Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Suunto Race
Our pick: Suunto Race takes it — 87 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.
- Suunto Race — Buy it if you want a big, bright AMOLED multisport watch with strong dual-band GPS, maps and multi-day battery for far less than a Garmin Forerunner 965.
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.
Suunto Race
The Suunto Race is the best watch Suunto has made in years: a bright 1.43-inch AMOLED, accurate dual-band GPS and genuinely huge battery life, all launched well below Garmin. Now selling around 299 EUR (down from a 449 EUR RRP), it is one of the best-value AMOLED multisport watches you can buy. The catch is software: the Suunto app and on-watch OS feel slower and thinner than Garmin Connect, the wrist heart-rate sensor is only so-so, and recovery/sleep metrics are noisy. For runners and outdoor athletes who want a big screen, maps and long battery without paying Garmin money, it is an easy recommendation.
Compare side-by-side
| Garmin Forerunner 16584Scorefrom€249Review → | Suunto Race87Scorefrom€299Review → | |
|---|---|---|
| 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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