Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Garmin Instinct 2S
🗓️ Release Year
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: 2024
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: 2022
🏃 Activity
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Garmin Forerunner 165 is an accessible GPS running watch designed for new and casual runners, offering essential activity tracking. It precisely records steps, distance, calories burned, and active minutes, with a strong focus on core running metrics like pace, distance, and cadence using built-in GPS. It provides valuable data for monitoring and improving running performance.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: The Garmin Instinct 2S is a rugged, compact outdoor GPS smartwatch engineered for durability and comprehensive activity tracking in challenging environments, designed specifically for smaller wrists. It accurately tracks steps, distance, calories burned, and active minutes with customizable daily goals. Its activity profiles are tailored for a wide range of outdoor pursuits, offering reliable data for training and exploration in a reduced form factor.
❤️ Health Monitoring
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: This device provides continuous wrist-based heart rate monitoring, stress tracking, and sleep tracking for insights into daily well-being and recovery. It includes Pulse Ox for blood oxygen saturation monitoring, contributing to a more complete picture of overall health alongside its running features.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: This device provides continuous heart rate monitoring, stress tracking, and sleep tracking for insights into daily well-being. The integrated Pulse Ox sensor allows for blood oxygen saturation monitoring, particularly useful for altitude acclimatization and assessing physiological status during demanding activities, even in this smaller model.
🔋 Battery Life
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Forerunner 165 offers practical battery life for runners, providing up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and up to 19 hours with continuous GPS tracking. This ensures sufficient power for regular runs and daily wear without constant recharging.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: The Instinct 2S offers strong battery life for its size, providing up to 21 days in smartwatch mode and up to 22 hours with continuous GPS active. The provided data mentions solar charging capabilities that extend battery life significantly with sufficient sun exposure, enhancing its utility for extended trips where charging is limited.
😴 Sleep Tracking
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: Detailed sleep tracking on the Forerunner 165 monitors sleep stages and provides insights into sleep quality and patterns, helping users understand their recovery for optimal training and daily performance.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: Sleep tracking on the Instinct 2S monitors sleep stages and provides insights into sleep quality, helping users understand their recovery. The data, combined with other metrics, contributes to the overall picture of physical readiness, with comfortable wear during the night due to its smaller size.
📍 GPS Tracking
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: Equipped with built-in GPS, the Forerunner 165 provides accurate outdoor activity tracking for running, walking, and cycling without needing a paired smartphone. It delivers reliable pace, distance, and route data essential for runners.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: Equipped with built-in GPS, the Instinct 2S provides accurate outdoor activity tracking without needing a paired smartphone. It supports multiple satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo) for reliable positioning in diverse terrains, essential for navigation and route tracking, maintained by potentially extended battery life.
🏋️ Workout Modes
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: While primarily a running watch, the Forerunner 165 supports additional activity profiles including cycling, pool swimming, HIIT, and cardio, providing relevant metrics for these exercises alongside its core running features.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: The Instinct 2S supports a variety of workout modes beyond standard running and cycling, including profiles for hiking, climbing, swimming, strength training, and more, providing relevant metrics for each activity in a compact device.
💫 Exercise Recognition
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The device includes automatic exercise detection for common activities such as walking and running through its Move IQ feature, ensuring these basic movements are captured in your activity log seamlessly.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: The device includes automatic exercise detection for common activities like walking and running through its Move IQ feature, ensuring these movements are captured in the activity log even when a specific workout isn't manually started, contributing to seamless tracking.
🍎 Compatibility
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Forerunner 165 is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones, connecting via Bluetooth for seamless data synchronization and smart notifications.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: The Instinct 2S is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones, connecting via Bluetooth for seamless data synchronization and smart notifications.
📲 App Support
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: Synchronization with the comprehensive Garmin Connect app is central to the Forerunner 165 experience, providing detailed analysis of running data, activity metrics, health statistics, and sleep insights. The app allows for setting goals, reviewing training history, and connecting with the Garmin community.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: Synchronization with the comprehensive Garmin Connect app provides users with detailed analysis of activity data, performance metrics, and health statistics. The app allows for planning routes, customizing watch settings, and connecting with the Garmin community, leveraging the data collected by the watch.
