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Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Suunto Clipper Compass

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

Suunto Clipper Compass is the lighter option — 51 g lighter than the Garmin Forerunner 970 (91% less weight). If grams matter to you, that is the one to beat.
Spec Garmin Forerunner 970 Suunto Clipper Compass
Weight 56 g · 0.056 kg · 0.12 lb 5 g · 0.005 kg · 0.01 lb
Brand Garmin Suunto
Category Navigation Navigation
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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Suunto Clipper Compass
5 g

Tiny clip-on compass that attaches to a watch strap or pack strap for quick bearing checks with almost no weight penalty.

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Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Suunto Clipper Compass: which should you buy?

If saving weight is your priority, the Suunto Clipper Compass wins — at 5 g it is 51 g (91%) lighter than the Garmin Forerunner 970 (56 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.

More navigation comparisons