Flagship features, friendlier price: Garmin’s new Forerunner 70 and 170 are here.

RUN Magazine
5 hours ago
3 min read

The latest Forerunners bring training tools from its higher-end watches into a more affordable range.

In summary:

Two new GPS running smartwatches: the Forerunner 70 and Forerunner 170, plus a 170 Music edition
1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreens, five-button control, and multi-day battery — up to 13 days on the 70, 10 on the 170
Training tools pulled from Garmin's pricier watches: Garmin Coach, running power, training readiness and 80+ sports apps
The 170 adds Garmin Pay and, on the Music edition, phone-free playlists and podcasts
On sale now from R5,499

Garmin has expanded its Forerunner line with two new GPS running smartwatches — the Forerunner 70 and the Forerunner 170 — that pull training features from its higher-end models into a more affordable package. For runners who've eyed the brand's advanced watches but balked at the price, this is the range that closes some of that gap.

Both watches share a 1.2-inch AMOLED display, a responsive touchscreen and a five-button design, and both go days between charges rather than needing a nightly top-up — one of the more practical differences for anyone who's lived with a watch that dies every evening.

"Purposefully designed with everything a runner needs to start their running journey, Forerunner 70 and Forerunner 170 include premium running and training features pulled in from our more advanced Forerunners, plus popular health and wellness metrics," says Susan Lyman, Garmin's Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing. "No matter the goal, these smartwatches are the perfect tools to help new and aspiring runners alike make every step count."

Forerunner 70: the essentials, done well

The Forerunner 70 covers the essentials — built-in GPS, time, distance, pace and wrist-based heart rate — and layers training guidance on top.

A new quick workouts feature builds session suggestions around a runner's fitness level, needing only a desired duration and intensity to set up. Garmin Coach training plans adapt daily based on health and recovery metrics, and Garmin Run Coach adds run/walk options and lower-volume training for those easing in, with daily suggested workouts that adjust after every run.

For runners who want to go deeper, the watch carries advanced features drawn from Garmin's Human Performance Lab — training readiness, training status, wrist-based running power and running dynamics — alongside more than 80 built-in sports apps spanning swimming, cycling and strength training. Health tracking runs around the clock, with sleep tracking and a sleep coach, HRV status, Pulse Ox and lifestyle logging. It also handles smart notifications, safety and tracking features, and LiveTrack.

The Forerunner 70 offers up to 13 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and comes in citron, cool lavender, black and whitestone.

Forerunner 170: a few extras for life on the run

The Forerunner 170 builds on the same foundation and adds on-the-go features like Garmin Pay contactless payments, so runners can stop for a mid-run snack or water and pay from the wrist (with a supported bank and payment network).

The Forerunner 170 Music goes a step further, storing songs and podcasts from popular third-party services (subscription required) directly on the watch for phone-free listening with wireless headphones.

Both the 170 and 170 Music run up to 10 days in smartwatch mode and come in black with a black/amp yellow band, and whitestone with a whitestone/cloud blue band. The 170 Music adds two brighter options: teal green with a teal green/citron band, and red pink with a red pink/mango band.