Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8 - Which Premium Watch Should You Choose in 2025?

In the smart sports watch market, Garmin has consistently earned users' trust with its powerful features and professional-level performance. In 2025, the brand launched two flagship models - the Forerunner 970 and the Fenix 8 - once again showcasing its technological strength in the high-end wearable sector.

While both watches offer advanced activity tracking and health monitoring capabilities, they differ significantly in design, target audience, and usage scenarios. For fitness enthusiasts who value both performance and practicality, choosing between these two models has become a hot topic. This article will compare them across several key dimensions to help you select the smart sports watch that best fits your needs.

Shared Features and Core Hardware of Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8

• 1.4" AMOLED touchscreen display with a 47mm case size
• Sapphire crystal lens for enhanced durability
• Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ and support for five satellite systems
• Built-in GPS for accurate navigation
• Garmin’s full suite of training and performance analysis tools
• Supports multiple sport modes (e.g., running, swimming)
• 32GB of internal storage for maps and music
• Supports Bluetooth headphones, smartphone notifications, voice calls, and voice assistant control
• Elevate Gen 5 heart rate sensor for all-day heart rate monitoring
• Blood oxygen tracking and other essential health monitoring features

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8 - Specifications

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8 - Design, Material, and Size

In terms of design philosophy, the Forerunner 970 and Fenix 8 exhibit distinctly different styles. The Forerunner 970 focuses on lightweight construction and comfort during exercise. It features a titanium bezel paired with a plastic body, balancing durability and weight reduction, with a total weight of only 56 grams. This design makes the watch almost unnoticeable during wear, especially suitable for long-distance running and intense training, emphasizing ease and flexibility during workouts. Its appearance is simple and streamlined, appealing to runners who prioritize both performance and comfort.

In contrast, the Fenix 8 is positioned as a rugged, all-purpose outdoor sports watch, ideal for hiking, trail running, and other demanding environments. Depending on the model, the Fenix 8 uses stainless steel or titanium cases, with a metal case back, combined with premium sapphire or Power Glass lenses to ensure excellent scratch resistance and durability. Weighing between 80 to 100 grams, it is not as lightweight as the Forerunner 970 but offers a solid and substantial feel, providing a strong sense of security. Additionally, the Fenix 8 features sealed physical buttons and a water resistance rating of 10 ATM (100 meters), significantly higher than the Forerunner 970’s 5 ATM, making it suitable for swimming and even shallow diving.

Regarding size, the Forerunner 970 comes in only one standard size, catering to most users with a simple and unified design. The Fenix 8, however, offers three case sizes - 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm - accommodating different wrist sizes and wearing preferences. Moreover, the Fenix 8 provides various material and lens combinations, such as titanium paired with sapphire solar glass, allowing for personalized options and extended functionality, greatly enriching user choice.

Winner: Fenix 8

Reason: The Fenix 8 excels in material durability, water resistance, and size diversity, making it better suited for a wide range of outdoor activities and extreme conditions with more comprehensive features; while the Forerunner 970 is lighter and more comfortable, it is more focused on running and everyday training.

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8 - Display

Both the Forerunner 970 and Fenix 8 feature 1.4-inch AMOLED displays with a resolution of 454×454 pixels, delivering sharp and vibrant visuals with high contrast, ensuring clear visibility indoors and under strong sunlight. Both watches use sapphire glass for durable scratch resistance.

The key difference lies in their screen design: the Forerunner 970’s AMOLED display emphasizes vivid colors and visual impact, ideal for indoor workouts and everyday use; the Fenix 8 offers not only an AMOLED screen but also a reflective MIP solar charging variant, enhancing readability and battery life under direct sunlight, making it better suited for extended outdoor activities. Both models support night mode and red light mode to accommodate various environments. Overall, the Forerunner 970 focuses on visual experience, while the Fenix 8 balances durability and endurance.

Winner: Fenix 8

Reason: The Fenix 8 combines a high-quality AMOLED display with a reflective MIP solar screen, improving outdoor visibility and battery life, making it more versatile; the Forerunner 970 leans more toward indoor visual appeal.

