Garmin - epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition, 51m

I am also using an AMOLED (epix pro gen 2), which replaced a fr245.  I had a tough time in some scenarios with the MIPS display, such as on shaded trails and around subset (both common in my users). In these cases I am happier with the AMOLED. 

A few months ago I made the transition from the FR245 to the Epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire and have been enjoying the change, I especially like the larger and brighter screen. I hope you have a great time with the new watch!

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'm also in Germany. I got Epix Pro 51mm Sapphire on Kleianzeigen for 450€, a few weeks ago. With a few months of warranty remaining even.

I hope you enjoy it and become a running monster!!!! Have a question. Would you please turn the metronome during a running session and let me know about it? Is it audible?? I have an Enduro 2 and an Epix Pro 2 51mm and both of them are quitet to the point I have to place attention and raise the wrist to be closer to the ear... I'm considering selling both...

You can set it to vibration, sound and both. Personally, I don't like the vibration, and I'm not sure if it may drain battery in ultras

I own or have owned several of both lines. Both will satisfy any kind of activity tracking you could possibly want based on what you listed. I prefer to train and race with a Forerunner. It's lighter, and has a slimmer profile. You almost don't even notice you're wearing it. That said, it looks and feels like a toy. I prefer to wear a Fenix/Epix for most other situations. It's the more versatile watch because it can be "dressed up" easily and has a much more premium look over the Forerunners. That said, it's much more substantial and heavy. If I could only have one watch, I would personally go with the Fenix series primarily because of that versatility. You do pay for that "extra" though. I most recently did that with the Forerunner 965 and the Epix Pro 51. Loved both for the previously mentioned reason, but ultimately decided I didn't want to keep switching watches throughout the day. Sold the 965 to a friend, and kept the Epix Pro which I wear 24/7 outside of the very occasional charge.

Epix pro gen 2 sapphire 51mm, amoled display, less battery than the fénix but it still good and it’s cheaper since you can grab it in discount.

I was in the same boat a couple of months ago. I’m a big apple guy, love the ecosystem and the OS, nothing can beat that, but I didn’t want to charge my Apple Watch almost everyday anymore. And I also didn’t want an extension of my phone on my wrist. Wanted something different and decide to grab an epix pro gen 2, titanium sapphire for around 600 usd here in Mexico, I think it was a great deal considering it’s almost a 1000 usd watch which it’s insane tbh. I don’t regret buying it at all, I use it mainly for biking and running, 5 days a week, sleep tracking and health stats and I’m charging it once a week. The gps is great and the maps look awesome in the amoled display. As someone said above, coming from an Apple Watch, the learning curve is not easy, the menu is not as intuitive but I’m in love with the looks, roughness, functionality, battery, amoled display. Was thinking of getting maybe a fénix 7pro with MIP Disaplay to get more battery life but honestly for my activities I prefer the brightness of a amoled screen.

I’m basically full invested in the Apple ecosystem and had an AW 7 for years. I have the epix pro 2 sapphire now, and in the six months I’ve owned it I haven’t touched my Apple watch once. I did enjoy some of the connectivity for my laptop and even Apple TV, but 99% of the time I have my phone with me anyway which covers most of the stuff I used the watch for. I really don’t miss it. The epix is significantly more robust/tougher, and going from 30 hours of battery life to nearly 30 days is a game changer. Plus, the flashlight on the epix is one of the coolest features it has which sounds silly until you use the red light to save night vision when you gotta take a piss in the middle of the night.

Epix pro gen 2 51mm and instinct 3 solar 50mm. One AMOLED and one SOLAR I like both screens.

To be fair the Epix should be also a contestant here. In case OP prefers an AMOLED screen. The epix 2 pro sapphire 51mm offers up to 30 days of battery. I have the 42mm, record at least 2 hours of activity daily and still have battery for 5 days. If OP has the wrist for it, he should go for the larger models, regardless of the screen he chooses.

I compare my Garmin Epix Pro 2 51 to a medical grade device and its pretty accurate

GWU should have a week of battery life at least its bulky as the garmin less tough than garmin and the battery at the best is 3 days with compromises if not 36/40 hours ,i.owned the gwu and recently sold and kept my epix pro gen 2 51mm and garmin was more linear for example the garmin doesn't miss if u fall asleep or when u wake up and how long you slept the gwu barely recorded 2 hours of sleep out of 6 hour in bed and with big chunk of hours blank like didn't wear the watch . To me garmin atm doing better and samsung getting quite obnoxious like apple is from years.

My epix pro sapphire has stood up to a year of frequent salt water use so far(not swimming though). I have the 42mm one which is pretty compact for a fitness watch, and does have garmin pay. While the battery life is not as long as the bulkier models, it is still quite good, going days between charges even with daily GPS use. It seems to be accurate for open water swims based on reviews, no idea about the metrics: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2023/05/garmin-depth-review-three.html The fenix 8 has recently replaced the epix and may theoretically handle salt water use better over the long term as the buttons so longer penetrate the case. But you pay much more for the newest model, and as I said so far no issues with frequent salt water use on the epix.

