Garmin Forerunner 970 hands-on review: Brighter and smarter for race day

There’s no better place to learn that the Forerunner 970 is Garmin’s latest premium running watch than by sitting next to the engineers who brought it to life at the brand’s headquarters in Olathe, Kansas.

Two years on since the release of the Forerunner 965—a watch we gave 4.5/5 stars and one that has remained a favorite in long-term testing—this light and bright follow-up has big shoes to fill.

What started as Garmin’s triathlon watch line has evolved in recent generations into the go-to option for athletes who want a ‘do-it-all watch’ without the Fenix’s rugged frame or price tag.

The Forerunner 970 retains the run-first spirit of the line, featuring all-new software enhancements that measure efficiency, stride, and tolerance. At the same time, the design has been refined to (hopefully) address some of the durability concerns raised by the 965.

These are the key things we’ll be testing as part of our full review in the coming weeks. For now, though, we have some initial thoughts from our hands-on time at Garmin HQ.

Price and availability

If you’re familiar with the Garmin range, you’ll know this is the Forerunner watch that costs the most. Unsurprisingly, that doesn’t change with the 970.

There’s only one size option available, which comes in three colors and costs $749. That represents a significant increase from the $599 launch price of the Forerunner 965, released back in 2023.

To put that figure into context in Garmin watch terms, an AMOLED Fenix 8 costs $999.99, the Fenix E is priced at $799, the new Forerunner 570 costs $599, and the Forerunner 265 is available for $449.

If you look outside of Garmin, that means it’s not far off the price of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 ($799), pricier than the Polar Vantage V3 ($609.95), and a lot more expensive than the Suunto Race ($399).

Design: Torch in tow and a touch of sapphire

After the last-gen Forerunner 965 debuted Garmin’s AMOLED panel, it’s no surprise to see the 970 continuing down that path. It features a 1.4-inch display with a resolution of 454 x 454, all housed in a 46mm case with a titanium bezel that contrasts with the primarily polymer design.

Although the screen size and vibrant quality of the touchscreen remain the same, its brightness has improved to enhance visibility in bright sunlight. Garmin hasn’t emphasized the brightness level in nits as much as other smartwatch manufacturers do. Yet, the increase in brightness is quite noticeable when compared side-by-side with the Forerunner 965 (as shown below).

The screen protection has also been upgraded from Gorilla Glass (which we managed to scratch on a couple of 965 devices in long-term testing) to a tougher sapphire glass, a feature inherited from the Fenix. This change results in the watch weighing 56g compared to 53g, which doesn’t create a significant difference on the wrist.

If you’ve been longing for the LED flashlight that Garmin once reserved for its Fenix watches, the 970 now includes this feature as well, complete with a strobe mode that synchronizes with your running cadence.

These changes ensure that the 970 retains a familiar feel to the 965 while introducing subtle design enhancements that can significantly affect daily use. However, again, we’ll see how they fare over the coming weeks; we’re particularly interested in the sapphire display’s durability.

Features: Keeping runners at the forefront

The 970 remains a multi-sport watch that primarily identifies as a running watch. It achieves this through the introduction of new metrics and modes, which, if they work as promised, have the power to transform how you spend your time running.

For racing, a suggested finish line feature will be useful if you tend to forget to hit the stop button after crossing the finish line.

Garmin has also introduced a slew of new running metrics, including ‘Running Economy’. This metric promises to measure the efficiency of your running—but requires Garmin’s also-just-announced HRM-600 heart rate monitor to make the most of it.

‘Running Tolerance’ is another new insight, designed to help you understand the impact of your running history on your current or upcoming training, thereby reducing the chances of injury.

There’s also ‘Step Speed Loss’, which will help you identify how much you slow down as you brake while running.

There are new options for those who don’t merely run, too. Now, you can access triathlon training plans in Garmin Coach, offering enhanced support for tracking multi-sport workouts. For pool triathlons or duathlons, there are specific modes available as well.

What about the non-sport features?

Garmin is also adding its latest Gen 5 Elevate optical sensor, which means it can now take ECG readings. Additionally, it will include a skin temperature sensor, along with a speaker and microphone for those eager to access some of the voice-enabled features that have landed on the Venu and Fenix.

Specifically, you can can use the 970 to make calls over Bluetooth, send texts via voice and use voice commands to take control of watch features. However, we’ve noticed the absence of the voice notes feature, which appeared on the Fenix 8.

One omission we would have liked to see added? LTE. The functionality Garmin dabbled with for the Forerunner 945 is, sadly, once again missing in this latest edition—with rumors pointing to the feature landing in the next Fenix update.

And finally, if you enjoy Garmin’s Morning Reports, there are now evening ones available too. These showcase what you’ve accomplished throughout the day and offer suggestions for your next training session.

Initial verdict: Garmin Forerunner 970

What you always hope for with any new watch is clear evidence of improvement compared to the previous model. With the Forerunner 970, Garmin didn’t need to make drastic changes, and it hasn’t. Instead, what we have are refinements to the 965’s design and features that keep it fresh and relevant among the wider lineup.

We’re cautiously optimistic that the list of new running insights will, as is typically the case with Garmin, quickly become ones that are hard to train without. We’ll spend the next few weeks analyzing exactly that, or whether they’re gimmicks that you can afford to skip over (particularly if you’re a 965 owner who may or may not see them trickle down any time soon).

Ultimately, history tells us this is as good as running watches get, so we don’t have many concerns after seeing this latest update in the flesh.

It did raise our eyebrows that battery life has gone in the wrong direction, dropping from 23 days to 15 days (in smartwatch mode) while only adding a couple of hours in the top GPS accuracy tracking mode. However, more concerning is the price increase.

Jumping from $599 in the previous generation to $749 this time around is significant. It raises questions about the line’s previously held position as the ideal midpoint between a Fenix and mid-range Forerunner. But, once again, we’ll evaluate the value against other Garmin watches in our full review. For now, stay tuned.