Garmin Forerunner 170 & 170 Music GPS Running Smartwatch

Skip to content Garmin Forerunner 170 & 170 Music GPS Running Smartwatch The Forerunner 170 is Garmin's mid-tier running watch built for runners who want the full Garmin training stack at a sub-$400 price. Available in two variants: the standard Forerunner 170 ($299.99) and the Forerunner 170 Music ($349.99), which adds 4 GB of onboard music storage with Wi-Fi sync for Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer offline playlists. Both variants share identical hardware otherwise. 1.2″ AMOLED color touchscreen with always-on display option + 5-button controls. Triple-system GNSS (GPS + GLONASS + Galileo, single-frequency). Elevate Gen 4 24/7 optical heart rate sensor. SpO2, HRV Status, Body Battery, Stress, Respiration, Sleep Score with Sleep Coach and nap detection. Training Readiness, Training Status, wrist-based Running Power, Running Dynamics, Daily Suggested Workouts, Garmin Coach + Garmin Cycling Coach. 80+ built-in sport profiles including Openwater Swim, Pool Swim, Cycling, Strength, HIIT, Yoga, Meditation. Barometric altimeter, 3-axis compass, gyroscope, thermometer. Garmin Pay contactless payments. Health Snapshot, Morning Report, Evening Report. Smart notifications, LiveTrack, incident detection, safety assistance. Up to 10 days battery in smartwatch mode / up to 20 hours with GPS. 5 ATM water resistance (50 m). Bluetooth + ANT+ (+ Wi-Fi on Music variant). Weight: ~37 g. Colors: Black/Amp Yellow, Whitestone/Cloud Blue, plus Teal Green/Citron and Red Pink/Mango on the Music variant. Our Take: The Forerunner 170 is Garmin's most interesting entry-mid running watch in years, and it lives on this page in two variants — standard ($299.99) and Music ($349.99) — that share identical hardware. Both give you the AMOLED touchscreen + 5-button design from the higher-tier Forerunners, the same Elevate Gen 4 heart rate sensor used on the FR165 and FR265, triple-system GNSS for solid GPS accuracy on roads and tracks, a barometric altimeter for true elevation gain, and Garmin Pay so you can buy a Gatorade mid-run. Crucially, this is the first time Garmin's full training stack (Training Readiness, HRV Status, Training Load, Trail VO2 Max, Garmin Coach adaptive plans) is available at this price — features that previously required the FR255 or higher. The only thing $50 buys you when you pick the Music variant: 4 GB of onboard music storage and Wi-Fi sync for Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer playlists, so you can run phone-free. How to choose: if you always run with your phone, pick the standard FR170 and save $50. If you want to leave the phone at home and listen to music through Bluetooth headphones, pick Music. What neither variant gives you: multi-band GPS (need FR265+), ECG and skin temperature (need Elevate Gen 5 on FR570+), offline topographic maps (need FR970), triathlon auto-transition mode, or voice calls. The honest take: for runners who do most of their work on roads and tracks and value Garmin's coaching brain over headline GPS specs, the FR170 hits the sweet spot. If you run dense tree cover or technical trails where single-frequency GPS struggles, save up the extra $100 for the FR265. Why you'd choose this running watch Music Variant: 4 GB Onboard + Wi-Fi for $50 More Pick the Music variant ($349.99 vs $299.99 standard) to add 4 GB onboard music storage (~500 songs), Wi-Fi for direct downloads, and offline playback from Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer (subscription required). Leave the phone at home. 1.2″ AMOLED Touchscreen + 5-Button Controls Bright, vibrant AMOLED that you can read in direct sun. Touchscreen for menus, swiping, and pinching. Traditional 5-button design for reliable control during sweaty runs and gloves in winter. Optional always-on display. Full Garmin Training Stack — Readiness, HRV, VO2 Max Training Readiness, Training Status, HRV Status, Training