New Garmin Forerunners for Swimming (2026): FR70 vs 170 vs 570
Garmin's new Forerunner 70 and 170 vs the 570 for swimming. Pool and open water features compared — plus the one pool-only trap to avoid before you buy.
Garmin refreshed the bottom of its Forerunner range in 2026 with the new Forerunner 70 and 170, joining the 2025 Forerunner 570. They look almost identical on a shelf — but for swimmers, one of them is missing a feature you'll regret skipping. Here's how the three new Forerunners actually stack up in the water. The One Trap to Avoid: The FR70 Is Pool-Only Lead with the thing that'll save you a return.
The cheapest of the new trio, the Forerunner 70, tracks pool swimming perfectly well — but it has no open water swim profile. If you ever swim in a lake, the sea, or any open water, the FR70 simply won't record it as a swim with GPS distance. Garmin draws the line right there: the Forerunner 170, one tier up, is the first of the new models to add open water.
So the buying rule is almost embarrassingly simple. Pool only, forever? The FR70 saves you money. Any chance of open water? Skip straight to the FR170. Don't let the price gap tempt you into the wrong watch — it's only about $50, and open water is the kind of feature you can't add later. Pool only: Forerunner 70. Pool + open water: Forerunner 170 (the sweet spot for most swimmers).
Triathlon or max accuracy: Forerunner 570. The 3 New Forerunners, Compared for Swimming How These Fit Against the Rest of the Lineup The new entry models don't exist in a vacuum. The Forerunner 165 still sits alongside the 170 as a strong budget swim pick (and is often cheaper on sale) — see our Forerunner 165 swimming review if you're choosing between them.
Above the 570 sits the flagship Forerunner 970 (full maps) and the rugged Fenix 8 for serious open water and diving. For the full picture across every price tier, our best Garmin watch for swimming guide ranks the whole range, and the open water swimming guide focuses on the multi-band GPS picks specifically. Which New Forerunner Should You Buy? For the majority of swimmers, the Forerunner 170 is the new default.
It's the cheapest of the 2026 models that does open water, it adds genuinely useful swim extras (drill log, auto-rest), and it doubles as a capable running and everyday watch. Only drop to the FR70 if you are certain you'll never leave the pool — and even then, the 165 and 170 are worth a look first. Step up to the Forerunner 570 if you race triathlon, want automatic sport transitions, or care about the most accurate open water tracking from multi-band GPS.
It's a big jump in price, but it buys real capability the entry models don't have. Add Structured Workouts to Any of Them All three new Forerunners share one gap: you can't build structured swim sets on the watch itself. That's fine — they all accept Garmin FIT workout files, so you build the session elsewhere and push it across. Build your set in the AquaPlan workout generator , export it as a Garmin FIT file, and sync through Garmin Connect.
Your intervals, rest, and target zones then appear on the FR70, FR170, or FR570 mid-set — exactly like on a far pricier watch. The Garmin swim workouts guide walks through the sync. Frequently Asked Questions New Watch? Give It Workouts Worth Wearing It For Whichever new Forerunner you pick, AquaPlan turns it into a structured-training tool. Build a session in the drag-and-drop generator, export a Garmin FIT file, and swim every interval off your wrist — or start from 130+ ready-made workouts sorted by goal and zone.
Article source
Written and maintained by AquaPlan Team, Swim Training & Product.
The AquaPlan team builds swim-training software for structured pool workouts, Garmin-compatible FIT export, printable workout PDFs, and progress tracking.
Focus areas: Structured swim workout design, Garmin-compatible FIT file export, Pool training plans and workout-library systems, Swim training tools for web, iOS, and Android.
Editorial standard: AquaPlan training guides are checked against the current workout builder, workout library, Garmin export workflow, and product limits before publication.