Garmin Forerunner 170 Music Feature Scores
Explore all 49 feature scores for Garmin Forerunner 170 Music, organized into pros and cons.
Scores by Feature
Summary
49 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.030 (61%)
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Positive 3.5-4.411 (22%)
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Neutral 2.5-3.47 (14%)
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Negative 1.5-2.41 (2%)
Pros
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Garmin Coach, adaptive plans, Daily Suggested Workouts, and Quick Workout provide unusually strong structure at this price. The tools work well for beginners building consistency and experienced runners training for races.
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Training Readiness, Training Status, load, HRV, and recovery-time guidance are among the watch’s strongest features. The recommendations feel closely tied to recent sleep, stress, and training history.
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More than 80 sport profiles cover running, cycling, swimming, strength work, winter sports, and many niche activities. The breadth is unusually strong for an entry-to-midrange Forerunner.
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Five physical buttons are a major strength during runs, especially with sweaty hands or gloves. Nearly every function can be controlled without relying on touch.
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The 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen is colorful, sharp, and attractive. It trails flagship Apple, Samsung, and premium Garmin panels in fluidity and peak brightness, but remains excellent for training.
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GPS locks quickly and stayed reliable in real-world running, swimming, and city testing. Single-band GNSS is a technical limitation, but most testers saw little practical loss outside very difficult terrain.
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Workout data remains easy to read in bright sunlight. Physical buttons also preserve usability when glare, sweat, or gloves make touch less convenient.
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The AMOLED display is bright and vivid enough for outdoor runs. It is not Garmin’s brightest panel, but readability remained strong in sunshine.
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The compact, lightweight case is easy to forget during runs, sleep, and daily wear. One report of skin irritation from the plastic back is the main caveat.
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Swipes and taps register quickly without feeling overly sensitive. Touch works well for menus and music, while buttons remain available for workouts.
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Garmin’s latest interface looks more polished, colorful, and modern while bringing sports and smartwatch tools into one place. It also positions the watch well for future updates.
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Offline Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and other supported services make phone-free running easy. Apple Music remains unsupported, and the Music edition’s premium may not suit runners who always carry a phone.
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The updated interface feels faster and smoother than older entry-level Garmins, and activity syncing is notably quick.
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The feature set is impressive for runners who want advanced coaching, music, and payments in one compact watch. Value becomes less convincing beside the cheaper Forerunner 70, discounted Forerunner 265, and running-focused rivals.
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Garmin Pay is convenient for phone-free coffee, water, or emergency purchases. Its value depends heavily on local bank support and whether the extra model cost feels justified.
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The on-watch experience is generally simple, polished, and easy to live with. Some features are buried in settings, so learning the full menu structure takes time.
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The compact case sits comfortably on smaller wrists and should suit a broad range of wrist sizes without feeling cumbersome.
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Distance, pace, swimming, and indoor workout tracking were consistently reliable across testing. The watch performs close to more expensive sports watches for most common activities.
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Fresh colors, a polished band treatment, and a compact sporty shape make the watch more appealing than older budget Forerunners. It still looks clearly fitness-focused rather than dressy.
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The 5ATM rating handles showers, pool swims, and open-water sessions confidently. Swim tracking also performed well in testing.
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Heart-rate tracking is strong for running and indoor cycling, but weight training and some outdoor cycling can expose the limits of the older Gen 4 sensor. An external strap remains best for precision.
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LiveTrack is useful for solo runners because contacts can follow an activity in progress. It is not independent safety coverage, since the feature relies on a connected phone.
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Core tracking and everyday functions proved dependable across running, swimming, and gym use, even though the hardware is not Garmin’s newest.
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Garmin Pay, notifications, apps, and offline music make the watch useful beyond training. It still prioritizes sports over the richer app and communication features of mainstream smartwatches.
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The lightweight polymer construction feels better finished than older entry-level Forerunners. The screwed-on back and small metal details help it feel less cheap.
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Garmin Connect provides nearly the same experience on iPhone and Android, making the watch a strong option for users who may switch phone platforms.
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Data screens can be tailored to show exactly what matters during a run, and watch faces offer additional visual personalization.
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The updated menus move quickly and physical-button navigation is easy during workouts. A few controls, including the start action, can still feel ambiguous.
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The responsive touchscreen makes browsing and controlling music much easier than button-only operation.
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GPS acquisition and Strava syncing are fast, with run uploads happening almost instantly compared with older Forerunners.
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Garmin’s polished software and Connect IQ support add useful widgets and apps, but the music ecosystem still excludes Apple Music.
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The compact 42–43mm design works for many wrists, but there is no larger case option for buyers who prefer a bigger display or more substantial watch.
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The silicone band feels soft and stretchy, with the 170 models adding nicer metal hardware and subtle two-tone styling.
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Pulse Ox support is a meaningful upgrade over the previous entry-level generation and broadens overnight and wellness monitoring.
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A full recharge takes just over an hour, which helps offset the need to charge more often than the headline estimate suggests.
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Wrist-based running power and dynamics bring advanced training data to a lower-priced watch without requiring an external sensor.
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Sleep duration, bedtime, and major sleep stages generally aligned with the Oura Ring in side-by-side use, showing meaningful improvement over older Garmin sleep tracking.
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Stress data feeds into readiness and recovery guidance, helping the watch suggest when to push harder or back off.
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Connect IQ adds downloadable apps and watch faces, while services such as WhatsApp, Spotify, and Deezer broaden everyday usefulness.
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Customizable watch faces and clean data layouts make the screen attractive while keeping essential running information easy to scan.
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Sleep, HRV, Body Battery, stress, and daily reports create a broad picture of recovery and energy rather than focusing only on workouts.
Cons
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There is no built-in cellular connection. LiveTrack and location sharing therefore require carrying a paired phone.
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Skin-temperature tracking is missing because the watch does not use Garmin’s newer Gen 5 sensor. That feature remains reserved for pricier models.
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ECG is not available on this model because it uses Garmin’s older Gen 4 sensor. Buyers who want on-demand ECG readings need a higher-end Garmin.
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Garmin’s proprietary cable is less convenient than magnetic or wireless alternatives and can shift out of place on the watch.
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Garmin Connect syncs quickly and works well for logging and data review, but its design can feel cluttered and overdue for a redesign.
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The polymer body keeps weight low and generally feels well assembled. The plastic back may irritate sensitive skin during continuous wear.
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Breadcrumb routes and synced courses are useful for planned runs, but full offline maps are missing. Trail, mountain, and ultra users may find this limitation significant.
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Battery life is adequate for several days of training, but real-world results often fall below Garmin’s 10-day claim. Always-on display, GPS, and music can cut endurance sharply, and the cheaper Forerunner 70 lasts longer.