Garmin
Forerunner® 265S vs Venu X1
Size, specs & wrist fit compared
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Which one fits you
On wrists narrower than about 48mm, the Forerunner® 265S is the safer pick — it stays proportionate down to roughly 44mm, where the Venu X1 starts to hang over the edge. Above 48mm both sit cleanly, and the Venu X1 gives you more presence.
The Forerunner® 265S wears larger than the Venu X1 (41.7mm vs 41mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
The Venu X1 is the slimmer of the two (7.9mm vs 12.9mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Venu X1 feels lighter (34g vs 39g, case only).
The Forerunner® 265S is middle-of-the-pack for thickness among the 648 42mm watches in the database.
Among the 374 41mm watches we hold thickness for, the Venu X1 is thinner than 100%, so it wears flatter than its width suggests.
The Forerunner® 265S is 0.7mm wider, 4.3mm shorter, 5mm thicker and 5g heavier than the Venu X1.
Forerunner® 265S
Venu X1
Case width
41.7mm
41mm−0.7mm
Lug-to-lug
41.7mm
46mm+4.3mm
Thickness
12.9mm
7.9mm−5mm
Weight
39g
34g−5g
Switch or add watches
Garmin
Forerunner® 265S
Garmin
Venu X1
2D Dimension Schematics
Every case drawn to scale on a shared centre — from above, and in profile against the wrist.
Highlight
- Garmin Forerunner® 265S41.7mm · 12.9mm thick
- Garmin Venu X141mm × 46mm · 7.9mm thick
3D preview
Forerunner® 265S vs Venu X1 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® 265S lasts 1.9× as long as the Venu X1 (15 days against 8 days).
Forerunner® 265SVenu X1
Smartwatch
15 days8 daysGPS-Only GNSS
24 hours—SatIQ GNSS
18 hours—GPS
—16 hoursAll-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band
15 hours—GPS-Only GNSS with music
7.5 hours—SatIQ GNSS with music
7 hours—Training
—7 hoursAll-Systems GNSS + Multi-Band with music
6 hours—
Specifications
The short version
7 key specs| Spec | GarminForerunner® 265S | GarminVenu X1 |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 41.7mm | 41mm |
| Lug-to-Lug | 41.7mm | 46mm |
| Thickness | 12.9mm | 7.9mm |
| Weight | 39g | 34g |
| Shape | Circular | Rectangle |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | OLED/AMOLED |
| Released | 2023 | 2023 |
Every specification
357 specs| Spec | Garmin Forerunner® 265S | Garmin Venu X1 |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | 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 | — |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | — |
| Display Size | 1.1" (28.1 mm) diameter | — |
| Color display | Yes | — |
| Lens Material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 | — |
| Bezel Material | fiber-reinforced polymer | — |
| Memory/History | 8 GB | — |
| Strap material | silicone | — |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | — |
| Large font option | Yes | — |
| Display resolution | 360 x 360 pixels | — |
| Quick Release bands | yes (18 mm, Industry standard) | — |
| 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 | — |
| has GPS | — | Yes |
| has a compass | — | Yes |
| Has a barometer | — | Yes |
| has a gyroscope | — | Yes |
| Has a cadence sensor | — | No |
| has an accelerometer | — | Yes |
| Monitors perspiration | — | No |
| Has a heart rate monitor | — | Yes |
| Has a temperature sensor | — | Yes |
| Monitors blood oxygenation levels | — | Yes |
| Product Info | ||
| Main SKU | 010-02810-04 | — |
| Product ID | 886689 | — |
| Product Name | Forerunner® 265S | — |
| Release Date | 3/2/2023 | — |
| Product Variation | Black Bezel with Whitestone Case and Whitestone/Neo Tropic 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Touchscreen | Yes | — |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | — |
| Water rating | 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) | — |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | — |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 15 days | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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) | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| Design | ||
| width | — | 41 |
| height | — | 46 |
| volume | — | 14.9 cm³ |
| weight | — | 34 g |
| thickness | — | 7.9 |
| ATM rating | — | 5 ATM |
| resolution | — | 448 x 486 px |
