Smartwatches · owner-verdict comparison

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Garmin Venu 3: what real owners say

Real owners rate these about evenly: 68% of 75 Garmin Forerunner 970 owners recommend it, vs 69% of 256 for the Garmin Venu 3.

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

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 →

Garmin Venu 3

69%of 256 owners recommend
69% recommend · 13% neutral · 18% don't
Owners praise
  • Exceptional multi-day battery life
  • Accurate HR, SpO2 and GPS
  • Rich free tracking, no subscription
Owners complain about
  • Unreliable, inconsistent sleep tracking
  • Limited smart features versus Apple
  • Notification and connectivity glitches
Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

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
Get the Garmin Venu 3 if
  • ✓Switchers from Apple, Samsung or Fitbit craving long battery life
  • ✓Casual athletes wanting fitness plus everyday smartwatch balance
  • ✓Health trackers who value subscription-free HRV, stress and body battery data
  • ✓Swimmers and multi-activity users wanting accurate metrics
Skip it if
  • Buyers who need best-in-class sleep tracking
  • People wanting full smartwatch features and app ecosystem

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

What Garmin Venu 3 owners say

“Battery time is enough for me to change from Samsung/ Apple.”
— @waynehighfield2094 on YouTube
“Great watch even if I'm 80 years old. I still love my gadgets, like my Venu 3. Very comfortable and easy to use.”
— @Billcarls1 on YouTube
“Garmin's pricing is insane to me. $450 for plastic watch.”
— @MaxCaud on YouTube

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Garmin Venu 3: frequently asked questions

Is the Garmin Forerunner 970 or the Garmin Venu 3 better?

Real owners rate these about evenly: 68% of 75 Garmin Forerunner 970 owners recommend it, vs 69% of 256 for the Garmin Venu 3.

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.

Who should get the Garmin Venu 3?

Owners point the Garmin Venu 3 at switchers from Apple, Samsung or Fitbit craving long battery life, and casual athletes wanting fitness plus everyday smartwatch balance.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the Garmin Forerunner 970 is ghost touches and an oversensitive touchscreen, sometimes unusable until disabled. For the Garmin Venu 3, it's unreliable, inconsistent sleep tracking.