Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Suunto Race 3S
The Forerunner 970 has more features: calls, ECG, Garmin Pay, music streaming, and Garmin's deepest training tools. The Race 3S is $150 cheaper, smaller, and gets more battery, with titanium and sapphire standard.
GarminGarmin Forerunner 970
SuuntoSuunto Race 3S
- •You want calls, ECG, Garmin Pay, and Spotify streaming on your wrist
- •Garmin's training ecosystem is worth paying more for
- •You want more battery life, 38 hours vs 26, for $150 less
- •You want a smaller 46mm watch with titanium and sapphire
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.
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.
Garmin's Best Forerunner vs Suunto's Newest Race
The Forerunner 970 is Garmin's top running watch, and it's packed with features. The Suunto Race 3S is a new, compact, premium watch that costs $150 less. Both have bright AMOLED screens, dual-band GPS, and offline maps. The question is whether Garmin's extra features are worth the extra money.
Price
The Forerunner 970 lists at $749. The Race 3S lists at $599.
Battery: The Race 3S Wins
The Race 3S is rated for up to 38 hours of dual-band GPS, compared to 26 hours on the Forerunner 970. That's a meaningful gap. If you're training for a marathon with long weekend runs, the Race 3S goes noticeably longer between charges.
Features: The Forerunner 970 Wins
This is where the 970 earns its price.
Calls. The 970 has a built-in speaker and microphone, so you can take calls from your wrist. The Race 3S doesn't.
ECG. The 970 has an ECG sensor. The Race 3S doesn't.
Garmin Pay and music streaming. You can pay from your wrist and sync Spotify playlists on the 970. The Race 3S doesn't have NFC payments in the US, and offline music is coming in a later update.
Training tools. Garmin's platform is the most complete out there, with Training Readiness, HRV Status, and race predictions. Our look at how accurate Garmin's race predictor is shows how far you can trust it. Suunto's AI Coach is new and promising, but Garmin's tools are more mature.
Size and Build
The Race 3S has a 46mm case and comes standard with a titanium bezel and sapphire glass. The 970 is 47mm. Both are comfortable for most wrists, but the Race 3S is the lighter of the two.
Which One Should You Buy?
Get the Forerunner 970 if you want everything: calls, ECG, Garmin Pay, music streaming, and Garmin's best training tools. It's the more complete watch.
Get the Suunto Race 3S if you care more about battery life, a lighter build, and premium materials, and you don't need calls or payments on your wrist. You'll save $150 and get 12 more hours of GPS.
Considering other Garmins? See how the Forerunner 970 compares to the Fenix 9 Pro.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Forerunner 970 better than the Suunto Race 3S?
The 970 has more features, including calls, ECG, Garmin Pay, and music streaming. The Race 3S is $150 cheaper and has more battery life, a smaller case, and titanium and sapphire standard.
Which has better battery life, the Forerunner 970 or Race 3S?
The Race 3S. It's rated for up to 38 hours of dual-band GPS, compared to 26 hours on the Forerunner 970.
Does the Suunto Race 3S have calls like the Forerunner 970?
No. The Forerunner 970 has a built-in speaker and microphone for calls. The Race 3S does not.
Do both watches have offline maps?
Yes. Both the Forerunner 970 and the Suunto Race 3S have offline maps for navigation.
*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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