Garmin Forerunner 170 vs Coros Pace 4: Lightweight sports watches for smaller wrists compared
The Garmin Forerunner 170 and Coros Pace 4 are ultralight sports watches designed for athletes with smaller wrists. Both feature AMOLED displays, heart rate sensors, and advanced training metrics. The article compares them, noting that one has longer battery life.
Both watches share a 1.2-inch AMOLED panel at 390x390 pixels and weigh roughly 40 grams, making them nearly identical in physical footprint. The Coros Pace 4 undercuts the Garmin by $50 and offers substantially longer endurance: 19 days versus 10 days with the always-on display disabled, and 24 hours of GPS tracking versus 14. The Garmin retains a five-button interface, which aids operation in wet conditions. Each watch pairs with a companion smartphone app and provides full web-based data access for workout creation and trend analysis. The reviewer tested both across biking, hiking, rowing, and walking, noting the devices are best suited to smaller wrists.
This comparison reflects a growing shift toward lighter, more affordable sports watches that still deliver serious training tools. Athletes with smaller wrists, who were previously underserved by bulky rugged models, now have credible options under $300. The battery life gap could influence purchasing decisions for endurance athletes who train long hours or travel frequently. As more consumers prioritize fitness tracking without smartphone-style distractions, these devices may push mainstream brands to offer slimmer, longer-lasting alternatives, potentially reshaping expectations for what a dedicated sports watch should weigh and cost.