Garmin Forerunner 170 vs 570 vs 970

Choosing between the Garmin Forerunner 170, 570 and 970 looks simple enough. The bigger the number, the better the watch. The reality is a little more complicated. 

All three are built around running, all three use bright AMOLED touchscreen displays and all three give you access to the training, recovery and health data Garmin has become known for. You can track runs, follow workouts, monitor recovery and use Garmin Coach without immediately needing to jump to the most expensive watch. 

The differences become more obvious when you look at GPS accuracy, navigation, materials, multisport features and what you want your watch to do beyond recording a straightforward run. 

Feature	Forerunner 170	Forerunner 570	Forerunner 970
Price	£259.99	£429.99	£629.99
Position	Essential running	Advanced running and triathlon	Premium running and triathlon
Case size	42.6mm	42mm ir 47mm	47mm
Weight	41g	42/50g	56g
Display	1.2 inch AMOLED	1.2/1.4-inch AMOLED	1.4-inch AMOLED
GPS	All-systems GNSS	Multi-band GPS with SatlQ	Multi-band GPS with SatlQ
Garmin Pay	Yes	Yes	Yes
Music Storage	No on standard 170	Yes	Yes
Speaker and microphone	No	Yes	Yes
Full colour maps	No	No	Yes
LED Flashlight	No	No	Yes
ECG app	No	No	Yes
Smartwatch battery	Up to 10 days	Up to 10/11 days	Up to 15 days
GPS-only battery	Up to 20 hours	Up to 18 hours	Up to 26 hours
Premium bezel	Fibre-reinforced polymer	Aluminium	Titanium
Lens	Chemically strengthened glass	Gorilla Glass 3	Sapphire crystal
Best for	Everyday running and marathon training	Serious training and multisport	Mapping, premium features and maximum data

Garmin Forerunner 170

The Forerunner 170 is the interesting one because you are not giving up the basic Garmin training experience by spending less. 

You still get daily suggested workouts, Garmin Coach adaptive training plans, Training Readiness, Training Status, recovery information, HRV Status, wrist-based heart rate and the usual pace, distance and GPS tracking most runners expect. 

There is also Garmin Pay, so you can head out without carrying a bank card, plus a barometric altimeter for improved elevation data. 

For a road runner building towards a 5K, 10K, half marathon or marathon, that is already a pretty comprehensive feature list. 

Where Garmin has saved money is around the hardware and some of the more advanced functionality. The 170 uses all-systems GNSS rather than the multi-band GPS found in the 570 and 970. Its case and lens materials are simpler, there is no built-in microphone or speaker, and the standard 170 sold by Pro Direct does not include onboard music storage. 

There is a separate Forerunner 170 Music model in Garmin’s range if phone-free music is important. 

The 170 is also the lightest option here at 41g. If you want a watch that almost disappears on the wrist during running and sleep, there is a real argument for choosing the cheaper model rather than automatically moving up the range. Garmin rates it for up to 10 days in smartwatch mode and 20 hours using GPS-only tracking.

Who is the Garmin Forerunner 170 for?

The 170 makes the most sense for runners who primarily want to track and improve their running. 

If you train mostly on roads, tracks and normal park routes, do not need detailed mapping and have no real need for multi-band GPS, it covers an awful lot for £259.99. 

It is not just a beginner’s watch either. A marathon runner can still use structured workouts, monitor training load and recovery, follow Garmin Coach plans and track the sessions that make up a full training block. 

You only need to move further up the range when the features missing from the 170 solve an actual problem. 

Garmin Forerunner 570

This is where Garmin starts adding features that become more relevant as training gets more serious. 

The biggest running upgrade is multi-band GPS with SatIQ. Multi-band tracking can improve positioning in more difficult environments, including built-up city streets, heavy tree cover and more technical outdoor routes. 

The 570 also comes in two sizes. The 42mm version weighs 42g and uses a 1.2-inch AMOLED display, while the 47mm version weighs 50g and increases the screen to 1.4 inches. That gives runners more choice than either the single-size 170 or 970. 

Garmin also upgrades the materials with a Gorilla Glass 3 lens and aluminium bezel. 

There is music storage as standard, plus a built-in speaker and microphone. When connected to a compatible smartphone, that allows you to take calls from the watch and use voice features. 

More importantly for athletes mixing different disciplines, the 570 moves properly into Garmin’s running and triathlon category. Garmin Triathlon Coach, custom multisport workouts and additional training features make it far better suited to someone splitting their week between running, cycling and swimming. 

Battery life depends slightly on size. Garmin quotes up to 10 days in smartwatch mode for the 42mm version and 11 days for the 47mm.

Interestingly, GPS-only battery life is rated at up to 18 hours, slightly less than the cheaper 170’s 20 hours. The upgrade here is therefore less about battery and more about GPS capability, training depth, multisport use and smartwatch functionality.

Who is the Garmin Forerunner 570 for?

This is probably the most interesting watch of the three for a committed runner. 

If you are following structured marathon training, regularly racing, running in more difficult GPS environments or mixing running with cycling and triathlon, the 570 starts to justify the jump in price. 

It gives you most of the training experience serious runners are likely to want without making you pay for the premium materials, mapping and more specialist performance metrics of the 970. 

