Garmin Forerunner® 165 vs Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition 45mmSize, Specs & Wrist Fit Compared
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Garmin
Forerunner® 165
Garmin
Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition 45mm
The Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition 45mm wears larger than the Garmin Forerunner® 165 (45mm vs 43mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
The Garmin Forerunner® 165 is the slimmer of the two (11.6mm vs 14.9mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Garmin Forerunner® 165 feels lighter (39g vs 52g, case only).
Specification Comparison
| Spec | GarminForerunner® 165 | GarminInstinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition 45mm |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 43mm | 45mm |
| Thickness | 11.6mm | 14.9mm |
| Weight | 39g | 52g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Water Resistance | — | 10 ATM |
| GPS | Yes | 130 hours |
| Display | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | 0.9 inches |
| Always-On Display | — | Yes |
| 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 | — |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | — |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 11 days | — |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | Yes | — |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | Yes | — |
| Battery life | — | Unlimited days |
| Has wireless charging | — | No |
| Has a removable battery | — | No |
| Battery life with GPS on | — | 130 hours |
| Has a solar power battery | — | Yes |
| Has a rechargeable battery | — | Yes |
| Battery life in training mode | — | 40 hours |
| Has a battery level indicator | — | Yes |
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
Full Specification Comparison
302 specs| Spec | Garmin Forerunner® 165 | Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition 45mm |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | 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 | — |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | — |
| Display Size | 1.2" (30.4 mm) diameter | — |
| Color display | Yes | — |
| Lens Material | chemically strengthened glass | — |
| Bezel Material | fiber-reinforced polymer | — |
| Memory/History | 4 GB | — |
| Strap material | silicone | — |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | — |
| Large font option | Yes | — |
| Display resolution | 390 x 390 pixels | — |
| Quick Release bands | yes (20 mm, Industry standard) | — |
| Sensors | ||
| GPS | Yes | — |
| Compass | Yes | — |
| GLONASS | Yes | — |
| Galileo | Yes | — |
| Thermometer | Yes | — |
| Accelerometer | Yes | — |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | — |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | Yes | — |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | — |
| has GPS | — | Yes |
| has a compass | — | Yes |
| Has a barometer | — | Yes |
| has a gyroscope | — | Yes |
| Has a cadence sensor | — | Yes |
| has an accelerometer | — | Yes |
| Monitors perspiration | — | No |
| Has a heart rate monitor | — | Yes |
| Has a temperature sensor | — | Yes |
| Monitors blood oxygenation levels | — | Yes |
| Product Info | ||
| Main SKU | 010-02863-20 | — |
| Product ID | 1055469 | — |
| Product Name | Forerunner® 165 | — |
| Release Date | 2/20/2024 | — |
| Product Variation | Black/Slate Gray | — |
| Clock Features | ||
| Timer | Yes | — |
| Stopwatch | Yes | — |
| Time/date | Yes | — |
| Alarm clock | Yes | — |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | — |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | — |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | — |
| Cycling Features | ||
| Courses | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Varia headlight camera | Yes | — |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | Yes | — |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | Yes | — |
| Running Features | ||
| Run workouts | Yes | — |
| Running power | Yes | — |
| Race predictor | Yes | — |
| Foot pod capable | Yes | — |
| Running dynamics | Yes | — |
| Run/Walk/Stand detection | Yes | — |
| Stride length (real time) | Yes | — |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | Yes | — |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio | Yes | — |
| Ground contact time and balance | yes (but not balance) | — |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | — |
| Course- and weather-specific race predictor | Yes | — |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | — |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Touchscreen | Yes | — |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | — |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | — |
| Garmin Pay™ | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | yes (spot-check, during sleep, all day) | — |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | — |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 11 days | — |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing | — |
| Swim | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming | — |
| Cycling | Biking, Indoor Biking | — |
| Wellness | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Indoor Walking | — |
| Racket sports | Tennis, Pickleball, Padel | — |
