Garmin - epix (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition

[The Garmin Epix Gen 2 is on sale at slightly above your budget.](https://www.basspro.com/p/garmin-epix-gen-2-gps-smartwatch?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=BPS%7CShopping%7CPMax%7CHunting%7CHunting%7CNAud%7CGoogle%7CNMT&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19856022628&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0erBBhDTARIsAKO8iqS3tLPdLpBQmqWoGh7iR9yHF81EXJ-3xG5we8_2vS-FHr91E8VraeoaAmgsEALw_wcB) This is an $800 watch that's on sale for a hair under $450. I got mine on sale at Cabelas and have no regrets.

I would go for either the Instinct 3 or Vivoactive 6. Both new watches are great, no issues. Vivoactive 6 is just in your budget range but isn't very 'rugged', which is the perfect desciption of the instinct 3 (which is a bit more pricey). You can go for the black and white screen of the Instinct E ($299), but the tech is a bit more dated, and if you are coming from an apple watch, im guessing you like the bright screens. Another option is the Epix 2 (refurbished) from amazon for $349 (what I would go for). This is their top of the line watch from a few years ago, but still very advanced with most of the new features. [https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1316397/pn/010-02936-00/](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1316397/pn/010-02936-00/) [https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1555457/](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1555457/) [https://a.co/d/fs1SPqL](https://a.co/d/fs1SPqL)

Wait. Are you me? I feel like I could have written this. I bounce between iPhone & Galaxy phones. Currently using the Z Fold 7. I have 2 Apple Watch Ultras (1 & 2), Galaxy Watch Ultra & 8 Classic and Garmin Epix Pro 2 Sapphire 47MM. I do short triathlon (and the respective training), obstacle course racing, hiking, F45 functional training, golf and pickleball. The Garmin is the best fitness watch, especially when training for something. The Apple Watch Ultra is the best of both worlds. It's the absolute best smartwatch available and with the usage of 3rd party apps it reaches software feature parity with Garmin. But I FAR prefer my Galaxy phones to iPhone. Even so, I'm hard pressed to think of anything the Galaxy Watch does that I would consider better than Apple Watch. As you mention, perhaps Audible, Spotify and YouTube Music? Due to Apple's restrictions and wanting you to use Apple Music? Both the Apple and Galaxy Watches are FAR superior all-around SMART watches than the Garmin. Generally though, when I am using Android, I wear the Garmin. I'll wear the 8 Classic (6 Classic prior) if I'm someplace nice or dressed up. I almost never wear the Galaxy Ultra though. If I have the Classic watch for non-fitness activities, there's nothing it does better than Garmin.

I just got a refurbished from Ebay for $350 with 2 years Square Trade warranty and dont regret it. i also just do walking, Picke Ball. i like the sleep tracking and battery life ( used to own an apple watch that i needed to charge daily vs 15+ days\_)

mine came in an official Garmin Refurshied box. pristine condition . (if cant do this let me know, Seller for me was BuyDig)

That’s the one I got. It is not the pro version. It does all I need.

This is my take. I used to work as engineer at "A"-company often mentioned here that make smartwatches. However, I worked on phones and tablets, not smartwatch. Apple is smartwatch. Cram as much tech into the device as possible. And good value (money spend for tech and features) delivered to consumer. But one big issue is the battery life. Garmin uses old tech. Prices for the devices are a bit outrageous for fitness watch. However, many users who just want fitness watch and don't care for smartwatch features; also don't think about price per tech. I personally buy Garmin only on discount. As for HR accuracy, I suspect the minor difference can be due to power management. It is possible Garmin try to save battery power and sensors are not fully powered. This can result in lower accuracy. Of course this is just speculation. I personally have have had major issue with HR on Epix (Gen 2). This issue tend to occur when another bluetooth device is connected. I can toggle the HR accuracy to be correct (bluetooth device off) and inaccurate (bluetooth device on). At first, I thought it was firmware bug. I have report this to Garmin. And many on Garmin forum also has similar issue. However, it is now 1.5 years and not fixed. So it seems like it is not a bug. So I suspect (but no data to support this) is how Garmin try to reduce power consumption for battery savings.

Second the Fenix. There’s also some good deals on last gen Epix out (which is basically Fenix with a brighter display) for OP’s budget.

Garmin. Love my Epix 2 Sapphire. The Sapphire versions have very scratch resistant glass, and the big bonus of including the TOPO maps

43 is tiny , even the standard 47 does more than that

even the 47mm should be getting like 8-10 with aod ON.

His watch is a 51mm mip so as similar as you can get to the Enduro. Garmin doesn’t make a solar amoled watch. I would expect longer battery from the Enduro but something sounds wrong with his Fenix. Heck, I was getting almost 3 weeks out of my 6x pro and get about the same as he is getting with my 47mm Epix so something must be wrong.

I’m not saying i dont look at the map during a run, I’m saying i dont “pan the map” while i am actually running. I usually stop for a moment if i need to pan and look around at the surroundings if i need to. The default map tracking (and tbt) is fast enough for me when i am coming up on an jntersection. Im also using an epix2. I havent noticed the frustrations you mention, maybe i’m not as sensitive or am used to it.

I have the Epix, and am very happy with it. Flashlight gets used every day. It’s just so bloody useful. Battery life is around 2 weeks, and I’m running 5 times a week. Can’t speak for the other device, but slimness would be nice! It’s a thick watch and my wrists aren’t huge, but it can make getting shirts on and off a little annoying. That would be my only real gripe to be honest. It is otherwise comfortable. My only other Garmin comparison is the forerunner 235. That was slim, but had a VERY annoying protrusion where the sensor was. This is not a problem on the Epix. Another pro is the sturdy construction/rugged look; I’ve had it for a good year at least. Watch is near spotless, and I don’t baby it. https://preview.redd.it/fp2lahkizeuf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0c40704bee6cc9825605051bf4495f57e728d78 Given it’s Amoled it isn’t always on to save batteries. I thought this would get annoying, but the tilt sensor if anything errs on the side of over sensitive, so 99% of the time it comes on when I need it to. The only time it struggles is when I’m on the bike, but then just resort to button pressing.

Hey there. Using my Epix Gen 2 for day hikes - built-in map is quite nice. But for "more advanced research" and to keep a bit more autonomy from the phone, the old Garmin GPSMap 64s with Topo Map is still here. It gives over 24 hours non-stop with a pair of AA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries and a set of other 4 pre-charged AA accus give me solid 3 days non-stop - but if we count the sleep time in, I am more in the direction of 5-6 days autonomy. Yes, the device does not look sexy, and the screen is nothing to compare with modern phones (however, quite a bit better in the sunlight!), but it survived blizzard many times, falling onto the rocks, into the river, being in snow, etc. >10 years old as of now. For maximum autonomy, I'd rather look into direction of solar versions of modern Garmin handhelds. Watch is nice, but as soon as you have to answer a question "man, I am standing here and the road is closed - can I cut it through the valley nearby" the screen size starts to play the role.

Since you don't seem to be doing any crazy sports or have any races I'd go for the pixel! I think it should be equally as capable as the Garmin especially if you're not doing sports. Personally got a Garmin Epix instead of an apple watch (back when I was still on an iPhone). Took it on a Spartan race, swims in the lake, skiing, half marathon and couple shorter races.