For many runners, this is where the sensible buying decision lands.

Garmin Forerunner 970

The Forerunner 970 is not just a 570 with a nicer case. 

The jump to £629.99 brings features that genuinely change what the watch can do. 

Full colour built-in mapping is one of the biggest. The 970 can provide turn-by-turn navigation, while Garmin’s dynamic round-trip routing can help create or adapt routes when exploring somewhere unfamiliar. 

That becomes far more valuable for trail running, long-distance events, running while travelling or anyone regularly heading beyond familiar roads. 

Garmin also upgrades the construction significantly. The 970 uses a sapphire crystal lens and titanium bezel, giving it a more premium and scratch-resistant build than the 570. 

There is also a built-in LED flashlight. It sounds like a small extra until you regularly run before sunrise, finish long runs after dark or spend time on trails where being able to quickly illuminate the ground is genuinely useful. 

The 970 also gets Garmin’s ECG app and some of its most advanced running metrics. 

Running Tolerance looks at how much stress your running is placing on your body and can provide guidance around sustainable weekly mileage. When paired with Garmin’s HRM 600, the 970 can also provide Running Economy and Step Speed Loss data, giving runners deeper information around efficiency and what happens as the foot contacts the ground. 

Battery also takes a meaningful step forward. Garmin rates the 970 for up to 15 days in smartwatch mode, 26 hours using GPS-only GNSS and 21 hours using all-systems multi-band GPS. 

Who is the Garmin Forerunner 970 for?

The 970 makes the most sense when you can identify why you need it. 

If mapping is important, you train or race across unfamiliar routes, want the additional battery life or value the sapphire lens and titanium construction, the upgrade is easy to understand. 

It is also the model for runners who genuinely enjoy digging deeper into training data and want access to Garmin’s latest performance metrics. 

What it does not mean is that you need a 970 simply because you are a fast runner. 

A quick marathon runner training predominantly on familiar roads may still get everything they need from a 570. The 970 earns its price through navigation, durability and additional analysis rather than simply being “the fast runner’s Garmin”. 

Is the Garmin Forerunner 970 Worth £200 More Than the 570?

This might be the most important comparison in the range. 

Both watches already give you multi-band GPS, Training Readiness, Training Status, music storage, Garmin Pay, an AMOLED touchscreen and built-in microphone and speaker. 

Spending another £200 gets you full mapping, sapphire crystal, a titanium bezel, the LED flashlight, ECG support, longer battery life and Garmin’s additional Running Tolerance, Running Economy and Step Speed Loss features. 

For runners who need navigation or regularly train outdoors in unfamiliar places, those differences are substantial. 

If your weekly running consists mainly of known road routes, track sessions, long runs and races with a clearly marked course, the 570 becomes much harder to look past.

Garmin Forerunner 170 vs 570: Is the 570 Worth the Upgrade?

The £170 jump from the 170 to 570 changes the watch in a different way. 

The 170 already handles the training basics very well. The 570 improves the hardware around them. 

Multi-band GPS is the most meaningful running upgrade, particularly for runners regularly training around tall buildings, trees or difficult terrain. Music storage, two case sizes, the aluminium bezel, microphone and speaker also make it a more complete everyday watch. 

Triathlon and multisport support pushes it further beyond the simpler 170 too. 

For straightforward road running, the 170 remains excellent value. For someone training six or seven days per week, racing regularly or combining several sports, the 570 feels like the more complete long-term option.

Which Garmin Forerunner Should You Choose?

Runner	Best choice	Why
New runner	Forerunner 170	Core Garmin training features without unnecessary extras
Road runner	Forerunner 170 or 570	Depends whether multi-band GPS and extra features matter
Marathon training	Forerunner 570	Strong balance of training features, GPS and price
Triathlete	Forerunner 570 or 970	Advanced multisport and triathlon support
Trail runner	Forerunner 970	Mapping, navigation and premium construction
Runner who travels regularly	Forerunner 970	Full mapping is much more useful on unfamiliar routes
Data-focused runner	Forerunner 970	Additional running metrics and performance analysis
Best value	Forerunner 170	Covers far more serious training than its position suggests
Best all-rounder	Forerunner 570	Meaningful performance upgrades without flagship pricing

Garmin 170, 570 or 970: The Verdict

The Forerunner 170 is the one to buy if running is the main job and you do not want to pay for features you are unlikely to use. For £259.99, the training and recovery package is already strong enough for considerably more than beginner running. 

The Forerunner 570 is where Garmin’s range gets particularly interesting. Multi-band GPS, two sizes, music, multisport features and a more premium build make it the best-balanced option for runners taking their training seriously. 

The Forerunner 970 is the specialist choice. Full mapping, longer battery life, sapphire crystal, titanium construction, the flashlight and Garmin’s most advanced running metrics make it the most capable watch here, but you need to use those features for the extra £200 over the 570 to make sense. 

Start with what your running actually asks from a watch, not the model number. 

For many runners, the 170 will be enough. For committed training, the 570 looks like the sweet spot. If navigation, premium construction and Garmin’s deepest performance data matter to you, that is where the 970 earns its place. 

Explore the Garmin Forerunner range at Pro Direct Running to find the watch that fits your training, racing and time away from the run.