Load, Trail VO2 Max, wrist-based Running Power, Running Dynamics, Daily Suggested Workouts, Garmin Coach + Garmin Cycling Coach. The full physio stack that used to require a $400+ Forerunner. Triple-System GNSS — GPS, GLONASS & Galileo Receives from three satellite constellations and uses the strongest signal. More accurate than single-system GPS in tree cover and built environments. Single-frequency only — multi-band L1+L5 is on the FR265 and above. Garmin Pay — Tap-to-Pay From Your Wrist NFC contactless payments at any tap-to-pay terminal — coffee mid-run, water bottle, transit fare. Supports major US and Canadian banks on Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Set up once in Garmin Connect. Barometric Altimeter — Real Elevation Gain Reads true atmospheric pressure changes to measure elevation within ~10 feet — vs the 50-100 feet of drift typical of GPS-only watches. Auto-calibrates when you start an outdoor activity. Floor climb tracking included. 10 Days Smartwatch / 20 Hours GPS Battery Up to 10 days in smartwatch mode with notifications and 24/7 HR active. Up to 20 hours with continuous GPS. GPS + music runs about 7 hours. USB-C charging. No need to charge every night. 80+ Sports + 5 ATM Swim-Proof 80+ built-in sport profiles including Pool Swim, Openwater Swim, Cycling, Strength, HIIT, Yoga, Pilates, and guided Meditation. 5 ATM water resistance (50 m) — safe for swimming, showering, and rain. Tip: Tab to a reason and press Enter to expand the explanation. Press Escape to close. Who this running watch is perfect for Runners who want to leave their phone behind on long runs and listen to Spotify, Amazon Music, or Deezer playlists through Bluetooth headphones. Newer or intermediate runners who want Garmin's full training brain — Training Readiness, Garmin Coach adaptive plans, Running Power, VO2 Max — at a sub-$400 price. Forerunner 165 owners ready to upgrade to a barometric altimeter, the full physio stack, and a brighter, more capable AMOLED watch. Anyone graduating from a Fitbit, Apple Watch, or basic fitness tracker into a proper running watch with serious training analytics. People who run roads and tracks (where single-frequency multi-GNSS is plenty) and don't need to pay $100 more for multi-band GPS. Consider these alternatives if… You're starting out, don't need a barometer, Garmin Pay, or music storage — save $50-$100 with the Forerunner 70 ($249.99). You run trails, dense city streets, or want the most accurate GPS — step up to the Forerunner 265 ($449.99) with multi-band L1+L5 GPS and 8 GB music storage. You need ECG, skin temperature, voice calls, and the latest Elevate Gen 5 HR sensor — step up to the Forerunner 570 ($549.99) or Forerunner 970 ($749.99). You race triathlons and need auto-transition multisport mode — start at the Forerunner 265 or higher. Feature highlights Music & connectivity (Music variant only) 4 GB onboard music storage (~500 songs) Wi-Fi for direct music downloads Spotify offline playlists (Premium subscription required) Amazon Music offline playlists (Unlimited subscription required) Deezer offline playlists (Premium subscription required) Bluetooth headphone playback (any standard Bluetooth headphones) Bluetooth + ANT+ + Wi-Fi connectivity USB-C charging cable Health & heart rate sensors Elevate Gen 4 optical heart rate sensor (24/7 continuous) Pulse Ox (SpO2) blood oxygen monitoring Heart rate variability (HRV) Status tracking Breathing variations and Respiration rate Body Battery energy reserve tracking All-day stress tracking Sleep Score with Sleep Coach and nap detection Health Snapshot — 2-minute multi-metric report Health Status — baseline-deviation alerts on 5 nightly metrics Hydration, Menstrual Cycle, and Pregnancy tracking No ECG (need FR970 — only Forerunner with ECG) No wrist-based skin temperature (need FR570 / FR970 with Elevate Gen 5) Training & running features Training Readiness score (sleep, recovery, HRV, training