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Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Polar Vantage M3
The specs that matter for triathlon, side by side, from each maker’s own published figures.
| Spec | Garmin Forerunner 970 | Polar Vantage M3 |
|---|---|---|
| GPS battery | 26 h | 30 h |
| Smartwatch battery | 15 days | 7 days |
| Triathlon / multisport mode | Yes | Yes |
| Onboard maps | Yes | Yes |
| Open-water GPS (our rating) | 5 / 5 | 5 / 5 |
| Weight | 56 g | 53 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 970 if…
- you want the longer smartwatch battery: 15 days vs 7 days
Polar
Pick the Vantage M3 if…
- you want the longer GPS battery: 30 h vs 26 h
- you want the lighter one: 53 g vs 56 g
Specs from the makers’ own pages: Garmin, Polar.
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Triathlon Watch Comparison
Battery life, open-water GPS and maps across the watches triathletes buy.
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Triathlon watches, compared
Every product in this category in one spec table, plus 435 head-to-heads.
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