23% of 75 verified Garmin Forerunner 970owners don't recommend it, and 3 describe specific problems — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
For balance: 68% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score
“Garmin overpriced the 970.”— @mccask on YouTube
“that price is way too steep”— @skiwildcat7 on YouTube
“My biggest problem with Garmin is the pricing, offering few improvements and buggy software.”— @alessioleswing7068 on YouTube
“I'm thinking about returning the 970 because it's too bright”— @lato2528 on YouTube
“It's too bright even at the lowest setting and drains the battery more.”— @AlexeyDnepr on YouTube
“I think the design is very … outdated”— @BiteSizedStories-g7i on YouTube
“I have the 970 currently along with the HRM 600 and I’ve just been really underwhelmed by it. I also have had an open ticket with Garmin support for over three weeks with no solution in sight.”— indicarunningclub on Reddit
“970 battery life is terrible. Also, the screen is too bright indoors even on the lowest dim setting. I returned it and just bought an Enduro 3.”— ahipoki on Reddit
“Ghost touches all the time, always after I pressed START button. Some told me it's a firmware bug but i think it's hardware malfunction.”— Emi on Garmin Forums
“I returned 3 Forerunner 970 because they just keep rebooting during workouts. Garmin knows of the issue but hasn’t been able to fix it.”— jareddipane on Reddit
“I've also had the 970 (among others) and while I really liked it, it just felt a bit too frail for my liking.”— Double_Alfalfa_303 on Reddit
“My 970 seems to have touch screen input when nothing is touching it. It seems like it is overly sensitive.”— jonchappelle on Garmin Forums