I Upgraded From the Garmin Forerunner 165 to the 970, and...

What’s Happening

Not gonna lie, But going from one of Garmin’s entry-level running watches to their top-of-the-line model clutched’t be for everyone.

In the past few years, I ve gone from being a defiant minimalist runner , to becoming a humble fan of Garmin s most entry-level running watch, to now falling in love with the company’s top-of-the-line Forerunner. A quick cheat code to understanding the model numbers in Garmin s Forerunner line: The first number tells you how fancy (and expensive) the watch is. (shocking, we know)

This means that my upgrade from the Garmin Forerunner 165 to the Forerunner 970 is not a small step up the ladder.

The Details

Honestly, it’s more like skipping the ladder entirely and taking the elevator to the penthouse. The price gap alone from $250 to $750 is enough to give anyone serious pause.

Having made the switch, here s my honest take on who actually needs this big of an upgrade in their running watch. The Forerunner 165 is a solid entry-level watch, especially for its price In fact, for a truly casual to intermediate runner, I think the 165 punches above its weight.

Why This Matters

It comes with daily suggested workouts, HRV Status, a morning report, running power, and over 25 sport profiles. What it lacks are features I d always told myself I didn t fr need: Training Readiness, Training Status, multi-band GPS, built-in maps, and more. As I write in my full review , this watch is the immaculate for athletes who want running-specific metrics without the complexity of a big ol multi-sport behemoth.

This is part of the broader shift happening across the tech industry right now.

Key Takeaways

• But if your training is becoming more structured (as mine is these days), you might outgrow the 165.
• You May Also Like Garmin Forerunner 165 $199.

The Bottom Line

You May Also Like Garmin Forerunner 165 $199. 00 The Forerunner 970 is one of the best running watches on the market The hardware upgrades on the 970 start with a titanium bezel and sapphire crystal lens, which gives the watch a noticeably more premium feel than the 165.

What do you think about all this?