Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Garmin Forerunner 970
Sqwod verdict
Our pick: Garmin Forerunner 165 takes it — 86 vs 84.
Both are strong — the call comes down to what you prioritise:
- Garmin Forerunner 165 — You coach runners or endurance clients and want Garmin's training data without the €500 tier.
- Garmin Forerunner 970 — You coach or train for endurance and triathlon and want maps, the full readiness and load suite, and data you can use to manage clients' weekly volume.
Our pick 
Garmin Forerunner 165
86Score · High
from €175
The best-value entry into Garmin's training ecosystem — bright AMOLED, ~11-day battery, and the metrics that matter, without the €500 price.
Garmin Forerunner 970
84Score · Medium
from €624
The most complete Forerunner yet: a brighter AMOLED under sapphire, a flashlight, speaker and mic, ECG, a Gen 5 heart-rate sensor and new load tools such as Running Tolerance. It also costs about 135 EUR more than the 965 we reviewed, and smartwatch battery drops from 23 to 15 days.
Compare side-by-side
| Garmin Forerunner 16586Scorefrom€175Review → | Garmin Forerunner 97084Scorefrom€624Review → | |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Watch (running) | — |
| Battery life | ~11 days | — |
| Screen | AMOLED | — |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | — |
| Recovery / HRV | Body Battery | — |
| Subscription | None | — |
| Water resistance | 50 m (5 ATM) | — |
Prices are our researched reference points.
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