Easy, turn off AOD (always on display) and instead use something like raise to wake. Doing that on my Epix 2 pro 51mm gives 32 days instead of about 13-14. Its longer on the Fenix 7 and earlier because the MIP display consumes less power than the AMOLED display. Edit and also turn off pulse-OX during sleep if you don't need to keep track of your sleeping oxygen levels (most people don't need to)

I can't speak for swimming, but I am deep in the Apple ecosystem. I have had almost all series of watch including both Ultras. I have had my Epix Pro Gen 2 51mm for about 3 months now, it took getting used to, but I love it. I love that I don't feel like I'm wearing my phone on my wrist anymore (most notifications are turned off) and the watch looks bad ass. It also holds up to everything. I wrestle with my pit everyday and his teeth cracked many of my apple watches. This one has had no issues if he gets it. I know that's not sport or swim related, but speaks to the quality. Hope this helps.

I switched from an Apple Watch Series 7 to epix gen 2 pro sapphire. Love it for running. The coach and daily workout suggestions are amazing. The best part has been the audible customizable alerts during workouts while listening to music. It lets you know when you are in your desired pace, heart rate zone etc. I hadn’t been able to ever do that with the Apple Watch. I use it for cycling as well but only broadcast heart rate to the bike computer which works great

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’ve given up on trying to choose. I alternate between the Ultra2 and the Epix Pro. My stress readings are far better than when I was forcing a decision. Just sayin…

I’ve decided not to decide. I’ll agree the battery in AW Ultra2 sucks compared to my Garmin Epix Pro 51. But being able to leave the phone home and have the same connectivity with the AW makes it a great EDC. I wear the Epix when I mountain bike or backpack. Why limit yourself to just one…

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.

1) The Fenix 7/Epix and their Pro variants WILL NOT stop getting firmware updates. They will not be getting all the same features updates that the Fenix 8 and newer watches will get. Garmin does firmware updates for watches for years. My Fenix 6 Pro (released in 2019) got a firmware update this past March or April. 6 years after it's release. Does my watch have the same features as the Fenix 7 or 8? Nope it does not. 2) Now for some recommendations... Going With the Fenix 7/Epix and the Pro variants will be a great watch for what you want to do. You can get them between $300 to $500 refurbished. 3) if you want to spend more money to get a watch that will get new features for the next few years I would suggest the Forerunner 970. It has a titanium bezel and Sapphire glass. It's very rugged. It's $750 but if you wait till black Friday you could probably score a bit of a discount.

The only thing better about the Epix Pro 51mm is the battery life and the looks.

If they are not solar, they don't. There are no MIP watches without solar who have a longer standard battery life than the 51mm Fenix8 (29days) & Epix 2(pro)(31days). Only the Instinct 2 45mm comes close with 28 days, but has less then half of the activity tracking time then the Fenix and Epix. The newer and bigger MIP watches with solar do beat the Epix2 and Fenix8. Enduro2 & 3, Instinct 2x & 3 mips 51mm have the better battery life. Also without using the solar.

Fenix 8 51mm oled Or Epix 2 (pro) 51mm. Fenix 8 has 29 days of battery time, Epix2 pro 31 days. The Fenix 8 can do 84 hours of gps tracking, the Epic 82 Besides that the MIP display Instinct 2 gives you also 28 days, but only 30 gps hours.

I have owned a Galaxy Watch Ultra. I currently own a Watch 8, a Garmin Epix Pro 2 51mm, and an Apple Watch Ultra. I run about 20-40 miles per week depending on if I am preparing for a race or not. I have an iPhone and a Samsung phone (currently zFold 7 and an iPhone 13 mini) because I use one for work. I have LTE on the watches. I really like the Epix. It looks good. It is the best of all of the watches for fitness tracking (I do think it is harsh on sleep tracking though). I love the long battery, and the flashlight on it really does come in handy. However, when I wear it I always miss the smart features of the actual Smart Watches. Probably the watch that works the best for ease of use (easy to manage notifications, reply to texts from the watch) is the Apple Watch Ultra. But I like the screen better on Watch 8 and GW Ultra. For some reason I think playing music/podcasts on Spotify and audiobooks on Audible work better on the Samsung Watches. The Epix is fine with Spotify playlists I have downloaded, but with no LTE I cannot just play whatever. If I run with the Epix I either take a phone with me or wear one of the LTE connected smart watches in case I want to change up what I am listening to or one of the few contacts I don't have suppressed during workouts needs me (wife, kids, my admins). IMO the Apple Watch Ultra comes the closest to replacing all of these watches with one watch. My problem is that I prefer the Android phones available over iPhone right now. Maybe that changes if Apple comes out with a good folding phone next year. But if you can afford it, I don't see a problem with keeping the Fenix (very similar to the Epix I have but newer of course) and the 8 Classic. They each have their use cases. I haven't owned the 8 Classic, but I would guess it performs somewhere in between the 8 and Ultra. Like I said, keep them both if you can afford it. They each do some things better than the other, and you can have them both connected to your phone and switch back and forth easily enough.

