Wear Radar

Amazfit Band 7vsGarmin Forerunner 170

18d vs 10d
battery life
Amazfit Band 7 lasts longer
$249
price gap
Amazfit Band 7 cheaper
15g
lighter
Amazfit Band 7
2
more health sensors
Garmin Forerunner 170
Amazfit Band 7
Buy/Wait:bad

Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest

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Garmin Forerunner 170
Buy/Wait:good

Current model just released

Full details →
Amazfit Band 7Garmin Forerunner 170
Pricing
Starting price$50$299
Subscription✓ Noneℹ️ Optional — $70/yr
Hardware
Weight28g43g
Water resistance5ATM5ATM
Battery18 days10 days
Always-on display
GPS
Cellular
PlatformiOS & AndroidiOS & Android
TierFitness TrackerSports GPS
Buy timing
ReleasedSep 22, 2022May 15, 2026
Cycle advicebadgood
Deals advicegoodneutral
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Health Sensors

Amazfit Band 7 only
1 exclusive sensor
Sleep TrackingMonitors sleep stages: light, deep, and REM
Both
3 shared
Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking
SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep
Stress TrackingStress estimate from HRV and physiological signals
Garmin Forerunner 170 only
3 exclusive sensors
HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores
Body BatteryGarmin's energy reserve — how much fuel left in the tank
Training ReadinessDaily recovery score — how ready you are to perform

Why buy each?

Amazfit Band 7

18-day battery at under $50

18 days of typical use with health monitoring — nearly 3 weeks without charging, far beyond any smartwatch competitor.

Alexa built-in

Ask Alexa for weather, timers, reminders, and smart home controls directly from your wrist — unusual for a sub-$50 fitness band.

PAI health scoring

Amazfit's Personal Activity Intelligence score aggregates your daily activity into a single 0–100 health index, guiding you toward optimal activity levels.

Garmin Forerunner 170

Training Readiness at entry level

Training Readiness, full Training Status, and wrist-based running power — analytics previously reserved for Garmin's mid-range — now on a $299.99 watch.

AMOLED display and 10-day battery

A bright 1.2" AMOLED touchscreen with a traditional 5-button design, up to 10 days of battery in smartwatch mode and around 17 hours of GPS.

Garmin Pay and 80+ sports apps

Contactless payments arrive on the entry Forerunner for the first time, alongside 80+ built-in sports apps and Garmin Coach adaptive training plans.

Quick Winner

The right pick depends on what you optimize for.

For the budget
Amazfit Band 7 wins

$50 vs $509 over 3 years.

For battery life
Amazfit Band 7 wins

18 days vs 10 days battery.

For health depth
Garmin Forerunner 170 wins

6 sensors.

For daily comfort
Amazfit Band 7 wins

28g.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps
  1. Band 7-only sensors: Sleep Tracking.
  2. Forerunner 170-only sensors: HRV, Body Battery, Training Readiness.
  3. Weight. Band 7 is 15g lighter — relevant for all-day comfort and sleep.
Commercial gaps
  1. Hardware cost. Band 7 is $249 cheaper upfront ($50 vs $299).
Pick the Amazfit Band 7 if…

Budget-conscious users who want more features than a basic step counter — SpO2, stress, sleep analysis, and workout tracking — without paying for a full smartwatch. Works with both iPhone and Android.

Full details →
Pick the Garmin Forerunner 170 if…

Beginner and intermediate runners who want real GPS accuracy and Garmin's analytics depth without the price of the 570 or 970. With Training Readiness and running power now included, it closes much of the gap to Garmin's mid-range — the default first serious GPS watch.

Full details →