Garmin Forerunner 165 vs RingConn Gen 3
Our pick: Garmin Forerunner 165 takes it — 86 vs 82.
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.
- RingConn Gen 3 — You want Oura-level sleep and recovery data for yourself or clients without a monthly fee, and battery life matters more to you than workout tracking.
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.
RingConn Gen 3
RingConn's subscription-free formula, refined: up to 14 days per charge, a universal charging case, new haptic alerts and vascular trend insights. It is slightly thicker than the Gen 2, exercise heart rate still lags and the price climbs to 369 EUR, but it remains the strongest no-subscription alternative to Oura.
Compare side-by-side
| Garmin Forerunner 16586Scorefrom€175Review → | RingConn Gen 382Scorefrom€369Review → | |
|---|---|---|
| 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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