Garmin
Garmin Forerunner 970
A solid mid-range pick in the gps sports watches line-up, with 26 hours up front.
62/100
26 hoursAMOLEDTitaniumSapphire5.3Smartphone
£601best price at Amazon
In stock at 2 retailers
We may earn a commission on purchases via this link. It never affects our scores or rankings.
Independent score · no sponsored placement
Price checked across retailers daily
Why we rate it
- Multi-band (L1+L5)
- Offline topo maps
- Turn-by-turn navigation
- No solar charging
- Below-average gps battery
Score profile
Scored against the gps sports watches classWhere the Garmin Forerunner 970 wins and loses
Full specification
Grouped · supported features marked in blueSpecifications
GPS
Multi-band (L1+L5)Yes
Offline topo mapsYes
Turn-by-turn navigationYes
Battery
GPS battery26 hours
Health sensors
Optical HRYes
ECGYes
HRVYes
Sleep trackingYes
Training
Training load metricsYes
Recovery advisorYes
Triathlon multisport modeYes
Running dynamicsYes
BLE sensorsYes
Power meter supportYes
Design
Screen size1.4 "
Screen typeAMOLED
Always-on displayYes
TouchscreenYes
Physical buttons1
Weight2 g
Case materialTitanium
Bezel materialTitanium
Lens materialSapphire
Platform and connectivity
On-watch music storageYes
Contactless paymentYes
Wi-FiYes
Bluetooth5.3
Phone compatibilitySmartphone
Watch it in action
Powered by
Head to head
Highlighted cell = better in that rowGarmin Forerunner 970 vs COROS COROS APEX 2
Garmin Forerunner 970COROS APEX 2
| GarminGarmin Forerunner 970This page | COROSCOROS APEX 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 62 /100Better | 56 /100 |
| Battery gps | 26 hours | 40 hoursBetter |
| Multi band gps | Yes | — |
| Weight | 2 g | — |
Who it's for
Is the Garmin Forerunner 970 right for you?
Buy it if
Buyers on a budget
Anyone who needs a dependable gps sports watche for the essentials without overspending.
Skip it if
Skip it if
You need solar charging, in which case a higher-tier gps sports watche is the better call.
Serious trainer
Logs every session and wants accurate metrics.
good
Everyday wearer
Notifications, steps and sleep, all day comfort.
good
First-timer
New to wearables and weighing the basics.
okay
Common questions
Before you buy
Is the Garmin Forerunner 970 worth it?
It depends on what you need. It scores 62/100 against other gps sports watches, a solid mid-range result where the class average is around 56.
What stands out on the Garmin Forerunner 970?
Its multi-band (l1+l5) stands out, a genuinely useful feature if your setup calls for it.
How does it compare to the Garmin epix PRO Gen 2 47mm?
The Garmin epix PRO Gen 2 47mm scores 63/100 versus this one at 62/100, so it is the step up on the spec sheet.
You might also consider