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8 - Bandletic QuickFit Strap Solutions for Every Wrist

The Garmin Fenix 8 series uses different QuickFit band sizes (22mm or 26mm) depending on the case size - 43mm, 47mm, or 51mm - so users need to consider both compatibility and usage scenarios when selecting replacement bands. To meet these diverse needs, Bandletic offers a range of high-performance QuickFit Garmin Forerunner 970 Watch bands and Garmin Fenix Watch Bands specifically designed for each Fenix 8 size, combining style, comfort, and functionality.

For Fenix 8 - 43mm and 51mm, which use QuickFit 26mm, Bandletic provides the TAC-V-Bagpack QuickFit 26mm, TAC-P-PinLock QuickFit 26mm, and TAC-R-Xtreme QuickFit 26mm bands - built for professional performance with secure construction, quick-release mechanisms, and durable materials ideal for outdoor and high-intensity environments. For the Fenix 8 - 47mm, which uses QuickFit 22mm, Bandletic offers a wider variety of options, including the TAC-V-Bagpack QuickFit 22mm, TAC-P-PinLock QuickFit 22mm, TAC-R-Xtreme QuickFit 22mm, and the lightweight, breathable Sport-N-AirLoop QuickFit 22mm. Additionally, the R-Steel 9 QuickFit 22mm metal band provides a sleek, refined look suitable for everyday or business wear. Bandletic is committed to enhancing the Garmin Fenix 8 experience with premium bands that seamlessly balance performance and design.

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8 - Health and Fitness Features

Both the Forerunner 970 and Fenix 8 come equipped with Garmin’s 5th-generation optical heart rate sensor, supporting all-day heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen saturation (Pulse Ox), HRV status, and advanced sleep tracking to provide comprehensive health data. The Forerunner 970 adds skin temperature tracking, which helps users more accurately monitor body changes, especially useful for tracking cycles and temperature trends.

In terms of training support, the Forerunner 970 is deeply optimized for running and triathlon, offering dynamic round-trip route planning, auto lap, running economy, and running tolerance analysis (requires a heart rate strap), along with built-in Garmin Coach training plans, ideal for runners and multi-sport enthusiasts seeking scientific training. It also supports voice calls and text messaging for enhanced convenience during workouts.

The Fenix 8 supports a wide range of sports beyond running, cycling, and swimming, including EN 13319-certified diving features with recreational scuba and freediving capabilities down to 40 meters. It offers dive-specific metrics such as no-fly and surface intervals. Its health monitoring algorithms are further optimized to better detect sleep stages and provide detailed sleep reports. Stress monitoring and Body Battery features help users balance activity and recovery. Additionally, features like ski difficulty tracking provide professional insights for winter sports enthusiasts.

Overall, the Forerunner 970 focuses more on professional running and triathlon training with smart assistance, suitable for high-intensity athletes. The Fenix 8 offers a more comprehensive suite of outdoor sports and health management tools, making it ideal for users with diverse athletic needs.

Winner: Fenix 8

Reason: With a richer selection of sport modes, specialized outdoor features, and more precise health data analysis, the Fenix 8 delivers stronger support for diverse workouts and comprehensive health management, appealing to a broader range of athletes.

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8 - Battery Life

When it comes to battery life, the Fenix 8 clearly stands out. The standard version lasts up to 16 days in smartwatch mode, while the larger 51mm version extends that to an impressive 29 days. In GPS mode, it can last up to 84 hours. The solar edition, equipped with Power Glass, further enhances longevity by harnessing sunlight  -  a huge plus for extended outdoor adventures and expeditions.

The Forerunner 970, while not as powerful in this department, still performs admirably. It offers up to 15 days in smartwatch mode, 26 hours in standard GPS mode, and 21 hours with multi-band GNSS. When music playback is enabled, battery life decreases, but it still manages up to 14 hours in GPS mode, which is more than sufficient for most training sessions and races.

Fenix 8 also features an Expedition GPS mode that pushes the limits with over 600 hours of battery life - ideal for extreme endurance athletes and long-distance trekkers. Although the Forerunner 970 lacks solar charging, it compensates with efficient power management in a lighter package.

Winner: Fenix 8

Reason: With longer battery life, broader mode support, and solar charging options, the Fenix 8 is the better choice for extended outdoor use and demanding environments.

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8 - Navigation & Mapping Features

When it comes to navigation and mapping capabilities, both of these high-end Garmin watches offer advanced features - but the Fenix 8 clearly stands out with its superior map detail and functional depth.

