Garmin Forerunner 170
Running smartwatch
A software-led upgrade on the 165: Training Readiness, Training Status, running power and dynamics and Garmin Pay arrive at the entry price, on the same AMOLED and sensor. Street prices have settled near where the 165 was, but battery is a touch shorter and GPS is still single-band.
How the score breaks down
Crowd Signal
5 reviews · 4 platforms
Sqwod Assessment
Value / Deal
Crowd & price figures from public sources, as of 17 Oct 2026. Live aggregation is rolling out — figures may change.
Pros
- Training Readiness, Training Status, running power and dynamics at the entry price
- Garmin Pay plus barometric altimeter, compass and gyroscope
- Accurate HR on steady runs and rides in the5krunner's tests
Cons
- Single-band GPS, last-gen Elevate Gen 4 sensor, no maps
- Battery slightly behind the 165 (up to 10 days); no triathlon mode
Who it's for
Buy it if…
You coach runners or endurance clients and want Garmin's readiness and load metrics on a first 'real' training watch, without the €500 tier.
Skip it if…
You own a 165 and don't need the new metrics, or you need multiband GPS, maps or a multisport mode.
The Forerunner 170 (announced in May 2026, on sale from 15 May) uses the same 43 mm case, 1.2-inch AMOLED and Elevate Gen 4 heart-rate sensor as the 165 and spends the upgrade on software. Training Readiness, Training Status with acute load, wrist-based running power and running dynamics, cycling power support and Garmin Coach plans now sit at the entry level, along with Garmin Pay and a gyroscope. the5krunner scored it 86%, TechRadar 4/5, and testbericht.de lists 90/100 from two tests.
The compromises are the ones you’d expect at this price: single-band GPS, the previous-generation optical sensor (weakest in upper-body gym work), no maps and no triathlon mode. Battery is rated at up to 10 days, a little behind the 165. The RRP rose to 299.99 EUR, but German street prices now sit around 250 EUR, about where the 165 was when we reviewed it.
Compared with our Garmin Forerunner 165 review, coach fit and experience move up thanks to the new training metrics, while value and battery dip slightly.
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