I have an Epix Gen 2 Pro 51mm and an AWU. I use Runna for my running plans. I like it better than the Garmin running coach. Runna works with both Garmin and Apple Watches. I have worn both on many runs from a few miles to a marathon. They are actually really close in measuring my runs - distance, time, pace, etc. But Apple does not have a native running coach. Workout Buddy is a new feature added to WatchOS 26, but it isn't a running coach. I really, really like Runna. I like the workouts better than the Garmin Running Coach workouts. I have tried to use my Garmin as my every day watch, but I prefer a "smarter" watch and keep going back to the Ultra. It comes down to personal preference. They are both great phones.

I go back and forth on this as well. I have an iPhone and an Android phone (for work). So I have an Epix Pro Gen2 51mm, AWU, and a Galaxy Watch Ultra. They are all great devices honestly. I like to not bring my phone on runs if I can help it. Not possible with the Epix as I also like to have texting availability when on long runs, and I sometimes stream podcasts. I also like listening to audiobooks on Audible on long runs (music via Spotify on shorter runs and runs with tempo/interval/etc training. Sometimes I have worn 2 watches, which is kind of annoying. I have Runna, Athlytic, and Bodystate on my iPhone/AWU. I feel like I get most of what my Garmin gives me with these, but the Garmin is better at overall performance, readiness, and fatigue analysis. Apple is better on Sleep analysis. Samsung is not great at any of these, but the smartwatch functionality of the Samsung Watch Ultra is good. All 3 track my runs within 1% variance of each other, so I feel like any of the 3 can handle that with no problem. I love the long battery life, the flashlight, and the training software of the Garmin. I think the AWU is the best overall watch for both fitness, health, and smart functionality. I like the Samsung Watch Ultra even though it is not quite as good at these things, and the problem is I like my Galaxy zFold 7 a lot. If the AWU worked with my Fold 7, it would be awesome. I actually pre-ordered the AWU 3 hoping the battery life will be slightly better, and it will also charge faster. Its a tough decision. If I could only have one, I would go with the AWU. But I understand the dilemma because my Epix is an awesome watch, and I am sure the Fenix is great, too. By the way, I did have a Fenix 7 Pro Solar and just didn't like the MIP screen as much. Probably because I had already been used to an Apple Watch. Anyway, good luck!!

I have both of these watches. Obviously there is overlap, but I agree with you. If I could only have one, it would be the AWU, but I prefer my Epix Pro 2 for my Runna runs. The long runs don’t matter much, but the tempo, intervals, and anything with multiple segments are easier for me with the Garmin because of the screen. And I just prefer the layout for those on my Epix over the AWU. Regular runs are great on both. But I’m perfectly happy with the AWU when you can use Athlytic, Bodystate, etc for most of the same data Garmin gives you. But I understand those who prefer Garmin. I also listen to audiobooks on Audible, and it’s nice to go on a long run and not have to bring my phone. It’s great to have choices.

Me! From AWU1 to Epix Pro 2 51mm, but felt Garmin wasn’t for me. I usually run 40km a week. Apple Watch just spoiled me on the smooth UI navigation. i just can’t take the slow response of Garmin watches so I went back to AWU2. Now after a year, I’ve become more serious on running, hitting the gym, and calorie counting and I’m contemplating if I should give Garmin another try.

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 have AWU1, Epix, Epix Pro 51, and Fenix 8 51 AMOLED. I like the AWU for smart functions, additional cellular connectivity on runs, Apple Music, unlocking my Mac, Siri actions,etc. But I only wear it mostly as a 2nd watch on runs. I’ll focus on why it’s Garmin for me, 24/7: \*Real onboard maps \*Integration (I don’t want Bevel plus Athlytic plus WorkOutDoors plus BodyState plus Pedometer++ just to get functionality or info on watch faces I want). I don’t want to have to pay for an app to get stress metric or download an app to see steps taken on watch face. \*Web interface (Connect) \*Morning Report \*Superior GPS performance with SAT IQ. \*ANT+ device connectivity \*Customizable activity data screens \*More complete and customizable watch faces \*LED flashlight \*Buttons, and “hot keys” with many functions programmable to a button hold or combination button hold. \*More reliable training metrics due to more frequent HR and therefore HRV sampling. Stress, body battery, etc. \*Working Pulse Oximetry \*Suggested workouts \*Garmin coaching plans \*On-Watch Activity review.

