Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Venu 3: Which One Should You Choose?
By Naila Syifa
Updated March 2024
Garmin has been a leading brand in the fitness tracker and GPS watch market for years. The company has a wide range of products, including the Forerunner and Venu series. Both the Forerunner 165 and Venu 3 are great options for fitness enthusiasts, but which one should you choose? In this article, we'll compare the two watches and help you decide which one is right for you.
Key Takeaways
Forerunner 165 has more comprehensive running and training features, but Venu 3 supports Bluetooth calling and has more recreational sports unavailable in the Forerunner 165. It also has a larger display and longer battery life. In sum, Forerunner 165 is a specific running watch for runners, while Venu 3 is a more versatile fitness watch for general usage.
Garmin Forerunner 165
Entry-Level Running and Training
GPS smartwatch with health monitoring and fitness tracking for first-time runners and racers.
Garmin Venu 3
Lifestyle & Health
Stylish GPS smartwatch with comprehensive and inclusive day-to-day health monitoring and fitness tracking.
#1 Price
Garmin Forerunner 165
Garmin Forerunner series has some well-known expensive models, but the entry-level Forerunner 165 costs only US$250, a more affordable point compared to the Venu 3, which retails at US$450. The $200 price gap is not insignificant, so it's important to consider your budget when deciding between the two watches.
#2 Design & Display
Garmin Venu 3
Both models are available in black and white color options, but the Forerunner 165 has a more sporty look with its rugged silicone straps, while the Venu 3 has a more premium look with its stainless steel bezel.
Both watches also feature a common circular display, but the Venu 3 has a larger display of 1.4 inches in diameter, while the Forerunner 165 has a 1.2-inch display. As a result, the Venu 3 has a higher resolution of 454 x 454 pixels compared to the Forerunner 165's 390 x 390 pixels.
The Venu 3 also has an advantage with its Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens, which is more durable and scratch-resistant compared to the chemically strengthened glass lens of the Forerunner 165.
#3 Health & Fitness Features
Garmin Forerunner 165
Garmin Forerunner 165 and Venu 3 share a lot of features that enable you to track your health and fitness activities, such as wrist-based heart rate, respiration rate, sleep monitoring with nap detection, stress tracking, interval training, advanced workouts, and many others. There is also a range of supported activity profiles, including running, cycling, swimming, cardio, yoga, pilates, hiking, and more.
One thing that sets the Forerunner 165 apart from the Venu 3 is that it offers more comprehensive and advanced running and training features, including PacePro Pacing Strategies, Race Predictor, Daily Suggested Workouts, and Course Guidance. It also supports many different types of running profiles, including Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Virtual Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, and Ultra Running.
Garmin Venu 3
In comparison, the Venu 3 only offers the first three running profiles. However, the Venu 3 provides support for a wider range of recreational and lifestyle sports that are not supported by the Forerunner 165, such as snowboarding, skiing, indoor climbing, rowing, basketball, golf, and e-sports, among others. It even offers a meditation feature for stress relief and also supports workouts for wheelchair users.
For certain activities like Yoga, Pilates, Cardio, HIIT, and Strength, the Venu 3 also offers On-Screen Workout Animations and On-Screen Workout Muscle Maps. These features can help you perform exercises with proper form and technique, as well as target specific muscle groups more effectively.
#4 Smartwatch Features
Garmin Forerunner 165
Like a typical smartwatch, both the Forerunner 165 and Venu 3 allow you to receive notifications from your smartphone, check calendar or weather forecasts, use GarminPay for contactless payment, and control your phone music playback. If you have an Android phone, you can even respond to text messages or reject a phone call with text replies using either watch.
The Venu 3 stands out with its built-in speaker and microphone and music storage, which allows you to play music right from the watch, make Bluetooth phone calls, or even use your phone's voice assistants without having to take out your phone.
However, the Forerunner 165 also has a distinctive feature known as Live Event Sharing, which allows you to share certain information with your friends and family during a race or workout. This can keep them informed of the progress of your activity in real-time, such as when you're transitioning from running to swimming in a triathlon.
#5 Battery Life
Garmin Venu 3
When it comes to battery life, the Venu 3 is winning. On a single charge, it can last up to 14 days in the smartwatch mode and up to 26 days in the battery-saver smartwatch mode.
Meanwhile, the Forerunner 165 can only last up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and up to 20 days in the battery-saver smartwatch mode. Though losing to the Venu 3, the battery life of the Forerunner 165 is still impressive, especially for an entry-level running watch.
Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Venu 3
Final Thoughts
Garmin Forerunner 165
Both the Garmin Forerunner 165 and Venu 3 are excellent choices for fitness enthusiasts, but they have their own strengths and weaknesses.If you're a serious runner who wants a watch that can help you train better for races and improve your running performance, the Forerunner 165 is the better choice.
On the other hand, if you're looking for a more versatile watch that can track a wide range of sports activities and has convenient daily features such as Bluetooth calling and music playback, the Venu 3 is the way to go.
If you like to read more on Garmin smartwatches, check out our other relevant guides here:
Garmin Forerunner 165 vs 265
Garmin Forerunner 165 vs 55
Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Vivoactive 5
Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Venu Sq 2
Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Venu 2
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