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Garmin eTrex SE Handheld GPS vs Garmin Forerunner 970

Weight and specs compared for 2026 — and which one to choose.

Garmin Forerunner 970 is the lighter option — 101 g lighter than the Garmin eTrex SE Handheld GPS (64% less weight). If grams matter to you, that is the one to beat.
Spec Garmin eTrex SE Handheld GPS Garmin Forerunner 970
Weight 157 g · 0.157 kg · 0.35 lb 56 g · 0.056 kg · 0.12 lb
Brand Garmin Garmin
Category Navigation Navigation
Garmin eTrex SE Handheld GPS
157 g

Entry-level handheld GPS with multi-satellite support (GPS + GLONASS). Runs on 2 AA batteries up to 168 hours. Reliable offline navigation for remote hiking wit...

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Garmin Forerunner 970
56 g

AMOLED multisport GPS watch with multiband positioning, full color topo maps and turn-by-turn navigation for running, hiking and backpacking.

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Garmin eTrex SE Handheld GPS vs Garmin Forerunner 970: which should you buy?

If saving weight is your priority, the Garmin Forerunner 970 wins — at 56 g it is 101 g (64%) lighter than the Garmin eTrex SE Handheld GPS (157 g). That said, the heavier option may justify the extra grams with more capacity, durability or comfort, so weigh the trade-off against how you'll use it.

See where both rank against everything else in this category on the lightest navigation page, or browse the full gear weight database.

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