Smartwatches · owner-verdict comparison

Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Garmin Venu 3: what real owners say

Real owners rate these about evenly: 67% of 147 Garmin Forerunner 165 owners recommend it, vs 69% of 256 for the Garmin Venu 3.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Garmin Forerunner 165

67%of 147 owners recommend
67% recommend · 8% neutral · 25% don't
Full owner report →

Garmin Venu 3

69%of 256 owners recommend
69% recommend · 13% neutral · 18% don't
Owners praise
  • Exceptional multi-day battery life
  • Accurate HR, SpO2 and GPS
  • Rich free tracking, no subscription
Owners complain about
  • Unreliable, inconsistent sleep tracking
  • Limited smart features versus Apple
  • Notification and connectivity glitches
Full owner report →

What Garmin Forerunner 165 owners say

“This video has made me realise the 165 is for me.”
— @CGCGCG91 on YouTube
“ordered a 165 hahah wish I knew sooner!”
— @Joseeppph on YouTube
“To remove a feature that was previously there as soon as you release the product, which contains the hardware for the feature is a really bad look.”
— @Fernweh_8 on YouTube

What Garmin Venu 3 owners say

“Battery time is enough for me to change from Samsung/ Apple.”
— @waynehighfield2094 on YouTube
“Great watch even if I'm 80 years old. I still love my gadgets, like my Venu 3. Very comfortable and easy to use.”
— @Billcarls1 on YouTube
“Garmin's pricing is insane to me. $450 for plastic watch.”
— @MaxCaud on YouTube