Wear Radar

Garmin Forerunner 170vsGarmin Forerunner 570

$250
price gap
Garmin Forerunner 170 cheaper
Garmin Forerunner 170
Buy/Wait:good

Current model just released

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Garmin Forerunner 570
Buy/Wait:neutral

Reaching maturity, next model expected soon

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Garmin Forerunner 170Garmin Forerunner 570
Pricing
Starting price$299$549
Subscriptionℹ️ Optional — $70/yrℹ️ Optional — $70/yr
Hardware
Weight43g42g
Water resistance5ATM5ATM
Battery10 days11 days
Always-on display
GPS
Cellular
PlatformiOS & AndroidiOS & Android
TierSports GPSSports GPS
Buy timing
ReleasedMay 15, 2026May 15, 2025
Cycle advicegoodneutral
Deals adviceneutralneutral
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 570 only
1 exclusive sensor
Skin TempOvernight changes linked to illness or cycle tracking

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 570

Multi-band GPS and Elevate Gen 5 sensor

L1+L5 dual-frequency GPS for precise tracking in cities and trails, paired with Garmin's most advanced heart rate sensor — adding skin temperature monitoring over the FR265.

Built-in speaker and microphone

A first for this price tier — take phone calls, use voice assistant, and hear Bluetooth audio directly from your wrist. A meaningful upgrade over the silent FR265.

Garmin Triathlon Coach

AI-powered triathlon training plans that adapt to your swim, bike, and run fitness — a key differentiator over the FR265 for multisport athletes.

Quick Winner

The right pick depends on what you optimize for.

For the budget
Garmin Forerunner 170 wins

$509 vs $759 over 3 years.

For battery life
Garmin Forerunner 570 wins

11 days vs 10 days battery.

For health depth
Garmin Forerunner 570 wins

7 sensors.

For daily comfort
Garmin Forerunner 570 wins

42g.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps
  1. Forerunner 570-only sensors: Skin Temp.
Commercial gaps
  1. Hardware cost. Forerunner 170 is $250 cheaper upfront ($299 vs $549).
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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Pick the Garmin Forerunner 570 if…

Regular runners and triathletes who race 5K to marathon distances and want accurate multi-band GPS, detailed training load management, and Triathlon Coach structured plans. The speaker and microphone make it a more capable daily-wear watch than the FR265 it replaces.

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