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Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Garmin Forerunner 970

The specs that matter for triathlon, side by side, from each maker’s own published figures.

Specs for Garmin Forerunner 965 and Garmin Forerunner 970
SpecGarmin Forerunner 965Garmin Forerunner 970
GPS battery 31 h 26 h
Smartwatch battery 23 days 15 days
Triathlon / multisport mode Yes Yes
Onboard maps Yes Yes
Open-water GPS (our rating) 5 / 5 5 / 5
Weight 53 g 56 g
Screen AMOLED AMOLED

Open-water GPS is our 1–5 rating from the satellite systems each maker lists: multi-band receivers score 5. Everything else is the maker’s own figure.

Which should you pick?

Garmin

Pick the Forerunner 965 if…

  • you want the longer GPS battery: 31 h vs 26 h
  • you want the longer smartwatch battery: 23 days vs 15 days
  • you want the lighter one: 53 g vs 56 g
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Garmin

Pick the Forerunner 970 if…

On the specs above it doesn’t pull ahead, so choose on fit, feel or price.

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Specs from the makers’ own pages: Garmin, Garmin.

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Triathlon Watch Comparison

Battery life, open-water GPS and maps across the watches triathletes buy.

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