Wear Radar

Fitbit SensevsGarmin Forerunner 170

10d vs 6d
battery life
Garmin Forerunner 170 lasts longer
$100
price gap
Fitbit Sense cheaper
17g
lighter
Fitbit Sense
Fitbit Sense
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

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Fitbit SenseGarmin Forerunner 170
Pricing
Starting price$199$299
Subscriptionℹ️ Optional — $79/yrℹ️ Optional — $70/yr
Hardware
Weight26g43g
Water resistance50m5ATM
Battery6 days10 days
Always-on display
GPS
Cellular
PlatformiOS & AndroidiOS & Android
TierSmartwatchSports GPS
Buy timing
ReleasedSep 28, 2022May 15, 2026
Cycle advicebadgood
Deals advicegoodneutral
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Health Sensors

Fitbit Sense only
3 exclusive sensors
ECGDetects irregular heart rhythms (AFib)
EDA / StressSkin conductance sensor measuring stress responses
Skin TempOvernight changes linked to illness or cycle tracking
Both
3 shared
SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep
Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking
HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores
Garmin Forerunner 170 only
3 exclusive sensors
Stress TrackingStress estimate from HRV and physiological signals
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?

Fitbit Sense

Continuous EDA stress tracking

The EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor tracks physiological stress throughout the day — a feature absent from most competitors at this price.

6 months Fitbit Premium included

Comes with Fitbit Premium for advanced sleep analysis, HRV trends, stress management scores, and personalised health insights.

6-day battery, works with iPhone

Unlike Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch, Sense 2 pairs with any smartphone and runs 6 days before charging.

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
Fitbit Sense wins

$436 vs $509 over 3 years.

For battery life
Garmin Forerunner 170 wins

10 days vs 6 days battery.

For health depth
Tie

6 sensors each.

For daily comfort
Fitbit Sense wins

26g.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps
  1. Sense-only sensors: ECG, EDA / Stress, Skin Temp.
  2. Forerunner 170-only sensors: Stress Tracking, Body Battery, Training Readiness.
  3. Weight. Sense is 17g lighter — relevant for all-day comfort and sleep.
Commercial gaps
  1. Hardware cost. Sense is $100 cheaper upfront ($199 vs $299).
Pick the Fitbit Sense if…

Health-conscious users on any platform who want continuous stress monitoring (EDA sensor), ECG, and Fitbit's deep wellness coaching — without paying Galaxy Watch or Apple Watch prices. Particularly strong for iPhone users who want serious health tracking at under $250.

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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.

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