According to [this guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/wellness/smartwatches/garmin-just-dropped-two-new-entry-level-smartwatches-why-the-garmin-forerunner-70-and-170-could-be-the-best-beginner-running-watches-in-2026), the 70 doesn't have VO2 Max
Hi the Fr265 is not an old product. You should only ever rely on what the watch does now. It will continue doing that . The 70 is a good but very basic watch , entry level. The 265 is better built, has better glass on the screen, better GPS, more storage, better altimeter. It has better training schemes. Battery life is similar. Expect the 265 to come down in price as Garmin shift the 170 to the position of the 265. If you meant a 170 then it is a closer match but I would still go for the 265.
Hi! About 2–3 years ago (I honestly don’t remember exactly when), I bought a Garmin Forerunner 165 because it was on sale at a really good price. It was a great watch, but after using it for a while I realized it was missing some activities and features I wanted, so I ended up returning it.
After that, I started saving up for a Forerunner 965, but right before buying it, my wife surprised me with a Fenix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar. And honestly… it’s been an amazing watch.
The main reasons I really wanted the Fenix were the design, battery life, and especially the flashlight, which sounds silly at first, but it’s probably the feature I use the most every single day.
So with 2026 models in mind, I’d say your best options are probably:
Forerunner 170 → Huge upgrade compared to the 165. Garmin added a lot of activities and features that were missing before, and for the price it’s honestly one of the best value options right now.
Forerunner 970 → If you want the newest and most complete Forerunner experience, this is probably the sweet spot.
Enduro 3 → Personally, if I had to choose between the FR970 and the Enduro 3, I’d pick the Enduro every time. Bigger screen, easier to read, insane battery life (even better than my Fenix), solar charging, flashlight, and it basically does everything most people could ever need.
Fenix 8 Solar → If budget isn’t a concern, then this is the “just go all in” option.
Coming from an Apple Watch, I think the biggest thing you’ll notice immediately is battery life. Not having to think about charging every day is honestly a game changer.
Pace 4 lacks offline maps, you need to bump to the Pace Pro to get those. In the US, they landed at $200 for Pace 3, $250 for Pace 4, and $300 for Pace Pro, but in the UK it looks like they're at £230 and £300 which makes the jump much harder to swallow.
The Vivoactive 6 and Forerunner 170 (latest gen) or Forerunner 255 (older, but higher-end model) are your main comparisons at those price points in the Garmin ecosystem. Suunto Run and Suunto Race S are also worth considering, IMO.
You'll get all the activity tracking features, the one thing you're missing at this price point that might push me to spend more would be on-watch offline topographic maps. Some will have better accommodations for triathlons than others with true "multi-sport" modes that will either auto-detect your transitions (makes me nervous) or you can just push "lap" to manually go to the next stage, but I've never had a problem saving a "swim" activity while running out of the water and starting a "bike" activity while I push the bike to the line and so on.
At the same time, you can't really go wrong, they'll all serve you well. Personally, I love data and info, I would check the dcrainmaker in-depth reviews before buying:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2025/11/coros-pace-4-in-depth-sports-review.html
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Garmin
Forerunner 255 Series
86% positive of 466 users
Long battery; but wrist HR tracking is inconsistent.
colin_staples
