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Head to Head

Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar vs Garmin Forerunner 965

Same price, real trade-off: the 965 brings max-tier analytics and an AMOLED touchscreen, while the 955 Solar keeps the solar charging the 965 doesn't offer.

Garmin Forerunner 955 SolarGarmin

Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar

4.8
Garmin Forerunner 965Garmin

Garmin Forerunner 965

4.6
$599
MSRP
$599
Semi-Smart
Watch Type
Full Smartwatch
Solid Training Data
Training Data
Maximum Depth
More data
iOS & Android
Phone
iOS & Android
4.8
Higher rated
Rating
4.6
42 hrs
Longer battery
GPS Battery Life
31 hrs
Dual-Band
GPS
Dual-Band
53g
Weight
52g
Lighter
46mm
Case Size
47mm
No
Wrist Calls
No
Yes
Offline Maps
Yes
Spotify/Amazon Music
Offline Music
Spotify/Amazon Music
5 ATM
Water Resistance
5 ATM
—
Notable For
—
Best For
  • •You want solar charging over max-tier training analytics
  • •Extended battery life matters more to you than the newest screen tech
  • •You want max-tier analytics and Garmin's AMOLED touchscreen
  • •You don't need solar charging specifically
The Full Story

Same touchscreen, full-color maps, and Training Readiness as the standard 955, plus Garmin's Power Glass solar lens for up to 20 days in smartwatch mode. Superseded by newer generations, but still a strong pick for long-distance and ultra runners who care about battery life over the newest chipset.

The 965 established the template for Garmin's flagship running watches with a vivid 1.4-inch AMOLED display, titanium bezel, and full-color offline maps. While superseded by the 970, it remains a top-tier choice if you want maximum analytics and routing without paying top-shelf price.

*Estimated — this model's exact GPS battery life isn't published by the manufacturer. All figures are standard GPS mode, midsize case, no solar boost.

†Estimated — this model launched too recently to have an established customer rating yet.

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