GPS Running Watches / COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) vs Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm)
COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) vs Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm)
COROS PACE 4 (silicone band)
Multiband GPS and 31 hours of it for $249 — the value benchmark of the category.
Wins overall by 1.0 points
Quick Verdict
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) is the stronger all-round pick, ahead by 1.0 points. Multiband GPS and 31 hours of it for $249 — the value benchmark of the category.
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) and Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) are both closely matched GPS Running Watch models, and the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) is $51 cheaper than the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) ($249 vs $299.99). On GPS Accuracy, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) leads (8.2 vs 6.2/10) — trace quality in cities and under tree cover — multiband L1+L5 hardware plus what independent testers measured in the real world.. On Value, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) leads (9.4 vs 7.8/10) — what the watch delivers per dollar against everything else in the comparison at the moment of purchase.. On Battery Honesty, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) leads (8.4 vs 7.0/10) — how much of the headline battery claim survives the mode you would actually train in: all-systems plus multiband, always-on display, music playing. The number on the box is almost always the slowest, least accurate mode.. Overall, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores 7.8/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.8/10 for the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) | Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.00 | $299.99 |
| Release Year | 2025 | 2026 |
| Display | 1.2-in 390x390 AMOLED touchscreen with digital crown, optional always-on | 1.2-in 390x390 AMOLED touchscreen, optional always-on |
| Smartwatch Battery ( days) | 19✓ | 10 |
| Always-On Display Cost | 6 days with always-on display — always-on costs 13 of the 19 headline days, and cuts all-systems GPS from 41 h to 30 h and dual-frequency from 31 h to 24 h | 4 days with always-on display — the headline 10-day figure assumes the screen is off between glances |
| Battery, Single-Band GPS ( h) | 41✓ | 20 |
| Battery, Multiband GPS ( h) | 31 | No multiband mode exists on this watch; all-systems (L1 only) runs 14 h |
| GNSS Bands | Dual-frequency L1+L5 across GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS. Rare at this price — the similarly-priced Forerunner 170 is single-band. | Single-band L1 multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS). No L5/dual-frequency — DC Rainmaker's hands-on and the garminrumors spec wiki both confirm this; the5krunner's spec page loosely calls it 'multi-frequency', which is wrong. Multiband starts at the Forerunner 570. |
| Onboard Maps | None. Breadcrumb navigation only, from GPX or routes synced from Strava, Komoot, RideWithGPS or Wikiloc. No offline base map. | None. Breadcrumb course-following only — no TopoActive maps, no turn-by-turn, no ClimbPro. |
| Music Storage | 4 GB for sideloaded MP3s played to Bluetooth headphones. No Spotify and no other streaming service. | Only on the $349.99 Forerunner 170 Music: 4 GB with offline Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer. The $299.99 base model reviewed here has no music storage and no Wi-Fi. |
| Training Platform & Subscription | COROS app and EvoLab (Training Load, Base Fitness, Fatigue, Running Fitness) are free with no paid tier at all. Metrics are COROS' own, not Firstbeat-licensed. | Garmin Connect is free and every core training metric — Training Readiness, Training Load, Training Status, HRV Status, Body Battery, recovery time — is Firstbeat-derived and free on the watch (Garmin bought Firstbeat in 2020). Connect+ is $6.99/mo or $69.99/yr and adds only AI wellness prompts, 3D maps, Trails+ routing, extra badges and nutrition logging — nothing a training plan depends on. |
| External Sensor Support | Bluetooth only — no ANT+. BLE chest straps, Stryd pods and power meters pair normally. | Pairs with both ANT+ and Bluetooth chest straps, footpods and Stryd — the cheap fix for wrist-HR interval errors |
| Data Export | Free .FIT and GPX export from the COROS app, plus automatic sync to Strava, TrainingPeaks, Nike Run Club, Apple Health and Health Connect. | Full .FIT file access over USB/MTP plus free automatic sync to Strava, TrainingPeaks, Runalyze, intervals.icu and others through Garmin Connect. |
| Warranty | 24 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Black Crystal, Cloud White | Black / Amp Yellow |
Category Scores
GPS Accuracy
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) leads clearly here, 8.2 against 6.2 — a 2.0-point margin on trace quality in cities and under tree cover — multiband L1+L5 hardware plus what independent testers measured in the real world.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Battery Honesty
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) leads clearly here, 8.4 against 7.0 — a 1.4-point margin on how much of the headline battery claim survives the mode you would actually train in: all-systems plus multiband, always-on display, music playing. The number on the box is almost always the slowest, least accurate mode.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Training & Recovery
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) is marginally ahead, 7.6 to 7.4. A gap this small rarely decides a purchase on its own, though it counts if depth of load, readiness and recovery analysis, and how much of it is free rather than gated behind a subscription or an extra chest strap. is your priority.
