Apple Watch Series 9 vs Garmin Forerunner 165
Sqwod verdict
Dead heat — 84 vs 84. Your use case is the tiebreaker.
Both are strong — the call comes down to what you prioritise:
- Apple Watch Series 9 — You want one device for training, daily life, and health basics.
- Garmin Forerunner 165 — You coach runners or endurance clients and want Garmin's training data without the €500 tier.
Apple Watch Series 9
84Score · High
from €419
The best all-rounder — workouts, notifications, sleep, ECG — no subscription. Battery and depth-of-recovery data are the compromises.
Garmin Forerunner 165
84Score · High
from €249
The best-value entry into Garmin's training ecosystem — bright AMOLED, ~11-day battery, and the metrics that matter, without the €500 price.
Compare side-by-side
| Apple Watch Series 984Scorefrom€419Review → | Garmin Forerunner 16584Scorefrom€249Review → | |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Watch | Watch (running) |
| Battery life | ~18 h (36 h low-power) | ~11 days |
| Screen | Always-on OLED | AMOLED |
| Sleep tracking | Basic | Yes |
| Recovery / HRV | HRV metrics | Body Battery |
| Subscription | None (Fitness+ optional) | None |
| Water resistance | 50 m | 50 m (5 ATM) |
Prices are our reviewed reference points.
Affiliate disclosure. We may earn a commission from links on this page. It never affects the Sqwod Score — scores are set by the methodology, not commission.