I would recommend either Epix Gen2 or Enduro 2. For hiking, especially if you're going to do multi-day hikes, bigger battery in 51mm options could be handy.

I've been trying to figure out exactly this right now.... Here's some info which may help. I have an Apple Ultra 2 and that is my everyday smartwatch. It works OK for run run tracking and there's a pretty good app for surf tracking. I just recently tried it with swim and it's OK. The auto sets feature (e.g. recognizing 4 laps as a 100) is pretty reliable, but I don't think that the automatic split times are especially accurate. HR is somewhat accurate. I've tried both the built-in workouts app as well as the [swim.com](http://swim.com) app and although the latter is generally better for "real" swimming it doesn't really fit with my training workflow which involves transferring workouts to Training Peaks. I also wear prescription goggles (-3.0) and find the display very difficult to read in certain scenarios, especially when the screen dims. Some of the data fields are ridiculously small and there is no way to change them. I also have a couple of Garmin devices (Forerunner 955 and Epix gen 2) and for the sake of this discussion both are the same with the exception of the screen technology. The Epix is AMOLED and objectively "better" but the 955 is so much easier to read at the pool. Garmin's auto rest feature (automatic lap/set vs rest feature) is almost good. The issue is that the motion detection is way too sensitive so if I move my arm at all during rest it thinks I'm still swimming. The algorithm also has trouble with rests shorter than 20s so it's common to see workout sets recorded as one big swim blob with some periods of no movement sprinkled in. HR accuracy is similar to apple... at least it was similar for the few times that I wore both to compare. I think that I've settled on wearing the 955 for swimming in the manual mode where I have to press the lap button at the start end end of each rest period. This gives me the most accurate representation of what I did for that session along with pace and HR data that makes sense within the context of the workout. The display is super-easy to read and gives me the information that I need in the pool. The transfer to Training Peaks is seamless and everything appears to be working well at this point. At some point I'm sure I'll stop caring about the exact structure of the workout that I did and just use the watch to record the whole thing. It is possible to pre-build workouts in both platforms and there are virtual coaching products that work with both. I never investigated what's available as I have a human coach who takes care of dictating my daily torture. I will say that having the watch execute the workout isn't all it's cracked up to be. Neither platform is especially good about providing visibility into what is coming up and in some cases barely conveys what you're supposed to be doing right now. If the watch messes up with counting laps then it could put you into a rest period at the wrong time and generally get you out of place in your workout. In some cases it's extremely difficult to go back and repeat a section of a workout. I've gone back to the post-it note stuck to my water bottle as the high-tech way of bringing my workout to the pool. With the workout transcribed in pencil and a rubber band as a safety it's pretty much fool proof.

I went from garmin epix 2 to amazfit helio. Purely because sleeping with the garmin was painful for me whereas with the amazfit can’t feel it. That was the bottom line for me

Finally Venu 4 release, but also finally I can just confidently keep my Epix Gen 2.

I wish I could get those buttons on my Epix Gen 2. Went swimming recently and my down button broke. Inductive buttons would be a worthwhile trade-off for a watch that's marketed as being made for swimming if it won't break in under 2 years.

Get a chest strap for triathlons, one that works in water. The 965/Fenix/Epix are the same or minimal difference. The latest are the Fenix 8 nad forerunner 970. Get what looks good to you, because features are 99.9% the same. Also Fenix is a big bigger

Fenix/Epix are the same, Forerunner 9xx has 99% same functions but a bit lighter and not as tall, but only available in one size

I got the Epix gen 2, originally I got it because it supported MTB and ski maps but I started golfing with it and love it. I just use the built in apps on it for courses and handicap, so I can't speak to other apps, but it does what I need. The screen is nice and bright too so you can see it any time, even bright sun.

I’m deep in the Apple iPhone / iPad world, but wouldn’t consider an Apple Watch. I don’t need that level of distraction on my wrist. I have been considering an Edge for my bike for ages, but 2 years ago I setup my Epix G2 on the handlebar mount with the Speed / Cadence / HRM sensors and it’s great. Saves me having to buy another device.

If budget is a big consideration, then look for a hot price on Epix or Fenix 7. Garmin will often run the older models at 40-50% off and you’re not missing out on much.

Many of us have been here. Just get the best Garmin you can afford and you’ll never look back. I bought the EPIX 2, and love it, but the Forerunner 9xx series are probably the best bang for buck if you’re into fitness training.

garmin epix/fenix no complaints

garmin epix + edge 130 on extended display mode. cheap cadence meters on most of the bikes, road bike has a power meter. also cheap HR strap from aliexpress wouldve jumped on garmin earlier if i knew how awesome it is - was on amazfit before because they were cheap everything goes to strava [https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/06/garmins-triathlon-extended.html](https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/06/garmins-triathlon-extended.html)

garmin epix here - stroke detection is pretty meh but intervals and distance is 99.5% perfect once you turn off auto rest - i manually lap each set

Epix is amoled version of Fenix (MIP) prior to version 8 of the latter. Now Fenix 8 comes in MIP and Amoled options, and Epix is gone. And Epix always had the same exact case as Fenix. You’re mixing things up a little.

Short answer ; none Long answer ; Garmin is not an optimised at all for bodybuilding (I am nodybuil for the last 20 years and have Garmin for the last 10). So just get the one that is in your price range. Any Garmin will do hiking. One thing though, with bodybuilding the watch can and will suffer from repeated contact with the bars and gear. For that I only take Sapphire models. So Fenix or EPIX.

Garmin Epix Gen 2 can be had for $350 or so and it does the things you need. No need to splurge on Fenix or late edition watches.

I just switched from Garmin Epix 2 to a whoop. If you’re a serious runner, the whoop won’t cut it but the Garmin does a good job with the health insights. I’m running less, so I wanted better health insights, which is why I switched to whoop. They aren’t really comparable because they solve for two different goals.

Seconded, Fenix or Epix are great. I have an Epix but tbh a Fenix suits my needs better

A 2nd hand fenix 7 would be my choice. I have an epix gen 2 which is basically the same thing except with an OLED screen (and a much shorter battery life as a result).

agree. dancing with a fenix 8 will look & feel ridiculous. Slim wrist here, had the fenix 6 pro, epix 2, and fr965. Fenix & epix felt really chunky in comparison to the forerunner, especially running with them.

There is nothing wrong with going with an Apple Watch. I prefer garmin mainly because of battery life, being able to not charge for 2 weeks when I travel. I also prefer the round classic watch look versus a rectangle. My Epix throws a ton of data, which is great but I also don’t know what to do with it most of the time other than having alcohol is bad for my sleep and body battery and doing some light exercise before bed makes me sleep with less stress. So, don’t fret your choice and if you get tired of AW, Garmin is always available

I agree, Garmin Epix 2 and Whoop owner here. Garmin is pretty shitty at sleep… I’ll be awake for an hour in the middle of the night and it will tell me I had continuous sleep all night. Whoop captures all those wake-ups, even the little ones to roll over. Whoop is convenient because it auto detects activities. It just thinks my heart rate is way higher than it is. No, Whoop, I’m not in Zone 4 playing pickleball. Garmin with its 6 lasers (to Whoop’s 2) is more spot-on (like within 5-10% of wearing my Polar chest strap), but you have to remember to start your activity manually if you want to look at graphs and stats. Garmin is a good watch, with flashlights and altitimeters and compasses and other useful things. There are a lot of customizable watch faces, so you can make it as useful as you like. Whoop is just simple and easy. So far I can’t get myself to get rid of one!

