Wear Radar

Garmin Forerunner 170vsGarmin Forerunner 265

13d vs 10d
battery life
Garmin Forerunner 265 lasts longer
$150
price gap
Garmin Forerunner 170 cheaper
Garmin Forerunner 170
Buy/Wait:good

Current model just released

Full details →
Garmin Forerunner 265
Buy/Wait:superseded

This model is no longer sold new. It has been replaced by the Garmin Forerunner 570.

Full details →
Garmin Forerunner 170Garmin Forerunner 265
Pricing
Starting price$299$449
Subscriptionℹ️ Optional — $70/yrℹ️ Optional — $70/yr
Hardware
Weight43g47g
Water resistance5ATM5ATM
Battery10 days13 days
Always-on display
GPS
Cellular
PlatformiOS & AndroidiOS & Android
TierSports GPSSports GPS
Buy timing
ReleasedMay 15, 2026Mar 1, 2023
Cycle advicegoodsuperseded
Deals adviceneutralclearance
Next model

Health Sensors

Garmin Forerunner 170 only
No exclusive sensors
Both
6 shared
Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking
SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep
HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores
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
Garmin Forerunner 265 only
No exclusive sensors

Why buy each?

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.

Garmin Forerunner 265

Multi-band GPS accuracy

L1+L5 multi-band GPS reduces position drift in urban canyons and dense forest.

Training readiness score

Daily score combining HRV status, sleep, acute load, and recovery time.

Race time predictor

Estimates finish time for 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon based on current fitness.

Quick Winner

The right pick depends on what you optimize for.

For the budget
Garmin Forerunner 170 wins

$509 vs $659 over 3 years.

For battery life
Garmin Forerunner 265 wins

13 days vs 10 days battery.

For health depth
Tie

6 sensors each.

For daily comfort
Garmin Forerunner 170 wins

43g.