I have AWU1, Epix, Epix Pro 51, and Fenix 8 51 AMOLED. I like the AWU for smart functions, additional cellular connectivity on runs, Apple Music, unlocking my Mac, Siri actions,etc. But I only wear it mostly as a 2nd watch on runs. I’ll focus on why it’s Garmin for me, 24/7: \*Real onboard maps \*Integration (I don’t want Bevel plus Athlytic plus WorkOutDoors plus BodyState plus Pedometer++ just to get functionality or info on watch faces I want). I don’t want to have to pay for an app to get stress metric or download an app to see steps taken on watch face. \*Web interface (Connect) \*Morning Report \*Superior GPS performance with SAT IQ. \*ANT+ device connectivity \*Customizable activity data screens \*More complete and customizable watch faces \*LED flashlight \*Buttons, and “hot keys” with many functions programmable to a button hold or combination button hold. \*More reliable training metrics due to more frequent HR and therefore HRV sampling. Stress, body battery, etc. \*Working Pulse Oximetry \*Suggested workouts \*Garmin coaching plans \*On-Watch Activity review.

I have AWU3 as well as Garmin Epix, Epix Pro 51, and Fenix 8 51 AMOLED. I like AWU for connectivity to equipment in the gym as well as as running Gymaholic app for weight workouts from the watch. I also often run outside with it as second watch for music and emergency connectivity. I also like it unlocking my Mac, running smart home automations, reminders, Siri, etc. Currently wearing both AWU and Garmin Epix for a month or so to compare health metrics. But it's Garmin 24/7 for me for the OP's mentioned reasons--integrated metrics without subscriptions, Garmin Connect web platform if I choose, watch face customizability, battery life, sensor variety and connectivity with ANT+, workout suggestions, customizable hot keys, workout data screen customizations, working pulse ox on the watch, etc. Garmin battery and low processing power enables all day HR sampling and very frequent HRV sampling, as well as pulse ox during sleep, which IMO makes related metrics that much more usable. I can also see HR updating every couple seconds on the watch face as well as steps updating in real time without tapping and waiting on pulse taken or app to update. I also like being able to change the order of my workout types, widgets, etc. on the watch. I don't mind working out with either watch only (like AW in the gym or Garmin on outdoor runs). I use RunGap to sync everything to Garmin Connect.

I have AWU3 as well as Garmin Epix, Epix Pro 51, and Fenix 8 51 AMOLED. I like AWU for connectivity to equipment in the gym as well as as running Gymaholic app for weight workouts from the watch. I also often run outside with it as second watch for music and emergency connectivity. I also like it unlocking my Mac, running smart home automations, reminders, Siri, etc. Currently wearing both AWU and Garmin Epix for a month or so to compare health metrics. But it's Garmin 24/7 for me for the OP's mentioned reasons--integrated metrics without subscriptions, Garmin Connect web platform if I choose, watch face customizability, battery life, sensor variety and connectivity with ANT+, workout suggestions, customizable hot keys, workout data screen customizations, working pulse ox on the watch, etc. Garmin battery and low processing power enables all day HR sampling and very frequent HRV sampling, as well as pulse ox during sleep, which IMO makes related metrics that much more usable. I can also see HR updating every couple seconds on the watch face as well as steps updating in real time without tapping and waiting on pulse taken or app to update. I also like being able to change the order of my workout types, widgets, etc. on the watch. I don't mind working out with either watch only (like AW in the gym or Garmin on outdoor runs). I use RunGap to sync everything to Garmin Connect.

I can get a month out of my Epix pro 51mm in smart watch setting and the screen set to p

51mm Epix pro go large. Easy to read even without my glasses. Lasts for ages on a charge bonus

I think weight is one half of the equation. The other half is the presence on the wrist. I had an epix 51mm, and that boy was chonky. I wear business shirts everyday and the epix just did not fit on my wrist (I have big wrists btw). It’d either have to stay under my shirt where I couldn’t see the time ever, or I’d have to have it outside the cuffs, which just didn’t look professional all the time. The slim nature of the forerunner series lets you hide the watch under your cuffs and gives you the ability to look at the watch when you want.

My AW last less than a day, which is why I got fed up. I bought the Epix Pro v2 amoled sapphire 51mm. Had it for a couple of weeks- still have 49% battery. I still keep discovering new features. For me, there no going back. Too much data, too much battery life. Too many watch face options. I’m an Apple junky, but Apple got too complacent and stopped trying to innovate - ignored the battery life issue. Enough is enough.

