Main trade-off
Garmin Forerunner 165
This exact 165 has no onboard music. The separately sold 165 Music is not being compared.
Head-to-head
Forerunner 165 vs 170 Music: Will the phone come anyway?
The short answer
Choose 170 Music if downloaded watch audio lets you leave the phone behind. Choose the non-Music 165 when the phone already comes for calls and audio. Neither replaces the phone for ordinary communication. The 170 Music also adds current training features, but its all-systems-with-music ceiling is 6.5 hours. Check the whole routine before buying it as a long-day audio solution.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
The school-call requirement can make watch music an optional extra
A runner may want to leave the phone at home for music and still be available to a school or relative. Neither selected watch solves the second requirement independently. If that means the phone stays in a belt anyway, 165 can control its audio while recording the run. The 170 Music is more valuable on sessions when the phone can genuinely stay behind, or when phone audio is deliberately being avoided. Separate those two weekly routines before paying for a capability that may not remove anything from the kit.
What this is based on
Phone-free listening plus ordinary family calls. The conclusion depends on the buyer retaining the phone for contact, not on an assumed universal need.
Main trade-off
Garmin Forerunner 170 Music
Subscription downloads require preparation and renewal. Offline music does not provide independent calls.
Garmin Forerunner 165
- Choose it for
- Record runs and control phone audio when the phone is already required for family contact.
- Keep the exact non-Music offer on the shortlist if offline watch playback would rarely be used.
- Main trade-off
- This exact 165 has no onboard music. The separately sold 165 Music is not being compared.
Garmin Forerunner 170 Music
- Choose it for
- Carry downloaded music on a compatible service or local files when phone-free listening is the real goal.
- Use current training readiness and power-meter support in a 41 g supplied-band package.
- Main trade-off
- Subscription downloads require preparation and renewal. Offline music does not provide independent calls.
About this comparison
Compare the non-Music Forerunner 165 with 170 Music for phone-free playlists, family calls and charging before long runs. Exact versions matter.
These are compact Garmin running watches aimed at buyers below the flagship tier. Comparing the selected non-Music 165 with 170 Music resolves whether offline audio and current training additions justify moving up, rather than quietly borrowing the separate 165 Music SKU.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
Phone comes for family calls and music
Watch music may remove little from the carried kit.
- Garmin Forerunner 165
- Better fit
- Garmin Forerunner 170 Music
- Good
Short runs with downloaded audio and no phone
Only the selected 170 Music stores the audio.
- Garmin Forerunner 165
- Not suitable
- Garmin Forerunner 170 Music
- Better fit
Seven hours of continuous watch music and GPS
165 lacks playback and 170’s stated combined ceiling is shorter.
- Garmin Forerunner 165
- Not suitable
- Garmin Forerunner 170 Music
- Not suitable
A supplied band for a wrist below 126 mm
Both exact packages start at 126 mm.
- Garmin Forerunner 165
- Not suitable
- Garmin Forerunner 170 Music
- Not suitable
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
The school-call requirement can make watch music an optional extra
A runner may want to leave the phone at home for music and still be available to a school or relative. Neither selected watch solves the second requirement independently. If that means the phone stays in a belt anyway, 165 can control its audio while recording the run. The 170 Music is more valuable on sessions when the phone can genuinely stay behind, or when phone audio is deliberately being avoided. Separate those two weekly routines before paying for a capability that may not remove anything from the kit.
How we reached this conclusion
Phone-free listening plus ordinary family calls. The conclusion depends on the buyer retaining the phone for contact, not on an assumed universal need.
A rushed morning moves the work to the previous evening
With 170 Music, a downloaded playlist can be ready before a run, but the setup is not finished forever. Spotify needs Premium and periodic Wi-Fi renewal. Garmin lists more than 15 days without watch synchronization as one reason downloads can expire or disappear. Someone who runs only occasionally should check the watch before the morning they finally have time. The 165 uses the phone’s audio setup instead, which may already be maintained through daily listening. Neither arrangement is automatically less work. The better one is the library and charging routine you will actually maintain.