Heart Rate
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) leads clearly here, 7.8 against 6.8 — a 1.0-point margin on optical wrist accuracy during intervals and burst efforts, and whether the watch pairs with ANT+ and/or Bluetooth chest straps as a fix.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Display
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) and Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) are level here, at 8.3/10 each. brightness, resolution and daylight readability, weighing AMOLED sharpness against MIP's always-on-for-free behaviour. is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Build & Comfort
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.2 — a 0.8-point margin on case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) leads clearly here, 9.4 against 7.8 — a 1.6-point margin on what the watch delivers per dollar against everything else in the comparison at the moment of purchase.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) if…
- • GPS Accuracy matters most to you — the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores 8.2/10 here (trace quality in cities and under tree cover — multiband L1+L5 hardware plus what independent testers measured in the real world.).
- • Value matters most to you — the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores 9.4/10 here (what the watch delivers per dollar against everything else in the comparison at the moment of purchase.).
- • Battery Honesty matters most to you — the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores 8.4/10 here (how much of the headline battery claim survives the mode you would actually train in: all-systems plus multiband, always-on display, music playing. The number on the box is almost always the slowest, least accurate mode.).
- • Navigation & Maps matters most to you — the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores 3.5/10 here (real routable offline topographic maps versus a breadcrumb line, plus how painful it is to get maps onto the watch.).
- • Heart Rate matters most to you — the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores 7.8/10 here (optical wrist accuracy during intervals and burst efforts, and whether the watch pairs with ANT+ and/or Bluetooth chest straps as a fix.).
Choose the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) if…
- • You prefer the Garmin ecosystem, app, and design language.
Pros & Cons
COROS PACE 4 (silicone band)
Pros
- +Dual-frequency L1+L5 GNSS at $249 — the single biggest accuracy upgrade you can buy at this price
- +31 h in the most accurate GPS mode still beats what most $500 AMOLED watches manage
- +32 g on the nylon band; you forget it is there on a long run
- +No subscription anywhere in the COROS ecosystem, and .FIT files sync free to Strava and TrainingPeaks
- +DC Rainmaker found the optical HR 'spot-on' through intervals — unusual for a $249 watch
Cons
- −No offline maps at all — breadcrumb trails only, which is a real limitation off-road
- −No ANT+, so ANT+-only power meters and older chest straps will not pair
- −Music is sideloaded MP3 only; there is no Spotify, no streaming, no phone-music control
- −Always-on display costs 13 of the 19 claimed smartwatch days and 10 h of GPS time
- −Training Load resets every Monday rather than rolling, which DC Rainmaker notes does not match recovery physiology
Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm)
Pros
- +Adds a barometer, gyroscope, wrist running power, Training Readiness and open-water swimming over the Forerunner 165 it replaces
- +Every training and recovery metric is free — Connect+ at $6.99/mo adds nothing a runner's plan depends on
- +Pairs with ANT+ and Bluetooth chest straps, so $60 of strap fixes the wrist sensor for intervals
- +20 h of GPS-only battery covers a road marathon several times over
Cons
- −Single-band L1 GNSS only — in city streets or under canopy the trace drifts, and multiband costs $250 more (Forerunner 570)
- −No multisport/triathlon mode at all, so it cannot record a triathlon; DC Rainmaker flags this as the headline omission
- −No maps of any kind, and no turn-by-turn — breadcrumbs only
- −Music is a $50 upcharge: the base model has zero song storage and no Wi-Fi
- −The 10-day smartwatch claim drops to 4 days the moment you enable the always-on display
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) or Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for GPS Accuracy, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) or the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm)?+
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores higher on GPS Accuracy (8.2/10 vs 6.2/10) — trace quality in cities and under tree cover — multiband L1+L5 hardware plus what independent testers measured in the real world..
Which is better for Value, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) or the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm)?+
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores higher on Value (9.4/10 vs 7.8/10) — what the watch delivers per dollar against everything else in the comparison at the moment of purchase..
Which is better for Battery Honesty, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) or the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm)?+
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores higher on Battery Honesty (8.4/10 vs 7.0/10) — how much of the headline battery claim survives the mode you would actually train in: all-systems plus multiband, always-on display, music playing. The number on the box is almost always the slowest, least accurate mode..
Which is better for Navigation & Maps, the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) or the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm)?+
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) scores higher on Navigation & Maps (3.5/10 vs 2.5/10) — real routable offline topographic maps versus a breadcrumb line, plus how painful it is to get maps onto the watch..
Is the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) worth the price difference over the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm)?+
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) is the cheaper option at $249 versus $299.99. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in GPS Accuracy.
What's the warranty on the COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) vs the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm)?+
The COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) ships with a 24-month warranty; the Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
COROS PACE 4 (silicone band) — $249.00
Premium Option
Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) — $299.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.