I have a medium sized wrist, but have an Epix pro 51 because I can read the display without my glasses and the battery lasts forever; it fits comfortably. I don't care if other people think it looks weird, it's a specialist sports watch lol

I disagree. I had an Epix Pro 51mm & a Venu 3. I sold the Epix as I run and it was too heavy and who needs two Garmin’s.🤷‍♂️ I wore the Venu 3 daily, a great watch. I now have the Venu X1 which is even better. For me the Venu series is great. Your post, is just a long moan in disguise. Maybe you should buy an Apple Watch?

I just canceled my Whoop after 2yrs. I also have a Garmin Epix Pro (52mm), for which I finally found a comfortable band to wear to sleep. But I still can't wear it at work (Healthcare), and don't like wearing it to Mtn bike. Garmin has all of the pieces to put something together in this market as a Whoop killer. I'm gonna hold out hope for this, or just get a smaller marked down Epix Pro to wear on a bicep band.

The 51 is just a beast. I ran a full marathon with max accuracy gps and livetrack enabled and it barely drained anything. Could probably have kept going for a 100k ultra without any problems.

Before my most recent watch I had an Epix Pro gen 2 51mm and got near a month of battery life with these settings. Not sure why yours would be different?

Can't recommend my epix 2 enough, you can get it for half your budget and have most of a fenix 8 on your wrist. I wear it every day and use it for running, I don't specifically track my weight lifting but it seems to pick up on it as intensity/ active calories. I wear it all day everyday, the battery is amazing and I have purchased a metal strap for it so it even looks like a snazzy watch. It's the epix 2 pro 51mm I have

FWIW I've had three Garmin over 6+ years (Fenix 6, Instinct 2 and now Epic Gen 2 Pro Sapphire) and have never had an issue with the OS or it crashing during activities or losing any of my data. I've been in a number of Garmin subreddits and have rarely seen problems with the OS. The only ones I can think of were immediately after the Fenix 8 release, but it seems those have been resolved as I don't see any posts on that anymore.

Your story has definitely convinced me not to trade my epix Pro 51mm for an AWU3. Like many others, I'm fed up with the general direction Garmin is taking — in my opinion, they’re riding the wave of profit-at-all-costs a bit too hard. It frustrates me to have a premium watch on my wrist that Garmin has already pretty much shoved into oblivion. That said, I’m also not convinced that having a mini iPhone on my wrist is what I’m looking for as an athlete who primarily wants a tool built for that purpose. So I’ll keep using my epix Pro 51mm until a serious alternative comes along from the competition. Or maybe I’ll be weak and end up giving in to a Fenix 9... or even an 8 if I'm very weak:-)

I’ve made the switch. I’ve been using Apple Watch since series 0 (2015). On October 2024 I switched to an Epix Pro 51mm. Just the battery alone is a huge win. Having a watch with AOD that can last for more than 10 days is amazing. Don’t forget about the buttons. Those physical buttons do make a difference especially when running under the rain. You can feel and use the watch without even looking at it. Also Garmin tracks your heart rate and HRV 24/7 continuously. It is very accurate in tracking my health when I got sick 2 weeks ago. I can see my ever increasing “stress” value and declining body battery during that time.

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

I swam for triathlon training and for a sprint tri last summer. Garmin Epix Pro 2 and then an Apple Watch Ultra. Both were accurate in the pool. AWU was very accurate during the race (open water in a lake.)

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.

For me, anything the native Apple application doesn’t provide (and there are more than a few), I can get with 3rd party apps. Athlytic or Bevel for training load and more advanced statistics. Training Peaks for workout plans and daily coaching. Zones for detailed HR data. Gentler Streaks for daily positive feedback. Yes, most if not all of those require a subscription but given the cost difference between the AWU and my Garmin (Epix Pro 2), I’ve got a few years to cover the price gap! Then throw in all the smart watch features AWU has that Garmin does not- it’s AWU for me. I went back to it after using Garmin for months.

I've been fooling around for more than a year, using multiple smart watches, trying to find my "Goldilocks" device. I juggle between Garmin Epix Pro 2, Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra. Like you, I'm more than just a casual athlete (pickleball, golf, lifting, obstacle course racing and triathlon training are my go-tos.) But I'm not seeking the podium in the races. With the exception of pickleball, I'm largely participating in these activities not necessarily competing. I have a full time job and I'm a full time dad. If I were an athlete FIRST, I'd stick with my Epix Pro 2, full stop. (No phone call functionality there, by the way.) It's the superior fitness companion. It's great for pickleball (GPS outdoors too), fantastic for golf and best in class for endurance training. Also, in my experience, the Garmin's true advantage is being able to navigate the watch interface entirely with the hardware buttons. No water lock required. Invaluable for swims, rain or sweaty summer runs. But I'm not an athlete first. I like the smarter features that I get with the Samsung and Apple fitness watches. The features that fit my lifestyle outside of fitness. Like scanning my movie tickets when entering the theater, for example. And podcast and audiobook apps on my watch. I've not used the One Plus, but the Samsung and Apple Ultra watches offer enough battery life where I don't worry about them dying throughout my activities. I could do a 70.3 triathlon. I've played 36 holes of golf. So while it's nice to not have to charge the Garmin as often, it's a luxury I can forgo in order to get a more well rounded wrist-based companion.

