Choosing running watches & heart-rate gear starts with one practical question: do you need music for a workout, or training data you can use to guide it? The JLab GO Sport+ True Wireless Earbuds, Gym & Work Out Running Headphones, NEW and Garmin Forerunner 165 GPS Running Watch AMOLED Garmin Pay HRV Running Power serve different sides of that decision. The JLab is an audio-first choice with an ear-hook design, while the Garmin is built around GPS and wrist-based heart-rate tracking.
Quick verdict
Choose the JLab GO Sport+ when your priority is running audio, a sport-oriented ear-hook fit, and a lower listed price. Choose the Garmin Forerunner 165 when you want GPS route tracking, a heart-rate monitor, and watch-based training features. These are not interchangeable forms of running gear: one supplies sound, while the other centers on workout data.
At a glance
| JLab GO Sport+ | Garmin Forerunner 165 | |
|---|---|---|
| Listed price | $29.99 | $199.99 |
| Category role | Bluetooth running headphones | GPS running watch |
| Notable features | 35+ hours of Bluetooth playtime, ear-hook form factor, JLab App | GPS, wrist heart-rate monitor, HRV Status, Running Power |
| Other listed functions | Be Aware Mode, built-in microphone, volume control | Garmin Pay, PacePro, Garmin Coach, AMOLED touchscreen |
Where each product wins
JLab GO Sport+ wins for audio-first workouts
The JLab makes the clearer choice when your run already has a separate way to track distance and you mainly need headphones. Be Aware Mode gives the listening setup an awareness-focused option, while the JLab App supports sound customization. Its smaller sport ear-hook design is also directly aimed at workouts, and Dual Connect supports using either earbud. The listed $29.99 price keeps the decision focused on adding running audio rather than buying a full training device.
Garmin Forerunner 165 wins for training data
The Garmin is the stronger fit for a data-led routine because its listed features combine GPS, a wrist heart-rate monitor, Running Power, HRV Status, and PacePro grade-adjusted pacing. Daily suggested workouts and Garmin Coach adaptive training plans make it especially relevant to structured marathon training. Garmin Pay and the AMOLED touchscreen add smartwatch functions beyond a basic run timer, while the listed battery life is more than seven days.
Product notes
JLab GO Sport+
JLab GO Sport+ is worth choosing when straightforward workout audio matters most. The title identifies it as true wireless running headphones, and the description adds 35+ hours of Bluetooth playtime, a smaller ear-hook sport design, app-based sound customization, Be Aware Mode, and a built-in microphone. Those details give it a clear role for runs, gym sessions, and calls without moving into watch features. The limitation is equally clear: its listed feature set is centered on Bluetooth audio, so it does not address the Garmin's GPS, wrist heart-rate, HRV, or pacing functions. The 6 mm driver size is listed, but it does not by itself establish a listening advantage.
Garmin Forerunner 165
Garmin Forerunner 165 suits runners who want one wrist-worn device to organize more than audio playback. Its title and features identify GPS, heart-rate monitoring, HRV Status, Running Power, Garmin Pay, and a bright AMOLED touchscreen; the description also names multi-GNSS, PacePro, daily suggested workouts, and Garmin Coach plans. That combination gives structured sessions and marathon-training planning a concrete place in the comparison. The limitation is its role: it is a GPS running watch rather than the JLab's ear-hook Bluetooth headphone setup. If the essential purchase is listening during a run, the Garmin does not directly replace the JLab's audio-focused format.
Final choice by use case
- For running headphones: Choose the JLab GO Sport+ for its ear-hook sport design, Bluetooth audio, and Be Aware Mode.
- For a GPS running watch: Choose the Garmin Forerunner 165 for GPS, wrist heart-rate monitoring, and Running Power.
- For marathon training: The Garmin is the more fitting choice because PacePro, Garmin Coach, daily suggested workouts, and HRV Status are named training functions.
- When the listed-price gap decides the purchase: The JLab is $29.99 and the Garmin is $199.99, a $170 difference between an audio accessory and a training watch.
The simple answer is to buy the JLab when sound is the missing piece of your run. Pick the Garmin when route, heart-rate, pacing, and training-plan functions are the reason you are shopping.
