Compare Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Forerunner 55, 265, 965 — and other Garmin Running Watches in 2024!

The Garmin Forerunner 165 was released on February 20, 2024—and for the first time, an entry-level Forerunner running watch is crowned with an AMOLED display.

It is complete now; the latest generation of Forerunners (165, 265, & 965) all feature brilliant touchscreen displays.

That’s excellent, you say, but what’s this watch going to get me in terms of the feature set on my wrist? 

Well, our fearless leader, Chris, wore the watch for a week, and has written a straight-from-the-wrist review—it’s worth checking out if you are even slightly interested in the best, most affordable starter running watch. And look, when we say this is a starter watch, we mean it’s a Garmin starter watch.

If you don’t know what that means, stick around, while we compare it to the upper echelon of Garmin watches. You might be surprised by how much it has in common with the big dawgs.

And when it comes to how much more it has to offer over the Forerunner 55—Garmin’s previous starter running watch—it’s damn impressive. There’s a bit more bulk on the price tag, but we think the upgrades are absolutely worth it. See what you think!

Watch a Garmin Forerunner 165 Review from Our Partner Dave at Chase the Summit

Comparing Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Forerunner 55 Models & Colors

The main difference here is that the new Forerunner 165 offers two models: a non-music and a music version, which is fifty dollars more. But if you want to run and play and control your music from your watch—because it’s stored on there and you don’t have to rely on a connection with your phone—then that’s 50 bucks well spent.

The non-music Forerunner 165 comes in two colors: 

• Black/Slate Gray
• Mist/Whitestone

While the Forerunner 165 Music for runners offers four color palettes: 

• Black/Slate Gray
• Mist/Whitestone
• Turquoise/Aqua
• Berry/Lilac

You can see all the FR165 colors represented in the image below.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 running watch for beginners does not have a music model, although you can control music on your smartphone with it.

The Forerunner 55 comes in three color flavors:

• Black
• White
• Aqua

Entry-Level Garmin Forerunner Size, Weight, & Form-Factor

The Forerunner 55 comes in just one size, and this is true for the new FR165 as well. And while this young Forerunner does not offer two sizes like many more expensive Garmin watches, the FR165 does feature a slightly bigger display, coming in at 1.2” compared to the 1.04” display of the FR55.

It does add 2 whopping grams over the FR55 to your wrist, but at 39 total grams, it’s still a VERY lightweight running watch. And according to our runner Chris in his review—it’s shockingly unobtrusive, a quality many runners want in their GPS watch.

Forerunner 165 vs Forerunner 55 Display

Light up your runs with the easy-to-read, full-color display of the 2024 Garmin Forerunner 165, now with a brighter AMOLED display. It also sports a touchscreen along with traditional button operation.

The Forerunner 55 features a sunlight-readable, transflective memory-in-pixel display that works great on an outdoor watch, but can’t quite compete with the eye-catching AMOLED upgrade. This running watch also does not have a touchscreen, only the 5-button operation.

Another cool thing about the FR165 is that it offers a large font option—something that many of our customers at PlayBetter have asked about. Ahem! Some of us prefer not to run with our readers.  

Garmin Running Watch GPS Comparison

Both the new Forerunner 165 and the Forerunner 55 offer the same GPS technology that is reliable and accurate.

This tech can only be beaten by Garmin’s next level of watches that offer SATIQ™ technology, which allows the GPS watch to find the most reliable tracking signal very quickly. This technology is often referred to as multi-band or dual-frequency support.

With Garmin’s trusty GPS on your Forerunner running watch, you can count on accurately tracking distance, time, and pace. 

Garmin Fitness Features & Training Tools

When it comes to training, the entry-level Forerunner 165 laps the Forerunner 55. In fact, it kind of blows it away!

Runners who attack hills will be happy to find that Garmin added a barometric altimeter so that you can now get floors climbed, as well as elevation profile and total ascent/descent. Garmin also added some other sensors that were missing from the FR55 that give this new running watch a leg-up in navigation, which we’ll go over in the section below.

