Garmin’s back with a bunch of goodies for runners. That includes two new Forerunner watches, a new chest strap, and several new running and triathlete features that won’t be paywalled behind its newly launched Garmin Connect Plus subscription.
On the watch front, there’s the $749.99 Forerunner 970, which replaces the 965 as its top-of-the-line running watch and includes offline maps. Meanwhile, the $549.99 Forerunner 570 is a new mid-range option that’s a slight step-up from the more affordable Forerunner 265. It doesn’t have offline maps.
Let’s start with what the Forerunner 570 and 970 have in common. (There are currently eight lineups of multisport watches on Garmin’s site, each with several models and SKUs.) Both add a built-in speaker and microphone so you can take calls on the go, OLED displays, skin temperature sensors, a new evening report feature that summarizes how much sleep you need, plus your workouts, events, and weather for the next day. For both models, Garmin is introducing bolder colors with spiffy translucent bands. I got to see all the new models at Garmin’s launch event, and the color combos really do pop compared to past models. The translucent bands in particular were surprisingly eye-catching. (There are, of course, more low-key options if you don’t want a super-loud watch.)
As for software, both models will also get triathlon training in the free Garmin Coach program, as well as the ability to create custom multisport workouts — as in, a run to the gym, strength workout, and then a walk home could all be logged as a single activity entry. Garmin is also adding a few new race-specific features. That includes a projected race time predictor, and if you upload a course, you can automatically log laps when you cross mile or kilometer course points. Your watch can trim excess recorded data if you forget to hit stop after crossing the finish line.
You start to see the differences when it comes to the hardware. The midrange 570 comes in two sizes: 42mm and 47mm. It also features an aluminum bezel. The 970 only comes in 47mm, but has a titanium bezel and a more durable sapphire lens. It also has a handy dandy built-in LED flashlight and is compatible with Garmin’s EKG app for atrial fibrillation detection. For battery life, the 42mm 570 gets up to 10 days while the 47mm gets up to 11 days. The 970 gets up to 15 days.
Because the 970 is the flagship Forerunner model, it also gets a few exclusive running features. That includes three new metrics: running tolerance, running economy, and step speed loss. Running tolerance is meant to help runners be smarter about their weekly running mileage. Each week, you get a maximum mileage recommendation that helps you figure out whether it makes sense to add more, or perhaps ease up a bit to prevent injury. Meanwhile, running economy and step speed loss focus on how efficiently you run. Running economy gauges how much energy you have after several runs, while step speed loss measures how much a runner slows down after each foot strike.
The catch is that if you want the latter two metrics, you’ll have to buy the new $169.99 HRM 600 chest strap, as they rely on non-wrist-based heart rate metrics. Aside from running dynamics, the HRM 600 adds activity recording for team sports and activities that aren’t conducive to smartwatches. It has a rechargeable battery that lasts two months on a single charge and LED indicators to tell you when the device is awake or the battery is running low.
Both the Garmin Forerunner 570 and 970, as well as the HRM 600, will be available for order starting May 21st.