load) Training Status and Training Load HRV Status (4-7 day baseline) Wrist-based Running Power (no chest strap required) Wrist-based Running Dynamics (cadence, stride length, ground contact time) Daily Suggested Workouts with run-walk options Garmin Coach adaptive plans (5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon) Garmin Cycling Coach plans Race Widget with personalized race-day plans PacePro pacing strategies Trail VO2 Max Recovery time and intensity minutes Course and route following with breadcrumb navigation No multi-band GPS (need FR265+) No offline topographic maps (need FR970) No ClimbPro (need FR570+) No triathlon auto-transition mode (need FR265+) Sport profiles & activities 80+ built-in sport profiles Running, Indoor Running, Treadmill, Trail Running, Track Running, Virtual Running Cycling, Indoor Cycling, eBike, Mountain Bike, Gravel Bike Pool Swim, Openwater Swim Strength, HIIT, Pilates, Yoga, Cardio Hiking, Walking, Indoor Walking Floor Climb (requires barometric altimeter) Guided Meditation activity Pickleball, Tennis, Golf, and more Smart features & safety Smart notifications (calls, texts, app alerts — when paired with phone) Garmin Pay contactless payments (NFC) LiveTrack real-time location sharing Incident Detection during select activities Manual Assistance — share location with emergency contacts Connect IQ store for watch faces, data fields, apps Calendar, weather, smart alerts No voice calls (need FR570+ with built-in mic/speaker) No Garmin Messenger satellite messaging Hardware & battery 1.2″ AMOLED color touchscreen, 390 × 390 pixels Always-on display option 5-button design + capacitive touch Fiber-reinforced polymer case, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens Silicone band, quick-release 20 mm industry-standard pins Up to 10 days battery in smartwatch mode Up to 20 hours with continuous GPS Up to ~7 hours with GPS + music USB-C charging cable 5 ATM water resistance (50 m) Sensors: Elevate Gen 4 optical HR, barometric altimeter, 3-axis compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, thermometer, ambient light Triple-system GNSS: GPS + GLONASS + Galileo (single-frequency) Weight: ~37 g (with band) Case size: 42.4 × 42.4 × 11.6 mm What's in the box Garmin Forerunner 170 Music smartwatch Silicone band (factory-installed) USB-C charging / data cable Documentation Specifications Specification Value Display 1.2″ AMOLED color touchscreen, 390 × 390 px Always-on display Yes (reduces battery) Controls 5 physical buttons + capacitive touchscreen GPS / GNSS Single-frequency multi-GNSS: GPS + GLONASS + Galileo Multi-band GPS No (need FR265 or higher for multi-band L1+L5) Heart rate sensor Elevate Gen 4 optical (24/7 continuous) ECG No (only FR970 in the Forerunner lineup has ECG) Skin temperature No (need Elevate Gen 5 — FR570 or FR970) Pulse Ox / SpO2 Yes (spot, on-demand, sleep) HRV Status Yes (4-7 day baseline tracking) Body Battery Yes Sleep tracking Sleep Score, Sleep Stages, Sleep Coach, nap detection Barometric altimeter Yes Compass Yes — 3-axis Gyroscope Yes Thermometer Yes (device temperature) Sport profiles 80+ built-in including Openwater Swim, Pool Swim, Cycling, Strength, HIIT, Yoga, Meditation Triathlon auto-transition No (need FR265 or higher) Garmin training stack Training Readiness, Training Status, HRV Status, Trail VO2 Max, Daily Suggested Workouts, Garmin Coach Running Power Yes — wrist-based (no chest strap or pod required) Running Dynamics Yes — wrist-based (cadence, stride length, ground contact time) Music storage Music variant only: 4 GB onboard (~500 songs at standard quality). Standard FR170: none. Music services Music variant only: Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer (offline, subscription required) Garmin Pay (NFC) Yes — Visa, Mastercard, American Express; supported banks Battery (smartwatch mode) Up to 10 days Battery (GPS only) Up to 20 hours Battery (GPS + music) Music variant only: Up