On paper, the Forerunner 570 looks like a “simple” continuation of the 265. In practice, it corrects a lot of small everyday frustrations, without changing the DNA: a watch for running fast, training seriously, doing triathlons, but without an overload of outdoor functions.
The Forerunner 570 is aimed at runners and triathletes who want a watch light, readable and very training orientedwithout requiring on-board mapping. Do you run a lot on the road, do you know your routes, do you sometimes do a little trail running? You're right on target.
Garmin clearly places it above the 265: same spirit, but a notch more serious in terms of finishes and tools, with a price that directly attacks the “premium performance watches” segment.
We remain on an AMOLED screen, but brighterwhich really changes reading in direct sunlight. During midday outings around Toulouse, with clear skies, the data remained readable at a glance, whereas some older AMOLEDs required a little time to adapt.
The aluminum bezel gives a more serious feel than a plastic bezel, without making the watch heavier. Two case sizes are available:
The 47 mm clearly remains the “comfort” size for tracking pace, heart rate and power without squinting during mid-intervals. If you come from a 965, the transition is painless.
On the GPS and sensors side, we are very complete: multi-GNSS, multiband with SatIQ, latest generation optical cardio with oximeter, barometric altimeter, thermometer, compass. Nothing is missing for standard running, cycling and triathlon.
The most interesting are the software new features 2025 :
Added to this are all the “serious” metrics already known: VO2max, training status and load, wrist power, running dynamics, recovery time, heart rate variability monitoring, daily suggestions, etc.
In terms of autonomy, the Forerunner 570 does the job, but does not seek to break records. In use combining multiband GPS, structured sessions and notifications, you stay in a comfortable zone for marathons, triathlons and serious volume, but not in ultra long distance madness over several days.
The real obstacle, for some, is the absence of cartography. As long as you run on circuits you know or in marked areas, it's not a problem. As soon as you like to explore trails that you don't know, things start to get stuck.
To view the entire range and see where the 570 ranks, you can compare with the complete guide to the best Garmin watches 2025.
The Forerunner 970 is the other side of the coin. She doesn't try to be reasonable. It wants to be the complete watch for the athlete who asks too much, all the time, and who doesn't want to feel a cobblestone on the wrist.
Garmin ticks all the “high-end” boxes that many expected on the 965: scratch-resistant sapphire glasstitanium bezel, detailed routable mapping, LED flashlight, ECG, always with a very readable AMOLED screen.
The size remains unique: 47 mm case, 1.4" screen. On mountain outings or on big bike rides, the mapping is legible enough to manage route changes, bifurcations and ascent profiles without taking out the smartphone.
Mapping allows you to:
On the ECG side, the watch can detect anomalies such as possible atrial fibrillation, but it remains a monitoring tool. screeningnot a medical diagnosis. For the slightest doubt, the doctor remains the only serious reference.
The Forerunner 970 has everything the 570 offers, plus several bricks designed for highly involved runners and picky cyclists:
On the ground, on hilly outings with a series of long climbs and fast descents, ClimbPro and the climb scores give a very clear reading of how you “consume” your fitness. It's not a gimmick if you really structure your training blocks.
To dig deeper into each screen, each metric and the fine differences with the 965, you can rely on the detailed review of the Garmin Forerunner 970.
In terms of autonomy, the Forerunner 970 makes a clear choice: favor the display, advanced functions and comfort of use rather than the absolute quest for the number of hours. Compared to the 965, you can lose a few hours depending on the GPS mode used and the way you abuse (or not) the map, the LED lamp and the advanced profiles.
In practice, for marathon, triathlon, trail preparation up to ultra reasonable, you stay wide. If you are on ultra-long trips or massive bikepacking with a permanently active map, you will have to agree to manage the recharge a little more carefully.
The 970 makes sense if you spend the year juggling road, trail, cycling, cross-country skiing and big weeks of structured training. The combination of mapping + Stamina + ClimbPro + bike dynamics makes it a real Swiss army knife for obsessive multi-sports enthusiasts.
If you plan to push it hard in winter on long Nordic outings, you can cross-reference your choice with the selection of the best cross-country skiing GPS watches.
We'll cut it short: the real criterion is not the number of widgets. This is your practice. Your real practice, not the one you plan for “one day”.
| Features | Forerunner 570 | Forerunner 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Public launch price | €549.99 | €749.99 |
| Integrated mapping | No | Yes, complete and routable |
| Screen | Brighter AMOLED | Brighter AMOLED |
| Main materials | Aluminum bezel, Corning Gorilla glass | Titanium bezel, sapphire crystal |
| Microphone and speaker | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | No | Yes |
| LED flashlight | No | Yes |
| Autonomy (trend) | Correct, but not cut out for ultra long | Solid, but slightly down vs 965 |
| Typical user profile | Runner/triathlete focused on training without the need for maps | Demanding multisport/trailer, mapping and outdoor use |
You stack the sessions on road, track, a little trail. You do a few triathlons or duathlons, you follow plans, you want to understand your training load, but you know your routes by heart.
In this case, the Forerunner 570 remains logical:
There the story changes. You spend time on the trails, you explore, you change routes often, you cycle big blocks, you go on vacation with your watch as your only pocket GPS.
There Forerunner 970 then takes a real head start:
If you are hesitant with a very “city” oriented smartwatch like the Apple Watch Ultra, you can refine your choice with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 versus 970 comparison.
The public prices are clear: €549.99 for the 570, €749.99 for the 970. It stings. Even more so if you already have a decent watch on your wrist.
The right approach is to accept that these are high-end watches, and to set a mental threshold for yourself. For example :
Outside of these areas, you pay the “novelty price” and a little dopamine. It can be defended, but it is no longer a rational purchase. That's a bad idea if your budget is tight.
This is where everything comes into play. Not in the technical sheet. In your starting point.
If your 265 runs well, the battery holds and you don't feel like you're straining it, you don't “have to” move. The 570 gives you more visual comfort, more functions and a more premium side, yes. But if you're already not using everything your current watch offers, you'll just add menus that you'll never open.
There, it's more subtle. Upgrading to the 970 brings you sapphire, titanium, LED, ECG and more advanced performance tools, at the cost of a small reduction in battery life. If you do a lot of trail running, cycling, cross-country skiing, and you like to play with each data screen, the upgrade is consistent over a 3–4 year cycle.
If you change every 18 months “by reflex”, you can also do one more cycle with your 965 and aim for the next generation. It depends on your discipline with your credit card.
In this case, the 970 is not a “newer version”, it is a lighter alternative. You sacrifice some of the robustness and waterproofness of the Fenix to gain comfort during pure performance sessions.
If you do a lot of long, fast sessions, competitions, sorting where you want to forget about the weight on your wrist, it's worth it. If you like your Fenix 8 for its “tank chic” watch side that goes everywhere, replacing it only for the 970 remains a questionable choice.
The best thing is not to buy “hot”. You locate your target model (570 or 970), you set the price at which you consider that it becomes really interesting, and you simply monitor the Alltricks, i-Run, Amazon promotions for a few weeks. At the same time, you can check that you don't already have a more consistent option in the current range via the complete guide to the best Garmin watches 2025.
If when you see the good price you are still thinking about it, then the need is real. If you've already forgotten why you wanted to change, it's because your current watch is still largely doing the job.
Quick conclusion : the Forerunner 570 is the best ally for serious runners who don't need a map. The Forerunner 970 is the quasi-Fenix 8 for performance enthusiasts, those who live as much on the trails as on the numbers. It's up to you if you need a new tool... or just want a new toy.
Author : David Deteve, editor & field tester – L’Swiss Made Watch
Update : November 29, 2025
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