Garmin Fenix and Epix Series are far better than this. https://preview.redd.it/cpxhwtjkuuje1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b4d50186d95b15e90086bfa4491d354424f3c0bd I am glad. Haha

I agree with all the positives stated here and one more that's important to me. I hate square, rectangular watches. I love the way the Fenix, Epix or most of the round smart/fitness watches look.

Functionality-wise the Fenix and Forerunner are pretty similar, especially considering the new Forerunner 970. The Fenix has diving, but other than that, not much beyond the 970. The other big difference between Fenix and forerunner is styling as well as sapphire glass, for a small amount more weight. My gut is that sapphire is nice but not essential unless you're doing lots of mountaineering backpacking. I got an Epix, which was essential the Fenix 8 of a few versions ago, but at that time there wasn't a Forerunner 970/965. I'm glad I have the more rugged Epix with sapphire glass, but I doubt I would have had any issues. Given what little you've shared, I'd probably look at the Forerunner 965. it's the most budget friendly, and I don't imagine many need the microphone/speaker of the 970 (though the flashlight is cool) and that the Fenix is probably overkill. No wrong choice here though!

My Garmin (Epix Gen 2) measures total volume (type, sets, reps, weight) or else lets you correct anything not automatically detected and then gives you an overall recovery metric that takes into account sleep, calories (of syncing with MyFitnessPal), and stress. It's not perfect and has some annoying constraints (you either lock into a Strength or cardio event when you start working out, so if you go strength you lose some cardio granularity, and if you go cardio, you lose the weights stuff entirely), but it's the best I've experienced so far coming from many years of Fitbits.

I prefer the look of my Epix over the AW. The "smartwatch" look of the AW is a big turn-off. Plus I'm a Android phone user so... It's not just a Garmin thing though, I'll possibly move to Coros when I eventually replace my Epix.

Did a 26km hike on my Epix 2. Course tracking for the whole thing. Battery went from 10d to 8d. The thing I’m concerned is just the stupid thing that Garmin charges for watch faces. But battery life, Garmin is king

Having epix and it is really good, but will sell it due to bad start button after only 9 months from buying it. If you get one- just dont swim with it

Epix fenix are bulkier, heavier, silkier 965... go try them if can... fenix 7 or pro are amazing, no need for 8, except diving...

Epix is a better watch, however it is heavier and chunkier. For what it's worth my wife would never wear a fenix/epix due to the size. Ive always worn a fenix.

Yea. Worth checking the specs of both. The Epix is a rugged watch that will have more rugged/heavy build

My Epix Gen. 2 is now three years old: if the battery lasts three days, it's only because I haven't done any exercise.

It’s a great watch if you aren’t bent on a screen that’s not monochrome. I have a version one I wear for work, probably 6 years old. I do have an Epix I wear to the gym because of a few improved metric and onboard music

I'd take advantage of a sale on the Epix 2 or Fenix 7. Garmin's last, and think of it more as an investment and not a purchase. I'm not sure what your long-term fitness goals are, but a Forerunner or Fenix/Epix model will be able to cover anything you throw at them long-term. The biggest thing I've been telling my friends is, if you ever have dreams of doing a triathlon, get a Forerunner 255/265 and above since that's when the multi-sport/triathlon mode starts.

I had moved from Garmin epix to pw2 to Garmin epix pro gen 2 and then to a pw3, now I currently have nothing and am trailing no smart watch but think I will go back . I do occasionally hiking and wild camping which is what drew me to the garmins but realistically they are just too expensive for what they offer. I found them lacking "smart" features. Sleep tracking was also terrible. HR and maps were awesome and the battery life is the best. Also found the light very useful. Pixel had the smart features I wanted, health tracking was generally as good if not better than Garmin. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was durability (very easy to mark) and battery life. Its personal preference. Personally I am looking at pw4 but waiting for reviews on the battery life. Or the yet to be announced amazfit t rex pro 3 as a "cheap" Garmin. Hoping as it's more of a smart watch it might have the features I wanted but the health tracking is probably worse (not sure if that bothers me too much )

No one has said it yet, but I’m loving my Epix Gen 2

I had my Fenix 3 HR for 7 years before I got my Epix 2 for an amazing deal on Amazon Prime day two years ago. Both are great in the water. I believe Garmin has a specific chest HR for swimming.

I have the form goggles and a Garmin epix. The form goggles are always more accurate. Especially if I’m following a routine. Good thing with the goggles is you can see when it thinks you’ve started swimming.

I use refsix with an Garmin EPIX 2 and it works well without a connection. I usually cut the Bluetooth connection completely between the watch and the phone during games. This is so that I don’t get disturbed by incoming text messages. I think the 255 needs to stay connected. I got my Epix 2 in a sale at just $100 more than I was planning on getting a 255, so if you have time to wait for deals good to keep an eye on those.

I have the Epix which is equivalent to the Fenix 7 and I'm on my 8th warranty watch. Water keeps infiltrating the bottom right button and even now my bottom right button is disabled and keeps re-enabling when I'm in the water (which sometimes disables my woo/surfr apps).

Nah, you're right on that. I have an Epix, serious overkill, but it's a fun watch and I really wanted maps on it without 3rd parry apps screwing around. My previous watch was a Venu 1, who did the job good enough for me.

I had Fenix6x and Epix2, and both times I sold them with feeling “Stop eating this cactus”. I like body of Garmin, buttons, battery, features, but Garmin OS and interfaface are so… professionals only and non-friendly

> I do not want 1000$ Garmin tbh that's not the competition to the race s, but really the epix 2 (cheapest amoled with maps) which you can get for $300-400 i think it's fair to say that the race s has ok HR accuracy, but not best in class. i personally didn't have issues with the HR tracking but i did have a bunch of other issues: https://www.reddit.com/r/Suunto/comments/1itwkov/suunto_race_s_review_and_why_i_am_forced_back_to/ > I'm a little weary about the Race S, as I have a 7 inch (177.8 mm) wrist and this may be on the smaller side? i'm not quite sure whether you're referring to your wrist or the watch being small, but i have 160mm wrists and it was about the right size. wouldn't want it any bigger, but the larger strap balances it out.

I faced the same issue a couple of months after buying my Epix Gen2 (not Pro). Seller, Garmin support on Garmin forums and the official Garmin service in my city answered "Sorry, return only. There is no possibility to fix". Have sent it back, waiting for a verdict... By the way, I haven't come across mentioning of this issue in other models (Fenix, Forerunner etc.). In Epix Gen2 only. Maybe it's a flawed model.

I have AWU2 and Epix. I love Garmin’s physical buttons and battery life. Everything else is kind of a wash for me. As a runner, I can make either work. I wouldn’t ditch an AWU for Garmin unless you have a specific need that is unmet by AWU2. Or, maybe you just want to try something different.

I have gone back and forth several times between Garmin and Apple. Garmin definitely wins on battery and buttons. Accuracy a wash in my experience. Currently have AWU2 and Epix, but have only worn the AWU2 the last four months. You can probably make either work for you unless you really need the battery or buttons for your specific use-case.

I have an Epix and just started using it with the Garmin Golf and Garmin Connect and I like it. I sometimes forget to enter the club after a shot, so I think it would work better if get the CT10 sensors for the clubs. I'd like to hear other's input on the CT10. Has anyone else gone full blown and added the range finder too?

