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Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Garmin Forerunner 970

Weight and specs compared for 2026 — and which one to choose.

Garmin Forerunner 165 is the lighter option — 17 g lighter than the Garmin Forerunner 970 (30% less weight). If grams matter to you, that is the one to beat.
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Spec Garmin Forerunner 165 Garmin Forerunner 970
Weight 39 g · 0.039 kg · 0.09 lb 56 g · 0.056 kg · 0.12 lb
Brand Garmin Garmin
Category Navigation Navigation
Garmin Forerunner 165
39 g

Sleek GPS sports watch at 1.4oz. Lightweight design with multi-GNSS support.

See it in your base weight → Full details →
Garmin Forerunner 970
56 g

AMOLED multisport GPS watch with multiband positioning, full color topo maps and turn-by-turn navigation for running, hiking and backpacking.

See it in your base weight → Full details →

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Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Garmin Forerunner 970: which should you buy?

If saving weight is your priority, the Garmin Forerunner 165 wins — at 39 g it is 17 g (30%) lighter than the Garmin Forerunner 970 (56 g). That said, the heavier option may justify the extra grams with more capacity, durability or comfort, so weigh the trade-off against how you'll use it.

See where both rank against everything else in this category on the lightest navigation page, or browse the full gear weight database.

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