The instinct line, epic, Fenix, and Tactix will all suit your (his) needs. The new Fenix and Tactix will likely be too expensive. I’m not sure what deals exist on the outgoing models looks like. The Epix Gen 2 sapphire is roughly on par with the previous gen Fenix and Tactix, and usually goes for around $400 (until they are all sold out). The Epix is discontinued but will continue to receive support updates. The Epix, even as an outgoing model, has better health and fitness sensors, as well as better GPS related specs than the newer instinct 3. At full price the Epix Gen 2 pro Sapphire was around $1,000. If you think he’ll like something a little more sleek looking, just as tough, and will like the OLED screen, I’d check it out. I have had 2 instincts, Gen 1, and the crossover (based on the Gen 2 models. Both of my instincts were built like tanks. I used them at work and they got beat up in the woods constantly and never failed. I’m sure that the instinct 3 is just as good, I just don’t have any experience with them. I would avoid the forerunner and enduro line. The enduro is a great watch, but the bezel on it and the forerunner is designed for fitness first, not strength. The raised titanium bezel in the Fenix, Epix, and Tactix is better at impact protection. The instinct also has a raised bezel and is built like a tank, but it is all polymer.

My garmin epix 2 titanium with a sapphire glass face lasts 15 days

I bought a Garmin Epix Gen 2 Sapphire Titanium (non-pro) anfew months ago, for less than $400 USD, and I've been super happy with it.

I have a Garmin Epix 2, titanium, sapphire. Absolute fantastic watch in my use and gives 10 days of battery. I use it for swimming, hiking, golf, and the gym. Software is not as intuitive as Apple but the hardware makes up for it. It still does everything it promises. I probably will go for an Ultra at some point but I think it’s a bit clunky and not sure I like a square on my wrist and such bad battery life (2 days versus 10).

Calories are never accurate. Get the Epic Pro Gen 2. The screen is essential for maps and navigation IMO.

Answer here on battery is “maybe.” I just switched over from an AW9 to an Epix Pro G2. At full charge it says 14 days life but once I turn on various features I am used to getting (AOD, O2, BT) it drops down to 5. Once I do an hour run listening to a podcast it cuts an additional day each time. So at the end of one day of wear it now reads 4 days life. So I honestly get 2-3 days of battery. I am almost committed to going back to AW and getting an Ultra 3 depending on what it offers. Again this is all my experience and there are tons of ways to milk life from the battery by disabling functions, but what’s the point?

I have the Epix Pro G2 - thrilled with it. Maybe this will help with your choice: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/da2c0a28-5f9d-435b-a1c7-13bccc057a3a#0

I use an Epix pro gen 2 for the activities you list.

Former AW9 user. Found I hated having basically two phones, daily charging and being paranoid about damaging it. Picked up an Epix Pro on sale and I love it. I’ll never go back to AW. Edit to add what I love: it’s way more rugged and I don’t feel paranoid about damaging it swimming, doing contruction things, etc. Even with always on display, it last almost 2 weeks. I’m not a crazy athlete but I’ve found it motivates me through the health stats to improve myself (I still workout with Apple Fitness+). The stats are super fun to look at and work through too.

But incredible watch I had the Epix pro gen 2 before I don't regret it

Well after that it depends on what you are looking for in a watch, I was at Apple for years whether it was watches, phones, tablets etc. I think he's ripping us off a lot from year to year but hey it's my humble opinion now I switched to Garmin with the Epix Pro which I still have which I should sell I bought the Ven 4 in dhestetic thermal and lighter and all the features that I need see more after these true that the Apple Watch is better in terms of health but Garmin is doing not too bad today in terms of battery let's not even talk about it 😂😂😂with  I was in an ecosystem that wasn't too disgusting but today I decided to leave maybe one day I'll come back but not for the watches the Garmins have a less new design although I find the Venu 4 nice so I advise you to take all the pros and cons and make your own opinion on which ones you really need and the budget too

I have both on right now. My Epix Pro is on my lower leg. For em it’s the stress & body battery. I prefer the rings in the Apple Watch to help me motivated to move every hour.

And it *still is* the current watch, just without diving and a speaker/mic. The chips and sensors and everything are identical, there's no reason the Epix Pro hardware can't support the newer features, other than Garmin just doesn't want it to.

