10 Best Garmin Forerunners 2025 in the United States

The Garmin Forerunner 970 is a high-end GPS running and triathlon smartwatch designed for serious athletes who want detailed insights into their training and health. Its brightest AMOLED touchscreen combined with durable titanium and sapphire materials makes the watch both visually appealing and tough enough for daily use. The built-in LED flashlight is a thoughtful addition for early morning or nighttime runs, enhancing safety. Battery life is solid, offering up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and 26 hours with GPS active, so you can rely on it for long training sessions without frequent charging.

This watch provides advanced running metrics like running economy and step speed loss, though measuring some of these requires an additional HRM 600 chest strap. Its personalized Garmin Coach training plans adapt to your performance and recovery, helping you train smarter. The multisport auto-transition feature is very useful for triathletes, automatically switching tracking modes between swimming, cycling, and running. Wrist-based running dynamics and power measurements give you a detailed view of your form and effort.

Smart features include making and receiving calls directly from your wrist and using your phone’s voice assistant for messages, which adds convenience during workouts. Full-color maps and multi-band GPS support let you explore new routes confidently, with dynamic routing adjusting as needed. Health monitoring includes a training readiness score based on various factors and an ECG app for heart rhythm checks, though the latter is limited to certain countries and users over 22. This watch is an excellent choice for dedicated runners and triathletes seeking a durable, feature-packed device with robust health and training tools.

The Garmin Forerunner 265S is a strong choice for runners and fitness enthusiasts who want detailed training insights in a compact and stylish package. Its bright 1.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen combined with traditional buttons makes it easy to use, especially for smaller wrists thanks to its lightweight 42 mm design. GPS tracking is very accurate due to multi-band GNSS with SatIQ technology, meaning your runs are mapped well even in tricky environments, and it balances this with good battery life—up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and 24 hours using GPS continuously.

The watch offers plenty of health tracking features like heart rate, HRV status, and recovery insights, which help you understand when to push or rest. Personalized daily suggested workouts and a race widget can guide your training effectively, adjusting based on your recent performance and recovery. Safety features such as incident detection add peace of mind, although they require a paired smartphone with network access. Smart notifications keep you connected without needing to pull out your phone.

Some users may find the smaller 1.1-inch screen a bit cramped, and certain advanced features depend on Garmin’s app and smartphone connectivity to unlock their full potential. This model suits those wanting a powerful running watch that’s both functional and comfortable, especially if you have smaller wrists and prefer a vibrant display.

The Garmin Forerunner 570 is designed for runners and triathletes who want a bright, clear AMOLED touchscreen combined with reliable button controls. Its 42mm size is friendly for smaller wrists without sacrificing screen visibility. Battery life is solid, offering up to 10 days in smartwatch mode and about 18 hours using GPS, which covers long training sessions and daily wear comfortably.

It excels in training features with adaptable Garmin Coach plans, personalized daily workout suggestions, and a detailed training readiness score that considers sleep, recovery, and heart rate variability to help you train smarter. Health tracking is comprehensive, including heart rate metrics, VO2 max estimates, and recovery insights, helping you understand your fitness progress and avoid overtraining. The watch also supports triathlon and multiple sport profiles, making it versatile for multisport athletes. Safety features like incident detection and live location sharing add peace of mind during outdoor activities.

On the smart side, it lets you take calls and use voice assistants right from your wrist, which is convenient but requires a paired smartphone nearby. The aluminum bezel adds durability while keeping the watch lightweight. The battery life, while good, is shorter in GPS mode compared to some competitors, so very long events might need extra planning. Also, the advanced metrics are estimations rather than clinical measurements, so they should be used as guidelines rather than exact data. The Forerunner 570 is a strong choice for those serious about running or triathlon training who want excellent display quality, smart features, and detailed training and recovery support.