| Indoor running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Virtual Running | — |
| Outdoor running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running | — |
| Outdoor recreation | Hiking | — |
| Swimming Features | ||
| Time and distance alerts | Yes | — |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Drill logging (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Countdown start (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | Yes | — |
| "Repeat on" rest timer (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | — |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | — |
| Outdoor Recreation | ||
| Auto rest | Yes | — |
| TracBack® | Yes | — |
| Back to start | Yes | — |
| Fish forecast | yes (via Connect IQ™) | — |
| UltraTrac mode | Yes | — |
| Area calculation | yes (via Connect IQ™) | — |
| Elevation profile | Yes | — |
| Total ascent/descent | Yes | — |
| Future elevation plot | Yes | — |
| Distance to destination | Yes | — |
| Sun and moon information | yes (via Connect IQ™) | — |
| Point-to-point navigation | Yes | — |
| Rest Timer (Ultra Run only) | Yes | — |
| Bread crumb trail in real time | Yes | — |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| Calendar | Yes | — |
| Passcode | Yes | — |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+® | — |
| Garmin Share | Yes | — |
| Find My Phone | Yes | — |
| Find My Watch | Yes | — |
| Morning report | Yes | — |
| Red shift mode | Yes | — |
| Weather forecasts | Yes | — |
| Smart Notifications | Yes | — |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | — |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | — |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | Yes | — |
| Find My Phone during GPS activity | Yes | — |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | Yes | — |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | Yes | — |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | Yes | — |
| View images from notifications on watch (Android™ only) | Yes | — |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | — |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | Yes | — |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | Yes | — |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | — |
| Step counter | Yes | — |
| Floors climbed | Yes | — |
| Calories burned | Yes | — |
| Distance traveled | Yes | — |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | — |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | — |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ app) | — |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | Yes | — |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | — |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| HIIT workouts | Yes | — |
| Yoga workouts | Yes | — |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | — |
| Pilates workouts | Yes | — |
| Strength workouts | Yes | — |
| Garmin Running Coach | yes (no strength add-on) | — |
| Garmin Running Coach Experts | Yes | — |
| Garmin Coach - Prebuilt Cycling Plans | Yes | — |
| Daily Suggested Workout - Running (Pace and Heart Rate Based) | Yes | — |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| Sleep | yes (advanced) | — |
| Hydration | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | — |
| Breathwork | Yes | — |
| Fitness age | Yes | — |
| Nap detection | Yes | — |
| All-day stress | Yes | — |
| Women's health | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | — |
| Health snapshot | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate | Yes | — |
| Resting heart rate | Yes | — |
| Breathing variations | Yes | — |
| Relaxation reminders | Yes | — |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | yes (high and low) | — |
| Relaxation breathing timer | Yes | — |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | Yes | — |
| Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second) | Yes | — |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| Assistance | Yes | — |
| Live Event Sharing | Android™ Only | — |
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | — |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | Yes | — |
| Kid Activity Tracking Features | ||
| Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app) | — |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | ||
| % HRR | Yes | — |
| % HR max | Yes | — |
| HR zones | Yes | — |
| HR alerts | Yes | — |
| HRV status | Yes | — |
| Manual lap | Yes | — |
| Rest timer | Yes | — |
| Auto max HR | Yes | — |
| Finish time | Yes | — |
| HR calories | Yes | — |
| Voice alerts | Yes | — |
| Physio TrueUp | Yes | — |
| Recovery time | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (Run) | Yes | — |
| Course guidance | Yes | — |
| Training effect | Yes | — |
| Advanced workouts | Yes | — |
| Interval training | Yes | — |
| Race glance/widget | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (Trail Run) | Yes | — |
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | — |
| Configurable lap alerts | Yes | — |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | — |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | — |
| Activity history on watch | Yes | — |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | — |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | Yes | — |
| HRM running pace and distance | Yes | — |
