Garmin Forerunner 70 versus Garmin Forerunner 55: which entry-level running watch wins? The answer may seem obvious... the newer model is better, but depending on your needs and budget, that's not necessarily the case.
The Forerunner 55 debuted back in 2021, and ever since, it's topped our list of best smartwatch models for newbie runners. However, the Forerunner 70 just arrived —full review coming soon — and it's gunning to be the new sheriff of entry-level running ville. Does it have what it takes to beat its predecessor?
Below, I've compared the Garmin Forerunner 70 vs the Forerunner 55 across six categories: cost, design, display, fitness and training tools, smart features, and battery life. For each of those, I've declared a winner, along with an overall winner between the two at the very end.
Specs compared
But first, let's compare core specs between the Forerunner 70 and Forerunner 55.
Forerunner 70 |
Forerunner 55 |
|
|---|---|---|
Launch price |
$249 |
$79 |
Dimensions |
42.6 x 42.6 x 11.9 mm |
42 x 42 x 11.6 mm |
Weight |
40 g |
37 g |
Display type |
AMOLED |
MIP |
Display size |
1.2-inch |
1.04-inch |
Battery life |
13 days |
14 days |
GPS battery life |
23 hours |
20 hours |
Water resistance |
50 meters |
50 meters |
Forerunner 70 vs 55: Cost
The Garmin Forerunner 55 debuted at $50 less than the Forerunner 70, $199 versus $249. However, $199 in 2021 is worth roughly $240 in 2026, accounting for inflation, so the actual price of each is about the same.
That said, the Forerunner 55 can be picked up in 2026 for $169 or less, making it the better value between the two watches.
Winner: Garmin Forerunner 55
Forerunner 70 vs 55: design
In terms of physical footprint and button placement, the Forerunner 70 is essentially a match with the Forerunner 55. Sure, the newer model is ever so slightly larger — I'm talking percentages of millimeters here — and 3 g heavier, but both wear comfortably on my 6.5-inch wrist.
While the Forerunner 55 is a button-only affair, the Forerunner 70 combines touch sensitivity with physical controls, five buttons in total (just like on the Forerunner 55). Both devices feature a reasonably resilient plastic case with 50 meters of water resistance, enough for short surface-level swims.
As a whole, ever-so-slight differences aside, these two watches are basically the same when it comes to design.
Winner: draw
Forerunner 70 vs 55: Display
This is where the newer model starts to outshine its predecessor. While the Forerunner 55 sports a rather low-contrast 1.04-inch Memory in Pixel (MIP) display, the Forerunner 70 features a bigger, brighter, and better-saturated 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen display.
Both are visible in bright daylight, but the Forerunner 70's display is overall more engaging to interact with. In terms of protection, the Forerunner 55 and 60 both use chemically-treated glass, rather than a tougher sapphire crystal, but a slightly raised bezel on each provides additional protection from bumps and scratches.
Winner: Garmin Forerunner 70
Forerunner 70 vs 55: Fitness and training
When it comes to tracking running/workout basics, both the Forerunner 55 and 70 provide insights into your distance, pace, speed, and heart rate. You also get recovery advice, race time predictions, pacing advice, and daily workout suggestions from either model, along with fairly detailed sleep reports and Garmin's dynamic Body Battery metric.
However, the Forerunner 70 offers a handful of high-end training tools absent on the Forerunner 55, while supporting a wide range of workout types beyond running; 80+ compared to 18 for the Forerunner 55.
The Foerunner 70's high-end training tools include the brand's handy Training Load, Training Status, and Training Readiness metrics to help you avoid overexertion, along with comprehensive running dynamic insights into ground contact time, vertical oscillation, vertical ratio, and stride length. The Forerunner 70 additionally tracks your running power, VO2 Max, Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and blood oxygen saturation levels.
Both devices support Garmin Coach, adaptive training plans aimed at runners prepping for an upcoming event, but the feature is more customizable and comprehensive on the newer model.
Winner: Garmin Forerunner 70
Forerunner 70 vs 55: Smart features
Neither the Forerunner 70 nor the Forerunner 55 offers anything close to the smart features you'll find on some of the best full-featured smartwatches in 2026, like the Apple Watch Series 11 and Google Pixel Watch 4, but both at least mirror smartphone notifications from Android and iOS devices, provide music controls for your paired device, and offer basic safety features, including incident detection and Garmin's LiveTrack location-sharing tool.
Winner: draw
Forerunner 70 vs 55: Battery life
Battery life is essentially the same between the Forerunner 55 and 70. The former is rated to last up to two weeks per charge in smartwatch mode compared to 13 days for the newer model. When using the onboard GPS to track outdoor workouts, the Forerunner 55 promises up to 20 hours of battery compared to between 16 and 23 hours for the Forerunner 70, depending on which GPS mode you use.
Winner: draw
Verdict
The Garmin Forerunner 70 sports the same basic case design, dimensions, button layout, and battery life as the Forerunner 55. However, an upgraded display and massive expansion of its running toolkit make it a better choice for most users. Sure, it costs $80 more than its predecessor (as of writing), but that extra cash gets you quite a lot more smartwatch, IMHO.
Overall winner: Garmin Forerunner 70
More from Tom's Guide
- I just took my first jog with Garmin’s new entry-level running watch — 5 things to know about the Forerunner 70
- Garmin Forerunner 70 vs Garmin Forerunner 170 — what are the main differences between Garmin’s two new running watches
- I ran 10K with the Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Garmin Forerunner 170: is the new watch worth the upgrade?