| screen size | — | 2 inches |
| Display type | — | OLED/AMOLED |
| Has a display | — | Yes |
| pixel density | — | 330 ppi |
| width of band | — | 24 mm |
| water resistance | — | Sweat resistant |
| Always-On Display | — | Yes |
| has a touch screen | — | Yes |
| is designed for kids | — | No |
| Watch band is replaceable | — | Yes |
| Has sapphire glass display | — | Yes |
| has branded damage-resistant glass | — | Yes |
| Battery | ||
| battery life | — | 8 days |
| has wireless charging | — | No |
| has a removable battery | — | No |
| battery life with GPS on | — | 16 hours |
| Has a solar power battery | — | No |
| has a rechargeable battery | — | Yes |
| battery life in training mode | — | 7 hours |
| Features | ||
| release date | — | 2023-12-21 |
| Has a stopwatch | — | Yes |
| Has smart alarm | — | No |
| warranty period | — | 1 years |
| Has call control | — | Yes |
| Has silent alarm | — | Yes |
| has HRV tracking | — | Yes |
| measures VO2 max | — | Yes |
| Has notifications | — | Yes |
| Has ECG technology | — | No |
| Locates your phone | — | Yes |
| has a front camera | — | No |
| has fall detection | — | Yes |
| has voice commands | — | Yes |
| Acquires GPS faster | — | Yes |
| Has vibrating alerts | — | Yes |
| number of microphones | — | 1 |
| shows readiness level | — | Yes |
| Can be used to answer calls | — | Yes |
| measures resting heart rate | — | Yes |
| has irregular heart rate warnings | — | No |
| has fast/slow heart rate notifications | — | Yes |
| Has a built-in camera remote control function | — | No |
| Connectivity | ||
| has NFC | — | Yes |
| supports ANT+ | — | Yes |
| supports Wi-Fi | — | Yes |
| supports Galileo | — | Yes |
| has a cellular module | — | No |
| Is compatible with iOS | — | Yes |
| Is compatible with Android | — | Yes |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Has auto pause | — | Yes |
| Available on PC | — | Yes |
| Is compatible with Windows | — | Yes |
| Is compatible with Mac OS X | — | Yes |
| has an external memory slot | — | No |
| Compatible with smart scales | — | Yes |
| has a battery level indicator | — | Yes |
| has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack | — | No |
| Compatible with external heart rate monitors | — | Yes |
| App & Software | ||
| Ad-free | — | Yes |
| Free app | — | Yes |
| Tracks BMI | — | Yes |
| Has coaching | — | Yes |
| Includes maps | — | Yes |
| Supports routes | — | Yes |
| Has achievements | — | Yes |
| Has goal setting | — | Yes |
| Has live tracking | — | Yes |
| Has exercise diary | — | Yes |
| Predicts ovulation | — | Yes |
| Can be personalised | — | Yes |
| Has weight tracking | — | Yes |
| Predicts start date | — | Yes |
| Tracks water intake | — | Yes |
| Has inactivity alerts | — | Yes |
| Has period notifications | — | Yes |
| Has temperature tracking | — | Yes |
| Doesn’t require account | — | No |
| Provides activity reports | — | Yes |
| Displays fertile window notifications | — | Yes |
| Counts how many calories you've burned | — | Yes |
| Activity tracking | ||
| Measures pace | — | Yes |
| Tracks distance | — | Yes |
| Tracks elevation | — | Yes |
| Designed for golf | — | Yes |
| Tracks your sleep | — | Yes |
| Tracks steps taken | — | Yes |
| Designed for diving | — | No |
| Has a route tracker | — | Yes |
| Has exercise tagging | — | Yes |
| Has multi-sport mode | — | Yes |
| Tracks calorie intake | — | Yes |
| Provides sleep reports | — | Yes |
| Detects activities automatically | — | Yes |
| Has a stroke counter for swimming | — | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Forerunner® 265S
Sits best on wrists ~44–60mm wide (≈ 11.7–16.0cm circumference).
Garmin Venu X1
Sits best on wrists ~48–66mm wide (≈ 12.8–17.6cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Forerunner® 265S bigger than the Garmin Venu X1?
The Garmin Forerunner® 265S is bigger — 41.7mm vs 41mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Forerunner® 265S or the Garmin Venu X1?
The Garmin Forerunner® 265S suits wrists around 44–60mm wide, and the Garmin Venu X1 around 48–66mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Forerunner® 265S and Garmin Venu X1 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.
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