Garmin's Birthday Sale is live, and it has done something Garmin almost never does: discount two current running watches four months after launch.
The Forerunner 70 is down to $219.99 from its $249.99 list price, a $30 cut. The Forerunner 170 is down to $269.99 from $299.99, also $30 off. Both launched on May 15, 2026, and until this week neither had moved from full price.
According to price tracking on the Forerunner 70, $219.99 is the lowest the watch has ever been. It has averaged $249.93 over the last 30 days and sat at $249.97 across both the 90-day and 180-day windows. Garmin held the line for four months and then moved.
Why the Forerunner 70 Is the Better Deal
The Forerunner 70 is the bigger story, and it comes down to how much Garmin has pushed downhill.
This is no longer a stripped entry-level watch. You get a 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, built-in GPS, and up to 13 days in smartwatch mode. On the software side it carries Training Readiness, Training Status, wrist-based running power, running dynamics, Garmin Coach, and sleep score. That covers most of what a recreational runner will actually use.
When a watch like that sits below its launch price, the argument for climbing Garmin's range gets harder to make. Full details on both watches are in our Forerunner 70 and 170 launch coverage.
The Forerunner 170 adds a barometric altimeter, Garmin Pay, and extra cycling features over the 70. There is also a Forerunner 170 Music at $349.99 list if you want onboard storage. Paying $50 more for the 170 gets you hardware features rather than training features, which matters if you run hilly routes or want to leave your phone and wallet behind.
The Rest of the Birthday Sale
The two Forerunners are the freshest discounts, but they are not the largest ones. Garmin is running a much broader promotion alongside them:
- Fenix 8: several versions are $150 off
- Enduro 3: also $150 off
- Venu 3: $150 off
- Venu X1: $100 off, bringing the slim 2-inch AMOLED watch down from $659.99
- Vivoactive 6: $70 off
- Venu 4: $50 off
The Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 cuts are the headline reductions in raw dollars. The Enduro 3 discount carries a second signal: it lines up with the two unidentified Garmin outdoor devices sitting in regulatory filings, which is the kind of price movement that tends to precede a replacement. We covered that in our Enduro 4 release date tracker.
Should You Buy Now?
If you have been waiting on a Forerunner 70, this is the first real opening, and four months of price stability suggests the $219.99 floor will hold for a while rather than fall further. It is a $30 discount on a $250 watch, so it is not life-changing, but it is the lowest price on record for a model Garmin has refused to discount.
A few caveats before you click:
- Retail discounts are often limited to specific colors. Amazon has been discounting the Forerunner 70 primarily in certain colorways, so check the exact variant at checkout rather than assuming the whole line is reduced.
- Sale pricing varies by region. The Birthday Sale is running in both the US and UK, but the specific models and depths of discount differ between them.
- If you are deciding between the 70 and the 170, the $50 gap is the whole question. Buy the 70 for training features, buy the 170 for the altimeter and Garmin Pay.
Bottom Line
Garmin discounted two four-month-old watches for the first time, and the Forerunner 70 at $219.99 is the best value in the lineup right now. If you were waiting for a reason to buy Garmin's entry-level runner, this is the first one that has existed.
The wider Birthday Sale is doing more work for anyone shopping higher up the range, with $150 off the Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 and $100 off the Venu X1.
Sources: Garmin's Birthday Sale promotion page, Garmin's Forerunner 70 and 170 launch announcement (May 15, 2026, $249.99 and $299.99), Gadgets & Wearables' coverage of the first discounts (September 13, 2026), Technobezz price tracking on the Forerunner 70, and PhoneArena's sale coverage.