Garmin Forerunner 570 vs. Forerunner 970: The Best Choice for Runners in Singapore & Malaysia
- SportPlus Review
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 1 hour ago
Which new Forerunner offers the best value and performance in our team's tropical testing across various sports, terrains and environments? Find out our verdict here.
Garmin’s new Forerunner generation has landed, and this year’s pair — the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 — represent the biggest leap the lineup has seen since AMOLED screens arrived two years ago.
Both watches bring brighter displays, upgraded sensors, new system features, and long-awaited quality-of-life improvements for runners who demand consistency. But the story this year is also about price, features, and value. The gap between the performance-tier 570 and the flagship 970 has widened, and that makes the decision more complex — especially for runners in hot, humid climates who need accuracy under sweat-soaked conditions, long battery life for weekend adventures, and durability to survive daily exposure to tropical downpours.
After several months of training with both watches, including road runs around Marina Bay, intervals on KL tracks, and trail loops through MacRitchie and Chiangmai, here’s what our athletes think and our definitive take.
The Bottom Line
Buy the Forerunner 970 if you’re a dedicated runner or triathlete who wants everything — full onboard mapping, a sapphire lens, the new LED flashlight, the longest GPS battery in the line, and the latest advanced metrics (with HRM-600).
Buy the Forerunner 570 if you want a high-quality training watch with superb accuracy and a stunning screen, but don’t need mapping or the highest-end analytics — and you’d rather not stretch your budget.
Price & Value: A Bigger Gap Than Ever
Garmin’s pricing strategy this cycle is bold. The 570 launches at a premium over the previous generation, while the 970 edges even closer to Garmin’s Fēnix/Epix line.
Forerunner 570: S$759
Forerunner 970: S$1,029
HRM-600 chest strap (optional for advanced metrics on the 970): S$239
That last accessory matters. If you want Garmin’s new running-economy metrics, you’re realistically investing above S$1,029 for the full 970 experience.
For athletes in Singapore and Malaysia — where Coros Pace 3, Polar Vantage M3, and discounted older Forerunner models are common alternatives — price sensitivity is real. This year, value becomes a critical deciding factor.
Design & Durability: Tropical-Ready?
Forerunner 970: Built Like a Flagship
Garmin finally gives its flagship Forerunner the build quality it deserves:
Titanium bezel
Sapphire crystal lens
Improved, ultra-bright AMOLED display
Integrated LED flashlight
The sapphire lens is a major win in Southeast Asia, where humidity, salt from sweat, and daily rain make scratches almost unavoidable. After testing, the 970’s screen remained pristine despite being tossed around in bags and drenched in storms.
The flashlight, borrowed from the Fēnix line, sounds gimmicky until you actually use it — from post-run stretches in dim carparks to early-morning hydration stops on the Park Connector. Ultra-runner Sebastian Cheong, who has been testing the device in peak training conditions, summed it up perfectly:
“I've been wearing the Forerunner 970 since August this year, and I took it for my Ultra trail race in Chiang Mai last month — it's a watch that keeps up, even when you push past your limits.”
For Sebastian, the difference is in the details. The 970 delivers improved training load insights, better elevation mapping, and robust durability for ultra-distance environments.
“970 is definitely an upgrade from the 965, with advanced features that help me keep track of my training as I build towards my marathon in Singapore and an ultra trail marathon in New Zealand next February.”
That long-range vision is exactly who the 970 is made for: athletes building toward big goals who need reliable data and coaching prompts, even during fatigue.
Forerunner 570: Lighter, Sportier, Less Tough
Aluminum bezel
Gorilla Glass lens
New translucent sport straps
Two case sizes (42mm & 47mm)
The 570 feels youthful and light, and the smaller case is perfect for runners with slimmer wrists — especially women who’ve struggled with the size creep of modern GPS watches.
Durability is good, but it’s not scratch-proof like sapphire, and after several sweaty, rainy runs, we noticed smudges and micro-marks that didn’t appear on the 970.
For tropical athletes who run daily in hot sun and unpredictable rain, that difference matters. For triathlete Eunice Tan, the jump from her 55 to the 570 made an immediate impact:
“Garmin is almost synonymous with sport watch at this point — for very good reasons. As an athlete doing multiple disciplines, the upgrade from my Forerunner 55 was exceptional — boasting better GPS tracking and broader activity support — even when switching between the disciplines within the same activity.”
She highlights one of the most underrated quality-of-life features: on-device music.
“I am most impressed by the music storage which acts like an MP3 and lets me enjoy music while focusing on my run. (Love this a lot since I don’t like bringing my phone out on a run.)”
Where the 570 really shines, however, is the ecosystem integration — turning the watch into a daily training tool rather than just a tracker.
Travel and adventure athlete Daniel Fang adds another dimension to the 570’s appeal: real-world everyday utility.
“The Garmin Forerunner 570 is smartwatch and serious-runner watch hybrid: it brings much of what a runner or gym fitness-oriented user needs, while being comfortable, lightweight and convenient enough for daily wear.”
For Daniel, local ecosystem compatibility matters as much as training metrics:
“Love that it is compatible with many local SG health tracking apps such as AIA+, Healthy 365, etc., which many other brands might fall short of.”