For now, check out all the standout training tools the FR165 offers over its predecessor:

• Race Adaptive Training Plans: Receive training tips, personalized daily suggested workouts, and completion time predictions based on race details entered into the Garmin Connect^™ app.
• Wrist-Based Running Power and Dynamics: View real-time power and measure crucial running metrics, like cadence, stride length, and ground contact time—all from the wrist—to help improve running form.
• Training Effect: See how workouts are affecting fitness and understand benefits from training runs and workouts.
• Courses: Create or find existing courses in the Garmin Connect app and from third-party platforms, then sync them directly to the watch.
• Additional Activity Profiles and Workouts: Stay active with more than 25 activity profiles, including trail running, open water swimming, pickleball, tennis, and more. Plus get new workouts for strength, HIIT, cardio, yoga, and Pilates.
• Morning Report: Start the day off right with a customizable report that provides an overview of last night’s sleep and the day’s training outlook, alongside HRV (heart rate variability) status, and weather.

Garmin Forerunner 165 vs 55 Health Benefits

All Garmin watches include a rich set of the brand’s signature, around-the-clock wellness tracking features. The FR165 tacks on just a few more than the Forerunner 55, including:

• Pulse Ox: Track blood oxygen saturation while awake or asleep.
• Sleep Monitoring and Sleep Score: Every morning, receive a personalized score for last night’s sleep, view the different sleep stages and gain insights for improved sleep quality.
• Nap Detection: Automatically track or log naps to see how they may benefit the body and the suggested time and duration they should be.

These new features allow you to even better track your overall well-being before, during, and after your workouts.

Wanna know more about how Garmin brings 24/7 health and wellness to your wrist? Our in-house runner, Chris, digs into some of these valuable health benefits in his Garmin Forerunner 165 review.

Garmin Forerunner 165 vs FR55 Smart Features

When you’re on the go, the Forerunner 165 Series lets you receive emails, texts, and alerts when paired with their compatible iPhone or Android smartphone.  Safety and tracking features can help provide peace of mind; for example, when the watch is paired to the Garmin Connect smartphone app, a message with the user’s name and location (if available) can be sent to pre-selected emergency contacts if an incident is detected. Users can also download apps, watch faces and more from the Connect IQ™ Store right on the watch, or find more options in the smartphone app.

You can also do all of these things with the Forerunner 55. But the FR165 offers some added savvy to your wrist: 

• Music Storage: Download songs and playlists from Spotify, Deezer,^, or Amazon Music accounts for phone-free listening with wireless headphones (available only on Forerunner 165 Music). Remember, you can control music on your phone with the non-music FR165 and even with the FR55.
• Audio Prompts: Follow guided workouts or hear performance alerts with wireless headphones connected to the watch (available only on Forerunner 165 Music).  
• Garmin Pay™ Contactless Payments: Breeze through select checkout lines and transit systems through participating providers.

Forerunner 165 Price — Compared to all Garmin Forerunner Watches

See the hierarchy of price in action:

Garmin Forerunner 165 Price: $249.99 (non-music); $299.99 (165 Music)

Garmin Forerunner 55: $199.99

Garmin Forerunner 255/255S: $349.99 (non-music); $399.99 (255/255S Music)

Garmin Forerunner 265: $449.99

Garmin Forerunner 955/955 Solar: $499.99/$599.99

Garmin Forerunner 965: $599.99

Further into this article, we’ll show you what these other Garmin Forerunners have that the FR165 does not, so you can decide where your feature-needs and budget-needs sweet spot is!

Garmin Forerunner 165 Battery Life

So, this is the one area where the Forerunner 55 does beat the FR165. But not by a lot and for good reason: a bright AMOLED display uses more energy, plain and simple.

In the way of battery life, Garmin Forerunner 55 offers:

• Smartwatch Mode: Up to 2 weeks
• GPS mode: Up to 20 hours

The Garmin Forerunner 165 battery life looks like this:

• Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days
• Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 20 days
• GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 19 hours
• All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours
• GPS-Only GNSS mode with music: Up to 7 hours (FR165 Music only)
• All-Systems GNSS mode with music: Up to 6.5 hours (FR165 Music only)

Forerunner 165 Navigation

The new Garmin Forerunner 165 GPS watch has five sensors, which the Forerunner 55 does not have. These include a Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation monitor, a barometric altimeter for elevation data, a compass, a thermometer, and an ambient light sensor. 

Without a compass, the FR55 had zero navigation. No point-to-point, no back to start, and most certainly no simple bread crumb to follow a course. 

With the new FR165, you can now do all of those things plus you get tracback and distance to destination.

One thing you can not count on at this price point is full color maps. Nor will you get those preloaded maps on an FR255 or FR265. You’ve got to go for the Forerunner 955 or 965 to get maps.

Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Forerunner 255 & 265

There’s more in common between these watches than not. But some of the features you find on the Forerunner 255/255S and the Forerunner 265 might be must-haves for you.

Keep in mind that, like the FR165,  the Forerunner 255/255S also has a non-music and music option. But unlike the FR165 and FR265 (or any of the Forerunners that end in “65”), it does not have the vibrant AMOLED display. Nor does it have a touchscreen.

However, because the Forerunner 255 does not have an AMOLED screen, it gets about 10 more hours of battery life in GPS mode.

Here are some of the key things that the two next-level Forerunner series have:

• Multiple watch sizes and display sizes
• Training Status and Training Load features 
• Multisport/triathlon support
• Power meter sensors, and smart trainer support (and other sensor types)
• More sport profiles, including skiing/snowboarding, water activities like SUP and rowing, and team sports
• Multiband/dual-frequency GPS
• On-screen workout animations and workout muscle maps
• Price point:  $350–$400 (FR255) and $450 (FR265) vs $250–$300 for the Forerunner 165

The Garmin Forerunner 265 is the only one of these running watches to offer Training Readiness—a score and a short message that helps you determine how ready you are for training each day.

The FR255 and FR265 each put about 10 more grams on your wrist, but also have 1.3” displays as opposed to the FR165’s 1.2” display.

Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Forerunner 955 & 965

Like with the Forerunner 255 and 265 series of running watches, the FR165 still has more in common with the Forerunner 955/955 Solar and the Forerunner 965 than it has differences.

That said, there are some features that put these two top running watches at the top. Here’s a list of the key features. Many of these features are on the Forerunner 265 running watches. The ones we have bolded are specific to the FR955 and FR965.

• Training Status and Training Load features
• Training Readiness 
• Multisport/triathlon support
• Power meter sensors, and smart trainer support (and other sensor types)
• More sport profiles, including skiing/snowboarding, water activities like SUP and rowing, and team sports
• Multiband/dual-frequency GPS
• On-screen workout animations and workout muscle maps
• More battery life
• Built-in, full-color mapping
• Spectator messaging and group livetrack
• Dual grid coordinates
• Heat and altitude acclimation
• Realtime Stamina
• Endurance Score
• Hill Score
• Garmin Live Segments/Strava Live Segments
• Round-trip course creator
• Loaded with Garmin golfing features

Keep in mind, the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar is the only running watch that offers solar-charging. So if battery life is important, this might be your watch, although the FR965 has a superior battery life, too. Unlike the FR165 and FR965, it does not have an AMOLED display or touchscreen.

Also, the FR965 has a 1.4” display compared to the FR165’s 1.2” display and the FR955’s 1.3”—so, it’s a pretty big watch on your wrist. However, it’s still only 53 g—a lot less than a fēnix 7  Pro or epix Pro.

And of course, these watches have vastly different price points: $400–$500 (FR955) and $500 (FR965) vs $250–$300 for the Forerunner 165.

Forerunner 165 vs Garmin Venu 3/3S

While the Garmin Forerunner 165 is a dedicated running GPS watch with advanced running tools on it, the Garmin Venu 3 Series is more of a fitness and health GPS smartwatch.

Here are the key differences:

• The Venu 3/3S is compatible with the Garmin ECG app
• Make calls and send texts with the Venu 3 Series (built-in speaker and mic)
• Only Venu 3/3S offers wheelchair mode
• Venu 3 Series offers two sizes: 1.2” display and 1.4” display
• Venu 3/3S offers meditation, sleep coach, jet lag advisor, and skin temperature
• Venu 3 Series has smart trainer control
• Venu 3 Series has more sport profiles
• Venu 3/3S has on-screen workout animations and workout muscle maps
• Venu 3 Series offers golfing features
• FR165 has daily suggested workouts
• FR165 has Course Guidance
• Forerunner 165 offers a race glance/widget
• FR165 has configurable lap alerts
• Forerunner 165 has VO2 Max for trail run
• Training Effect is available on the FR165
• The FR165 has PacePro pacing strategies
• The FR165 has race predictor and course- and weather-specific race predictor
• The FR165 has simple navigation like point-to-point and breadcrumb trail (Venu 3 has no navigation)
• Price point:  $450 for the Garmin Venu 3/3S vs $250–$300 for the Garmin Forerunner 165

Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Series

This is the area where it just gets to be like apples to oranges.

