Suunto Run 2 vs Garmin Forerunner 170: Run Watch or Triathlon Watch?

The Suunto Run 2 costs £265 with 4GB of storage and the Garmin Forerunner 170 costs £260, so price won’t decide this. Sport modes will. Our Forerunner 170 review confirms swim, bike and run tracking and multisport, while the launch material we read for the Run 2 lists none of the swim or triathlon modes.

Specs side by side

	Suunto Run 2	Garmin Forerunner 170
UK price	£265 (4GB), £299 (64GB)	£260, £300 for the Music version
Launched	8 September 2026	15 May 2026
Display	1.32-inch AMOLED, 2,000 nits	AMOLED
Weight	35g watch body	Not stated in our review
Battery, smartwatch mode	About 10 days	Up to 10 days
Battery, GPS	Up to 24 hours (dual-band)	20 hours
Swim, bike, run and multisport	Not listed in launch material	Yes
Cycling power meters	Not supported, per the5krunner	ANT+ power meter support
Offline maps	Free, worldwide	Not stated in our review
Recovery metrics	EnergySense	Training Status and Training Readiness
Water resistance	5 ATM	5 ATM

The Run 2 figures come from Suunto’s launch release and the5krunner’s review. The Forerunner 170 figures come from our Forerunner 170 review. Battery numbers are manufacturer claims. The5KRunner’s review estimates 15 to 16 hours of real-world GPS on the Run 2 with high brightness and an always-on screen, so the gap to Garmin’s 20 hours may be smaller than the headline numbers suggest.

Which one to buy

Buy the Forerunner 170 if you race triathlon and want one watch for the swim, bike and run. It also takes an ANT+ power meter and offers smart trainer connectivity.
Buy the Run 2 if you mainly run, want a light watch and want free offline maps.

For more options at this price, see the best triathlon watches under £300, and read our Suunto Run 2 launch coverage for the full spec list. We haven’t worn the Run 2 ourselves.