I have a Epix 2 prior to that and Fenix 5, used both for strength training, still use my Epix for that purpose. It’s fantastic, you can program multiple workouts on Garmin connect, set the weight, reps, set and rest time and load several workouts onto the watch. I just turn up and select my workout: upper A, lower, upper B, arms and back etc After each set you can manually update the reps (rep counter is ok, mostly accurate) and or weights so as your progressing you can update on the fly your weights and reps. Post workout it gives me enough data to see progress or gaps in training.

Whoa, that is without the AOD. And that assumes you won't turn the screen on all that often. With AOD on and a few hours of GPS activities per day, the OLEDS need charging almost as much as an Apple Watch! I know I've tried an EPIX 2 and they are crap compared to MIP Battery life.

Garmin is where I ended up after trying multiple other watches - there's just nothing else that comes close to overall stability and quality (I had practically zero bugs on my Epix 2) and battery life (6-10 days, depending on AoD). It also has quality offline-first maps for sports and still keeps most of smart functionality.

Make sure you also consider the prices of the Epix 2 (and maybe the Epix 2 Pro?) in your decision. Epix 2 has essentially the same feature set as the 955, but with an OLED screen but with better build quality. It can often be found for < $400 in the states new and less than $300 used. The only thing to be aware of is the non-Sapphire version lacks dual-band GPS. To me the big difference between the watches in your OP is maps. Depending on what you do this may be a non-issue or a huge feature. I basically don't touch maps when I'm on roads, but for trail stuff like hikes and trail running I find maps to be an absolute necessity. It's great being able to load a route/GPX file in your watch and follow that on your watch without touching your phone.

Corro carreras de 10-15km y actualmente estoy a punto de correr mi primera media maratón, estuve con el Apple Watch ultra 1 desde el lanzamiento, entre medias he probado un Garmin Epix, y si, tiene funciones quizá que no tiene Apple y mas batería, pero como reloj en general se sienten relojes baratos en comparación con los de Apple (el Garmin era alta gama de 900$), volví al Ultra por la versatilidad de smartwatch + sportwatch, actualmente tengo el Ultra 3 en negro, y no me planteo salir ya de la gama Ultra. Como puntos extra, recomiendo apps como Bevel donde te muestra % de sueño, recuperación y esfuerzo, está comprobado que son precisos, incluso tienes una IA personalizada para tí. Respecto a la batería para mi no es problema. Lo cargo cada 2,5 días y lo hace muy rápido. Uso 5G , dejando el teléfono en casa para irme a entrenar solamente con mis Airpods y el Watch, rastreo del sueño, no me quito el reloj para absolutamente nada. Definitivamente me quedo en apple, (lo digo con conocimiento suficiente tras haber probado Garmin).

I used a Samsung watch and before that a old suunto. I have now have an epix 2 and it seems pretty accurate, tracks very closely to my hr straps and my sleep tracking seems fine too. It is not perfect but overall, its the best watch ive used

Fenix or Epix and yes they integrate with iPhones. Some fitness apps will connect to Garmin. If you want a slimmer watch you can also go for the new forerunner.

I have the epix and really like it. Has all the golf features I need but I can use it for hiking/running and gym stuff also. Battery life is fantastic

I use the Apple Watch Ultra but I also have a Garmin Epix 2, both of them work fine: * Garmin: * Health and fitness metrics: Garmin will give you a lot of metrics (maybe too many if you are not training a lot) (Body battery, HRV, stress levels...) * Physical buttons: works better with sweat and rain than a tactile screen. * Haptics: very useful for running series. * Battery: 10x the battery of an Apple Watch * Android: if you do not have an iphone this the one to go * Apple: * Apple Ecosystem: works great with your Iphone, Airpods, Apple Pay etc * Health and fitness metrics: with the new update it gives you some metrics that will determine how tired you are, how was your sleep etc (for me these are more than enough)

I have an epix and watch ultra 2. If you like the fitness info etc of connect then that’s all much better than the native apple answer, if you want to connect to other sensors, bike etc, Apple can’t do that either, and if you just find yourself in the middle of nowhere list with no signal, Apple Watch not much good for that either. However, if you want to leave your phone at home and still communicate, stream music, check the news, that sort of stuff, then Apple Watch is the one you want. Apple Watch also much better integrated with iPhone and AirPods. Other than both being expensive smart watches they’re not really competitors feature wise. Oh and Garmin feels more comfortable to wear and will go a week on a battery. My use split is 95% Garmin, 5% Apple

I had a fenix 5 for many years and recently replaced it with an Epix. I love my Epix, it looks great, does everything I need it to and is bullet proof (and would cover all your bases). The catch is, it's insanely expensive (I got mine in a big sale). Wife has a forerunner 255 and it is fantastic too - smaller, lighter but has all the real world capability my Epix has. I would absolutely buy a Forerunner (probably 265) if my Epix broke tomorrow. Forerunner 265 will have a great screen, mega battery, great HR / sleep tracking etc, all the activity recording you could ever dream of etc. The Epix does have mapping on the watch - personally I have never really used that because I have OS on my phone and have paper maps. I also disabled the touchscreen because the buttons are just as functional and neither are worth the extra several hundred quid IMO. Personally I don't like the look of the instinct but that's just me!

I went from an Apple Watch SE to the Epix Gen 2 AMOLED screen and I can say it’s the best decision I’ve made. This watch is indestructible with the sapphire screen (wiped out once or twice on a mountain bike and smashed it at work) that doesn’t scratch. The battery life is incredible, and it gave me motivation to start running. Couldn’t say better things about garmin watches (the app gets a lot of hate but I think the app is fantastic as well)

Instinct battery life is great, but it doesn't have maps. You can put a course on it and it will buzz when you need to turn, but the 955/965 enduro/epix/fenix lines all have built in maps where you can see roads, topolograpic lines, and other points of interest.

On my epix gen 2, the entire screen might as well be an IR beacon under nods.

Expanding this.. the Fenix line (and the epix gen 2/pro which rolled into the Fenix 8) drastically drop in price if you buy say two years ago model. I don't need scuba or a flashlight so I replaced my Fenix 5 after 6 years with an epic gen 2 for $350. At that point it is stupid good value for money.

Epix all the way

965 has golf. But the face isn’t recessed so it’s gets scraped more than a fenix or epix

My Epix 2 runs 25 days between charges, no problem.

I've decided not to decide. Neither does 100% of what I want. Until one clear winner is declared, I'll use both. The AW doesn't have the screen size not customization for navigation when backpacking, the battery to make it through more than a day hike and the display, while pretty is a little too foo-foo for me... The Garmin doesn't have cellular, can't control my Smart Home and doesn't sync as cleanly as the AW. I use the AW (Ultra2) as my EDC and the Garmins (Epix G2 and 965) when I do anything more than go for a walk. Backwoods backpacking navigation, Fat Bike Bikepacking primarily.

I personally ditched the fenix and went for the epix because of the display. The fenix has almost nothing extra that is meaningful to me. The lower cost is definitely a perk of the epix as well!

Garmin watches have outstanding battery life. I have the Fenix Pro 7 and my wife has the Epix Gen 2. Both are great watches for golf and everyday use!

