Verified / Running smartwatch · Updated 17 Oct 2026
Sqwod Verified · Running smartwatch
Garmin Forerunner 170
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.
Tracked low €234.90
Not an affiliate link · live price shown at the retailer
The read
Should you buy it?
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.
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, so figures may change.
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.
In the guides
All buyer's guides 2026Every product in the category, ranked on the same scorecard.See the rankings →How we score
Crowd 45 · Assessment 40 · Value 15Brands cannot pay for a score. Affiliate links are labelled and never move a number.Read the methodology →For coaches in Berlin
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