Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Lily 2 Active
Size, specs & wrist fit compared
As an Amazon Associate, WatchFitTool earns from qualifying purchases.
Which one fits you
On wrists narrower than about 45mm, the Lily 2 Active is the safer pick — it stays proportionate down to roughly 40mm, where the Forerunner 165 starts to hang over the edge. Above 45mm both sit cleanly, and the Forerunner 165 gives you more presence.
The Forerunner 165 wears larger than the Lily 2 Active (43mm vs 38mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
The Lily 2 Active is the slimmer of the two (11mm vs 11.6mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Lily 2 Active feels lighter (29g vs 39g, case only).
Among the 318 43mm watches we hold thickness for, the Forerunner 165 is thinner than 86%, so it wears flatter than its width suggests.
The Lily 2 Active is middle-of-the-pack for thickness among the 356 38mm watches in the database.
The Forerunner 165 is 5mm wider, 5mm longer, 0.6mm thicker and 10g heavier than the Lily 2 Active. Both are circular.
Forerunner® 165
Lily 2 Active
Switch or add watches
Garmin
Forerunner® 165
Garmin
Lily 2 Active
Watch Fit Tool
For sports watches, lug-to-lug (L2L) is what matters most — it decides whether a watch overhangs your wrist. Bulky is fine; overhang is not.
Measure at the point where you wear your watch — typically just below the wrist bone.
Flat width — lay your arm on a table, palm facing up, and measure straight across the top of your wrist with a ruler. Bone to bone; do not follow the curve down the sides.
Around — wrap a tape measure snugly round the wrist. No tape? Wrap a strip of paper, mark the overlap and hold the strip against a ruler.
Width ≠ circumference. They are different numbers — around 170mm is about 64mm across — so set the toggle to whichever one you actually measured before you type it in.
Garmin Forerunner® 165
Case 43.0mm · Lug-to-lug 43.0mm · Thickness 11.6mm · 39g
Balanced Fit
43mm on a 55mm wrist
Comfortably inside the edges of your wrist, and it seats and sits low enough to wear without thinking about it.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 43mm, so you could go bigger.
Measure where you wear it, just below the wrist bone. Either of these works — the tool converts between them.
- 1. Flat width — arm flat on a table, palm up. Measure straight across the top of the wrist, bone to bone, ignoring the curve down the sides.
- 2. Around — a tape, or a strip of paper marked and held against a ruler, snug the whole way round.
Leather: Attaches at the lugs, so the case back rests on your skin. Thins and softens with wear. Typical figures, not this model’s own.
Show the measurementsHide the measurements
- Across the wrist6.0mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist11.6mm off the skin
Normal sports-watch height for a wrist this size. (11.6mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~4.4mm under the rim
Seats well, with the case back following most of the wrist.
- Weight on the wrist39g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.7g per mm of wrist)
Garmin Lily 2 Active
Case 38.0mm · Lug-to-lug 38.0mm · Thickness 11.0mm · 29g
Understated
38mm on a 55mm wrist
Well inside your wrist on every measurement — you have room to go a size up if you want more presence.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 38mm, so you could go bigger.
Measure where you wear it, just below the wrist bone. Either of these works — the tool converts between them.
- 1. Flat width — arm flat on a table, palm up. Measure straight across the top of the wrist, bone to bone, ignoring the curve down the sides.
- 2. Around — a tape, or a strip of paper marked and held against a ruler, snug the whole way round.
Leather: Attaches at the lugs, so the case back rests on your skin. Thins and softens with wear. Typical figures, not this model’s own.
Show the measurementsHide the measurements
- Across the wrist8.5mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist11.0mm off the skin
Normal sports-watch height for a wrist this size. (11.0mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~2.9mm under the rim
Sits flat on the wrist with contact right across the case back.
- Weight on the wrist29g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.5g per mm of wrist)
2D Dimension Schematics
Every case drawn to scale on a shared centre — from above, and in profile against the wrist.
- Garmin Forerunner® 16543mm · 11.6mm thick
- Garmin Lily 2 Active38mm · 11mm thick
3D preview
Forerunner® 165 vs Lily 2 Active 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
Furthest apart in Smartwatch mode, where the Forerunner 165 lasts 1.2× as long as the Lily 2 Active (11 days against 9 days).