Sooo I'll start in general... Garmin is a great option for you except for weight training if you use your watch for more than just basic hr recording during an activity. I use Hevy (paid subscription) while I workout but start a strength training activity on my Garmin to get hr data. Depending on your budget and the Instinct 3 is a good option, however not having maps will not be great for hikes. If you are looking to do hikes i suggest the Fenix 7 or Epix gen 2 ( there are pro versions of those watches which include newer hr sensors and an ecg sensor) Getting certified refurbished items from eBay is a great option.

I'd get the Epix Gen 2 for half the price with 98% of the features

I am fortunate to own the Epix, Enduro 3 and X1. They are all fabulous watches. I haven't worn my Epix Gen 2 in a bit and recently put it back in. The screen is exceptional and the fitness metrics are spot on. No need to spend extra cash on the Fenix 8 unless you're a dedicated diver and want a mic to speak into.

I am fortunate to own the Epix, Enduro 3 and X1. They are all fabulous watches. I haven't worn my Epix Gen 2 in a bit and recently put it back in. The screen is exceptional and the fitness metrics are spot on. No need to spend extra cash on the Fenix 8 unless you're a dedicated diver and want a mic to speak into.

I’ll get downvoted for this but Apple Watch Ultra has better GPS and heart rate sensor. However I like using my Epix 2 for running and my AWU2 for gym, swim, and everyday stuff. I also use the cellular function a lot.

I haven’t been swimming for months now but I am using a Garmin Epix Gen 2. I was using this and a Fenix 3 before that.

I use a Garmin Epix 2 to track my runs. You can set up custom runs and intervals. But I also use the Interval timer app on my phone. I like the app better for a few reasons. It keeps me from obsessively looking at my watch. It is louder, especially when I run with friends. It makes the post run data easier to interpret as it doesn't show 100 different stages. The cons of the app for me are that I sometimes lose track of if I am on walk or run. Since I run with my phone in a run belt, it takes some fumbling to get it out to check. For the same reason, it makes it harder to adjust on the fly.

I use a Garmin Epix 2 to track my runs. You can set up custom runs and intervals. But I also use the Interval timer app on my phone. I like the app better for a few reasons. It keeps me from obsessively looking at my watch. It is louder, especially when I run with friends. It makes the post run data easier to interpret as it doesn't show 100 different stages. The cons of the app for me are that I sometimes lose track of if I am on walk or run. Since I run with my phone in a run belt, it takes some fumbling to get it out to check. For the same reason, it makes it harder to adjust on the fly.

Bro, it's literally a fitness tracker first, then 2 miles of data sheets from all that tracking...then all the "smart" gibberish as a barely visible dot on the horizon. At least Enduro/fenix/Tactix/Epix line are like that.

I second epix 2. It's a fairly sturdy watch too. Personally, I don't do much about setting up the strength workout. I just start the strength workout and make sure I log sets and rest periods properly. Garmin also let's you make all the edits after the workout in the app, including changing the exercises.

Better UI and day to day use for me. What drove me to switch back to Apple was the improvement of figment metrics and Garmin pretty much stop support for new features 2 years after I got the Epix gen 2. With Apple I can get the new OS for at least 5-6 years and cheaper.

Solid breakdown! I'd second the Epix 2 rec - got one refurb from Amazon and it's been bulletproof for over a year. The screen quality is chef's kiss compared to the Instinct series and battery still lasts like 10+ days even with GPS workouts Just make sure it's sold by Amazon directly and not some random seller if you go that route

honestly the AW screen-based flashlight gets CRAZY bright. probably not as good as the one on the Epix but it surprised me.

I used to have an Epix 2. I started to have issues with arrhythmia and Garmin kept dragging their feet getting their ECG approved in Europe so about a year ago I switched to an Ultra 2 and I have already been able to record a couple of afibs with and show the ECGs to my doctor. I kind of miss the whole Garmin ecosystem on fitness side (I have a Garmin bike computer), but on the other hand as a smart watch the Ultra is leaps and bounds better especially in the Apple ecosystem. I do have to charge my Ultra every 2-3 days, but in regular everyday life that’s not that much of an inconvenience compared to the Epix’s once a week. If I was coming from a Fenix or something like that, I might miss the battery life more. I read somewhere that Garmin finally got the approval for ECG in Europe, but at the moment my priority is to upgrade this old phone of mine so I’m not really into paying for another expensive watch.

I have AWU1 that I like for wearing to gym due to connection with Gymkit enabled cardio stuff and for using Gymaholic to track lifting workouts. I also double wrist it with AWU on right wrist for music and LTE on outdoor runs. I’m really a Garmin guy and wear F8 (at the moment) or my Epix 2 or Epix Pro 51 for 24/7, sleep, all my favorite stuff on the watch face, etc. I use RunGap to get AW workouts over to Garmin Connect. I do like the AWU for its smart features like unlocking Mac, Siri, etc, but my older eyes prefer the larger F8 51 screen and general Garmin platform including web interface. I also can’t stand battery anxiety, which I never have with my Garmins.

I never have had any issues with swimming with the Venu 2 & Epix 2. The distance is almost always correct. Sometimes it's 1 lap off but that's quite rare. That said, I've been swimming all my life and am quite quick with 1:30/100m over long distances (2k-4k). So maybe I am more predictable and easier to track than a less experienced slower swimmer

You can use a garmin watch for just about any activity possible. There is so much you can do with them. As someone who switched from apple to garmin, i absolutely love my watch. There is a wide range of watches and price ranges. You often can find deals on amazon as well. I have an epix 2. Their big line of watches is the fenix. Battery life is wild too. I probably charge mine once every 10 days or so and i wear it day and night.

Lightweight and more budget friendly is the 955 and 965 (mip and amoled), then you have the same as you are used to, the Fenix 7 will have the training readiness and DSW with mip display, or Epix/Fenix 8 (cheaper/expensive) for amoled. It will all depend on budget. The coros and suunto are not so strong options for the maps. But your Fenix 6 should have daily suggested workout, except the option to see weekly suggested workouts I think.

I use the Epix Gen 2 as my everyday fitness watch. It has also been the best golf watch I’ve owned. Even more accurate than some of the golf specific Garmin models I owned.

I currently have an AWU. I've had a Fenix 6S which I sold to fund the AWU. I picked up an Epix Gen 2 on the Amazon sale last week. There are definite pros and cons to each. The AWU is better at notifications that you can interact with as well as providing more detail and pictures that can be very helpful, and if you have an iPhone the integration is superior in pretty much every way. Garmin is IMO better as a multi-sport/fitness watch and with a battery that can last anywhere from a week to a month, it's the watch you take if your going on long trips, hikes, etc. Now that I have both I actually will keep both and rotate them along with my 'real' watches. If funds aren't a driving point to be able to afford the switch consider keeping the AW. It does have it's use. Ideally if you could easily sync health data between both into a single app so it didn't matter which you were wearing and your info/stats were updated centrally that would really be the win.

Switched 5 years ago. Echoing the comment here: this is **not** a smartwatch, but a **sports/adventure watch.**  You won’t be reading your emails, getting texts, or calling a Uber, and the screen is nowhere near as responsive as the AW. If you’re looking for a phone one your wrist, Garmin is not for you. But if you’re training for a sports race, anything from a 5k to an ultramarathon, or even just trying to stay generally fit, the load tracking and suggested workout feature alone is worth it. The battery of data signals you get to tailor and improve your training is worth the switch alone, to a Foretunner or Epix or Fenix. Not even getting started on navigation in the mountains, which is really good — if you hike, camp, trail run, cycle, or generally enjoy being out, you will love your Epic or Fenix.