to ~7 hours Water resistance 5 ATM (50 m) Connectivity Bluetooth + ANT+ (Music variant adds Wi-Fi for music sync) Smart notifications Yes (calls, texts, app alerts when paired with phone) Speaker / Microphone No (need FR570 or higher for voice calls) Charging USB-C cable Case material Fiber-reinforced polymer Lens material Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Strap Silicone, 20 mm quick-release industry-standard Case size 42.4 × 42.4 × 11.6 mm Weight ~37 g (with band) Colors Standard FR170: Black/Amp Yellow, Whitestone/Cloud Blue. Music variant adds: Teal Green/Citron, Red Pink/Mango. Compatibility iOS / Android (via Garmin Connect app) App Garmin Connect (free) + Garmin Connect IQ for watch faces, data fields, apps Connect IQ Yes — watch faces, data fields, widgets, apps Safety features Incident Detection, Manual Assistance, LiveTrack MSRP $299.99 (standard FR170) / $349.99 (Music variant) USD Forerunner 170 vs FR70 vs FR265 vs FR570 — Full Comparison Four running watches across the Garmin entry/mid-tier. The FR170 (both variants) sits in the sweet spot for runners who want the full training stack at a sub-$400 price. Focus or hover a row label for a plain-English definition. FR170 / 170 Music — You Are Here FR70 — Entry FR265 — Multi-Band Upgrade FR570 — Premium (Gen 5) Loading image… ★ You Are Here FR170 / 170 Music From $299.99 USD Shop FR170 → Loading image… Entry Forerunner 70 $249.99 USD Shop FR70 → Loading image… Multi-Band Upgrade Forerunner 265 $449.99 USD Shop FR265 → Loading image… Premium (Gen 5) Forerunner 570 $549.99 USD Shop FR570 → GPS, Sensors & Heart Rate Feature FR170★ You Are Here FR70Entry FR265Multi-Band FR570Gen 5 GNSS systems?Satellite constellations the watch can receive. More constellations = better accuracy in difficult environments. GPS + GLONASS + Galileo GPS + GLONASS + Galileo GPS + GLONASS + Galileo GPS + GLONASS + Galileo Multi-band GPS (L1+L5)?Dual-frequency GPS that uses both L1 and L5 signals for dramatically better accuracy in tree cover, urban canyons, and tunnels. ✕No ✕No ✓Yes ✓Yes HR sensor generation?Garmin's wrist-based optical heart rate sensor. Gen 5 adds skin temperature and improved cross-skin-tone accuracy with red + IR LEDs. Elevate Gen 4 Elevate Gen 4 Elevate Gen 4 Elevate Gen 5 ECG?On-demand heart rhythm check for atrial fibrillation. In the Forerunner lineup, only the FR970 has ECG. ✕No ✕No ✕No ✕No Pulse Ox / SpO2?Blood oxygen saturation monitoring — on-demand spot checks and overnight tracking. ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes Barometric altimeter?Pressure-based elevation sensor. Accurate to ~10 feet vs ~50-100 feet for GPS-only. Required for Floor Climb tracking. ✓Yes ✕No ✓Yes ✓Yes HRV Status?Multi-day heart rate variability baseline that tracks recovery and overall cardiovascular health. ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes Skin temperature?Wrist-based skin temperature tracking — requires Elevate Gen 5 (FR570 / FR970 / Venu 4). ✕No ✕No ✕No ✓Yes Training, Music & Smart Features Feature FR170★ You Are Here FR70Entry FR265Multi-Band FR570Gen 5 Onboard music storage?Memory for downloaded music playable to Bluetooth headphones with no phone needed. Spotify / Amazon Music / Deezer playlists with subscription. 4 GB (Music variant) ✕No 8 GB 8 GB Wi-Fi?For direct music downloads to the watch without going through the phone. Required for streaming-service playlist sync. Music variant only ✕No ✓Yes ✓Yes Garmin Pay (NFC)?Tap-to-pay at contactless terminals. Requires NFC hardware and a supported bank. ✓Yes ✕No ✓Yes ✓Yes Training Readiness?Daily score combining sleep, recovery, HRV, training load, and stress to tell you whether to push or rest today. ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes Wrist Running Power?Power output during running, measured from the watch alone — no chest strap or foot pod required. ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes Garmin Coach?Free adaptive 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon plans from expert coaches that adjust to your daily performance. ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes Triathlon mode?Auto-transition multisport activity for triathlon racing — automatic swim→bike→run handoff. FR570 adds Garmin Triathlon Coach plans. ✕No ✕No ✓Yes + Triathlon Coach On-wrist voice calls?Take calls from the watch using built-in speaker and microphone. FR570 has speaker + mic when paired to phone. ✕No ✕No ✕No ✓Yes Display, Battery & Hardware Feature FR170★ You Are Here FR70Entry FR265Multi-Band FR570Gen 5 Display?Screen size and type. AMOLED = bright, vibrant colors with deep blacks. All four are AMOLED touchscreens. 1.2″ AMOLED 1.2″ AMOLED 1.3″ AMOLED 1.2″ AMOLED (brighter) Always-on display?Keeps the time visible without raising your wrist. Reduces battery life. ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes ✓Yes Touchscreen + buttons?Capacitive touchscreen plus physical buttons. Buttons are essential for sweaty, wet, or gloved use during workouts. Touch + 5 buttons Touch + 5 buttons Touch + 5 buttons Touch + 5 buttons Bezel material?Material around the screen. Aluminum gives a more premium feel than polymer. Polymer Polymer Polymer Aluminum Battery (smartwatch)?Battery life with 24/7 HR, sleep tracking, and notifications active but no GPS workouts. Up to 10 days Up to 13 days Up to 13 days Up to 10 days Battery (GPS only)?Battery life with continuous single-frequency GPS tracking. Multi-band GPS cuts this further. Up to 20 hours Up to 23 hours Up to 20 hours Up to 18 hours Water resistance?5 ATM = safe for swimming, showering, and rain. Not for scuba or high-velocity water sports. 5 ATM (50 m) 5 ATM (50 m) 5 ATM (50 m) 5 ATM (50 m) Weight (with band)?Weight with default silicone band attached. ~37 g ~37 g ~47 g (46 mm) ~50 g (47 mm) MSRP?Manufacturer's suggested retail price in USD. FR170 has two variants on the same Shopify page. From $299.99 $249.99 $449.99 $549.99 Data based on official Garmin specifications. All four products are available at Heart Rate Monitors USA. The Forerunner 170 lives on one Shopify page with two variants — standard ($299.99) and Music ($349.99) — sharing identical hardware. Prices are MSRP and subject to change. If you notice an error, please contact us. CA Residents: Prop 65 Warning We work hard to keep product information accurate. If you spot an error, email us at sales@hrmusainc.com — we appreciate it. Garmin Forerunner 170 & 170 Music — Frequently Asked Questions Should I choose the Forerunner 170 or the Forerunner 170 Music? Both variants live on this page — pick from the variant selector above. The standard FR170 ($299.99) and the FR170 Music ($349.99) share identical hardware: same sensors, same GPS, same AMOLED display, same training features, same battery. The only difference is what the extra $50 gets you: the Music variant adds 4 GB of onboard music storage, Wi-Fi for direct downloads, and offline playback from Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer (subscription required) so you can run without your phone. If you run with music and want to leave your phone at home, pick Music. If you always run with your phone or use earbuds connected to your phone, the standard FR170 saves you $50 with zero feature loss. Should I get the FR170 Music or upgrade to the FR265? The FR265 ($449.99) upgrades the FR170 Music in two meaningful ways: multi-band (L1+L5) GPS for better accuracy in tree cover, urban canyons, and tunnels, and 8 GB of music storage (vs 4 GB). Both watches share the same Elevate Gen 4 HR sensor, the same Garmin training stack, the same AMOLED touchscreen, the same Garmin Pay, and the same 80+ sport profiles. If you run primarily on open roads or tracks where single-frequency GPS is plenty, the FR170 Music saves you $100 and gives you the same training experience. If you run technical trails, in dense urban areas, or you