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Garmin Forerunner 170 · Photo source

Garmin Forerunner 170
Photo 1 of 21

Garmin Forerunner 170 · Photo source

Garmin · Forerunner

Forerunner 170

Released May 2026

Forerunner 170 is a 42.6 mm AMOLED GPS running watch with training readiness and status, a barometric altimeter and Garmin Pay. This standard model controls phone music but has no offline player or Wi-Fi.

Type
Smart and sports
Sizes
42.6 mm
Movement
–
Power reserve
–
Display
OLED
Battery
10 days
Water
50 m
GPS
Single-band
Weight
41 g

What reviewers say

Reviewers praise the comfortable design, useful training guidance and dependable tracking despite older GPS and heart-rate hardware. Both flag the lack of triathlon or multisport tracking. T3 finds battery life close to Garmin’s claims and likes the screen; 220 Triathlon finds battery life less impressive with regular workouts and considers the price high for beginners.

From t3.com and 220triathlon.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Display

Case sizes
42.6 mm
Panel
OLED
Always-on display
Yes
Display detail
1.2-inch (30.4 mm diameter) colour AMOLED touchscreen, 390 x 390 pixels; optional always-on display and large-font setting; five physical buttons
Screen protection
Chemically strengthened glass

Health and fitness

ECG
No
Blood oxygen
Yes
Skin temperature
No
Sleep apnoea alerts
No
High blood pressure alerts
No
Body composition
No
Fall detection
No
Crash detection
No
GPS
Single-band
Water resistance
50 m
Sensors
Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate; Pulse Ox; barometric altimeter; compass; gyroscope; accelerometer; thermometer; ambient light sensor; thermometer measures activity/ambient temperature, not overnight skin temperature
Health features
Continuous heart rate with high/low alerts; HRV status; Body Battery; stress and respiration; advanced sleep, sleep coach, breathing variations and nap detection; smart wake alarm; Health Snapshot; lifestyle logging; Health Status; women's health tracking via Garmin Connect; no ECG app
Fitness features
More than 80 sports apps; training readiness, status, load, load focus and recovery time; Garmin running, cycling and strength coaching; daily suggested running workouts and quick workouts; wrist-based running dynamics and running power; ground-contact balance requires a compatible accessory; PacePro and grade-adjusted pace; VO2 max and race predictions; cycling power-meter and Varia radar/light support; pool and open-water swimming; no dedicated triathlon mode; Breadcrumb course navigation, point-to-point navigation, back-to-start and TracBack; elevation profile, future elevation plot and Up Ahead; no full routable offline maps
Safety features
Incident detection during selected activities, assistance and LiveTrack require a paired compatible smartphone; live event sharing is Android-only; screen flashlight, not a separate LED torch

Battery and connections

Battery life (maker's claim)
Up to 10 days
In low-power mode
Up to 19 days
Mobile data option
No
Works with
iPhone and Android
Storage
4 GB
Battery life detail
Smartwatch up to 10 days, or 4 days with display always on; battery saver smartwatch up to 19 days; GPS-only GNSS up to 20 hours; all-systems GNSS up to 14 hours; actual life depends on enabled features and usage
Charging
Garmin proprietary plug charging/data cable; rechargeable built-in lithium-ion battery; USB charging temperature 0–45 °C
Connectivity
Bluetooth and ANT+; GPS, GLONASS and Galileo; no multi-band GNSS; Garmin Pay contactless payments; Android-only text responses and notification images; Connect IQ apps/watch faces/data fields; Garmin Share; controls smartphone music without offline playback; no Wi-Fi, speaker/microphone calls or cellular connection
Storage
4 GB memory/history; standard Forerunner 170 does not support offline music playback

Design

Weight (lightest version)
41 g
Software
Garmin
Case materials
Fibre-reinforced polymer bezel; silicone band; chemically strengthened glass; 5 ATM water rating; operating/storage temperature –20–60 °C
Size
42.6 x 42.6 x 11.9 mm; Garmin lists 41 g without a separate body-only weight
Bands
Standard 20 mm quick-release two-tone silicone band; fits 126–203 mm wrists
Colours
Black with Black/Amp Yellow band; Whitestone with Whitestone/Cloud Blue band; Teal Green and Red Pink belong to the separate Music model
In the box
Forerunner 170; charging cable; documentation

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Training readiness, training status, Garmin Coach and daily suggested running workouts
  • Barometric altitude, cycling power-meter support and open-water swimming
  • Garmin Pay and five buttons alongside an AMOLED touchscreen

Cons

  • No multi-band GPS, ECG or skin-temperature tracking
  • No dedicated triathlon mode or full offline maps
  • No offline music, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth calls on this standard model

Closest rivals

Model
TypeSizesMovementPower reserveDisplayBatteryWaterGPSWeightReleased
GarminForerunner 170 Music
Smart and sports42.6 mm––OLED10 days50 mSingle-band41 gMay 2026
GarminApproach J1
Smart and sports43 mm––OLED10 days50 mSingle-band29 gJan 2026
GarminForerunner 70
Smart and sports42.6 mm––OLED13 days50 mSingle-band40 gMay 2026

Sources

  1. garmin.com/en-GB/p/1915560
  2. garmin.com/en-US/p/1915560
  3. www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-4A2FC8FE-7025-4AEC-946E-097B31131B45/EN-US…
  4. support.garmin.com
  5. garmin.com/en-CA/blog/news/run-further-with-forerunner-70-and-forerunner-170-fr…
  6. t3.com/active/fitness-trackers/garmin-forerunner-170-review
  7. 220triathlon.com/gear/garmin-forerunner-170

Photo: res.garmin.com

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