Together, these perspectives show the 570 is built not only for structured training, but a lifestyle that blends performance with daily convenience — from coaching integrations to health incentives and travel-friendly features, especially for an avid traveller and adventurer like Daniel who has visited 190 countries to date and is always ready for his next adventure.
Athlete and digital-nomad runner Maxine Tan describes it as a wrist-based training partner:
“Using the Forerunner has made my training so much more intentional. I love how seamlessly it integrates with Strava and Runna — the FR570 keeps me aligned with my effort, recovery, and even fatigue levels.”
More importantly, it gives her clarity across her training week:
“Whether I’m running, cycling, or doing Pilates, it helps me understand how each session impacts the next. It’s basically a coach on my wrist, keeping me consistent no matter where I am in the world.”
Display Brightness: A Real Upgrade
Both watches now sport the brightest AMOLED screens Garmin has ever produced, roughly twice the brightness of the previous generation.
In Singapore’s mid-day sun or Malaysia’s open cycling roads, this is a meaningful upgrade.
Both remain readable even with sunglasses on — something older AMOLED Forerunners struggled with.
Battery Life: Still Good, But Shorter
Garmin’s move toward bright AMOLED displays comes with a trade-off:
battery life has dipped slightly compared to non-AMOLED models.
FR570 (42mm): 10 days smartwatch
FR570 (47mm): 11 days
FR970: 15 days
Even with the reduction, all models comfortably last:
A full training week
Multiple GPS sessions
A race day including marathon distance or long triathlon brick
In real-world tropical conditions—where heat increases heart rate and sweat affects optical-sensor consistency—they performed reliably without sudden drain.
Training Features: Big Step Up for Multisport Athletes
Both watches now include:
Tri-Coach
Multisport workout grouping (bike → run → swim → gym in one file)
More accurate race prediction tied to your actual training plan
New evening report (tomorrow’s workout + weather)
Speakers and microphones for music and voice commands
These additions are especially helpful for athletes navigating monsoon season training.
The evening report’s weather preview was surprisingly useful for planning morning runs around expected downpours.
GPS Accuracy & Heart Rate Tracking: Nearly Identical
Both models use:
Multi-Band GNSS
Garmin Elevate Gen 5 optical HR sensor
On road loops, sheltered HDB/condo corridors, and the tree-dense sections of MacRitchie, both produced tracks that were uncannily consistent.
Sweat, sunscreen, and humidity — common causes of optical-HR errors in SEA — didn’t noticeably impact accuracy.
This is the core reason to buy a Garmin, and both watches deliver the gold standard.
Navigation & Mapping: The Big Divider
This is the single greatest functional difference:
Forerunner 970: Full Onboard Topographic Maps
Turn-by-turn routing
City and trail detail
Reliable for races, travel, and local trail exploration
For runners exploring Bukit Timah trails, desaru long runs, or unfamiliar overseas marathon courses, this feature alone may justify the price.
Forerunner 570: Breadcrumb-Only Navigation
No touchscreen maps
Basic line-following only
At S$759, the lack of maps feels like the 570’s only genuine “miss”.
If you never run trails and rarely need navigation beyond simple routes, you won’t mind.
But if you plan to explore or travel for races, this is a major reason to pick the 970.
New Race Tools: A Big Win for Competitive Runners
Both watches debut:
Course-based auto-lap (mile/km markers based on known race maps, not GPS)
Post-finish auto-end prompt to avoid logging 400m of wandering around the finisher chute
Anyone who's run SCSM, Kuching Marathon, or KL Standard Chartered knows how messy auto-laps can get in dense urban areas.
These new features massively improve race-day reliability.
Advanced Metrics: 970 + HRM-600 Only
With the new HRM-600 chest strap, the 970 unlocks:
Step Speed Loss (a measure of braking force and running economy)
Running Tolerance (predicts how much training load you can sustainably increase)
For advanced users, particularly triathletes or marathoners chasing PRs, these are meaningful, actionable additions.
The 570 does not get these metrics.
Which One Should You Buy in Singapore/Malaysia?
Choose the Forerunner 970 if…
You are:
a marathoner, trail runner, or long distance triathlete
someone who travels for races
planning to train long-term with structured plans
appreciative of the sapphire lens and extra durability
willing to invest in the HRM-600 for the full feature set
This is Garmin’s best pure running watch ever — bright, rugged, accurate, and packed with endurance athlete tools.
Choose the Forerunner 570 if…
You want:
a fantastically accurate running watch
a bright display and lightweight feel
short distance multisport athlete support
top-tier performance without hitting S$1000+
a compact watch option (42mm)
This is the best mid-range Garmin has ever made — except for the lack of maps.
Final Verdict: Both Excellent, but One Stands Out
The Forerunner 570 is the sweet spot for most runners in Singapore and Malaysia who want accuracy, comfort, and great training tools without overspending.
But the Forerunner 970 is the clear choice for serious athletes — the ones chasing PRs, exploring trails, or needing a truly do-everything training companion.
If you rely on navigation or value durability under tropical conditions, the 970 is worth the investment. If not, the 570 delivers 90% of the experience at a far friendlier price. #GarminSG #Forerunner570 #Forerunner970