Garmin - Forerunner 965 vs Garmin - Instinct 3 Tactical

The Instinct 3 Tactical edges ahead on the Mars Score (49.7 vs 56.8), but the 7.1-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.

Pick the Forerunner 965 if you care most about multi-band gps. The biggest gaps in its favor are multi-band gps.

Pick the Instinct 3 Tactical if you care most about gps mode / smartwatch mode. Its strongest claims are gps mode, smartwatch mode, solar charging.

Both ship with comparable ecg, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.

Bottom line: the Instinct 3 Tactical is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.