Image: Garmin

The Garmin Forerunner 170 Music sits in the sweet spot between a beginner running watch and a serious training tool. It has all the essentials you’d expect from a modern Garmin, including GPS tracking, heart rate monitoring, training readiness, Garmin Coach plans and, of course, onboard music storage so you can leave your phone at home.

Technical details

• Price: £299
• Battery life: Up to 10 days
• Battery type: Lithium ion
• Size: 42.6 x 42.6 x 11.9 mm
• Display size: 30.4 mm (1.2”) diameter
• Memory: 4 GB

Who is this watch for?

The Garmin Forerunner 170 Music is ideal for runners who want more than just pace and distance without stepping up to Garmin’s top-end models. It’s particularly well suited to those training for a specific goal, whether that’s a first 10K, a half marathon or a marathon, thanks to features like Garmin Coach, Training Readiness and Daily Suggested Workouts.

It also makes a great choice for runners who like to leave their phone at home. The onboard music storage and Garmin Pay mean you can head out with just your watch and a pair of Bluetooth headphones.

If you’re an ultra-runner, triathlete or someone who spends days in the mountains, you may benefit from the longer battery life and more advanced mapping found on Garmin’s premium watches.

What’s the Garmin Forerunner 170 Music display like?

One of the standout features of the Forerunner 170 Music is its AMOLED display. It’s bright, colourful and incredibly easy to read, whether you’re glancing at your pace in bright sunshine or checking notifications indoors. The touchscreen is responsive, although the familiar Garmin buttons remain, making it easy to navigate menus with sweaty fingers or while wearing gloves.

How is the battery life?

The battery life (10 days in smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours in GPS) isn’t class-leading, but is plenty for most runners. I found more than adequate for everyday training. Even with regular GPS use, music playback and health tracking enabled, I wasn’t constantly reaching for the charger.

Of course, using the AMOLED display at full brightness and listening to music will reduce battery life more quickly, but for most runners it should be fine. Unless you’re tackling ultra-distance events or multi-day adventures, it’s unlikely to be a limiting factor.

Garmin Forerunner 170 Music run test

What struck me most during testing was how easy the watch is to live with. It found a GPS signal quickly and recorded pace and distance accurately. During runs, the display was easy to read at a glance and I found the touchscreen responsive without becoming overly sensitive.

The lightweight design means it never felt cumbersome on my small wrist, even during longer sessions or daily wear.

The real strength of the Forerunner 170 Music is its training guidance. Training Readiness, Training Status and recovery metrics help you understand not just what you’ve done, but how your body is coping with your training. If you’re following a structured plan or building towards a race, these features genuinely help guide your decisions and stop you from overdoing it.

If you’re not that bothered about having music on available from your watch (if you’re like me and never without your phone) then the standard Forerunner 170 will save your £40. And if you’re all about the battery life, the Forerunner 70 gives you an extra 3 days on the 170 Music.

Where can I buy it?

The Forerunner 170 Music  is available from Garmin and selected retailers.

Looking for a new watch? Check out our favourite running watches.