Garmin Lily 2 Active vs. Garmin Forerunner 165: Key Strengths
Naila Syifa
Updated October 2024
Garmin has recently unveiled the Lily 2 Active, a stylish smartwatch designed for women with active lifestyles. It is priced at US$299, putting it in the same price range as the Garmin Forerunner 165 (US$249 or US$299 for the Music version), an entry-level GPS running watch. How do the two compare?
Key Takeaways
Garmin Lily 2 Active looks more feminine with better support for recreational sports, while the Forerunner 165 offers more advanced running, training, and racing features. The Lily 2 Active appeals to women who want a stylish smartwatch for everyday wear and light fitness activities, while the Forerunner 165 caters to athletes and runners who prioritize functionality and performance over style.
| Garmin Lily 2 Active | Garmin Forerunner 165 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 38 x 38 x 11 mm | 43 x 43 x 11.6 mm |
| Display | Liquid Crystal | AMOLED |
| Water Rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| GPS | ✅ | ✅ |
| Activity Profile | 30 | 25 |
| Running Dynamics | ❌ | ✅ |
| PacePro | ❌ | ✅ |
| Meditation | ✅ | ❌ |
| Dance Fitness | ✅ | ❌ |
| Garmin Messenger App | ❌ | ✅ |
| Music Storage | ❌ | Music Version Only |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, ANT+ | Bluetooth, ANT+ |
| Runtime (GPS) | 9 Hours | 19 Hours |
Garmin Lily 2 Active
Small & Stylish Smartwatch
✓ Hidden Display & Patterned Lens
✓ Built-In GPS
✓ Dance Fitness Activity
✓ Meditation & Breathwork
Garmin Forerunner 165
Entry-Level Running Watch
✓ AMOLED Touchscreen
✓ Built-In GPS
✓ Wrist-Based Running Dynamics
✓ Garmin Messenger App
Design & Display
Garmin Lily 2 Active
Garmin Lily 2 Active has an evident feminine aesthetic. The small 38 mm watch case houses a hidden liquid crystal display that turns on when tapped, and the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens comes with patterns that give the watch a jewelry-like appearance. It is very suitable for women who want a fashionable and discreet smartwatch.
Garmin Forerunner 165 boasts a more sporty look. It has a larger 43 mm case size and a standard 1.2' AMOLED touchscreen, which is more vibrant and has a higher resolution compared to the Lily 2 Active's 16-level grayscale display. However, there's nothing really appealing about the Forerunner 165's design. It just looks like a typical sports smartwatch.
Health & Fitness Features
Garmin Forerunner 165
Garmin Lily 2 Active lists 30 built-in activity profiles while the Forerunner 165 has 25 activity profiles, so the Lily 2 Active covers a wider range of sports. However, some sports supported by the Forerunner 165 are not available in the Lily 2 Active, so both watches cater to different fitness needs.
Garmin Lily 2 Active mainly offers recreational and leisure sports, while the Forerunner 165 is more focused on endurance sports. Below is the list of activity profiles offered by both smartwatches.
Lily 2 Active & Forerunner 165
Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Running, Biking, Indoor Biking, Pool Swimming, Tennis, Pickleball, Padel
Forerunner 165
Floor Climbing, Indoor Walking, Virtual Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running, Hiking, Open Water Swimming
Lily 2 Active
Indoor Rowing, Dance Fitness, Jump Roping, Meditation, Breathwork, Golfing, Disc Golf, SUP, Rowing, Skiing, XC Classic Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing
Garmin Lily 2 Active
Both smartwatches track activity, heart rate, VO2 max, stress level, and blood oxygen. However, the Forerunner 165 can monitor blood oxygen throughout the day, while the Lily 2 Active only measures it on-demand or during sleep.
Garmin Forerunner 165 also offers more extensive running, training, and racing features, including Running Dynamics, Running Power, PacePro pacing strategies, Race Predictor, Race Glance/Widget, Training Effect, and Recovery Time.
The Forerunner 165 also features navigation capabilities like breadcrumb trails and point-to-point navigation, which are not available on the Garmin Lily 2 Active.
Smart Features
Garmin Lily 2 Active
Garmin Lily 2 Active and Forerunner 165 both feature Garmin Pay, smart notifications, and music controls. The Music version of Forerunner 165 adds music storage, which means phone-free listening is possible with Bluetooth headphones.
When connected to Android phones, both watches can also reply to text by selecting from pre-customized quick replies. The Forerunner 165 further allows users to view images from notifications on-wrist, which the Lily 2 Active can't do with its non-color LCD.
Additionally, the Forerunner 165 is compatible with the Garmin Messenger app, which unlocks a more advanced messaging feature supported on both Android and iPhones. We can view, reply, and compose messages with the on-watch keyboard, but the other party must also have the Garmin Messenger app installed on their smartphone.
Battery Life
Garmin Forerunner 165
Garmin Forerunner 165 is the superior option in terms of battery life. The watch can last for up to 11 days in smartwatch mode or 19 hours in GPS mode.
Meanwhile, the Lily 2 Active is limited to up to 9 days of battery life in smartwatch mode or 9 hours in GPS mode. Though the Lily 2 Active's battery life is still respectable, the Forerunner 165 clearly outperforms it in this regard.
Garmin Lily 2 Active vs. Garmin Forerunner 165
Final Thoughts
Garmin Lily 2 Active
The Garmin Lily 2 Active and Forerunner 165 each have their own unique strengths and cater to different user preferences. The Lily 2 Active's feminine aesthetic and broader range of recreational activity profiles make it well-suited for women with active lifestyles who prioritize style and versatility.
In contrast, the Forerunner 165 offers more advanced running and training features, as well as superior battery life, making it the better choice for serious endurance athletes. Ultimately, the decision between the two will depend on the user's specific fitness goals and personal style preferences.
If you like to read more on smartwatches, check out our other relevant guides here:
Garmin Lily 2 vs Lily 2 Active
Garmin Lily 2 Active vs Venu 3
Garmin Lily 2 Active vs Vivoactive 5
Garmin Lily 2 Active vs Vivomove Sport
Garmin Lily 2 Active vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
Garmin Lily 2 Active vs Fitbit Luxe
Garmin Lily 2 Active vs Fitbit Sense 2
Author
Naila Syifa
Content Manager at Synced. She crafts insightful content on the latest trends in technology, consumer electronics, and smart home gadgets.
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