Garmin Forerunner 170 Review: Is the Software Upgrade Worth It Over the Forerunner 165?

Two years after the Forerunner 165, Garmin's latest running watch arrives with smarter training tools but the same hardware. Here's everything you need to know before you buy.

After a two-year wait, Garmin finally unveiled the follow-up to one of its most popular mid-range running watches. But the Garmin Forerunner 170 isn't the hardware refresh many athletes expected. There's no new sensor technology, no upgraded GPS chip—just a sharper software brain sitting inside a familiar body.

That's either a bold strategic bet or a missed opportunity, depending on what you need from your wrist.

At $299 / £259, the Forerunner 170 sits squarely in the mid-range sport watch segment, where competition has never been fiercer. The Coros Pace 4 and Suunto Run are both gunning for the same buyer, offering strong performance at aggressive price points. So the real question isn't just "is this a good watch?"—it's "is Garmin's software edge worth the premium?"

This hands-on review, based on real-world testing across runs, swims, and indoor rides by reviewer Laurence McJannet, breaks down exactly what you're getting—and just as importantly, what you're not.

The Upgrade Strategy: Software Brains Over Hardware Muscle

Let's address the elephant in the room first. The Forerunner 170 does not include Garmin's newer dual-band GPS technology, nor does it feature the latest generation heart rate sensor. For a watch released two years after its predecessor, that's a meaningful omission.

Instead, Garmin made a deliberate choice to compete on intelligence. Think of it like this: rather than putting a bigger engine under the hood, they installed a smarter navigation system on the dashboard.

"Where things start to differ from its predecessor is the software. You're now getting Garmin's latest software, which now does a nicer job of pulling sports and non-sports features all into one screen." — Laurence McJannet

The physical design is nearly identical to the Forerunner 165—same compact case, same vibrant 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, same physical button layout. If you've worn the 165, the 170 will feel immediately familiar the moment you strap it on. That familiarity is actually a feature: touchscreens can be temperamental in rain or heavy sweat, so having reliable physical buttons as backup matters more than most spec sheets acknowledge.

The updated software interface unifies sports metrics and lifestyle data in a more cohesive experience—and crucially, it positions the Forerunner 170 to receive future software features that older models will likely miss out on. You're not just buying what's on the watch today; you're buying into Garmin's software roadmap.

Training Intelligence Features: The Real Story

This is where the Forerunner 170 earns its keep. Garmin has loaded the watch with training tools that genuinely help you make smarter decisions—not just collect more data.

Quick Workouts: Less Planning, More Running

One of the most useful additions for everyday runners is Quick Workouts. Rather than logging in to a coaching platform or building sessions from scratch, you simply select a difficulty level—beginner, intermediate, or advanced—and the watch serves up three ready-made workout variations to choose from.

This solves a real problem. Decision fatigue is real, especially on busy weekday mornings when you have 45 minutes to train and zero mental bandwidth for planning. Quick Workouts removes that friction entirely. You pick the effort level, hit go, and let the watch guide you.

Training Readiness: Your Personal Rest-Day Coach

Training Readiness might be the single most valuable feature added to this watch—particularly for athletes juggling life responsibilities alongside their training.

The score combines sleep quality, recovery time, and training load to generate a single daily number that tells you whether to push hard or pull back. As Laurence notes from personal experience:

"There's now access to Training Readiness, a simple score that could look at my interrupted sleep now that I have a small human to look after, and inadequate recovery time to tell me to take a rest day." — Laurence McJannet

This feature resonates deeply with the 25–45 age group—the demographic most likely to be balancing parenting, work stress, and athletic ambitions simultaneously. Having a watch that objectively tells you "today is not the day" could save you from an injury that sidelines you for weeks. The beauty of Training Readiness is its simplicity: it doesn't drown you in numbers—it translates complex physiological data into one clear recommendation.

Tracking Performance: Strong Accuracy, Honest Battery Trade-offs

"I've used it for runs, swims and indoor rides and the accuracy has been strong. Especially for GPS and heart rate tracking." — Laurence McJannet

Despite lacking the latest sensor hardware, the Forerunner 170 delivers reliable tracking across all three disciplines. GPS positioning and heart rate data both performed consistently throughout testing—which matters far more during a tempo run or swim session than any spec sheet comparison. The AMOLED display is crisp and readable in sunlight, a genuine upgrade over the LCD screens found on many competitors at this price point.

Battery Life: The Honest Number

Here's where you need to recalibrate your expectations.

Metric	Specification	Real-World (4–5 workouts/week)
Battery Life	Up to 10 days	~6–7 days

The advertised 10-day figure is the ceiling, not the average. With a typical training load of four to five workouts per week, expect just under a week of charge. That means a mid-week top-up is likely if you're training seriously. The AMOLED display is partly responsible—it looks beautiful but draws more power than a traditional screen. This is a trade-off many athletes are happy to make for readability, but it's worth knowing upfront, especially if you're comparing against the Coros Pace 4, which offers notably longer battery life.