Previous Samsung below the new Watch 7/7 Ultra are below Garmin and Apple in terms of health data accuracy and GPS, meanwhile the newest Samsungs are on pair with Garmin and Apple. The downside is battery beacause WearOS is a crappy OS that use a LOT of battery for everything, so they need to charge it every 2-5 days. Garmin are more suitable if you are looking for a smartwatch with longer battery life and if you don't care about having a smartphone on a wrist. For example i have switched from a Watch 5 Pro to a Epix 2 mainly beacause i don't use the extra functions of WearOS (calling, using Whatsapp on the watch, Google Assistant, Bixby, ecc...) and i prioritize a longer battery life while having health sensors. But the Garmin Venu can make call and send SMS while having a 10+ days battery if they need call and SMS on the watch.

I've got a Garmin Epix 2. It's brilliant for reasons you won't care about, and I love it for things that'll add nothing to your life. It, or one of the cheaper ones, would probably do all you need and more. But. In your shoes I'd get the Form goggles. I've heard really good things about them and it sounds like you can take or leave most of the features. And you accept goggles in your life...you might as well have a pair that do the tracking you want too.

Two months in review - you mean you almost need to charge it a second time?! 🙂 I always wanted one, before the amoled era. I don’t know why I stuck with Fenix and then switched to Epix… As a fellow of the mid-40s club (who also exercises some), I concur it’s overkill. It’s also part of the reason that keeps me going. So to add a famous quote: “No ragrets”. 🫡

I have an Epix Gen 2, can pick up for about £320 ish when on offer. I've had mine just over 12 months now, love it.

I feel exactly the same way and I'm also a decade plus garmin watch user. I bought both the Epix and AWU1 at the same time with the intention to return one of them after I tried them both out - kept them both. Epix is my workout watch and AWU is my day to day. AWU couldn't ever replace it as my workout watch, mainly because of battery life and how annoying it is to me to deal with touch screens when you're all sweaty during a workout. I could function with just the Epix, but the deep inegration of the AWU with my iphone is phenomenal. I also just reactivated the lte on my AWU (6.50 per month with a phone plan on US Mobile - who is awesome) and started wearing both on runs since it's so nice to be able to stream music and leave the phone behind.

Garmin forerunner, Fenix, epix, Enduro. And nothing else matters

I'd suggest a Polar arm band to wear, which can pair by Bluetooth with the watch of your choice. I use a Garmin Epix 2 and I run an MMA program, but the watch is in my bag and the armband up under my sleeve. The Polar arm band is great. I'd used a Garmin chest strap before and found it buggy and uncomfortable. Definitely would NOT want to be grappling with a ring or a watch on myself or a partner.

They changed it! At least for the Forerunner 265, Epic Gen 2, and the Fenix 8. You can now download YouTube music on the watch. All my playlists are on there.

Vivoactive and Venu (non X1, that thing should have had a name of its own) don't have the advanced running metrics. So it's Forerunner , then check whether the features you want are in Instinct, Fenix, Enduro or Epix if you like one of those better.

UI-wise I find 965 way better than the epix. I 've been using epix fore more than 9 months and my friends FR 265's UI is even better than mine.

I second this. Bought the same watch for same price or even less than the Approach S70 and have no regrets. Better screen than the Fenix, but has the exercise features I need

Recently sold my Epix 2 for an AWU2. Yeah the battery definitely sucks, and that’s coming from an Epix 2 already which still sucks by Garmin standards. However, I don’t ever see myself going back to Garmin. I use my phone for work a lot, and being able to use Siri to call/text, use ChatGPT, and see & interact with all notifications keeps me off my phone a lot. In that sense, I’m way more productive as I never miss any important notifications and don’t have to open my phone. It’s sort of become a dumb phone in a sense that still keeps me on top of my work. So with that, it really just boils down to your lifestyle & what you need. This isn’t necessarily a “no brainer” thing. Case in point—my father switched from a Galaxy Watch to a Fenix 8, and he loves it so much more since it encourages him to exercise more which is what he needs at his age (plus the great battery which is one less thing for him to think of). So yeah, to each his own; let’s just be happy we all have different types of devices for different people.

Just be careful of button pushing. There’s usually a caveat in the manual about that. I think the Descent and Fenix 8 have inductive buttons with haptic feedback (?) for this reason. That said I shower with my Epix and push the buttons occasionally in/around water and haven’t had any issues.

i think most people will recommend the garmin line up for non apple users, i use the epix after ditching the whoop and although i miss some whoop creature comforts (mostly being able to trend what affects my sleep) it does what the whoop does at an upfront price - will say that garmin has a subscription service now but it's mostly their ai stuff and additional features, nothing i had before has been taken away

Big fan of my Garmin epic gen 2. Not cheap but the battery is incredible. Just don't expect it to be a smart watch in the Apple watch sense. It's not, it's a fitness tracker with notifications. My epic lasts 14 to 16 days with no gps running constantly. If I'm hiking with gos on, I can easily get 4 to 7 days depending on settings.

I am an all Apple guy and i've had several iterations of Apple Watch. I just got a 970 on launch and couldn't be happier. The larger, much more readable screen during runs. The battery life. the physical buttons during runs. The metrics that are actually evidence based, not something like you'd get from Bevel. It's just a much better tool. I previously had an Epix and while i did like it the UI was so old and slow i grew to hate the watch. the 970 is the best of both worlds. The UI is much better (can be a little slow at times, but i'm ok with it). I do wish the stupid bezel didn't scratch so easily! I went through each app and disabled notifications i don't want. I was getting too many.

Honestly even the older Epix Gen 2 has 15-16 days battery life already, which is great. Always on display is not a must, the gesture works well and responsive, so I keep that off. If doing like 3-4x 30-60 minute GPS tracks, it might go down to 6-8 days but its still great. I don't feel the MIP is \*that\* much better for battery nowadays, as long as you take out always on display.

Swapped my Epix 2 for the 165. It was just too big and full of nonsense features… jump master and anchor drift… 🤣. Best Garmin ever the 165

Garmin Epix Gen 2. Not very budget friendly though.

I went from Samsung watches to Garmin Epix 2 and I'm so happy. No need to charge every day, the biometrics are much better and accurate (of course now I'm comparing to Samsung). Also I like the Garmin app more how it shows the data. Sometimes I feel like I would like to wear my Samsung for work, but I also track actively my steps so I can't switch all the time

You are not missing anything. Garmin is overpriced and is selling because it is well eatablished brand, not because their watches are worth it.  If you do not need specific advanced metrics, other brands will provide you with same key data for much less money. Garmin procides user with more features and data, but some that data is unreliable and some of those features are half-baked.  I believe Garmin watches have accurate sensors, but due to bad quality assurance in produ tion or whatever reason, many HR sensors started exhibiting issues with accuracy later after months of usage. Garmin acknolwedged HR issues last year but still did nothing to fix it which leada me to believe it is hardware issue as well (they just go quiet in those cases). Also, Garmin hardware quality is not always the best, just look at button failures on their Garmin Fenix 7 and Epix watches - still ongoing issue with those watches sold today at very high prices. Not to mention bad mic amd speaker on Fenix 8 or bad BT module in almost all newer Garmin watches which leads to connectivoty drop outs and issues. It is the best that you do research as you did.

