Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Suunto Race 3S
These two are only $50 apart. The Race 3S gives you offline maps, more than double the battery, and titanium and sapphire. The Forerunner 570 gives you calls, Garmin Pay, music streaming, and a smaller 42mm size option.
GarminGarmin Forerunner 570
SuuntoSuunto Race 3S
- •You want calls, Garmin Pay, and Spotify streaming
- •You want the 42mm size option or Garmin's training ecosystem
- •You want offline maps and 38 hours of GPS vs 18
- •You want titanium and sapphire glass
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 Race 3S takes everything that made the Race S a hit for smaller wrists and upgrades nearly all of it: a titanium bezel and sapphire glass, a 2,000-nit AMOLED display (up from 600), 38 hours of dual-band GPS (up from 30), 64GB of storage for free global offline maps, and Suunto's new AI Coach. The watch head weighs just 38 grams. It still skips a speaker, ECG, and NFC payments, and at $599 it costs a lot more than the Race S it replaces.
Close in Price, Different in Strengths
The Garmin Forerunner 570 lists at $549, and the Suunto Race 3S lists at $599. At just $50 apart, these two will get cross-shopped a lot. Both have bright AMOLED screens and dual-band GPS. Beyond that, they're built for different priorities.
Maps and Battery: The Race 3S Wins
The Race 3S has free global offline maps. The Forerunner 570 doesn't. It can follow a course as a breadcrumb trail, but there's no map underneath. If you explore new routes or travel, that's a big difference.
Battery is an even bigger gap. The Race 3S is rated for up to 38 hours of dual-band GPS, compared to 18 hours on the Forerunner 570. That's more than double.
Smart Features: The Forerunner 570 Wins
The 570 has a built-in speaker and microphone for calls and a voice assistant. It also has Garmin Pay and syncs music from services like Spotify. The Race 3S doesn't have calls or NFC payments in the US, and its offline music is coming in a later update.
Garmin's training platform is also more mature, with tools like Training Readiness and HRV Status. Suunto's new AI Coach is promising, but it's brand new.
Build and Size
The Race 3S comes standard with a titanium bezel and sapphire glass in a 46mm case. The Forerunner 570 comes in two sizes, 42mm and 47mm. That 42mm option is a real advantage if you have smaller wrists.
Which One Should You Buy?
Get the Forerunner 570 if you want a smarter watch: calls, Garmin Pay, music streaming, and Garmin's ecosystem, plus a smaller size option.
Get the Suunto Race 3S if you want a better outdoor and training watch: offline maps, more than double the battery, and premium materials, for just $50 more.
Also considering Coros? See how the Coros Pace 4 Pro compares to the Forerunner 570.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I get the Garmin Forerunner 570 or the Suunto Race 3S?
Get the Forerunner 570 for calls, Garmin Pay, music streaming, and a 42mm size option. Get the Race 3S for offline maps, more than double the GPS battery, and titanium and sapphire.
Does the Garmin Forerunner 570 have maps?
No. The Forerunner 570 can follow a breadcrumb trail but doesn't have offline maps. The Suunto Race 3S does.
Which has better battery life, the Forerunner 570 or Race 3S?
The Race 3S, by a wide margin. It's rated for up to 38 hours of dual-band GPS, compared to 18 hours on the Forerunner 570.
Can you take calls on the Suunto Race 3S?
No. The Race 3S doesn't have a speaker or microphone. The Forerunner 570 does.
*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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