My watch is a tool, not a fashion statement, so I've always gone with 51mm even though yeah it's probably too big for me, don't care lol

Hi! UK also, possibly not “lowest levels” but worth a look for the money, H Samuel on the high street have the epix pro gen 2 for around £360 on a sale at the mo. Gives you 90% of a fenix 8 for loads less money. Will cover everything you listed in your post and more. Source - I bought one last week and coming from Apple Watch Ultra 2, for my needs the Garmin dominates!

Battery life is great, I’ve had mine since last Friday, charged to 100%, have worked out 2hrs per day every day since, only take it off to shower and currently sat at 43%. You can put music on it but as it’s not LTE (my only real fault with it so far) I have to take my phone with me anyway so just use that for music. I believe you can use Spotify, deezer, YouTube music but like I said I haven’t bothered so don’t know how much of a pain it is to do! I had to watch a fair few YouTube videos as it’s my first Garmin too but am getting the hang of it now. Would definitely recommend

Basically, microphone & speaker for calls from your wrist, 40m dive capability, slightly longer battery life, more modern interface (epix has amoled still) more waterproof buttons. That's about it. None of those mattered to me so the epix was a clear win for the money.

Same, I came from AW2 with cellular and was really worried that it not having connectivity was going to be a deal breaker, esp as I like to leave my phone at home when out running. I bought a flip belt and now the phones with me anyway. Everything I need comes with the phone. I turned all notifications on the watch off, and you know what, after 10+ years of AW I don’t miss notifications on my wrist at all. It’s been really nice to be more disconnected if I’m honest. My original plan was to keep my AWU2 and either use both or go back to it when I couldn’t get on with the Garmin. Am a week in now and I’m resetting the AW and it’s going up for sale tomorrow. I love apple stuff and am deep in the the eco system but I’m more than happy with the Epix and it suits my training way more. To answer your question I’ve been for a pool swim with mine and it’s fine so rain / 1 metre is no issue

Yep right model, I think it just means you can accept the call by pressing the button on your watch. You still need to have your phone and AirPods in for it to work tho.

Yeah everything still works , you’ll just sync when back to your phone.

Switched end of July from Apple Watch Ultra 2 to epix pro gen 2, been on Apple Watch since series 0 and fully immersed / self confessed apple fan boy. Haven’t missed it one tiny little bit. It’s been a great experience that I wish I’d done years ago!

Just buy last gen's Fenix. I bought an Epix Pro earlier this month for $549, same price as the Venu 4. There have been sales for the Fenix 7X/Pro as low as $450 this year. The Instinct 2 Solar is my daily, I forget that I'm even wearing it with the light weight and not needing to charge. It feels like a normal watch and I always know the time because of the always-on MIP screen which is more readable than a G Shock and doesn't require a gesture to wake. The Epix is for hikes due to the maps.

I have a epix pro and battery life is over 2 weeks. The built in flashlight can be a drain if used a lot. Battery life was a huge step up. I like my awu, but felt like I was charging it everyday for my use case.

Not sure model, but strength training should be much improved with the Fenix 8 on. I have the epix pro and wish strength was better, but i just manually track now.

I have it for the Epix Pro Gen 2 as well.

Thanks for this, I am on the fence about dumping my Epix Pro 2 and going AWU3. I'm stuck on the daily suggested workouts feature that I love, and how the watch is simply a source of training/recovery data on my arm as opposed to a mini iPhone.I use the LED flashlight daily so I would miss that for sure. However, being able to run completely phone-free is a BIG plus, as well as modern-day music/audiobook accesss (literally loading an audiobook on my Garmin as I type this and it's SOOO 2003). The always connected while working out is going to become more important to me in a few months as my wife and I are having our first child. I also have a Tesla and being able to leave my phone at home and use my watch as a key for my car is definitely another perk. Are you planning on using RunGap or similar to keep dumping info into Connect? You surely have a lot of data in the Garmin world

I’m thinking about going the opposite direction… Epix Pro 2 -> AWU3. I’m tired of how buggy my Epix has been for my entire 2 years of ownership and I’m looking for some increased functionality from my watch. Garmin’s “geek stats” are cool, but for most fit people, myself included, once you get used to your normal ranges of those stats, you can pretty much go off of how your body feels. I think it’s useful to think of the Apple Watch as more of a platform than a fitness or smartwatch device. It’s got great sensors and there are more apps that you can get to take advantage of the sensors and help bridge the gap between what the AW offers and Garmin in terms of health metrics

I’m finding similar results currently as I’m doing the double watch thing while I try out the AWU3. The Ultra also almost always drops my heart rate at some point in my runs and either gets cadence lock or struggles to find my hr and locks it to a particular BPM for a time. I am increasingly surprised as to how solid my old Epix Pro 2 is as I thought the AW would be notably better and I’ve had issues with the Garmin HR sensor in the past. AW also I calculating my vO2 max as a constant 65 when lab testing and Garmin puts me at 56. The Aw Said my HRV was at 443ms one night and then it’s been all over the place since then (mid 60s to low 40s). Garmin has me still in the same range I’ve always been. Lots of head scratching going on…

