Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 9: Which Suits Runners Better?

For most serious runners, the Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 9 question has a short answer: buy the Forerunner 970. Garmin describes it as a running and triathlon watch, its price starts lower, and it weighs 56 g. The Fenix 9 justifies its higher price if you want a choice of case size or a higher water rating.

There is a third option. The Garmin Enduro 4 sits between the two on price and is built around battery life, which matters if your races run through the night.

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Fenix 9 at a glance

Every figure below comes from our product listings. Where a listing does not state a spec, the table says so.

Each product page gives the exact battery figure for smartwatch mode. The ranking in the table reflects those figures.

What the Forerunner 970 gives a runner

The Garmin Forerunner 970 is listed as a premium GPS running and triathlon smartwatch with an AMOLED display, an LED flashlight and advanced training and recovery features. That description is the main reason to pick it. Running is the job it was designed for.

The materials are close to what you get on the dearer watches: a sapphire crystal lens, a titanium bezel and a silicone strap. The display is 1.4 inches (35.3 mm) across with an optional always-on mode, and the watch weighs 56 g. Its water rating is 5 ATM.

It comes in one size and three colour combinations:

• Carbon Gray DLC Titanium with Black Case and Black/Translucent Whitestone Band
• Soft Gold Titanium with French Gray Case and French Gray/Translucent Indigo Band
• Titanium with Whitestone Case and Whitestone/Translucent Amp Yellow Band

On stated battery life in smartwatch mode, the Forerunner 970 also comes out ahead of the Fenix 9. For a runner who trains daily, that means fewer trips to the charging cable.

When the Fenix 9 is worth stepping up to

The Garmin Fenix 9 is described as a premium multisport GPS smartwatch. It suits you if running is one of several sports you track and you want one watch for all of them.

Its clearest advantage for runners is fit. The Fenix 9 comes in 43 mm, 47 mm and 51 mm cases, while the Forerunner 970 and Enduro 4 each come in a single size. If you have a slim wrist, or you prefer a large watch face, the Fenix 9 is the only one of the three that lets you choose.

Colours depend on the size. The 43 mm comes in Titanium with a Fog Gray or Pebble Gray silicone band. The 47 mm and 51 mm come in Carbon Gray DLC Titanium with a Black band, or Titanium with a Pebble Gray band.

The build goes a step further too. The case is fiber-reinforced polymer with a titanium rear cover, and the water rating is 10 ATM against the Forerunner’s 5 ATM. The costs are a higher starting price and the shortest stated battery life of the three. Our listing does not give a weight for the Fenix 9, so check Garmin’s spec sheet for the size you want if grams matter to you.

Where the Enduro 4 fits

Garmin calls the Enduro 4 an ultraperformance GPS smartwatch with extreme battery life. Its stated smartwatch-mode battery figure is more than double the Forerunner 970’s, and the listing gives an even longer figure with solar charging.

The display is the main difference. In place of AMOLED, the Enduro 4 uses a sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel screen under a Power Sapphire lens. It measures 1.4 inches, the same as the Forerunner 970.

It weighs 66 g with the band, or 57 g for the case alone, and it is rated to 10 ATM. There is one configuration: Titanium with a Dark Olive ComfortFit fabric band. If you want a different band, you will need to source one separately.

Which watch suits your training

• Road running, track sessions and marathon blocks: the Forerunner 970. It is the running-specific watch, it is the lightest with a stated weight, and its price starts lowest.
• Triathlon: the Forerunner 970 again, since triathlon is in Garmin’s own description of it. If you want the higher water rating, look at the Fenix 9.
• Running plus several other sports, or a wrist that needs a smaller or larger case: the Fenix 9.
• Ultras, stage races and long days in bright sun: the Enduro 4, for its battery and sunlight-visible display.

If you are still split between the Forerunner 970 and the Fenix 9, settle the size question first. A watch that fits your wrist well is one you will wear for every run.

Prices and how ordering works

Prices on Amaboxly are in RM and start from the lowest variation, so some sizes or colours can cost more:

• Garmin Forerunner 970 Smartwatch, from RM3,239
• Garmin Enduro 4 Smartwatch, from RM3,859
• Garmin Fenix 9 Smartwatch, from RM4,279

All three are preorders. We buy the watch new from the US brand store after you order, and estimated delivery is 30 calendar days. You can pay in full or, where the product page offers it, pay a 50% deposit now and the balance later. Checkout shows when the balance is due for your country.

Delivery is free within Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan pay RM21 per item, or nothing on orders over RM 2,200. For every other country, the fee appears at checkout, and the shipping fees page explains how it works.

Returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery. A change-of-mind return must be in new condition, carries a 10% restocking fee, and the cost of shipping it back to the seller is deducted from your refund. If a watch is damaged when it arrives, report it with photos straight away. Exchanges are only for items that arrive damaged, so read the refund and returns page before you settle on a size. The full range is on our Garmin page.