Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Polar Vantage V3
Our pick: Garmin Forerunner 165 takes it — 86 vs 78.
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.
- Polar Vantage V3 — Serious triathletes and multisport/endurance athletes who want deep training and recovery data plus long battery life.
Garmin Forerunner 165
The best-value entry into Garmin's training ecosystem — bright AMOLED, ~11-day battery, and the metrics that matter, without the €500 price.
Polar Vantage V3
A hardware powerhouse for serious endurance and multisport athletes: class-leading battery, dual-frequency GPS and a deep sensor suite (ECG, SpO2, skin temperature). The training and recovery analytics are outstanding, but the smartwatch side stays barebones and the price only makes sense on discount.
Compare side-by-side
| Garmin Forerunner 16586Scorefrom€175Review → | Polar Vantage V378Scorefrom€390.59Review → | |
|---|---|---|
| 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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