Amazfit Active vs Garmin Forerunner 165
92 facts in comparison
Based on 138 Reddit opinions. Forerunner 165Garmin Forerunner 165 leads by 15 points.
138 opinions
Forerunner 165 leads by 15pts
VS
75%
B
Based on
64 Redditors
Amazfit Active
~$79.99
28 opinions
tldr; Budget fitness watch. Good battery, basic smartwatch features.
Check pricesVS
Reddit's Pick
90%
A
Based on
296 Redditors
Winner
Garmin Forerunner 165
~$199.99
110 opinions
tldr; Entry AMOLED runner. Good value, training features. New entry.
Check prices⭐FIT
🔋BAT
🖥️DIS
📱SMA
🔧BUI
71
Points
87
Points
Score by Category
Fitness Tracking
40%92%
Battery Life
100%83%
Display
50%100%
Smart Features
86%75%
Build & Comfort
50%80%
Why is Garmin Forerunner 165 better than Amazfit Active?
- Higher Reddit score (90% vs 75%)
- Better fitness tracking (92% vs 40%)
- Better build quality (80% vs 50%)
- Better display (100% vs 50%)
- 🆕 New entry
- AMOLED
- Running
Based on 360 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner
Reddit prefers the Forerunner 165Garmin Forerunner 165
Winning by 15 points (90% vs 75%)
Better fitness tracking
Better build quality
Better display
High confidence (360 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 360 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
Amazfit Active
7.5/10
64 mentions
Forerunner 165
9.0/10
296 mentions
VALUE
Amazfit Active10.0/10
Forerunner 1659.0/10
BATTERY LIFE
Amazfit Active10.0/10
Forerunner 1658.3/10
SMART FEATURES
Amazfit Active8.6/10
Forerunner 1657.5/10
FITNESS TRACKING
Amazfit Active4.0/10
Forerunner 1659.2/10
DISPLAY
Amazfit Active5.0/10
Forerunner 16510.0/10
BUILD QUALITY
Amazfit Active5.0/10
Forerunner 1658.0/10
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | Amazfit Active | Forerunner 165 |
|---|---|---|
Value | 100% | 90% |
Battery Life | 100% | 83% |
Smart Features | 86% | 75% |
Fitness Tracking | 40% | 92% |
Display | 50% | 100% |
Build Quality | 50% | 80% |
Category Wins
Amazfit Active: 3|Forerunner 165: 3
Head to Head
Amazfit Active: 3|Forerunner 165: 3
ValueAmazfit Active
Amazfit Active100%
Forerunner 16590%
Battery LifeAmazfit Active
Amazfit Active100%
Forerunner 16583%
Smart FeaturesAmazfit Active
Amazfit Active86%
Forerunner 16575%
Fitness TrackingForerunner 165
Amazfit Active40%
Forerunner 16592%
DisplayForerunner 165
Amazfit Active50%
Forerunner 165100%
Build QualityForerunner 165
Amazfit Active50%
Forerunner 16580%
Amazfit Active
75%
90%
Forerunner 165
Amazfit Active75%
Forerunner 16590%
Forerunner 165 wins by 15 points
Key Specs
| Spec | Amazfit Active | Garmin Forerunner 165 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Amazfit | Garmin |
| Manufacturer | Amazfit | Garmin |
| Color | Black Silicone | Black |
| Weight | 0.065 Pounds | 0.08625 Pounds |
| Height | 9.842519675 Inches | 1.68897637623 inches |
Key Highlights
Amazfit Active
💰 Budget
🔋 Good battery
🏃 Fitness focused
👍 Good value
Garmin Forerunner 165Winner
🆕 New entry
🖥️ AMOLED
🏃 Running
💰 Good value
Topic Battles
Amazfit Active: 2|Tied: 0|Forerunner 165: 3
⭐Fitness Tracking
Forerunner 165 winsAmazfit Active
40%
Forerunner 165
92%
🔋Battery Life
Amazfit Active winsAmazfit Active
100%
Forerunner 165
83%
🖥️Display
Forerunner 165 winsAmazfit Active
50%
Forerunner 165
100%
📱Smart Features
Amazfit Active winsAmazfit Active
86%
Forerunner 165
75%
🔧Build & Comfort
Forerunner 165 winsAmazfit Active
50%
Forerunner 165
80%
Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories
📈Where They Rank
💬What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Garmin Forerunner 165
Best Praise
+3 pts“For Garmin, I can’t imagine needing more than the Garmin Forerunner 165. Or, maybe the Instinct 3. I think the feature set tops out at around $500. Gotta have that flashlight! (Do you, though?) Above that is looks, mostly. (They always unlock some feature to make it more tempting.)”
