Fitbit Edge Beats Garmin Forerunner 70 in Step Test

The Fitbit Edge was slightly closer to a manual count than the Garmin Forerunner 70 in Tom’s Guide’s four-walk step test. Against 12,531 manually counted steps, the Edge recorded 12,587 and the Forerunner 70 recorded 12,620. This is a narrow win, not a reason to crown one platform more accurate across every sport.

Tom’s Guide wore one device on each wrist and used an Amazon clicker to count every step. Both watches use an internal accelerometer for step tracking, measuring movement associated with walking rather than GPS distance. That makes this a useful basic check for all-day wear, where step totals can still shape activity goals and recovery habits.

A close result, not a decisive one

The Edge overcounted by 56 steps in the test, while the Forerunner 70 overcounted by 89. In real terms, both results are close enough that most athletes will never notice the difference during a normal day. The key takeaway is simpler: neither device produced a wildly inflated total across the four walks.

For runners, that matters less than how a watch behaves when training gets structured. Step counts are background data. Pace, route tracking, controls, heart rate and post-run metrics tend to decide whether a watch earns a place on the wrist. Tom’s Guide describes the Forerunner 70 as Garmin’s entry-level running watch, with buttons intended to be easier to use with sweaty fingers, running cadence and highly consistent built-in GPS.

Choose the device for the training job

The Fitbit Edge takes the broader health-tracker route. It has a bright screen, built-in GPS, continuous heart-rate monitoring, an ECG monitor and a skin-temperature reader. Its seven-day battery life is shorter than the Forerunner 70’s 13 days, yet its sensor mix better suits athletes who want one slim device for daily health context alongside casual training. We covered that positioning in our look at how the [Fitbit Edge sits between Fitbit Air and Pixel Watch 5](/en/articles/fitbit-edge-aims-between-fitbit-air-and-pixel-watch-5-2026-10-31).

What is missing is a deeper sport-by-sport comparison. This was a walking test, so it does not settle which device delivers the better GPS track, heart-rate experience or training guidance in a run. The Garmin also lacks the Edge’s ECG and skin-temperature sensors. Conversely, the Edge’s result does not erase the Forerunner’s runner-focused controls, metrics and longer battery life.

Our verdict: pick the Fitbit Edge for all-day health tracking with solid step accuracy. Pick the Garmin Forerunner 70 if training for a first 10k or half marathon is the priority. The Edge wins this count. The Forerunner remains the more focused running tool.