Sure, the Forerunner 165 shares a ton of features with the fēnix 7 Pro Series. But they are two very different watch experiences for several reasons.

First, like with the FR955 and FR965, the fēnix 7 pro offers all of those standout training features and the preloaded maps of every kind to everywhere. 

The Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Series also offers several sizes and models. You can choose from the 7S (1.2”), 7 (1.3”) or 7X (1.4”). 

Not only is it a running watch with multisport and triathlon support—it’s a hardcore outdoor watch. It’s made from more durable material, including a sapphire crystal lens on the Pro Sapphire Solar models. And it has tools like a super-bright flashlight to light your way at night.

Oh, and every fēnix 7 Pro has solar-charging technology, so these GPS multisport watches are made to last a long time out in the wild.

All of this means that a Garmin fēnix, like always, puts a bit more weight and bulk on your wrist. Any Garmin Forerunner is going to be slimmer on the wrist, if that’s important to you.

And finally, while the fēnix 7 Pro Series does have a touchscreen, it does not feature the stunning AMOLED display.

Actually, the final and most crucial point, perhaps, is the price disparity between these two Garmin watches: 

• Forerunner 165 price: $249.99
• Forerunner 165 Music price: $299.99
• Garmin fēnix 7S/7 Pro Solar: $799.99
• Garmin fēnix 7S/7 Pro Sapphire Solar: $899.99
• Garmin fēnix 7X Pro Solar: $899.99
• Garmin fēnix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar: $999.99

Forerunner 165 vs Garmin epix Pro Series

Basically, the comparison here is the same as with the Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Series, except that the Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) does have an AMOLED display—we call it a Garmin fēnix with a brighter display. But that doesn’t quite hold up, because you don’t get the time between charging that you do with the fēnix 7 Pro Series.

The Garmin epix Pro series also comes in three sizes and offers a Sapphire edition—but it is not quite as bulky as the more durable fēnix 7 Pro Series.

The price point between these two watches is pretty gonzo too. 

• Forerunner 165 price: $249.99
• Forerunner 165 Music price: $299.99
• Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) 42 mm/47 mm: $899.99
• Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire 42 mm/47 mm: $999.99
• Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) 51 mm: $999.99
• Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire 51 mm: $1,099.99

 

Forerunner 165 vs Garmin Enduro 2 Ultra Running Watch

Again, these two watches—like the DNA between mice and humans—have a ton of Garmin DNA in common.

However, the differences still make the overall watch experience HUGE.

The Enduro 2 is the watch for ultra runners. It features a giant 1.4” display and comes automatic with a Sapphire lens, solar-charging, and titanium bezel and case cover.

But the thing that makes it stand out from all other watches is that it offers far and away the most battery life. 

It’s a watch for serious, extreme runners and outdoors enthusiasts—and you’ll have to be enthusiastic about its extreme price, too! It comes in one size, color (black), and model and goes for $999.99 compared to the Forerunner 165’s $250–$300.

Is the 2024 Garmin Forerunner 165 Running Watch for You?

Some say that when it comes to shopping Garmin GPS watches you can run into analysis paralysis.

But hopefully with this comparison article, you can easily see which Garmin running watch option is right for you.

It comes down to what your gotta-haves are. 

If you want a smaller watch with advanced running features and a bright AMOLED display that won’t break the bank, and is still stuffed with all Garmin’s signature health tracking and smart features—then the Garmin Forerunner 165 is a no-brainer.

Do you want a few more training tools and maybe some size options while staying under $500? You can look toward the Forerunner 255/255S and Forerunner 265/265S Series.

But if you want to add full-color built-in maps along with more battery life and superior tracking support, you’ll need to level-up to the $500+ budget with the Forerunner 955/955 Solar, Forerunner 965, the fēnix 7 Pro Series, epix Pro (Gen 2), or Enduro 2.

If durability and battery life are the most important—in addition to the most advanced everything else— then you need to look to the fēnix 7 Pro Series or the Enduro 2.

If an AMOLED display is a must-have on the high-end, the Forerunner 965 or epix Pro 2 are your obvious choices.

Remember, at PlayBetter you have 60 days to return your Garmin watch free with no questions asked. And you can get one in just 2 days. As always, we’re here for any questions! Happy running watch hunting!