r/Smartwatch
ViewTop Criticism
+1 pts“personally I think the FR165 would be a bad choice as its a much more running, swimming & cycling focussed watch with very little on the outdoor recreational side. It does have hiking, but its got no water sport options. While you could always use other to track paddling activities you would miss out on paddling specific metrics like stroke rate etc. Despite not having elevation data (post activity in the app the app will populate this data based on your gps fixes) and a hiking activity (can just use walking) the vivoactive 5 (VA5) would probably be a much better fit overall for you at the same price level. Note the standard FR165 doesn't have offline music - so would need the FR165 music version, which is generally more expensive than the VA5. [https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/compare/?compareProduct=1057989&compareProduct=1285545&compareProduct=1055469&compareProduct=886785&compareProduct=886725](https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/compare/?compareProduct=1057989&compareProduct=1285545&compareProduct=1055469&compareProduct=886785&compareProduct=886725) Comparison of suggested options - you can see how from an activity point of view the FR165 really is much more focussed on people serious about running, swimming & cycling - has very few leisure recreational activity types that it will track. Personally would suggest looking to see the original Epix gen 2 (non pro non sapphire version - will have 16GB storage) is going for - as its old now and is often at a serious discount, making it super attactive and will easily cover all your needs. if price wise it the Epix isn't there there, and VA5 isn't a go, then would suggest looking at the fR265 as I think it will give you next best fit (or the venu 3 as they are normally similarly priced in most countries) - [https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/compare/?compareProduct=1057989&compareProduct=1285545&compareProduct=1055469&compareProduct=886785&compareProduct=873008](https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/compare/?compareProduct=1057989&compareProduct=1285545&compareProduct=1055469&compareProduct=886785&compareProduct=873008) (Venu 3 instead of FR965).”
r/Smartwatch
View3 more quotes available below
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Amazfit Active
Best Praise
+3 pts“+1 I just got Amazfit Active yesterday. Right now it's working pretty well. Will update later after a week on the performance.”
r/Smartwatch
ViewTop Criticism
+3 pts“The Active doesn't have an altimeter/barometer, and a lot less storage onboard. If you want to put a lot of music or maps, get the Balance. Otherwise the Active 2 is a lot of watch for the money.”
r/Smartwatch
View3 more quotes available below
Sentiment Over Time
Amazfit Active
Forerunner 165
📈Historical Price Data
Amazfit Active
Garmin Forerunner 165
Amazfit Active
All-time low: $79.99(2025-07)
$8 below 90-day avg
Garmin Forerunner 165
All-time low: $189.99(2025-06)
$17 below 90-day avg
Which is Better?
Garmin Forerunner 165 Wins
90%
165
vs
75%
Active
Garmin Forerunner 165 leads by 15 points based on 360 Reddit opinions.
Why Forerunner 165Winner
- 🆕 New entry
- 🖥️ AMOLED
- 🏃 Running
- More discussed (296 vs 64)
Why Amazfit Active
- Better Value for Money (100% vs 90%)
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
35%Positive
Positive
35%Neutral
63%Negative
2%Based on 296 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
33%Positive
Positive
33%Neutral
56%Negative
11%Based on 64 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Garmin Forerunner 165 or Amazfit Active?
Based on 360 Reddit comments, Garmin Forerunner 165 is the preferred choice with 90% positive sentiment vs Amazfit Active's 75%. Garmin Forerunner 165 leads by 15 percentage points.
Should I buy Garmin Forerunner 165 or Amazfit Active?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Garmin Forerunner 165 has stronger approval ratings (90% vs 75%). However, Amazfit Active may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about Garmin Forerunner 165?
Reddit users highlight: New entry. AMOLED. Running. With 296 mentions and 90% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Amazfit Active?
Reddit users highlight: Budget. Good battery. Fitness focused. With 64 mentions and 75% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 360 Reddit comments: 296 about Garmin Forerunner 165 and 64 about Amazfit Active. Data was sourced from Smartwatches community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.
138 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/10/2026