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
Owners praise
  • Heart rate tracking is consistently praised as accurate and steady, with owners reporting no drop-outs and comparing it favorably to Garmin's Epix and Fenix line
  • Deep Apple ecosystem integration (iPhone, Mac) is a major draw that owners say has no real comparison among rivals
  • Battery life is solid for daily wear and gets owners through 4+ hour runs and full training days
Owners complain about
  • A recurring subset of owners end up switching to or preferring Garmin (Fenix 8, Enduro 3, Tactix 7) for serious training and fitness tracking, citing better dedicated sports features
  • Some owners report the heart rate sensor drops out during runs or lacks detailed data compared to Garmin, pushing them to pair a chest strap
  • Battery life is seen as a weak point next to Garmin, with owners noting it needs daily charging and calling it 'trash' compared to multi-day Garmin batteries
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 →

Which should you buy?

Get the Apple Watch Ultra 3 if
  • ✓Apple ecosystem users who want a smartwatch first, fitness tracker second
  • ✓Runners and swimmers satisfied with solid (not Garmin-grade) HR and GPS accuracy
  • ✓Daily/all-day wearers who value sleep tracking and battery good enough for a full day plus workouts
  • ✓Athletes who pair a chest strap for serious interval training but want AW polish otherwise
Skip it if
  • Serious multi-day endurance athletes needing Garmin-level battery life and raw sports data
  • Runners chasing max HR precision during intervals without a chest strap
Get the Garmin Forerunner 970 if
  • ✓Runners wanting a lightweight, full-featured GPS watch
  • ✓Small-wrist users needing a thin, comfortable watch
  • ✓Fenix owners wanting the same features but lighter
  • ✓24/7 wearers who track sleep
Skip it if
  • Those wanting a rugged, heavy-duty build
  • Budget-conscious buyers put off by the high price

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

Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 970: frequently asked questions

Is the Apple Watch Ultra 3 or the Garmin Forerunner 970 better?

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

Who should get the Apple Watch Ultra 3?

Owners point the Apple Watch Ultra 3 at apple ecosystem users who want a smartwatch first, fitness tracker second, and runners and swimmers satisfied with solid (not Garmin-grade) HR and GPS accuracy.

Who should get the Garmin Forerunner 970?

Owners point the Garmin Forerunner 970 at runners wanting a lightweight, full-featured GPS watch, and small-wrist users needing a thin, comfortable watch.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a recurring subset of owners end up switching to or preferring Garmin (Fenix 8, Enduro 3, Tactix 7) for serious training and fitness tracking, citing better dedicated sports features. For the Garmin Forerunner 970, it's ghost touches and an oversensitive touchscreen, sometimes unusable until disabled.