Polar Vantage M3 vs Garmin Forerunner 965
Should you go for Vantage M3 or Forerunner 965? Here’s our take.
Garmin Forerunner 965 (alongside the 265) kicked off the surge of AMOLED multisports watches we enjoy today — and is comfortably one of the best to buy.
And now Polar has joined the AMOLED party. After giving its Ignite, Vantage V3, and Grit X2 Pro watches a splash of color, it’s now the turn of its mid-range Vantage M3 to get a display upgrade.
While Vantage M3 is cheaper than Forerunner 965, it offers similar features for less. So would the M3 be the smarter buy, or is it worth spending extra on one of Garmin’s best watches?
We’ve thoroughly tested both, and this is our take on how Polar Vantage M3 compares to Garmin Forerunner 965.
Read more: Garmin Forerunner 965 review
Price and versions
Vantage M3 and 965 both come in all-size-fits-all options, and as mentioned, Polar is the newer and cheaper of the two watches. Vantage M3 is considered the mid-range option in Polar’s collection line and costs $499.99.
Garmin 965 is the more premium option, sitting at $649.99
That’s quite a considerable difference in price, and as we’ll get into, paying less for Vantage M3 doesn’t mean missing out on some big features you’ll find on 965.
Winner: Polar Vantage M3
Specs comparison table
| Product name | Polar Vantage M3 | Garmin Forerunner 965 |
| Price | $499.99 | $649.99 |
| Display | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Case size | 44mm | 47mm |
| Waterproof rating | WR50 | 5 ATM |
| Screen size | 1.28- inch, 416 x 416 | 1.4-inch, 454 x 454 |
| Multiband/Dual-frequency | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate sensor | Optical and ECG | Gen 4 Elevate |
| Topographic maps | Yes | Yes |
| Official website | Visit Polar | Visit Garmin |
Design, display, and build
Before getting into those displays, let’s talk about what surrounds them first.
If you want a smaller watch, Vantage M3 features a 44mm plastic case compared to the larger 47mm polymer one on FR965. Vantage M3 is also thinner, which measures 12.2mm compared to 13.2mm on the 965. Weight-wise, they both come in at exactly 53g.
Both offer undeniably sporty looks and pretty streamlined designs in general. The M3 is a little more bezel-heavy than the FR965, with Garmin’s bezel built from titanium compared to stainless steel on the M3. The differences in metals don’t sway things in terms of overall heft or how they feel day-to-day.
It’s always good to see that the straps connected to the watch cases are easily removable. Garmin and Polar both opt for noticeably flexible silicone straps out of the box, with the option to pair up other official straps if you want to add some metal or nylon to your life.
When we get to the screens, Garmin gives you the larger and higher resolution option. It packs a 1.4-inch, 454 x 454-pixel resolution display, compared to the smaller, 1.28-inch, 416 x 416 AMOLED on the M3. There’s a bit more screen bezel at play on the Polar, which makes the screen in general feel smaller compared to the one on the 965.
In terms of overall quality, responsiveness, and viewing angles, these feel like good AMOLED screens overall. We appreciated the larger screen on the FR965, but we didn’t exactly have to squint to glance down at the M3 during use either. Both have always-on display options, too.
What protects those screens from scratches is the same across both watches. You’re getting a layer of Gorilla Glass, so it’s not the more desirable sapphire crystal glass you will find on more expensive Garmin and Polar watches. I have to add that we’ve managed to scratch the screen on the 965 over longer-term testing, so it's not the most durable on the market
When it’s time to take them in the water, they’re a match, with both offering a swim-proof 5ATM water resistance rating.
Winner: Garmin Forerunner 965
Smart features and OS
Both run on proprietary operating systems and are compatible with Android and iOS. Both offer desktop and web apps to check your stats, but you’re likely to be making the most use of the companion smartphone apps to initially set up, pair, and sync watches.
This will undeniably feel quite archaic in places for newcomers. Garmin’s Connect app feels slightly more intuitive than Polar’s Flow app, but both still need refinement to be more approachable for new users.
When it’s time to deal with the watches, you’ve got the combination of physical buttons and touchscreens, with slightly different approaches in terms of where key menus and screens live. We find the Garmin setup a little easier to get to grips with, but Polar’s UI has improved compared to previous Vantage M series watches.
