Choosing running watches & heart-rate gear comes down to one practical question: do you want a wrist-worn GPS training device, or a dedicated chest strap for heart-rate data? The Garmin Forerunner 165 and ROCKBROS Heart Rate Monitor serve different roles, so the right choice depends more on your preferred setup than on a simple feature count.
Quick verdict
Choose the Garmin Forerunner 165 if you want a GPS running watch with a wrist-based heart-rate monitor, AMOLED display, and training tools. Choose the ROCKBROS Heart Rate Monitor if you specifically want a torso chest strap with Bluetooth and ANT connectivity. The listed prices are $165.15 apart, making the format difference especially important.
At a glance
| Product | Listed price | Body area | Listed role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin Forerunner 165 | USD 199.99 | Wrist | GPS running watch with AMOLED and Garmin Pay |
| ROCKBROS Heart Rate Monitor | USD 34.84 | Torso | Bluetooth ANT chest-strap heart-rate monitor |
Where each product wins
Garmin wins for watch-based running tools. The Forerunner 165 description lists Multi-GNSS, PacePro, daily suggested workouts, Garmin Coach, HRV Status, Morning Report, Body Battery, nap detection, and 25+ sport profiles. That makes it the more suitable direction for someone who wants training information and run tracking centered on the wrist.
ROCKBROS wins for a dedicated chest-strap format. Its title and description identify Bluetooth 4.0, ANT+, an IP67 waterproof rating, magnetic charging, and a torso attachment. Those details make it the more direct fit when the main goal is pairing a heart-rate monitor with other running equipment.
Product notes
Garmin Forerunner 165
The Garmin Forerunner 165 makes sense for a runner who wants the watch itself to be the central training device. Its listed 43mm case, 39g weight, 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, Garmin Pay, barometric altimeter, and wrist-based Running Power create a clear wrist-first package. The description also lists up to 11 days of battery life and 19 hours in GPS mode, giving it separate everyday and GPS endurance figures. The limitation is equally concrete: its Body Area is wrist, so it is not the torso chest-strap format some runners specifically want. Select it for the GPS running-watch phrase and its broad training toolkit, not if your priority is a standalone strap worn around the torso.
ROCKBROS Heart Rate Monitor
ROCKBROS is the straightforward pick when the key requirement is a torso-worn sensor rather than a watch face. Its chest-strap attachment, torso body area, Bluetooth 4.0 connection, ANT+ connection, and IP67 waterproof rating give it a clearly defined role for running and other listed activities. The description also names magnetic charging and a USB Type-C charging cable, useful details when charging method matters to your setup. Its limitation follows from the same design: the listed attachment is a chest strap, so it does not match a wrist-watch brief. The $34.84 price is concrete appeal for shoppers who need the ROCKBROS format, but it does not represent the GPS running-watch package named in the Garmin title.
Final choice by use case
- Choose Garmin Forerunner 165 for GPS-focused running, wrist-based tracking, and a watch-centered training setup.
- Choose ROCKBROS Heart Rate Monitor for the listed chest-strap and torso format, especially when Bluetooth or ANT pairing is central to the setup.
- Choose by price: the ROCKBROS is listed at $34.84, while the Garmin is listed at $199.99. That $165.15 spread is easiest to justify when you specifically want the Garmin's watch functions rather than only a heart-rate monitor.