The Triathlon Question: What This Watch Is (and Isn't)

Let's be direct, because this matters enormously if you're a multisport athlete:

"If you're looking at the Forerunner 170 as an affordable triathlon watch, prepare to be disappointed. There's no triathlon or multisport tracking mode. You also don't get access to Garmin's more triathlon-focused training plans either." — Laurence McJannet

The Forerunner 170 does not have a dedicated multisport or triathlon mode. That means no automatic transitions between swim, bike, and run disciplines. If you're racing a 70.3-distance event and need your watch to seamlessly track T1 and T2, this is not your watch.

What it can track individually:

• Running (primary discipline)
• Swimming sessions
• Indoor cycling
• General sports like padel
• Daily activity and wellness metrics

Think of the Forerunner 170 as a runner's watch that also does a solid job tracking cross-training. If your swim and bike sessions are purely supplementary to your running goals, the lack of multisport mode won't bother you. But if you're training specifically for a triathlon—sprint, Olympic, or longer—you'll want a watch built with that in mind.

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Competitive Comparison: Is Garmin's Software Worth the Premium?

The Forerunner 170 doesn't exist in a vacuum. Two strong alternatives compete directly for the same buyer.

Comparison at a Glance

Feature	Garmin Forerunner 170	Coros Pace 4	Suunto Run
Price	$299 / £259	Lower	Lower
Battery Life	~6–7 days	Longer	Comparable
Triathlon/Multisport Mode	❌	✅	✅
Software Quality	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Training Intelligence	Advanced	Good	Good
Music Storage	✅ (music version)	Varies	Varies
Best For	Runners wanting smart training tools	Battery life + multisport	Budget triathletes

Suunto Run — The Triathlete's Budget Pick

Spend a little less than the Forerunner 170's asking price and the Suunto Run gives you triathlon/multisport mode plus strong sport tracking across the board. If your primary goal is completing a triathlon and you want a capable watch without paying a software premium, the Suunto Run makes a compelling case.

Coros Pace 4 — The Battery Champion

The Coros Pace 4 combines multisport tracking support with battery life that outlasts the Forerunner 170. For athletes who hate charging anxiety—or who are training in remote areas with limited access to charging—this matters. It's a lightweight, high-performance watch that punches well above its price.

Forerunner 170 — The Software Specialist

"The Forerunner 170 will appeal over those options because Garmin's software runs slicker, is more useful outside of running and delivers its added training insights in a more user-friendly way." — Laurence McJannet

Garmin's real advantage isn't sensors or battery—it's the overall ecosystem. The interface is more polished, the non-sport features (sleep tracking, stress monitoring, daily wellness) integrate more naturally, and tools like Training Readiness feel genuinely refined rather than bolted on. You're also getting the music version option, which lets you load Spotify offline—so you're not draining your phone battery on long runs. If software sophistication and training intelligence are your primary values, and you don't need multisport mode, the Forerunner 170 justifies its price.

Quick Definitions: Tech Terms Worth Knowing

• Dual-band GPS: Uses multiple satellite frequencies for more accurate positioning, especially in cities with tall buildings that cause GPS signal interference. The Forerunner 170 lacks this—though real-world accuracy remains strong.
• Training Readiness Score: Combines sleep quality, training load, and recovery data into a single daily metric recommending your ideal training intensity.
• AMOLED Display: A premium screen technology offering vivid colors and excellent sunlight visibility—but it draws more battery power than traditional LCD displays.
• Multisport Mode: A watch feature that automatically tracks transitions between swim, bike, and run without manual switching. The Forerunner 170 does not include this.

Who Should Buy the Garmin Forerunner 170?

✅ Buy it if you are:

• A runner who also swims and cycles but doesn't compete in multisport events
• An athlete who wants smart, actionable training guidance (Training Readiness, Quick Workouts)
• Someone who values Garmin's software ecosystem and polished user experience
• A Forerunner 165 owner who specifically wants Training Readiness and Quick Workouts—and doesn't mind paying for that upgrade

❌ Skip it if you are:

• A triathlete who needs multisport/transition tracking
• An athlete who prioritizes battery life above all else (look at Coros Pace 4)
• A budget buyer—the Suunto Run delivers triathlon features for less money
• A Forerunner 165 owner happy with your current tracking accuracy who can wait for a hardware-focused refresh

The Verdict

The Garmin Forerunner 170 is exactly what it claims to be: a runner's watch made smarter. Training Readiness and Quick Workouts are genuinely useful additions that help real athletes—especially those managing busy lives—train with more intelligence and less guesswork.

But it's also a watch that asks you to pay more for software improvements while competitors offer hardware advantages (better battery, multisport mode) at lower prices. That's a reasonable trade-off for runners who live inside Garmin's ecosystem. It's a poor deal for triathletes, who'll find essential features simply absent.

The bottom line: If you're a runner who wants smarter daily coaching and values Garmin's refined software, the Forerunner 170 delivers. If you're training for your first triathlon, look elsewhere—and make sure the rest of your gear is dialed in too.

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Source: 220triathlon.com/gear/garmin-forerunner-170