want the most accurate GPS Garmin sells at the mid-tier, the FR265 is worth the upgrade. Does the FR170 Music have multi-band GPS? No. The FR170 Music uses single-frequency multi-GNSS — GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo, but only on the L1 frequency. Multi-band (L1+L5) GPS, which improves accuracy in difficult environments like dense forest, urban canyons, and deep canyons, is reserved for the Forerunner 265 and above. For road and track running, the difference is rarely noticeable; for technical trail running or city running between tall buildings, multi-band makes a real-world difference. What music services work with the FR170 Music? Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer offline playlists — all require an active premium subscription with the respective service. You download playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks directly to the watch over Wi-Fi, then play to any Bluetooth headphones. The watch has 4 GB of onboard storage, which holds roughly 500 songs at standard quality. No third-party music app store, no Apple Music, no on-watch streaming. Does the FR170 Music have ECG or skin temperature? No. The FR170 Music uses Garmin's Elevate Gen 4 optical heart rate sensor — the same generation as the previous Forerunner 165. ECG and wrist-based skin temperature tracking require the Elevate Gen 5 sensor, which is only on the Forerunner 570, Forerunner 970, and Venu 4. If you specifically need ECG, the FR970 is currently the only Forerunner that offers it. How long does the FR170 Music battery last? Up to 10 days in smartwatch mode with notifications and 24/7 heart rate active. Up to 20 hours with continuous GPS. Music playback over Bluetooth shortens GPS battery life — Garmin rates GPS + music at roughly 7 hours. Real-world numbers depend on always-on display setting, screen-on time, GPS frequency, and notification volume. The FR170 Music charges via Garmin's standard USB-C charging cable. Is the FR170 Music waterproof? Yes — 5 ATM water resistance (50 m), suitable for swimming, showering, and rain. The FR170 Music includes both Pool Swim and Openwater Swim activity profiles with GPS-based swim tracking. Not designed for high-velocity water sports, scuba, or hot tubs. Wireless Bluetooth headphone signals do not penetrate water well, so music playback while submerged is unreliable — use a bone-conduction headphone or save the music for dry land. What's new in the FR170 vs the older FR165? The Forerunner 170 is the direct successor to the FR165 (released March 2024). The hardware sensor stack is largely identical (same Elevate Gen 4 HR, same single-frequency GNSS, same AMOLED display), but the FR170 adds a barometric altimeter (the FR165 didn't have one), a 3-axis compass, gyroscope, and thermometer, plus the full Garmin physio stack that was previously gated behind the FR255 and above — Training Readiness, HRV Status, Training Load, Trail VO2 Max, and Garmin Coach adaptive plans. Does the FR170 Music have a triathlon mode? No dedicated triathlon (multisport auto-transition) mode. The FR170 Music has separate Pool Swim, Openwater Swim, Cycling, and Running profiles — you can run a triathlon by manually starting each leg. Garmin's auto-transition triathlon mode is reserved for the Forerunner 265 and above. If you race triathlons regularly, the FR265 ($449.99) or higher is the right tier. Can I use the FR170 Music with a chest heart rate strap? Yes. The FR170 Music supports ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart accessories — chest heart rate straps (Garmin HRM-Pro Plus, HRM-Dual, Polar H10, Wahoo TICKR), bike speed/cadence sensors, foot pods, power meters, and Garmin Varia bike radars/lights all pair directly. Useful for high-intensity intervals or strength training where wrist-based HR can lag. Need help choosing? Call us at 1-800-403-8285 or 215-259-2700. Our team is happy to help you find the right Garmin running watch.