Suunto is also serious competitor. Many Garmin users know about some features not working as advertised. That surprise is not specific for one brand only. It is funny how you skip what I wrote and dance around it. What I said stands - there are other brands that offer beter quality and more features for the money.  You cherry pick one feature that does not work reliably on Amazfit and think that Garmin is better because of it. I never said all features work great on any watch (This OP was about Garmin, not other watches). I said that there are some half-baked features on Garmin watches that work unreliably, which should not happen for such expensive watches.  Finally, DC rainmaker is good but leans heavily toward Garmin. For example, he never mentioned thar Instinct 2 is painfully slow in everyday operations, especially in saving activity and loading a route, and only admitted that fact when he was confronted by several negatively surprised commenters. He never mentioned washed out disolay of Instinct 2. Then in T-rex 3 review he said thst Amazfit does not support its watches for long-time as Garmin does while completely disregarding the fact that Garmin silently stopped feature updates for Fenix 7 and Epix watches it was still selling at high prices, which is much worse than what any other brand did. And so on.

Same. I daily drive the epix gen 2 and it works great for golf and everything else. Though, my last round it didn’t record my shots. I hit a personal best 315 yard drive and it may as well have not even happened. Really a heartbreaker.

The Instinct 3 is perfect for you if you don’t need maps on the watch. It can load a breadcrumb trail but doesn’t have topo maps overlays. Otherwise look for the previous generation of the Fenix’s, ie. Pro or non- Pro 7’s or Epix. The other option is to check out one of the Forerunner series that has maps. Again previous versions are cheaper than the latest. The features gap between current versions of Garmins and previous versions aren’t that great in its core functionality.

Hard to beat the Garmin Fenix / Epix / Enduro line in terms of battery life. Note: leaving a watch on the map screen drains a lot of power regardless of watch brand. The Instinct is a good second choice if you only need a breadcrumb track to follow; no maps. Maps , on the watch, gives you more information on terrain but shouldn’t be a deal breaker. You could always refer to your phone. Look at previous versions of the watch to fit your budget.

I've already purchased a Garmin epix gen 2 but don't use it much until my inspire 3 breaks. I really like it's long battery and small form but when it does die, I'm off!!

It's small, amazing battery and you can forget you are wearing it. Don't get me wrong I've already purchased a Garmin Epix gen 2 as a replacement for when it breaks but, I love the form factor of the Inspire 3 and I will definitely miss it. Perhaps get a second hand one from eBay or Vinted just to try. I really do love mine.

I've got an inspire 3 and a Xiaomi smart band 10 with no GPS and a Garmin Epix Gen 2 with GPS. Personally the onboard GPS is not an issue, if you use it it batters the watches battery so I use my phone, it's always with me and the battery is huge.

I've got Runna on annual sub and genuinely do not use it at all. Garmin Coach / Daily Suggestions is also pretty basic IME. What I would do is get a Garmin 55 for £117 (Going via one of the discount links like HealthServiceDiscounts) and then either use TrainAsOne (free version for a few months - after premium free trial - and then if you like it buy the annual sub for £75 on Black Friday), OR, buy a Stryd for £139 with the £8.99 monthly membership for 6 months. If you don't like the Stryd you'll be able to sell it for about £100. I've had a 955 and currently have an Epix 2 and tbh it's only the maps that I really use that I think I would miss in a more basic watch. Some of the stats are sort of fun to look at, but you can get more meaningful and arguably more accurate stats using Runalyze (for free). Oh and get a chest heart rate monitor - a cheap Coospro one will be fine. Edit - actually, you know what, I reckon (check) you could just stick with the Apple Watch and use TrainAsOne and/or Stryd. TrainAsOne will soon be integrating with Stryd AIUI.

Swim functions of Fenix 8 seem to be more of less the same as most somewhat more recent models, even with Swim 2 (honestly, it is fine for swimming. I swam with it for sure a while, but other functions are somewhat lacking). Fenix 8 supports diving but unless you dive, or otherwise do activities not supported by somewhat older models, I am not sure if it would be worth the extra money compared to older models because the swim functions seem to be essentially the same as the likes of Epix or earlier Fenix, more recent swim-compatible Forerunner etc. You should be able to pick up previous models somewhat cheaply, whereas Fenix 8 is quite expensive. I would have bought Fenix 8 if it was much better at swim tracking but it's not, so I did not spend the money to upgrade from Epix Gen 2 (which is annoyingly less accurate compared to Finnis goggles and Apple Watch but I digress)

You might have been unlucky with your watch. If it was under warranty, or not that long out of warranty, do contact Garmin. There are stories of people having them replaced for things that should not have happened. I am on my third Garmin - first one was Vivoactive 4s. It was totally fine with swimming until I smashed it really hard and broken the glass. It still lived for another 2 weeks of daily extended swimming until it finally died. Subsequent replacement, Swim 2, is still very much alive but I wanted other functions so bought Epix Gen 2 when it was heavily discounted. That is what I am using now and it has been totally fine with swimming. If you can, avoid pressing a button while the watch is under water, unless it is a dive watch. I do it from time to time and it copes OK but supposedly not a good thing to do too often (makes the waterproof seal more vulnerable).

I am a dual user of Garmin Epix Gen 2 and Apple Watch Ultra (original version), plus Finis Smart Goggles. Generally speaking, for me, Garmin is worse than AW for accuracy of auto sets - about 20% of my laps are undercounted, and it keeps running up the time well after I stop for a rest - this can even be up to 10 seconds after I stop. AW instead have the habit of not starting the timer until a couple of seconds after I start swimming after a break but the degree of inaccuracy is a bit less than Garmin. For instance, for one of my laps, the time registered on Finis Smart Goggles was 13.3 s. It was 24.3 on Garmin. Finis is definitely the correct one as I can see the timer starting as soon as I push off the wall, and how many seconds it came to when I stopped. Finis has also been validated with manual timing by my coach. I can see that the timer keeps running for a while on Garmin after I stop. Apple watch has a tendency to underestimate the time of took to swim a lap by a small margin. I suspect it starts the timer a bit slowly. So, in terms of accuracy, in my case at least, Apple Watch is a bit more accurate than Garmin, but Apple Watch often underestimates the time it took me to swim a lap, whereas Garmin almost invariably overestimates it.

Finis smart goggles + Apple Watch Ultra/Garmin Epix Gen 2. AW and Garmin are inaccurate for sprints timing (they often start the count late or stop the count late...), Finis is much more accurate but does not do HR. AW does not have a rest counter on display, whereas Garmin does. Not really a setup needed for normal fitness swimming though.

Vivoactive is pretty good! I swam with it (4s) for quite some time. I only changed to Epix Gen 2 because I killed it doing backstroke without flags and smacked it on the corner of the wall at pretty high speed and smashed the glass (nothing dropped into the pool - but the glass stayed together in bits). It still survived for two weeks after that despite the water getting in it.

The instinct series might interest you as well, as they are more rugged with very long lasting battery. I have owned one in the past, then jumped to Forerunner 955 for the maps, then to Epix - for the flashlight and AMOLED screen, and now to Fenix 8 for the voice commands, taking phone calls from the watch. The new instinct 3 series have the flashlight too, and the 2X might have it as well (don't quote me on that) Best of luck, they're all great watches!