| Customizable activity profiles | Yes | — |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | Yoga and Breathwork only | — |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | Yes | — |
| Primary benefit (Training Effect labels) | Yes | — |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | Yes | — |
| Design | ||
| width | — | 45 |
| height | — | 45 |
| volume | — | 30.17 cm³ |
| weight | — | 52 g |
| thickness | — | 14.9 |
| ATM rating | — | 10 ATM |
| resolution | — | 176 x 176 px |
| screen size | — | 0.9 inches |
| Display type | — | LCD |
| Has a display | — | Yes |
| pixel density | — | 276 ppi |
| width of band | — | 22 mm |
| water resistance | — | Waterproof |
| Always-On Display | — | Yes |
| has a touch screen | — | No |
| Watch band is replaceable | — | Yes |
| Has sapphire glass display | — | No |
| has branded damage-resistant glass | — | No |
| Battery | ||
| battery life | — | Unlimited days |
| has wireless charging | — | No |
| has a removable battery | — | No |
| battery life with GPS on | — | 130 hours |
| Has a solar power battery | — | Yes |
| has a rechargeable battery | — | Yes |
| battery life in training mode | — | 40 hours |
| Features | ||
| release date | — | 2025-04-30 |
| Has a stopwatch | — | Yes |
| Has smart alarm | — | No |
| warranty period | — | 1 years |
| Has call control | — | No |
| Has silent alarm | — | Yes |
| has HRV tracking | — | Yes |
| internal storage | — | 0.13GB |
| measures VO2 max | — | Yes |
| Has notifications | — | Yes |
| Locates your phone | — | Yes |
| has fall detection | — | Yes |
| has voice commands | — | No |
| Acquires GPS faster | — | Yes |
| Has vibrating alerts | — | Yes |
| shows readiness level | — | Yes |
| Can be used to answer calls | — | No |
| measures resting heart rate | — | Yes |
| has irregular heart rate warnings | — | No |
| has fast/slow heart rate notifications | — | Yes |
| Has a built-in camera remote control function | — | No |
| Connectivity | ||
| has NFC | — | Yes |
| supports ANT+ | — | Yes |
| supports Wi-Fi | — | No |
| supports Galileo | — | Yes |
| has a cellular module | — | No |
| Is compatible with iOS | — | Yes |
| Is compatible with Android | — | Yes |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Has auto pause | — | Yes |
| Available on PC | — | Yes |
| Can upload maps | — | No |
| Has trackback mode | — | Yes |
| Has a wind speed sensor | — | No |
| Is compatible with Windows | — | Yes |
| Is compatible with Mac OS X | — | Yes |
| has an external memory slot | — | No |
| Compatible with smart scales | — | Yes |
| has a battery level indicator | — | Yes |
| Provides the sunrise/sunset time | — | Yes |
| has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack | — | No |
| Informs about the risk of thunderstorms | — | Yes |
| Compatible with external heart rate monitors | — | Yes |
| App & Software | ||
| Ad-free | — | Yes |
| Free app | — | Yes |
| Tracks BMI | — | Yes |
| Has coaching | — | Yes |
| Includes maps | — | Yes |
| Supports routes | — | Yes |
| Has achievements | — | Yes |
| Has goal setting | — | Yes |
| Has live tracking | — | Yes |
| Has exercise diary | — | Yes |
| Predicts ovulation | — | Yes |
| Can be personalised | — | Yes |
| Has weight tracking | — | Yes |
| Predicts start date | — | Yes |
| Tracks water intake | — | Yes |
| Has inactivity alerts | — | Yes |
| Has period notifications | — | Yes |
| Has temperature tracking | — | Yes |
| Doesn’t require account | — | No |
| Provides activity reports | — | Yes |
| Displays fertile window notifications | — | Yes |
| Counts how many calories you've burned | — | Yes |
| Activity tracking | ||
| Measures pace | — | Yes |
| Tracks distance | — | Yes |
| Tracks elevation | — | Yes |
| Designed for golf | — | Yes |
| Tracks your sleep | — | Yes |
| Tracks steps taken | — | Yes |
| Designed for diving | — | No |
| Has a route tracker | — | Yes |
| Has exercise tagging | — | Yes |
| Has multi-sport mode | — | Yes |
| Tracks calorie intake | — | Yes |
| Provides sleep reports | — | Yes |
| Detects activities automatically | — | Yes |
| Has a stroke counter for swimming | — | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Forerunner® 165
Sits best on wrists ~45–61mm wide (≈ 12.0–16.3cm circumference).
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition 45mm
Sits best on wrists ~47–64mm wide (≈ 12.6–17.1cm circumference).
2D Dimension Schematics
Accurate scale drawings based on case dimensions. Drag to pan, Ctrl+scroll to zoom. Works for every watch regardless of photo availability.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Forerunner® 165 bigger than the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition 45mm?
The Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition 45mm is bigger — 45mm vs 43mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Forerunner® 165 or the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition 45mm?
The Garmin Forerunner® 165 suits wrists around 45–61mm wide, and the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition 45mm around 47–64mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Forerunner® 165 and Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical Edition 45mm 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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