Regular readers know that I always wear a Garmin with an LED flashlight on one of my wrists, and I use it daily. It’s exciting to see, for the first time, that Garmin now has a Forerunner model with this flashlight, which serves as an important safety feature for runners.
Garmin’s new Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 launch with vibrant AMOLED touchscreen displays, a triathlon coach training plan, customized multisport workouts, and a new evening report function that focuses on sleep coaching, awareness of the next day’s weather, and other relevant events.
Also: The best Garmin watches you can buy: Expert tested
These two new watches also continue to blur the line between fitness bands and smartwatches, thanks to the addition of a speaker and a microphone that support calls from the watch, your phone’s digital assistant, and voice commands to control watch functions.
The Forerunner 570 is available in 42mm and 47mm sizes, with three color options for each size and a price of $550 no matter which size you select.
The Garmin Forerunner 970 is the new flagship Forerunner, available in one 47mm size and three color options for $750. It also has several advanced features, including a sapphire glass lens, titanium bezel, integrated LED flashlight, advanced running dynamics that include new metrics such as running tolerance and running economy, and an ECG app. The running tolerance and running dynamics metrics require a connection to the new HRM 600 heart rate chest strap.
In addition to pairing with your smartwatch and tracking your heart rate together, the HRM 600 heart rate monitor can also be worn during activities where a smartwatch is not practical. This includes sports such as rugby, basketball, football, and more. The HRM 600 captures your heart rate, calories burned, speed, distance, and more — data that can then sync back to your watch via Garmin Connect when the activity is completed.
The Forerunner 570 provides up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and 18 hours in GPS mode, while the 970 provides up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and 26 hours with GPS tracking. The HRM 600 heart rate strap charges via USB-C and lasts up to two months between charging sessions. The HRM 600 is priced at $170 and will be available to order on May 21.
These two Forerunner models offer an experience similar to the Fenix line with watches that are lighter, less expensive, and designed primarily for runners and triathletes. The ability to use the watch as your communication companion means that you can leave the Apple Watch and its limited battery life behind.
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