The Garmin model handles smartwatch functionality better, particularly for everyday features like viewing notifications. It also offers a broader set of smartwatch tools, including music playback, media controls, contactless payments, and downloadable apps through the Connect IQ Store.
Vantage M3 gives you notifications and music controls — and that’s really your lot.
For most, having just notifications and music controls will be absolutely fine–they are the features we would typically make most use of anyway. Ultimately, though, if you want more smartwatch features and better execution of those smartwatch features, the FR965 will give you that.
Winner: Garmin Forerunner 965
Battery life
AMOLED screens drain the battery quicker than the types of display technologies Garmin and Polar employed on previous generations of these respective watches. You’re also going to have to accept that keeping those AMOLED displays on 24/7 will lead to a quicker battery drain compared to using the raise-to-wake mode.
In pure numbers, the 965 is going to give you 23 days in smartwatch mode compared to 7 days on the M3. When using them in the best available GPS accuracy modes, Polar maxes out at 30 hours compared to 19 hours on the 965. There are also low-power or eco-saving tracking modes with Vantage M3, which is able to last 70 hours, while the 965 can go up to 34 hours in its UltraTrac mode.
Polar doesn’t state a battery number for when the screen is always kept on, but we’ve found it’s 4-5 days. Garmin says you’ll get 7 days in the same scenario. We’d say our real-world testing delivers a similar 4-5 days. If you’re willing to keep the screen on at all times, the 965 will definitely give you more battery between charges, but there’s no huge difference if you don’t.
The battery drop when using the most accurate GPS modes is smaller on Vantage M3 than it is on the 965, so if you value staying power during long workouts, the M3 goes a little further. Day-to-day, the 965 just edges it.
Winner: Draw
Tracking performance
When you look at the top-line features on the 965 and the M3, they tick a lot of boxes.
There’s dual-band GPS, full topographical mapping and navigation features, optical heart rate sensor setups, and a host of training modes and additional insights to take advantage of. When it comes to performance, accuracy, reliability, and training features, we found some notable differences between the two watches.
To test the tracking performance, we’ve used them for runs, swims, general indoor workouts, and other outdoor time. We found that GPS performance has been good on both smart watches. However, Garmin’s multi-band mode felt a touch more reliable when looking into the GPS tracks. For metrics like distance tracking and pace, they’ve fared pretty well.
When it comes to mapping and navigation, Garmin offers more detailed maps and more comprehensive navigation features. Both support turn-by-turn navigation, but you’ll need to use the third-party app Komoot on Vantage M3 to get it. That functionality is available on Garmin natively. So Garmin wins in this particular department.
Both have rich optical sensor arrays, which can monitor heart rate and SpO2, with Polar additionally featuring skin temperature tracking and an ECG sensor.
Overall, heart rate tracking was solid on both watches, though we noticed some inconsistencies during higher-intensity workouts. If accuracy is a priority, both models support external heart rate sensors.
When turning to them for training features and training insights, there’s plenty on offer here.
Polar has its superb FitSpark suggested workouts fuelled by your workout history, its FuelWise tracker to make sure that you’re correctly fueling during longer sessions, and also offers training load and recovery pro insights.
It also offers more detailed sleep tracking that’s more entwined with your workout history and assessing your recovery needs.
Garmin offers similar features, letting you download training plans, create interval workouts, and receive insights focused on your readiness to train, showing how training is impacting your overall fitness and providing race predictions for runners.
We’d say that Garmin’s training insights feel more glanceable and easier to absorb than Polar’s. However, Polar’s suggested workouts are better executed than Garmin’s.
Polar additionally offers a range of easy-to-follow tests to assess your running or cycling performance and even offers insights into leg recovery. Ultimately, these watches don’t shortchange you in training features or insights.
Winner: Draw
Verdict
Buy Polar Vantage M3 if… You want a great value multisport watch that offers good performance and a nice array of training features and insights found on the Forerunner 965 for less.
Buy Garmin Forerunner 965 if…You want a great multisports watch with a bigger display, the best mapping and navigation support available, and a bit more in day-to-day battery life.
