Garmin
Forerunner® 165 vs Forerunner® 165 Music
Size, specs & wrist fit compared
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Which one fits you
Both need much the same wrist — roughly 45–61mm across the flat of the wrist. Neither will fit where the other won't, so decide on thickness, weight and features instead.
The Forerunner® 165 and Forerunner® 165 Music share a near-identical 43mm case, so wrist presence comes down to thickness, lug-to-lug and weight.
The Forerunner® 165 is thinner than 86% of the 312 43mm watches we hold thickness for, the Forerunner® 165 Music than 86% — so both wear flatter than their widths suggest.
Forerunner® 165
Forerunner® 165 Music
Case width
43mm
43mmsame
Lug-to-lug
43mm
43mmsame
Thickness
11.6mm
11.6mmsame
Weight
39g
39gsame
Switch or add watches
Garmin
Forerunner® 165
Garmin
Forerunner® 165 Music
2D Dimension Schematics
Every case drawn to scale on a shared centre — from above, and in profile against the wrist.
Highlight
- Garmin Forerunner® 16543mm · 11.6mm thick
- Garmin Forerunner® 165 Music43mm · 11.6mm thick
3D preview
Forerunner® 165 vs Forerunner® 165 Music on a wrist
Sized to your own wrist, turned any way you like.
Shapes are built from published measurements, not manufacturer 3D models — accurate proportions, generic dial.
Battery life compared
Runtime for every power mode either watch publishes, 4 of them directly comparable.
165165 Music
Battery Saver Smartwatch
20 days20 daysSmartwatch
11 days11 daysGPS-Only GNSS
19 hours19 hoursAll-Systems GNSS
17 hours17 hoursGPS-Only GNSS with music
—7 hoursAll-Systems GNSS with music
—6.5 hours
Specifications
The short version
7 key specs| Spec | GarminForerunner® 165 | GarminForerunner® 165 Music |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 43mm | 43mm |
| Thickness | 11.6mm | 11.6mm |
| Weight | 39g | 39g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) |
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 20 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 19 hours All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours See Details | Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 20 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 19 hours All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours GPS-Only GNSS mode with music: Up to 7 hours All-Systems GNSS mode with music: Up to 6.5 hours See Details |
| Released | 2024 | 2024 |
Every specification
192 specs| Spec | Garmin Forerunner® 165 | Garmin Forerunner® 165 Music |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | Garmin | Garmin |
| General | ||
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 20 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 19 hours All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours See Details | Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 20 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 19 hours All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours GPS-Only GNSS mode with music: Up to 7 hours All-Systems GNSS mode with music: Up to 6.5 hours See Details |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | Lithium ion |
| Display Size | 1.2" (30.4 mm) diameter | 1.2" (30.4 mm) diameter |
| Color display | Yes | Yes |
| Lens Material | chemically strengthened glass | chemically strengthened glass |
| Bezel Material | fiber-reinforced polymer | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Memory/History | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Strap material | silicone | silicone |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Large font option | Yes | Yes |
| Display resolution | 390 x 390 pixels | 390 x 390 pixels |
| Quick Release bands | yes (20 mm, Industry standard) | yes (20 mm, Industry standard) |
| Sensors | ||
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| GLONASS | Yes | Yes |
| Galileo | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Product Info | ||
| Main SKU | 010-02863-20 | 010-02863-30 |
| Product ID | 1055469 | 1611937 |
| Product Name | Forerunner® 165 | Forerunner® 165 Music |
| Release Date | 2/20/2024 | 2/20/2024 |
| Product Variation | Black/Slate Gray | Black/Slate Gray |
| Clock Features | ||
| Timer | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Time/date | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm clock | Yes | Yes |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | Yes |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | Yes |
| Cycling Features | ||
| Courses | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia headlight camera | Yes | Yes |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | Yes | Yes |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | Yes | Yes |
| Running Features | ||
| Run workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Running power | Yes | Yes |
| Race predictor | Yes | Yes |
| Foot pod capable | Yes | Yes |
| Running dynamics | Yes | Yes |
| Run/Walk/Stand detection | Yes | Yes |
| Stride length (real time) | Yes | Yes |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | Yes | Yes |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio | Yes | Yes |
| Ground contact time and balance | yes (but not balance) | yes (but not balance) |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | Yes |
| Course- and weather-specific race predictor | Yes | Yes |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | Yes |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Garmin Pay™ | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | yes (spot-check, during sleep, all day) | yes (spot-check, during sleep, all day) |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 11 days | Up to 11 days |
| Music storage | — | Yes |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing |
| Swim | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
| Cycling | Biking, Indoor Biking | Biking, Indoor Biking |
| Wellness | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Indoor Walking | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Indoor Walking |
| Racket sports | Tennis, Pickleball, Padel | Tennis, Pickleball, Padel |
| Indoor running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Virtual Running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Virtual Running |
| Outdoor running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running |
| Outdoor recreation | Hiking | Hiking |
| Swimming Features | ||
| Time and distance alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes |
