I raced a half marathon with the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro vs Garmin Forerunner 970 — here’s which one I’d buy

(Image credit: Future) The Garmin Fenix 9 Pro and Garmin Forerunner 970 sit at the top of their respective trees within the Garmin line-up, and both are among the best sports watches available.They’re pitched at slightly different athletes, with the Forerunner 970 being a lightweight, slim watch built for the keenest runners and triathletes, while the all-metal Fenix 9 Pro is aimed at adventurers, offering epic battery life, LTE and satellite connectivity.However, they do share a lot of features, even including some of the new ones introduced with the Fenix 9 Pro that will roll back to the Forerunner 970, and many people will be picking between the two when buying one of the best Garmin watches.I’ve worn the Garmin Forerunner 970 for over a year myself and have had the Fenix 9 Pro strapped on for a few weeks since its launch, and I tested the two head-to-head at a half marathon.Here’s my full Garmin Fenix 9 Pro vs Garmin Forerunner 970 comparison, looking at price, accuracy, design, battery life and other key differences between the pair.Garmin Fenix 9 Pro vs Garmin Forerunner 970: Price (Image credit: Future)The Garmin Forerunner 970 has been out for over a year, which means you can often find it for less than its full price of $749. It comes in one size and three colors, keeping things nice and simple compared with the sprawling Fenix 9 line-up.I’m testing the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro 51mm AMOLED with inReach, which costs $1,299, but you have three sizes and two display options to pick from with the Fenix 9.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.The standard Garmin Fenix 9 starts at $999, whereas the Fenix 9 Pro starts at $1,099. The Pro has an all-titanium case, the option to add inReach connectivity, plus a choice of an AMOLED or MIP display.Whatever version of the Fenix 9 you go for, it’s going to be considerably more expensive than the Forerunner 970.Garmin Fenix 9 Pro vs Garmin Forerunner 970: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Garmin Fenix 9 Pro AMOLED vs Garmin Forerunner 970 Row 0 - Cell 0 Garmin Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED Garmin Forerunner 970 Price From $1,199 (with inReach) $749 Size 43mm, 47mm or 51mm 47mm Thickness 13.3mm (43mm),13.8mm (47mm), 15.8mm (51mm) 12.9mm Weight (with strap) 62g (43mm), 78g (47mm), 99g (51mm) 56g Display Sapphire crystal Sapphire crystal Connectivity LTE & satellite None Smartwatch battery life 10 days (43 mm), 18 days (47mm), 31 days (51mm) 15 days GPS battery life (multi-band) 18 hours (43mm), 32 hours (47mm), 56 hours (51mm) 21 hours Garmin Fenix 9 Pro vs Garmin Forerunner 970: Design and display (Image credit: Future)The two watches share a lot of common design features, including a sapphire crystal screen, built-in flashlight, five buttons, and Garmin’s Elevate v5 heart rate sensors.For me, the key difference is certainly the size and weight. The Forerunner 970 is slimmer and lighter than any Fenix model, especially the 51mm model of the Fenix I’m testing.Having three options of the Fenix 9 to pick from is an advantage, though, with the 43mm model perhaps a little more suitable for thin wrists than the 47mm Forerunner 970, though the latter is still lighter and thinner. (Image credit: Future)The Forerunner 970 has a titanium bezel but is mostly made from plastic, whereas the Fenix 9 Pro has a full titanium case, which gives it a premium look and feel that’s a little less sporty.You also get a higher water resistance rating with the Fenix 9, which is diveproof to 40m and has a 10 ATM rating compared to 5 ATM for the Forerunner 970.Other differences to note are that the Fenix 9 has a brighter display than the Forerunner 970, though this was rarely something I noticed when using both watches, and the flashlight on the Fenix 9 Pro has a green option, which you don’t get on the cheaper Fenix 9 or Forerunner 970.Garmin Fenix 9 Pro vs Garmin Forerunner 970: GPS and heart rate accuracy (Image credit: Future)My testing of the accuracy of the watches extends well beyond the half marathon I ran wearing both, but it was representative of the results I’ve had with them, in that both were very accurate in the race.The GPS tracks were nearly identical when I checked them after the event, and both watches measured almost the exact half marathon distance of 13.1094 miles.This was a measured course for my local county’s championship race, and I was able to run