💡 Smart Features
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: Beyond its running focus, the Forerunner 165 includes essential smart functionalities such as on-wrist notifications for calls, texts, and calendar alerts. It also supports Garmin Pay for contactless payments (on the Music version, if applicable, but the data for 167 is just Forerunner 165, so sticking to basics) and allows for controlling music on a paired smartphone.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: Beyond its rugged outdoor focus, the Instinct 2S includes practical smart functionalities such as on-wrist notifications for calls, texts, and calendar alerts. It also features a barometric altimeter for accurate altitude tracking, a crucial tool for hikers and climbers, all within a compact form factor.
💦 Water Resistance
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: With a water resistance rating of 50 meters (5 ATM), the Forerunner 165 is suitable for swimming and showering, making it a durable companion for triathletes and those who incorporate swimming into their fitness routine.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: With a robust water resistance rating of 100 meters (10 ATM), the Instinct 2S is built to withstand swimming, showering, and various water activities, making it a durable and reliable device for watersports and wet environments.
⌚ Display Quality
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Forerunner 165 features a sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) color display, offering good readability in various lighting conditions, especially bright sunlight, which is ideal for outdoor running. The display technology is also power-efficient.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: The Instinct 2S features a monochrome, sunlight-readable, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display. While not a color screen, this display offers excellent contrast and readability in direct sunlight, which is essential for outdoor use, and is highly power-efficient, contributing to extended battery life.
👌 Ease of Use
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The device utilizes a five-button interface, which is reliable and easy to operate during runs or workouts. The user interface is designed for straightforward navigation and quick access to running data and essential features.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: The device utilizes a five-button interface, designed for reliable operation and easy navigation through menus and data screens, particularly useful in challenging conditions or while wearing gloves, prioritizing functionality over touchscreen complexity, suitable for its compact size.
✨ Design and Comfort
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Forerunner 165 features a lightweight and comfortable design with a soft silicone band, making it ideal for extended wear during training sessions and everyday activities, prioritizing a secure and comfortable fit for runners.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: The Instinct 2S features a compact and lightweight rugged design built to withstand tough outdoor conditions, specifically scaled for smaller wrists. Its construction prioritizes resilience, while the comfortable silicone band ensures suitability for extended wear during activities and throughout the day.
🩸 SpO2 Monitoring
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: An integrated Pulse Ox sensor allows for monitoring blood oxygen saturation levels during sleep and spot-checks, providing valuable data related to acclimatization and overall physiological well-being, complementing its health tracking suite.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: An integrated Pulse Ox sensor allows for monitoring blood oxygen saturation levels during sleep and at altitude. This feature provides valuable data for assessing acclimatization and overall physiological well-being in varied environments, integrated into a smaller device.
💖 ECG Functionality
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: It is important to note that the Garmin Forerunner 165 does not support ECG (Electrocardiogram) functionality.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: It is important to note that the Garmin Instinct 2S does not support ECG (Electrocardiogram) functionality.
🧘 Stress Tracking
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Forerunner 165 tracks stress levels throughout the day based on heart rate variability and offers guided breathing exercises to help users manage stress and promote overall well-being.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: The Instinct 2S tracks stress levels throughout the day based on heart rate variability and offers guided breathing exercises to help users manage stress, contributing to a more complete picture of their daily physiological state and recovery.
🩹 Recovery Tracking
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Body Battery energy monitoring feature provides insights into the body's energy reserves based on activity, stress, and sleep data, helping users understand their physiological readiness for training or the need for rest, contributing to optimized recovery for runners.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: The Body Battery energy monitoring feature provides insights into the body's energy reserves based on activity, stress, and sleep data, helping users understand their physiological readiness for training or the need for rest. This is a key feature for optimizing recovery in demanding training cycles, supported by the device's battery performance.
💳 Subscription
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: A significant benefit of the Garmin platform is that all core features and data tracked by the Forerunner 165 are accessible through the free Garmin Connect app, requiring no additional subscription fees for essential running metrics, activity tracking, or health insights, providing comprehensive value for an entry-level running watch.
2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: A significant benefit of the Garmin platform is that all features and data tracked by the Instinct 2S are accessible through the free Garmin Connect app, requiring no additional subscription fees for core functionality or advanced tracking features, providing comprehensive value for a compact, outdoor-focused device. The provided data mentions solar charging significantly extends battery life, contributing to this value.
🏷️️ Price
1️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: $349.00
Check Garmin Forerunner 165 Price *2️⃣ Garmin Instinct 2S: $329.99
Check Garmin Instinct 2S Price ** If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you