Smartwatches · owner-verdict comparison

Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 970: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Garmin Forerunner 970: 68% of 75 owners recommend it, vs 45% of 64 for the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Apple Watch Ultra 3

45%of 64 owners recommend
45% recommend · 32% neutral · 23% don't
Full owner report →

Garmin Forerunner 970

68%of 75 owners recommend
68% recommend · 9% neutral · 23% don't
Owners praise
  • Remarkably light, slim, and comfortable for all-day and 24/7 wear
  • Packs the full Fenix-level feature set into a smaller, cheaper package
  • Strong battery life in typical use, often a week or more
Owners complain about
  • Ghost touches and an oversensitive touchscreen, sometimes unusable until disabled
  • Battery can drain badly, dying mid-run or dropping to around 30 hours
  • Reboots and reliability issues during workouts, with slow Garmin support
Full owner report →

What Apple Watch Ultra 3 owners say

“I love my AWU1, but please make a round one!”
— samwcook21 on Reddit
“I have ultra 3 sleep with isuses very nice best”
— WeekendTall7500 on Reddit
“This has convinced me that I probably need a garmin. I take my Ultra 3 off after training and I hate smart watch features.”
— Few-Introduction5414 on Reddit

What Garmin Forerunner 970 owners say

“I just upgraded from the 935 to the 970 and I am very happy with this decision!”
— @WolfgangUllrichPhoto on YouTube
“getting the Flashlight for a forerunner is amazing!”
— @vpnconsult on YouTube
“Garmin overpriced the 970.”
— @mccask on YouTube