the most direct line almost the entire time, so I expected the watches to be very close to the official distance, and they were. (Image credit: Future)Things were similarly impressive with regard to heart rate, which I checked by comparing the watches’ measurements with a Garmin HRM 600 chest strap.Aside from the Fenix 9 Pro having a short, erroneous spike near the start of the race, both watches matched the readings from the chest strap beat for beat throughout. (Image credit: DC Rainmaker Analyzer)I have run thousands of miles with the Garmin Forerunner 970 and have racked up almost 200 miles with the Fenix 9 Pro so far, as well as doing a lot of other workouts with the watches, and they have been consistently excellent for both GPS and heart rate accuracy.Garmin Fenix 9 Pro vs Garmin Forerunner 970: Battery life (Image credit: Future)Battery life is an area where the Fenix 9 Pro outdoes the Forerunner 970, especially with the largest 51mm model.The Forerunner 970 generally lasts me four or five days on a charge with the screen always on, running outdoors every day, whereas the Feinx 9 Pro 51mm has been lasting me 10 or 11 days with the same use.It’s closer when comparing the 47mm Fenix 9 to the Forerunner 970, but the Fenix is listed as lasting longer in watch and GPS modes. However, if you opt for the smaller 43mm Fenix 9, the Forerunner 970 will outlast it.Garmin Fenix 9 Pro vs Garmin Forerunner 970: Connectivity (Image credit: Future)The inReach models of the Fenix 9 Pro offer LTE and satellite connectivity, which allow you to stay in touch with the world without carrying your phone, even when you’re in the wilderness and outside cellular coverage.This is one of the biggest extra features you get on the Fenix 9 Pro compared with the Forerunner 970, and it will be a huge draw to the most adventurous athletes in particular.Garmin Fenix 9 Pro vs Garmin Forerunner 970: Maps (Image credit: Future)Both watches offer Garmin’s routable maps and navigation tools, which are the best in the business, but the Fenix 9 Pro has a couple of small upgrades in this area that won’t be coming to the Forerunner 970.The first is simply that the maps load a little faster when panning and zooming, and the second is the new perspective view you can use on the Fenix 9, which tilts the map slightly in line with your perspective.Both upgrades are welcome, but I wouldn’t classify them as dealbreakers when picking between the two watches myself.Garmin Fenix 9 Pro vs Garmin Forerunner 970: Which should you buy? (Image credit: Future)The Garmin Forerunner 970 remains my favorite sports watch overall, and I’d pick it over the Fenix 9 Pro because of its lighter, slimmer design and the fact that it’s a lot cheaper.However, this is also because none of the feature upgrades you get on the Fenix 9 Pro are absolutely essential for me — if you need the extra connectivity in particular, then paying more for a Fenix will be worthwhile.The design of the Fenix 9 Pro will also appeal to a lot of people. The all-metal design is gorgeous and means the watch is a better fit for smart settings than the sportier Forerunner 970.On accuracy and key sports and navigation features, however, the two watches are pretty much a wash based on my testing, and clearly two of the best options on the market from any brand. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Alternatively, you can read our content on the Tom's Guide app available now for iOS and Android. More from Tom's GuideApple Watch Ultra 4 first impressions: 5 reasons to buy and 2 reasons to skip Apple’s new rugged modelApple Watch 11 vs Apple Watch Ultra 3 — which one should you buy?We asked 368 people what they want from the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Here’s the resounding answer (and it’s not AI) Nick Harris-Fry is an experienced health and fitness journalist, writing professionally since 2012. He spent nine years working on the Coach magazine and website before moving to the fitness team at Tom’s Guide in 2024. Nick is a keen runner and also the founder of YouTube channel The Run Testers, which specialises in reviewing running shoes, watches, headphones and other gear.Nick ran his first marathon in 2016 and became obsessed with the sport. He now has PBs of 2hr 25min for the marathon and 15min 30sec for 5K. Nick is also a qualified Run Leader in the UK.Nick is an established expert in the fitness area and along with writing for many publications, including Live Science, Expert Reviews, Wareable, Coach and Get Sweat Go, he has been quoted on The Guardian and The Independent.