| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Garmin |
| Type | Golf GPS smartwatch |
| Series | Approach |
| Released | 23 May 2023 |
| Price at launch | 47mm: GBP 549.99 / USD 699.99. 42mm: GBP 499.99 / USD 649.99 |
| Predecessor | Approach S62 |
| Successor | Approach S72 |
| Sizes | 42mm (small), 47mm (medium) |
| Colours | 47mm: black and red ceramic bezel with black silicone band. 42mm: black and peach ceramic bezel with white band, black and amp yellow ceramic bezel with powder grey band |
Specifications and features as at launch.
Jump to: Expert opinion | What’s new | Specifications | Battery life | Features | Activity profiles | Comparisons | Further reading
Expert opinion
The S70 was the watch that brought Garmin’s full health and training platform onto a golf watch, and it remains the only Approach watch offered in a 42mm case with that platform intact. For a smaller wrist that wants Body Battery, HRV status, advanced sleep, VO2 Max and training load alongside the course data, this is still the one.
The two sizes are not the same watch underneath, which matters more than the millimetre difference suggests. The 47mm carries multi-band GPS with SatIQ; the 42mm runs single-frequency GPS, GLONASS and Galileo. On a tree-lined course that is a real difference in how well the yardage holds up. The 47mm also runs 16 days and 20 hours of golf against the 42mm’s 10 days and 15 hours, for 7 more grams and a larger 1.4 inch 454 by 454 screen.
It keeps two things the S72 moves away from. TruSwing club sensor support appears on the S70 sheet and not on the S72’s, and the ceramic bezel with a Gorilla Glass 3 lens gives a different look from the S72’s titanium and sapphire. Storage is 16GB. Now that the S72 has replaced it, the S70 sits at a discount, which makes the 42mm in particular a strong buy for a golfer who wants the full platform in a small case.
Garmin Approach S70
AMOLED golf smartwatch with full-colour course maps, Virtual Caddie and PlaysLike distances. 42mm or 47mm.
RRP from $649.99
from £499.99
- use code:
Get it nowOrder now – Garmin Approach S70 Also sold direct byWhat’s new versus the Approach S62
Hardware
- AMOLED touchscreen, replacing the colour memory-in-pixel display
- Two case sizes, 42mm and 47mm, where the S62 came in one
- Ceramic bezel with a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens
- Multi-band GPS with SatIQ on the 47mm
- 16GB of storage, supporting offline music
- Barometric altimeter feeding PlaysLike
Software
- Improved Virtual Caddie with a shot dispersion chart showing which hazards come into play by club
- Enhanced PlaysLike distance, adjusted for elevation and environmental conditions
- Putt tracking
- The full Garmin health suite: HRV status, Body Battery, advanced sleep with sleep coach, nap detection, Morning Report, lifestyle logging and jet lag adviser
- Training load, training effect, VO2 Max and Physio TrueUp
- Strength, HIIT, yoga and Pilates workouts with on-screen animations and a muscle map
- Approach CT1 club tag compatibility alongside CT10 sensors
Specifications
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Size | 47mm: 1.4 inch (35.41mm). 42mm: 1.2 inch (32.02mm) |
| Type | AMOLED, optional always-on |
| Resolution | 47mm: 454 x 454 pixels. 42mm: 390 x 390 pixels |
| Lens | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Physical | |
| Case sizes | 42mm (small), 47mm (medium) |
| Dimensions | 47mm: 47 x 47 x 13.4mm. 42mm: 42 x 42 x 12.6mm |
| Weight | 47mm: 56g. 42mm: 44g |
| Bezel material | Ceramic |
| Strap material | Silicone. QuickFit 22mm on the 47mm, 20mm on the 42mm |
| Wrist fit | 47mm: 130 to 205mm circumference. 42mm: 115 to 185mm |
| Water rating | 5 ATM |
| © the5krunner. Link required. | |
| Sensors and positioning | |
| GPS | 47mm: multi-band GPS with SatIQ, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo. 42mm: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo |
| Heart rate | Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate |
| Other sensors | Pulse Ox, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, ambient light |
| Connectivity and storage | |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi, NFC (Garmin Pay) |
| Storage | 16GB |
| Music | Yes, stored on the watch and played to Bluetooth headphones |
| Maps | 43,000 preloaded golf courses with full vector CourseView maps |
Battery life
Garmin rates the S70 on default display settings, which means gesture wake-up in smartwatch mode and an always-on screen while golfing.