How we reached this conclusion
Infrequent runs plus short departure windows crossed with subscription renewal. No assumed sync duration or guaranteed failure exactly on day 16.
A day-long charity outing is different from an hour before work
The 170 Music lists 6.5 hours with all-systems GPS and music together. A planned seven-hour walk or run is beyond that published ceiling before allowing for navigation, display use or an aging battery. The 165 cannot take over the same phone-free audio job because it lacks storage. If the phone will supply music, both watches move into a different use case and their watch-only recording figures become more relevant. Do not choose between them by comparing 17 hours on 165 with 6.5 on 170 as if both figures included playback.
How we reached this conclusion
Seven-hour illustrative event and exact mode matching. Rejects an invalid cross-mode battery comparison.
Choice A
Garmin, 010-02863-20
Garmin Forerunner 165
Record runs and control phone audio when the phone is already required for family contact.
- Best matched use
- Record runs and control phone audio when the phone is already required for family contact.
Checked facts
- Audio without the phone: Controls music on the phone.
- Connected communication: Phone required.
- Combined battery use: All systems up to 17 hours, without onboard playback.
- Supplied fit: 39 g, 43 mm, band 126–203 mm.
Choice B
Garmin, 010-03920-10
Garmin Forerunner 170 Music
Carry downloaded music on a compatible service or local files when phone-free listening is the real goal.
- Best matched use
- Carry downloaded music on a compatible service or local files when phone-free listening is the real goal.
Checked facts
- Audio without the phone: Stores downloaded music.
- Connected communication: Phone required.
- Combined battery use: All systems up to 14 hours or 6.5 with music.
- Supplied fit: 41 g, 42.6 mm, band 126–203 mm.
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | Garmin Forerunner 165 | Garmin Forerunner 170 Music | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio without the phone | Controls music on the phone. | Stores downloaded music. | Only 170 Music removes the phone from this audio workflow. |
| Connected communication | Phone required. | Phone required. | A family calling requirement may keep the phone in both setups. |
| Combined battery use | All systems up to 17 hours, without onboard playback. | All systems up to 14 hours or 6.5 with music. | Different use modes cannot be compared as though they do the same job. |
| Supplied fit | 39 g, 43 mm, band 126–203 mm. | 41 g, 42.6 mm, band 126–203 mm. | The newer smaller case does not lower the supplied-band minimum. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose Garmin Forerunner 165
- Black 010-02863-20, 39 g with silicone.
If you choose Garmin Forerunner 170 Music
- Black/Amp Yellow 010-03920-10 Music configuration. Spotify Premium separate.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
The phone stays in the kit for ordinary calls
Choose Garmin Forerunner 165. 165 can cover recording and control the phone’s audio.
Music is the only reason you carry the phone
Choose Garmin Forerunner 170 Music. 170 Music can remove that reason after downloads are prepared.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
You want fewer things in your pockets, but family contact may mean the phone has to come regardless of where the music plays.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- No battery prediction from published ceilings.
- No clinical or training-outcome claim.
What the facts say
What the comparison shows
Useful conclusions from the current sports watches comparison, followed by the checked facts used to reach them.
See the checked facts and calculation notes
| Product | Needs matched | Checked facts | Source records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin Forerunner 165 |
|
| |
| Garmin Forerunner 170 Music |
|
|
Ready to choose?
Check the price. Read the owner reviews.
Open either model on Amazon to check the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Garmin Forerunner 165
Record runs and control phone audio when the phone is already required for family contact.
Keep the exact non-Music offer on the shortlist if offline watch playback would rarely be used.
See price & reviews on AmazonGarmin Forerunner 170 Music
Carry downloaded music on a compatible service or local files when phone-free listening is the real goal.
Use current training readiness and power-meter support in a 41 g supplied-band package.
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.