Forerunner 165Lily 2 Active
Battery Saver Smartwatch
20 days—Smartwatch
11 days9 daysGPS-Only GNSS
19 hours—All-Systems GNSS
17 hours—
Specifications
The short version
7 key specs| Spec | GarminForerunner® 165 | GarminLily 2 Active |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 43mm | 38mm |
| Thickness | 11.6mm | 11mm |
| Weight | 39g | 29g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | Liquid Crystal |
| 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 9 days GPS Mode: 9 hours See Details |
| Released | 2024 | 2024 |
Every specification
295 specs| Spec | Garmin Forerunner® 165 | Garmin Lily 2 Active |
|---|---|---|
| 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 9 days GPS Mode: 9 hours See Details |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | — |
| Display Size | 1.2" (30.4 mm) diameter | 1.00” x 0.84” (25.4 mm x 21.3 mm) |
| Color display | Yes | no (16 level grayscale) |
| Lens Material | chemically strengthened glass | — |
| Bezel Material | fiber-reinforced polymer | — |
| Memory/History | 4 GB | 7 timed activities; 14 days of activity tracking data |
| Strap material | silicone | silicone |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Large font option | Yes | — |
| Display resolution | 390 x 390 pixels | 240 x 201 pixels |
| Quick Release bands | yes (20 mm, Industry standard) | Yes |
| Weight | — | 29 g |
| Case material | — | anodized aluminum |
| Lens material | — | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 |
| Physical size | — | 38 x 38 x 11 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 110-175 mm |
| Bezel material | — | anodized aluminum |
| 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 | — |
| Calendar | — | Yes |
| Passcode | — | Yes |
| Connectivity | — | Bluetooth®, ANT+® |
| Find My Phone | — | Yes |
| Morning report | — | Yes |
| Weather forecasts | — | Yes |
| Smart Notifications | — | Yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | — | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Controls smartphone music | — | Yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | — | Yes |
| Find My Garmin (helps locate lost device) | — | Yes |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | — | Yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | — | 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 | — |
| Sleep | — | yes (advanced) |
| Hydration | — | Yes |
| Breathwork | — | Yes |
| Meditation | — | Yes |
| Fitness age | — | yes (in app) |
| Sleep coach | — | Yes |
| All-day stress | — | Yes |
| Women's health | — | Yes |
| 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 |
| Heart rate (constant, every second) | — | 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 | — |
| Digital scorecard | — | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | — | Yes |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | — | Yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | — | Yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | — | Yes |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | Liquid Crystal |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | Swim, 5 ATM |
| Garmin Pay™ | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | yes (spot-check, during sleep, all day) | yes (spot-check and optionally in sleep) |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 11 days | Up to 9 days |
| Timer | — | Yes |
| Stopwatch | — | Yes |
| Time/date | — | Yes |
| Alarm clock | — | Yes |
| GPS Time Sync | — | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | — | Yes |
| 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 | — |
| Assistance | — | Yes |
| Incident Detection during select activities | — | Yes |
| 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 | — |
| HIIT workouts | — | Yes |
| Yoga workouts | — | Yes |
| Cardio workouts | — | Yes |
| Pilates workouts | — | Yes |
| Strength workouts | — | 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 | — |
| % HR max | — | Yes |
| HR zones | — | Yes |
| HR alerts | — | Yes |
| HRV status | — | Yes |
| Manual lap | — | Yes |
| Auto scroll | — | Yes |
| HR calories | — | Yes |
| Custom alerts | — | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | — | Yes |
| VO2 Max (Run) | — | Yes |
| Interval training | — | Yes |
| GPS speed and distance | — | Yes |
| Customizable data pages | — | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | — | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | — | Yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | — | Yes |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | — | Yoga and Breathwork only |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | — | Yes |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | — | 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 | — |
| Gym | — | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing, Dance Fitness, Jump Roping |
| Swim | — | Pool Swimming |
| Cycling | — | Biking, Indoor Biking |
| Wellness | — | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Meditation, Breathwork |
| On the water | — | SUP, Rowing |
| Racket sports | — | Pickleball, Tennis, Padel |
| Indoor running | — | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running |
| Outdoor running | — | Running |
| Snow and winter | — | Skiing, XC Classic Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing |
| Outdoor recreation | — | Golfing, Disc Golf |
| 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 | — |
| GPS | — | Yes |
| BeiDou | — | Yes |
| Compass | — | Yes |
| GLONASS | — | Yes |
| Galileo | — | Yes |
| Accelerometer | — | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | — | Yes |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | — | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | — | 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 | — |
| TrueUp™ | — | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | — | Yes |
| Step counter | — | Yes |
| Calories burned | — | Yes |
| Distance traveled | — | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | — | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | — | Yes |
| Move Alert movement options | — | Yes |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | — | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | — | 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 | — |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | — | Yes |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | — | Yes |
| Variant | ||
| Color | — | Lunar Gold with Bone Silicone Band |
| Available Colors | — | Jasper Green with Jasper Green Silicone Band; Silver with Purple Jasmine Silicone Band; Lunar Gold with Bone Silicone Band |
| Golfing Features | ||
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | — | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Forerunner 165
Sits best on wrists ~45–61mm wide (≈ 12.0–16.3cm circumference).
Garmin Lily 2 Active
Sits best on wrists ~40–54mm wide (≈ 10.7–14.4cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Forerunner 165 bigger than the Garmin Lily 2 Active?
The Garmin Forerunner 165 is bigger — 43mm vs 38mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Forerunner 165 or the Garmin Lily 2 Active?
The Garmin Forerunner 165 suits wrists around 45–61mm wide, and the Garmin Lily 2 Active around 40–54mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Forerunner 165 and Garmin Lily 2 Active 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.