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Head to Head

Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Garmin Forerunner 970

The 970 is Garmin's actual flagship: it adds an ECG sensor and pushes training analytics from "training" tier up to "max," for $200 more than the 570.

Garmin Forerunner 570Garmin

Garmin Forerunner 570

4.8
Garmin Forerunner 970Garmin

Garmin Forerunner 970

4.7
Editor's Pick
$549
Lower price
MSRP
$749
Full Smartwatch
Watch Type
Full Smartwatch
Solid Training Data
Training Data
Maximum Depth
More data
iOS & Android
Phone
iOS & Android
4.8
Higher rated
Rating
4.7
18 hrs
GPS Battery Life
26 hrs
Longer battery
Dual-Band
GPS
Dual-Band
42g
Lighter
Weight
56g
42/47mm
Case Size
47mm
Yes
Wrist Calls
Yes
No
Offline Maps
Yes
Has maps
Spotify/Amazon Music
Offline Music
Spotify/Amazon Music
5 ATM
Water Resistance
5 ATM
—
Notable For
Editor's Pick
Best For
  • •You want calls and voice features but don't need Garmin's deepest race analytics
  • •Training-tier data (not max-tier) is already plenty for your goals
  • •You're a serious runner who wants Garmin's top training tools without going full Fenix
  • •ECG and race-specific analytics are worth the extra $200 to you
The Full Story

The 570 layers a speaker, microphone, and voice assistant onto Garmin's mid-range running watch, closing some of the gap with true smartwatches. It's a genuinely nice watch, just priced close enough to the 970 that it's worth comparing both before buying.

The 970 adds a built-in speaker and mic for calls, an ECG sensor, and Garmin's deepest race-specific analytics in a Forerunner-sized package. If you're a serious runner who wants the top training tools without going full Fenix, this is the watch.

*Estimated — this model's exact GPS battery life isn't published by the manufacturer. All figures are standard GPS mode, midsize case, no solar boost.

†Estimated — this model launched too recently to have an established customer rating yet.

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