Garmin Forerunner 70 Review: The Best Running Watch for Beginners Just Got a Major Upgrade

Garmin has released two new watches designed to support runners through every stage of their training. We’ve frequently recommended entry level Garmin watches as ideal for runners of many skill levels due to all the features. The Garmin Forerunner 70 is enhancing what was already a great product.

At first glance, the Forerunner 70 looks pretty similar to the Forerunner 165, especially when you compare the specs and price points. So if you’re wondering what actually separates the two, you’re not alone.

Let’s take a closer look at the Garmin Forerunner 70, how it compares to other Garmin watches, and whether it’s the right fit for your training and goals.

Garmin Forerunner 70 Overview

I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for an AMOLED display.

And when Garmin pairs that bright, colorful screen with one of its best-looking watch color options? It’s hard not to be impressed when you first pull the Forerunner 70 out of the box.

Okay, maybe calling it a piece of artwork is a little dramatic, but it really is a good-looking watch.

The display is crisp, the colors pop, and it has that premium feel you’d expect from a much more expensive model.

The best part? You get all of that without completely draining your wallet.

Garmin Forerunner 70 Features

Here are some of the newer and unique features that you’ll find on the Garmin Forerunner 70. Our article about the best Garmin watches goes into more detail about what you’ll typically find on a Garmin device, so we won’t get into that here.

Touchscreen Display

I’ve already mentioned it, but the Forerunner 70 features a bright, colorful AMOLED display that’s easy to read whether you’re checking it mid-run or scrolling through the watch during the day.

And while the watch does have a touchscreen, Garmin was smart about it. During activities, the touchscreen automatically locks to help prevent accidental taps and swipes.

That means no accidentally ending your workout, pausing your run, or flipping through data screens when all you wanted to do was wipe some sweat off.

It’s a small feature, but one that’s easy to appreciate once you’re out on the run.

Training Features

There are 80+ sport apps on the Forerunner 70, including swimming, cycling, strength training, and more.

On the watch, they’re all sorted into categories such as Running, Gym, Outdoor, Racket Sports, and the list goes on.

You can pin your favorite sports to the top so that you’re not endlessly scrolling through the long list of options.

A few other training features that most Garmin watches have:

• Ability to program workouts and HR Zones
• Heart Rate Variability
• Running power
• Pulse OX tracking
• Lifestyle Logging– log behaviors like caffeine and alcohol intake to see how it impacts health/training
• Body Battery – tracking stress and energy levels, sleep tracking, step tracking
• Pacing Pro – Helping you come up with your race day pacing plan
• Race Predictor – Using your workouts, it will help determine potential race times (5k, 10k, half, and full marathon only)
• Track Running– Record a workout on the track and get accurate lap distances in meters

New- Quick Workouts

Quick workouts are suggestions tailored to the users fitness level. It’s easy to set up with just entering your desired time and intensity level.

Garmin will take it from there and suggest three different workouts to give a try.

New- Run/Walk Workout

Another new feature is the Run/Walk Workouts and lower volume training.

Garmin Run Coach now provides Run/Walk workouts and lower-volume training.

This is great if you’re just starting out your running journey or returning after a period of time off. It’ll help you get into a routine without over doing it.

Overall Health and Wellness Tracking

If you’re someone who loves data, you won’t be disappointed with the 24/7 health and wellness tracking.

Wearing your watch all the time will help gather data around:

• Sleep tracking (and a sleep coach)
• Breathing Variations while you’re sleeping
• Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
• Pulse Ox
• Lifestyle Logging
• Health Snapshot- if you’re feeling off, you can take a 2-minute session to record key health stats to share with your doctor
• Stress Tracking
• Women’s Health Tracking for menstrual cycles or pregnancy
• Body Battery Energy Monitoring
• Nap Detection

Smart Phone Features

You can decide what kinds of notifications come through to your Forerunner 70 and how many.

When paired with your iPhone or Android, you will receive emails, texts, and app alerts directly to your watch.

For on-wrist texting, you can use Android phones or the Garmin Messenger app.

Garmin Safety Features

It’s always nice to know there’s an extra added layer for safety, especially when out on the roads and trails.

• Livetrack Location Sharing– you can autostart this or manually start this to then provide a link that will show your contact exactly where you are while GPS is active
• Incident Detection – if your watch senses that an incident occurred (like you fall really hard while running/cycling), it’ll send a message to your emergency contact with your live location. Or if you find yourself in a situation that you feel unsafe, you can trigger it manually

Garmin 70 vs 170

There’s not too much difference between the Forerunner 70 and 170, which is annoying as a team trying to help you make choices amongst an already too large line up. But basically there are a few things it adds which might sweeten the deal.

• Forerunner 170 adds on-the-go features
  • Garmin Pay contactless payments
  • Music, if you opt for the Forerunner 170 Music model (price of $349.99)
• Forerunner  170 cost is $299.99, Forerunner 70 cost is $249.99
• Forerunner  170 battery life is up to 10 days in smartwatch mode, Forerunner 70 battery life is up to 13 days in smartwatch mode
• 170 also includes animated workouts
• Forerunner 70 has 6 colors, while the 170 has only 4 colors
• Forerunner 170 features a magnetic compass
• Forerunner 170 has a temperature sensor, but the 70 does not

Garmin 70 vs 165

Both of these watches sit at the same price point and are solid options for beginner runners. So what separates them, and which one is the better fit for your training?

• Garmin Forerunner 70 and Garmin Forerunner 165 cost $249.99
• 70 has battery life of up to 13 days
• 165 has battery life of up to 11 days
• 165 has garmin pay contactless payments
• 165 music has the ability to control music from your watch
• 70 allows you to change your color displays and watch face customization
• 165 has Garmin Trails for offline use *available in select areas
• Both have that beautiful AMOLED touchscreen
• 70 has 80+ built in sport apps, 165 has only 25+
• Both have the pacepro feature
• 70 has on wrist texting available with Android or Garmin app

Find the Garmin Forerunner 165 here >>

What About the Garmin Forerunner 55?

Don’t worry, if you’re not looking for all of the extra bells and whistles, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is still available on Garmin’s website.

It’s still a watch that our team recommends as the most cost-effective option, at around $199. It’s pretty basic and doesn’t have the fancy AMOLED display, but it gets the job done.

For $50 more, the Forerunner 70 will look more advanced, provide additional fitness and health data, and offer more sport modes.

It’s a tougher decision than ever when choosing an entry-level Garmin watch.

Both the Forerunner 70 and Forerunner 165 offer a lot of value for newer runners, and honestly, I don’t think there’s a bad choice between the two.

That said, if I had to decide between them, I’d probably go with the Forerunner 70. The extra battery life might not seem like a huge deal at first, but fewer charges mean one less thing to think about during a busy training week.

We hope this Garmin Forerunner 70 review and comparison helped clear up some of the confusion and made it easier to decide which watch is the best fit for your training.

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