Love it
Meh
- Bright, easy-to-read AMOLED screen
- Light enough to wear to bed
- Readiness, recovery time and a sleep coach
- Wrist heart rate that keeps up with intervals
- Garmin Pay
- No maps or dual-frequency GPS
- No text replies on an iPhone
- Proprietary charger
- Music storage only on the pricier Music model
The Forerunner 170 is the Garmin to get if you want to run better without strapping on a big, expensive watch. At 41 grams it's light enough to wear all day and to bed, and the AMOLED screen is easy to read on a sunny run. Five buttons sit alongside the touchscreen, so you never have to swipe mid-run.
Training
Training readiness and training status tell you whether today calls for a hard effort or an easy one, and recovery time counts down until you're ready to push again. Wrist heart rate holds up well, even on interval sessions where your effort changes fast, so the advice rests on good data.
Nights count too. The sleep coach recommends how much sleep you need based on your recent sleep, activity, HRV status and naps, and Pulse Ox tracks blood oxygen. If you ride, it connects to bike speed and cadence sensors, power meters and Garmin Varia radar and lights.
GPS and navigation
GPS distance is spot on for typical training runs. What the 170 lacks is the dual-frequency GPS and on-watch maps of the COROS PACE 4, so it guides you with a breadcrumb trail and back-to-start instead of a map. You can still build or find courses in the Garmin Connect app and sync them to the watch.
Battery
Garmin's figures are up to 10 days in smartwatch mode, or 4 days with the always-on display turned on, and up to 14 hours of GPS with every satellite system on. Leave always-on off unless you really want it, since it costs you more than half your time between charges. It charges on Garmin's own plug, so a standard USB-C cable won't fit.
Everyday features
Garmin Pay handles contactless payments with a supported bank, something the PACE 4 doesn't offer. It's rated 5 ATM, so swimming is fine, and it takes standard 20mm quick-release bands. If you want music stored on the watch, that's the Forerunner 170 Music; the standard 170 controls the music on your phone.
Phones
It works with iPhone and Android through the Garmin Connect app. On an iPhone you get notifications, but replying to texts, rejecting a call with a text and seeing pictures in notifications need an Android phone. Turn-by-turn directions from Google Maps are Android-only too.
What's in the box
Forerunner 170 watch
Charging cable
DocumentationBottom line
The Garmin Forerunner 170 is a light running watch with a bright AMOLED screen, readiness and recovery advice, and Garmin Pay on the wrist. If you want maps, dual-frequency GPS or a much longer GPS battery, the COROS PACE 4 is the better watch. Against the older Garmin Forerunner 165, get the 170.
Buy it if
- You want Garmin's readiness scores and sleep coach in a watch light enough to sleep in.
- You want to pay from your wrist without carrying a wallet on runs.
- You're choosing between it and the Forerunner 165.
Skip it if
- You want maps on your wrist. The COROS PACE 4 has them.
- You need the longest GPS battery. The PACE 4 runs far longer.
- You use an iPhone and want to reply to texts from the watch.
Last checked Nov. 15, 2026 · We may earn a commission.