| Mode | Battery life |
|---|---|
| Smartwatch | Up to 16 days (47mm), up to 10 days (42mm) |
| GPS | Up to 20 hours (47mm), up to 15 hours (42mm) |
| © the5krunner. Link required. | |
Features
Feature explanations are covered in the relevant the5krunner Garmin features hub.
Plan
- Garmin Coach running training plans and downloadable training plans
- Morning Report
- Recovery Time and HRV Status
- Advanced sleep tracking with sleep score, sleep coach and nap detection
- Body Battery energy monitoring
- Jet lag adviser
- Women’s health tracking and hydration logging
Prepare
- Wrist heart rate sampled every second, with high and low alerts
- Pulse Ox, as a spot check or in sleep
- Health Snapshot, Fitness Age and all-day stress tracking
- Training load, training load focus and training effect, aerobic and anaerobic
- VO2 Max for running and trail running
- Strength, cardio, HIIT, yoga and Pilates workouts with animations and a muscle map
- Automatic rep counting and Physio TrueUp
Perform
- 43,000 preloaded courses with full vector CourseView maps and automatic updates
- Yardages to the front, middle and back of the green, and to layups and doglegs
- Hazards and course targets, custom targets and touch targeting
- Green View with manual pin position, and PinPointer for blind shots
- Enhanced PlaysLike distance, adjusted for elevation and conditions
- Virtual Caddie with a shot dispersion chart
- Wind speed and direction with the Garmin Golf app
- Garmin AutoShot, with CT1 and CT10 club tracking, and TruSwing compatibility
- Putt tracking, swing tempo and tempo training
- Digital scorecard with handicap scoring and stat tracking
- Green contours with a Garmin Golf membership
- Tournament Mode for sanctioned events and handicap rounds
- Multi-band GPS with SatIQ on the 47mm
- Pool swim metrics with underwater wrist heart rate
- Speed and cadence sensor support over ANT+ or Bluetooth
Connect
- Music stored on the watch, and control of music on the phone
- Garmin Pay contactless payments
- Smart notifications, calendar, weather and stocks
- Incident detection and assistance
- Find My Phone and Find My Garmin
- Connect IQ, with the store on the watch
- Red shift mode and a device passcode
Activity profiles
| Category | Profiles |
|---|---|
| Golf | Golfing |
| Running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running |
| Cycling | Biking, Road Bike, Mountain Biking, eBike, eMTB, Bike Commute, Indoor Biking |
| Swimming | Pool Swimming |
| Gym and fitness | Strength, Cardio, HIIT, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Yoga, Pilates, Breathwork, Indoor Walking, Indoor Climbing |
| Outdoor | Hiking, Bouldering, Climbing, Snowshoeing |
| Other | Water sports: Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking. Winter sports: Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing. Racket sports: Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball. |
Garmin Approach S70
AMOLED golf smartwatch with full-colour course maps, Virtual Caddie and PlaysLike distances. 42mm or 47mm.
RRP from $649.99
from £499.99
- use code:
Get it nowOrder now – Garmin Approach S70 Also sold direct byComparisons and upgrade guides
- Garmin Approach S72 vs S70, what changed on the successor
Further reading
- Garmin Approach S72 specifications, the successor
- Garmin Approach S50 specifications
- Garmin watch specifications
- Release Radar: upcoming Garmin watches
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love, which is this site, and I appreciate everyone who supports it.
Support the site: Follow (free, fewer ads) · Subscribe (paid, ad-free) · Buy Me A Coffee
Written by real people, with AI assistance. Fact-checked and verified for originality. See the Editorial Policy. FTC: Affiliate Disclosure — some links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