Fenix 8 comes equipped with comprehensive topographic maps, including detailed regional maps of mainland China and the ability to load contour maps, making it ideal for hiking, mountaineering, and other outdoor adventures. It supports multi-layer map switching, round-trip route planning, and seamless route syncing via Garmin Connect. Paired with multi-band GNSS and SatIQ intelligent positioning, Fenix 8 delivers highly accurate tracking even in dense forests or urban environments. Its built-in ABC sensors (altimeter, barometer, compass) further enhance outdoor navigation reliability.

On the other hand, the Forerunner 970 also offers full-color offline maps with turn-by-turn directions, off-route alerts, and route syncing. Its high-resolution AMOLED display provides clear visuals and smooth interaction, making it excellent for runners and cyclists. However, it lacks support for topographic map customization, map layer control, and some advanced outdoor sensors, making it less ideal for more rugged exploration.

In summary, while the Forerunner 970 is more than capable for most sports users, the Fenix 8 excels in navigation precision, map customization, and suitability for complex terrains.

Winner: Fenix 8

Reason: Offers richer map detail, multi-layer support, and complete outdoor sensor integration - perfect for advanced users and demanding environments.

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8 - Smart Features & Connectivity

When it comes to smart features and connectivity, both the Garmin Forerunner 970 and Fenix 8 deliver impressive performance, though they cater to slightly different user needs.

Forerunner 970 comes equipped with essential smart features like notifications, music playback, NFC payments, and compatibility with Garmin Connect IQ for downloading custom watch faces and third-party apps. It supports Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, and ANT+, allowing seamless connection to heart rate straps and other fitness accessories. The latest version introduces skin temperature tracking, nighttime health reports, and the ability to make calls and send messages via a connected smartphone - enhancing both wellness tracking and everyday convenience, especially for runners focused on performance and smart integration.

Fenix 8, on the other hand, takes it a step further. It features Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi, and enhanced multi-device connectivity for faster and more reliable syncing. With a built-in speaker and microphone, Fenix 8 supports voice calls, offline voice commands, and voice assistant functionality. Its improved user interface ensures a smoother experience, while enhanced payment security and broader smart device compatibility make it ideal for users who require a robust and versatile smartwatch for outdoor adventures, sports, and even business use.

Both watches are compatible with Garmin Connect IQ, offering extensive smart customization. However, Fenix 8 clearly leads in terms of comprehensive smart features and seamless integration across diverse scenarios.

Winner: Fenix 8

Reason: Offers a more complete smart ecosystem with voice assistant support, wider connectivity, and superior multi-functional integration.

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8 - Price & Value for Money

The Garmin Forerunner 970 is priced at $749.99, while the Fenix 8 AMOLED starts at $999.99 - and can go even higher with sapphire glass or larger case sizes, reaching up to $1,199. Although both models share similar hardware (excluding dive-specific features), and the Forerunner 970 introduces some newer software perks, there remains at least a $250 price gap between them.

However, with occasional promotional discounts, the Fenix 8 can drop by as much as $200, bringing its final price remarkably close - sometimes within $50 of the 970. In that case, Fenix 8’s superior durability, extended battery life, premium materials, and robust mapping/navigation features make it a compelling upgrade in overall value. On the other hand, the Forerunner 970 stands out for its lighter design and advanced running analytics, offering great value for serious runners focused on performance over versatility.

Winner: Fenix 8

Reason: When discounted, Fenix 8 delivers a more complete feature set and outdoor-ready performance at a similar price - making it the better overall value.

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 8 - Summary and Recommendation

Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 970 and Fenix 8 each cater to different types of users and sports scenarios. The Forerunner 970 stands out with its lightweight design, precise running metrics, and support for multiple sports, making it ideal for professional runners and triathletes. It meets the demands of intense training while providing comfort and smart features for everyday use. In contrast, the Fenix 8 emphasizes versatility and durability, offering a wide range of outdoor sport modes, robust battery life, and comprehensive health monitoring, making it the perfect choice for outdoor adventurers and extreme sports enthusiasts.

If you prioritize running performance, lightweight design, and specialized training data, the Forerunner 970 is the better fit. However, if you need a versatile device that can handle rugged environments, support various sports modes, and double as a reliable everyday watch, the Fenix 8 is the ideal companion. Choosing the right watch based on your exercise habits and needs will greatly enhance your performance and health management. Whichever model you choose, Garmin delivers an outstanding smart sports experience.