (16 level grayscale) |
| Lens Material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 |
| Bezel Material | fiber-reinforced polymer | anodized aluminum |
| Memory/History | 8 GB | 7 timed activities; 14 days of activity tracking data |
| Strap material | silicone | silicone |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | Garmin proprietary clip charger |
| Large font option | Yes | — |
| Display resolution | 360 x 360 pixels | 240 x 201 pixels |
| Quick Release bands | yes (18 mm, Industry standard) | Yes |
| Case material | — | anodized aluminum |
| Sensors | ||
| GPS | Yes | — |
| QZSS | Yes | — |
| BeiDou | Yes | — |
| Compass | Yes | — |
| GLONASS | Yes | — |
| Galileo | Yes | — |
| Gyroscope | Yes | — |
| Thermometer | Yes | — |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| SatIQ™ Technology | Yes | — |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Product Info | ||
| Main SKU | 010-02810-04 | 010-02839-01 |
| Product ID | 886689 | 950277 |
| Product Name | Forerunner® 265S | Lily® 2 |
| Release Date | 3/2/2023 | 1/8/2024 |
| Product Variation | Black Bezel with Whitestone Case and Whitestone/Neo Tropic Silicone Band | Metallic Lilac with Lilac Silicone Band |
| Clock Features | ||
| Timer | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Time/date | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm clock | Yes | Yes |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | — |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | — |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | 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 | 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 | yes (Connected GPS only) |
| Course- and weather-specific race predictor | Yes | — |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | — |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | Liquid Crystal |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | Swim, 5 ATM |
| Garmin Pay™ | Yes | — |
| Music storage | 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 optionally in sleep) |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 15 days | Up to 5 days |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Jump Roping | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing, Dance Fitness, Jump Roping |
| Swim | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming | Pool Swimming |
| Cycling | Biking, Mountain Biking, eBiking, eMountain Biking, Indoor Biking | Biking |
| Wellness | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Indoor Walking | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Breathwork |
| 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 | Treadmill Running |
| Outdoor running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running | Running |
| Outdoor recreation | Hiking, Bouldering, Archery | — |
| Other activity profiles | Inline skating | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | Yes |
| Passcode | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | Bluetooth® |
| Garmin Share | Yes | — |
| Find My Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Find My Watch | Yes | Yes |
| VIRB® Remote | Yes | — |
| Morning report | Yes | Yes |
| Red shift mode | Yes | — |
| Weather forecasts | Yes | Yes |
| Smart Notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Smart trainer control | Yes | — |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | 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 | Yes |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | Yes | — |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | Yes | — |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | Yes | Yes |
| View images from notifications on watch (Android™ only) | Yes | — |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | Yes | — |
| Connected GPS | — | Yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | Yes | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | Yes |
| Step counter | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | — |
| Calories burned | Yes | Yes |
| Distance traveled | Yes | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ app) | — |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | Yes | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | Yes |
| Move Alert movement options | — | 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 | — |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| Sleep | yes (advanced) | yes (advanced) |
| Hydration | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | Yes |
| Breathwork | Yes | Yes |
| Meditation | Yes | — |
| Fitness age | Yes | yes (in app) |
| Sleep coach | Yes | — |
| Nap detection | Yes | — |
| All-day stress | Yes | Yes |
| Women's health | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | Yes |
| Health snapshot | Yes | — |
| Jet lag adviser | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate | Yes | Yes |
| Resting heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| Breathing variations | Yes | — |
| Relaxation reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | yes (high and low) | yes (high and low) |
| Relaxation breathing timer | Yes | Yes |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second) | Yes | Yes |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| Assistance | Yes | Yes |
| Live Event Sharing | Android™ Only | — |
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | Yes |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | 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 | Yes |
| HR zones | Yes | Yes |
| HR alerts | Yes | 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 | Yes |
| Voice alerts | Yes | — |
| Custom alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | Yes | Yes |
| Recovery time | Yes | — |
| Training load | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (Run) | Yes | 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 | yes (Connected GPS only) |
| Improved recovery time | Yes | — |
| Configurable lap alerts | Yes | — |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | 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 | Yes |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | yes (with compatible accessory) | Yoga and Breathwork only |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | Yes | 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 | — |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Forerunner 265S
Sits best on wrists ~44–60mm wide (≈ 11.7–16.0cm circumference).
Garmin Lily 2
Sits best on wrists ~37–51mm wide (≈ 9.9–13.6cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Forerunner 265S bigger than the Garmin Lily 2?
The Garmin Forerunner 265S is bigger — 41.7mm vs 35.4mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Forerunner 265S or the Garmin Lily 2?
The Garmin Forerunner 265S suits wrists around 44–60mm wide, and the Garmin Lily 2 around 37–51mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Forerunner 265S and Garmin Lily 2 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.