Trusted Reviews90
Garmin's best running watch, excellent for sport tracking and smart features.
Garmin Forerunner 970
5 expert reviews#7 of 23 smartwatches
Image: Garmin5/5critics
recommend
recommend
Best for serious runners
Critics’ consensus
5 professional reviewers tested the Garmin Forerunner 970, and 5 recommend it. Most praised: health tracking and display. Most common complaint: price.
Reviewed by Trusted Reviews, Android Central, TechRadar and 2 more
The catch: It is very expensive, and battery life is shorter than the 965.
Critics agree
Scores run from 80 to 90All 5 scores printed by the outlets
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What do critics say about the Garmin Forerunner 970?
Android Central90
A fantastic training watch for serious runners that adds many perks to the 965.
TechRadar90
After nine months of use the reviewer found it a strong, feature-packed training companion worth its high price.
OutdoorGearLab83
Called the best running GPS watch available, with elite accuracy and a light premium build.
WIRED80
A very feature-rich flagship running watch with a super bright screen and strong training tools.
Scores are converted to 0–100. "est." means the outlet gave no number, so we estimated one from its verdict and checked our estimates against ratings outlets print. How we check estimates
What critics praise most
Health tracking3 of 5
Display2 of 5
What critics dislike most
Price5 of 5
Battery life2 of 5
Alternatives
Not sure about the Garmin Forerunner 970?
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Common questions
Is the Garmin Forerunner 970 worth it?
Most critics think so: 5 of 5 recommend it. It is very expensive, and battery life is shorter than the 965.
Do critics agree about the Garmin Forerunner 970?
Critics agree: scores range from 80 (WIRED) to 90 (Trusted Reviews), a spread of 10 points across 5 reviews. Reviewers broadly agree.
What do critics dislike about the Garmin Forerunner 970?
Price (5 of 5 reviews), Battery life (2 of 5 reviews).
What is the best alternative to the Garmin Forerunner 970?
The Apple Watch Series 11 (critic score 88), top pick, narrowly.