I use it for workouts and it's pretty good at tracking the reps and sets. Sometimes I have to manually adjust the lift type after the face but it's pretty decent. I also use an external HR chest strap since the watch is not great at capturing bursts in HR. I have an Epix 2.

I have a Garmin Epix. Will likely never Change back. If u are into Sport Go get a Garmin. ITS more a Sport watch with smart functions then a SmartWatch, remember that. The new Fenix 8 or Venus 3 is more and more SmartWatch PS: Battery life is awesome my epix gen 2 Last 17 day with around 15 hours of gps Tracking during that time. I can read incoming Messages(writing back ist tricky but possible)and listen to music over Bluetooth earphone directly from the watch. And even Control spotify on my Smartphone. For me this is all i need fron my "SmartWatch"

100% agree with your review The problem with Garmin is simple, it is as so many say a pro sport watch and bc of that you should live with all the bugs and shitty ui, messed up settings menu bc must are a hard core athlete. At the same time any more advanced athlete just smile seeing garmin watch bc from a training perspective most of garmin metrics are just toys with some very basic failures like z3 is endurance when zones are set by maxhr but all of a sudden when you set zones by lthr your endurance zone is correctly z2, no recovery weeks scheduled pushing people to fatigue themselves to disaster, no way of editing hrv which combined with very shitty sleep tracker makes some days where your garmin forgot to track your sleep destroy whole training readiness calculation without any possibility to edit that one day etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm an Epix user but it is my first and last Garmin product and I will move to AWU next month or so (waiting for AWU 3 and IP16). Garmin is great as a simple activity tracker and if you need one just any old fr955 is enough to track everything you need. With Fenixes you jsut pay extra 600$ just for looks which some like and some not that much. PS. For me Garmin loses bc of a shitty strategy of keeping the simple stuff like new watchfaces only for new models where with any other IT product like a phone, awu, brands have learned to support fully for 5 years or so. (I know I can download new watch faces but they drain more battery and works shittier than the building ones /like no touch gestures etc.) ps. this forum is full of Garmin fanboys so your post will probably will be downvoted to oblivion, bc only positive posts are welcome here. (which is stupid bc it makes people at Garmin think their products is so amazing that they can ask 1100$ for that without solving at least some basic problems). ps2 besides watch faces (this part is for garmin fanboys) major problem was when my watch decided to burn down my house ;;) If any of you use ant+ lights or actually any sensors like a trainer, hr strap etc., your should already know that if you enter a glance menu or any settings menu for some stupid reason your watch connects to your sensors. With lights it works the same way but for some stupid reason Garmin likes to turn them on for a sec, but not always remembers to turn them off. So I was outside my house in the evening ready to start my run just to see through the window that my watch decided to Strat my light, I wanted to let it be but eventually returned home jsut to see my lights on the desk being charged and a smoke coming from desk bc it is not enough to turn on your with without any reasons (like I want to run not ride) but it sets the light on the highest strength (1300 lumen). So yeah I love Garmin and their watches 😀

I mean 400-500$ garmin watch like epix2/fenix7 is a good deal nowadays. I love the mapping, activity menus are ok, just in reality most of the metrics are a bit of BS lifted by a good marketing. Again 400$ is a good price for a tracker but asking 1100$ for a nicer UI menus (which are here only bc owners of FRs got them sooner and it would be hard to sell a much more expensive f8 with shitty menus) and a very low quality speaker and mic is a really brave strategy. I know Apple is not that amazing but it is ok for running, for cycling I use my Wahoo (apple added power meter support and thats something), I keep my music on my MacBook so it will be much easier to sync both (garmin does not support lossless format so I gave up on music bc I hate converting it every time) listening to podcasts is really troublesome with garmin etc. Maybe it is just me and my expectation for Epix I own were much higher. Overall I like it but I think it could be so much nicer with some very small tweaks (like you really need a phd to learn how the garmin energy settings works and when they overrule AOD setting and when not etc.) The thing about awU for me is that I bought Garmin to use my phone less but instead due to lack of or troublesome ui I always take my phone with me anyways just for music and messages. I hope with AWU and some basic apps like notes, reminders etc. I would have easier time leaving my phone at home. Hopefully ps. I love enduro3 and I would strongly consider it as an expedition watch (without any music etc.) jsut as a watch I take on a trip instead of AWU with good mapping etc. But that would make all the metrics obsolete and paying for that 899$ again is just not wise. (now when I think about it, I will probably switch to AWU and buy a used enduro2 just for longer trips and use it alongside my future aWU)

I will make it simple for you ;) If you want a device where you run often and you want something which is a very nice smartwatch and let's you leave your phone at home bc your podcasts and music and notes and reminders are all there with you, just buy AWU (if you use an iphone and remindrs etc. it will be amazing). If you run often but you need some kind of training support and want a feeling that you are doing more then a casual runner but music, notifications etc. will be so cumbersome that you will take your phone with you anyways and you are ok with that, just buy enduro. It's like a lack of comfort due to daily charging (which you can do during a shower) vs a lack of comfort due to crazy amount of bugs, very low quality software and milllion of funcions where half does not work, bu the battery is like crazy good. for me garmin is less usefull bc I read a lot about training and can easily set my owna training plan and I found out that what really makes my run much easier is that I can in seconds sync my book I'm listening too and go out for a run with my watch. With garmin it is just too complicated. if you add all the software bugs in garmin on top of that, yeah it is just not a watch for me PS. any even cheapest personal trainer will be better then garmins automated one and probably much much cheaper. So for me AWU plus eventualy a personal trainer is a best bet bc metrics from garmin like body battery etc are mostly just gimmicks. this guy explains t well: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEmN6JiDGF0&t=646s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEmN6JiDGF0&t=646s)

Obviously a Fenix 8 Micro LED. For real though, Fenix/Epix watches will give you full golf functionality minus a feature or two which are reserved for the golf specific watches. If you are budget conscious I would look for a Fenix 7/epix 2 series watch. If you have money to spend, a Fenix 8 will be great for everything you can imagine. Forerunner watches do have some golf features but they are dumbed down a bit to basic distance to green and score keeping.

I've had Apple, Garmin and Samsung smart watches but only got "joy spark" from the Garmin Fenix/Epix. The Garmin Fenix/Epix have an intangible attraction that doesn't equate to any feature or activity. One aspect of wearing a Fenix/Epix that I have to admit is attractive to me is that it signifies that I'm a performance athlete.

People have to stop comparing these. These are for two different people. I would never wear an Apple Watch based on battery life alone. I specifically got the Garmin for a wrist based gps and mapping tool to track and orient myself. You buy an Apple Watch to use smart features and be connected to your phone. Garmin has never been in that market. It’s a whole company based on gps systems for outdoor activities . You buy an Apple Watch to have Apple ecosystem. you can’t use half the feature of the fenix on an iPhone bc they only want you to use their watch… Garmin are all specifically made for their audience even down the the model . Apple watches are just to keep you plugged into your phone and have no bearing on actual outdoor activities despite calling it ultra. The Millitary has been orienteering with Garmin wrist based gps systems forever. You’d never catch an Apple Watch on patrol in Afghanistan. 😂

Garmin - They have a lot of watches at different price points. There is built-in GPS and the battery lasts for several days, unlike a smart watch that you typically need to charge every night. The Garmin app easily syncs with other fitness apps, if that's important to you. If you have a smaller wrist, go for the "S" models that will look and fit better.