Garmin Vivoactive 6 vs Forerunner 165: breakdown of features & differences
Launched in early 2024, the Garmin Forerunner 165 quickly carved out a spot as a budget-friendly running watch with solid training tools. Now it faces fresh competition from the Vivoactive 6, Garmin’s Spring-2025 refresh of its lifestyle-focused line. With more sports modes, smarter health tracking, and added sensors, the Vivoactive 6 steps things up slightly over its predecessor.
In this comparison, we’ll break down how the Forerunner and latest Vivoactive differ and help you figure out which one is the better fit.
Key takeaways
The Vivoactive 6 is a more complete fitness and lifestyle smartwatch, offering decent value for money at around $300. It adds new sports modes, extra sensors, and expanded health features that go well beyond what the previous generation offered. It’s a solid pick for users who want broad activity support and smartwatch extras without giving up on core tracking accuracy.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
The Forerunner 165, priced from $250 for the standard version and around $300 for the Music edition, stays focused on what it does best. It’s an entry-level runners watch for those who value structured training plans, in-depth metrics, and reliable physical button controls. If running is your main priority, this is the one to get.
In essence – Garmin’s Vivoactive 6 offers broader fitness features and smart tools, while the Forerunner 165 stays laser-focused on running performance.
View on Garmin; View on Amazon (Vivoactive 6, Forerunner 165).
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Hardware
Technical specs
Features
Garmin Vivoactive 6 vs Forerunner 165: Hardware
Look & feel
Both the Garmin Vivoactive 6 and Forerunner 165 keep the round watch form, which Garmin has become known for. They also share a lightweight, fiber-reinforced polymer build. But the Vivoactive 6 adds a stainless steel bezel for a more polished look. Dimensions are nearly identical. The Forerunner is slightly larger, but the Vivoactive 6 is slightly slimmer.
The Forerunner 165 feels more utilitarian, with five physical buttons and bolder colourways, especially in the Music version. The Vivoactive 6 opts for a two-button setup with touchscreen controls, aiming for a simpler user experience.
As far as display, the duo packs an identical 1.2-inch AMOLED screen with 390 x 390 pixel resolution. That means equally sharp visuals for metrics, notifications, and animations. So no difference there.
This also applies to water-resistance. Both are rated at 5 ATM, making them suitable for swimming, showers, and general water exposure. Garmin continues to offer a variety of colour options. The Vivoactive line leans toward muted tones with metallic bezels, while the Forerunner keeps a sportier palette.
Sensor technology
The Vivoactive 6 builds on the basics by reintroducing the gyroscope that was missing from the previous model and is not available on the Forerunner 165. It also includes expanded satellite support with QZSS and BeiDou alongside GPS, GLONASS, and GALILEO. Both watches support Bluetooth and ANT+, and come with NFC for contactless payments.
The sensor lineup is otherwise similar: Elevate V4 heart rate, Pulse Ox, thermometer, compass, and ambient light sensor. However, the Forerunner 165 includes a barometric altimeter, useful for tracking elevation gain and floors climbed. That’s missing from the Vivoactive 6, once again indicating Garmin’s segmentation between general fitness and running-specific features.
Music storage is standard on the Vivoactive 6. On the Forerunner 165, it’s reserved for the Music version.
Battery life
Garmin claims the Forerunner 165 can last up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and up to 19 hours with GPS. The Vivoactive 6 holds steady at the same 11-day figure for general use, with improvements depending on how features are used. Battery saver mode boosts this, and the display’s always-on mode will reduce runtime.
In GPS-only GNSS mode, the Vivoactive 6 matches the Forerunner closely, offering around 21 hours. Music playback brings both down to around 6 to 7 hours of use during activity tracking.
Garmin Vivoactive 6 vs Forerunner 165: Technical specs
Here’s a detailed tech specs comparison table for the Garmin Vivoactive 6 and Forerunner 165:
FEATURE | GARMIN VIVOACTIVE 6 | GARMIN FORERUNNER 165 |
|---|---|---|
Release Date | April 2025 | February 2024 |
Case Material | Lens: Corning Gorilla Glass 3; Bezel: Stainless steel; Case: Fiber-reinforced polymer | Lens: Chemically strengthened glass; Bezel and case: Fiber-reinforced polymer |
Number of Physical Buttons | 2 | 5 |
Shape | Round | Round |
Size | 42.2 x 42.2 x 10.9 mm | 43 x 43 x 11.6 mm |
Display Type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
Resolution | 390 x 390 pixels | 390 x 390 pixels |
Screen Size | 1.2 inch | 1.2 inch |
Weight (without strap) | Approx. 36 grams | 39 grams |
Sensors | Accelerometer, optical heart rate (Elevate V4), compass, thermometer, ambient light sensor, Pulse Ox, gyroscope | Accelerometer, optical heart rate (Elevate V4), barometric altimeter, compass, thermometer, ambient light sensor, Pulse Ox |
Water-Resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BeiDou | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO |
Built-in Speaker | No | No |
Microphone | Yes | No |
NFC | Yes | Yes |
Music Storage | Yes | Optional |
Connection | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi (Music version only) |
Cellular Connectivity | No | No |
Battery Type | Li-po | Li-po |
Battery Life | Up to 11 days smartwatch mode, up to 21 days Battery Saver, up to 21 hours GPS-only GNSS mode, 6-7 hours with music | Up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, up to 19 hours with GPS, 6-7 hours with music |
Typical RRP | $300 | $250 and up |
Garmin Vivoactive 6 vs Forerunner 165: Features
Both the Vivoactive 6 and Forerunner 165 cover the essentials well. You get continuous heart rate tracking, sleep and stress monitoring, Pulse Ox, Body Battery, women’s health features, and standard activity metrics like steps, calories, and distance. Floor count is only available on the Forerunner 165 thanks to its barometric altimeter.
The real separation comes in training depth and the extras each one brings. The Forerunner 165 focuses squarely on running performance. It offers Garmin Coach plans, race predictor, and running dynamics like vertical oscillation, ground contact time, stride length, and running power. You’ll also find training effect labels, daily suggested runs, weather-adjusted race predictor, and trail-focused VO2 max estimates. These make it a strong pick for runners chasing structured progression or aiming to hit specific goals. There are also outdoor recreation tools built in.
The Vivoactive 6 takes a more varied approach. It includes a wider selection of activity profiles, spanning outdoor sports, motor sports, snow and water-based workouts. It adds strength coach support with rep counting, guided mobility sessions, and on-screen workout animations with muscle maps. It’s also the better option for users who want general wellness features like meditation sessions, a sleep coach, and workouts tailored to wheelchair users. The inclusion of anaerobic training effect and real-time workout benefit stats help it punch closer to the Forerunner’s training feedback, while also offering full golfing features and a more flexible daily workout library.
Smartwatch-type features
The Vivoactive 6 leans further into smartwatch territory with a built-in microphone for voice commands and smart replies (Android only). It also supports smart wake alarms and red shift mode for night-time screen comfort. Music storage is standard, and notifications are handled smoothly.
The Forerunner 165 keeps things more focused. It offers smart notifications and Garmin Pay, but lacks a mic and skips extras like on-screen animations or additional wellness profiles. You can get music playback if you go for the Music version, but that comes at a higher price.
View on Garmin; View on Amazon (Vivoactive 6, Forerunner 165).
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