| Drill logging (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes |
| Countdown start (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| "Repeat on" rest timer (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | Yes |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | Yes |
| Outdoor Recreation | ||
| Auto rest | Yes | Yes |
| TracBack® | Yes | Yes |
| Back to start | Yes | Yes |
| Fish forecast | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| UltraTrac mode | Yes | Yes |
| Area calculation | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| Elevation profile | Yes | Yes |
| Total ascent/descent | Yes | Yes |
| Future elevation plot | Yes | Yes |
| Distance to destination | Yes | Yes |
| Sun and moon information | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| Point-to-point navigation | Yes | Yes |
| Rest Timer (Ultra Run only) | Yes | Yes |
| Bread crumb trail in real time | Yes | Yes |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Passcode | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+® | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
| Garmin Share | Yes | Yes |
| Find My Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Find My Watch | Yes | Yes |
| Morning report | Yes | Yes |
| Red shift mode | Yes | Yes |
| Weather forecasts | Yes | Yes |
| Smart Notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | Yes |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | Yes | Yes |
| Find My Phone during GPS activity | Yes | Yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | Yes | Yes |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | Yes | Yes |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | Yes | Yes |
| View images from notifications on watch (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | Yes | Yes |
| Plays and controls watch music | — | Yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | Yes | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | Yes |
| Step counter | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
| Calories burned | Yes | Yes |
| Distance traveled | Yes | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ app) | yes (optional Connect IQ app) |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | Yes | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | Yes |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| HIIT workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Yoga workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Pilates workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Strength workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Running Coach | yes (no strength add-on) | yes (no strength add-on) |
| Garmin Running Coach Experts | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Coach - Prebuilt Cycling Plans | Yes | Yes |
| Daily Suggested Workout - Running (Pace and Heart Rate Based) | Yes | Yes |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| Sleep | yes (advanced) | yes (advanced) |
| Hydration | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) |
| Breathwork | Yes | Yes |
| Fitness age | Yes | Yes |
| Nap detection | Yes | Yes |
| All-day stress | Yes | Yes |
| Women's health | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) |
| Health snapshot | Yes | Yes |
| Respiration rate | Yes | Yes |
| Resting heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| Breathing variations | Yes | Yes |
| Relaxation reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | yes (high and low) | yes (high and low) |
| Relaxation breathing timer | Yes | Yes |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second) | Yes | Yes |
| Meditation | — | Yes |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| Assistance | Yes | Yes |
| Live Event Sharing | Android™ Only | Android™ Only |
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | Yes |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | Yes | Yes |
| Kid Activity Tracking Features | ||
| Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app) | yes (optional Connect IQ Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app) |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | ||
| % HRR | Yes | Yes |
| % HR max | Yes | Yes |
| HR zones | Yes | Yes |
| HR alerts | Yes | Yes |
| HRV status | Yes | Yes |
| Manual lap | Yes | Yes |
| Rest timer | Yes | Yes |
| Auto max HR | Yes | Yes |
| Finish time | Yes | Yes |
| HR calories | Yes | Yes |
| Voice alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | Yes | Yes |
| Recovery time | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max (Run) | Yes | Yes |
| Course guidance | Yes | Yes |
| Training effect | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Interval training | Yes | Yes |
| Race glance/widget | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max (Trail Run) | Yes | Yes |
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | Yes |
| Configurable lap alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | Yes |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | Yes | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | Yes |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | Yes | Yes |
| HRM running pace and distance | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | Yes | Yes |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | Yoga and Breathwork only | Yoga and Breathwork only |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | Yes | Yes |
| Primary benefit (Training Effect labels) | Yes | Yes |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | Yes | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Forerunner® 165
Sits best on wrists ~45–61mm wide (≈ 12.0–16.3cm circumference).
Garmin Forerunner® 165 Music
Sits best on wrists ~45–61mm wide (≈ 12.0–16.3cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Forerunner® 165 bigger than the Garmin Forerunner® 165 Music?
Both have a 43mm case. Compare their thickness and lug-to-lug above to judge wrist presence.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Forerunner® 165 or the Garmin Forerunner® 165 Music?
The Garmin Forerunner® 165 suits wrists around 45–61mm wide, and the Garmin Forerunner® 165 Music around 45–61mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Forerunner® 165 and Garmin Forerunner® 165 Music side by side at true scale?
Yes — the schematics and photos above show both watches at matched scale, and our fit tool overlays each on your wrist width.
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