What brand appeals most? I’m thinking of jumping ship as well for similar reasons as you but the competition doesn’t offer all of the features combined that my Epix Pro 2 does… recovery metrics and music is a priority. LTE would be a bonus. I’m seriously considering Apple Watch but then I have to wear an Apple Watch lol

More rapid obsolescence?! My 2 year old Epix Pro 2 would like a word… absolutely dead in the water as far as new updates/fixes. 2 year old Apple Watch? Still supported

I spent the last couple weeks trying out an AWU3 and was pretty torn over whether it would replace my tired Epix Pro 2, but for now, the AW is being returned. The AW is probably 90% of the way there in terms of what I wanted from a smartwatch + fitness device. The last 10% is missing from the fitness side. I loved being able to run and get all my notifications and stream music/podcasts/audiobooks at any time. I found the AW helped me use my phone less as I could type out replies to iMessages on the watch and take calls on the watch if I was doing stuff around the house and didn’t have a free hand to hold my phone. Unlocking and checking on my vehicle (Tesla) was easy and convenient with the watch app, and the UI/UX and screen are all leagues above anything Garmin has (don’t get me started on the dumpster fire that is Garmin Express). I just couldn’t get used to the sub par fitness aspects (mainly how they force you to use the touchscreen for things). Now, I did download a handful of apps to help make the watch more like a Garmin, and it is true that WorkOutDoors is probably better than even what Garmin offers for customization. I found the watch still to be too “fiddly” when I work out. The action button helped for pausing a workout and marking segments, but I always got the “orange screen of doom/death” when doing strength workouts and wanting to mark a segment to start a rest period in WorkOutDoors. I used the strength function on my Garmin to track training volume and rest periods (the simple timer that counts up for rest between sets) and although it’s not perfect, it’s a system I’m very used to. The flashlight is something that I also missed a lot, and it’s more directional than the AW screen so much more useful for daily tasks. Finally, knowing that Garmin devices sample rate is much higher than Apple Watch makes me feel like its data will be more consistent long-term (i have 5+ years of data in Connect as of now). The AW also had a weird issue with the HR sensor where it would get some sort of cadence lock and then just drop my heart rate at almost the same point in every run. It was however far more accurate in the gym (I’ll miss that for sure). Also, I couldn’t get over how common the AW is. Seeing them all the time definitely made it feel like a generic device that everyone has

I have been using both the AWU and Garmin Epix Pro for a few years now. With the latest updates to Bevel, I put my Garmin in the night stand.

I throw it on the charger every other day while I shower. If I golf I have to do it every day.

For me battery life, durability and for anything sweaty, wet, dirty etc...touchscreen sucks. I have it disabled on my Garmin Epix Pro 2. Think about your *use* case and decide from there.

if you have the epix pro 2, that watch was released about 2 and a half years ago. the normal epix pro was released before that. that said, Garmin can do better with updating their watches. I think with the new menu system with the fenix 8, it will be better. This is also the reason I wouldnt recommend getting an older watch, unless your needs are basic and the deal is good

I have owned two Garmin watches, including currently an Epix Pro. If I had to do it over again I would have saved my money and gotten a Coros Pace Pro.

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.

Go for epix pro 2. Better than f7, 95% the f8 for half the price

I ditched a Garmin Epix Pro 2 for my Omega Seamaster Pro and Whoop. Couldn’t be happier . I use Runkeeper for tracking run stats and audible updates that aren’t available on whoop yet.

I’ve worn a lot of watches and trackers. For a beginning runner I would get a Garmin Forerunner. I’ve owned the entry level and the Epix Pro ($1100). Garmin is the most consistent running tool I’ve owned

Appreciate your write up. I’m thinking of getting it from my epix pro 2 but I love this thing. The flashlight is amazing. I am just not using it to its full potential such as thru hikes or ultramarathons. You didn’t mention battery life in either pros or cons. Is it not a big factor for you? What battery life are you getting?

I love my Epix Pro Gen 2; it has almost all the features of a Fenix 8 Pro and is much cheaper than the Fenix 8 Pro. If you choose the Epix Pro Gen 2, ensure all the apps you use are compatible.

A good thread on someone going from the 7pro to the 955 [https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-955-series/338556/just-downgraded-from-fenix-7-pro-sapphire-to-955-solar](https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-955-series/338556/just-downgraded-from-fenix-7-pro-sapphire-to-955-solar) I've had the 965, Epix 2 Pro, and F7XSS and kept the 965. The others felt too bulky for me. It recently died and I tried on the F7 again and just bought another 965 and put a tpu film screen protector on it and am pretty happy with my choice both times around

Nice! Love my epix pro gen 2. Are you enjoying the maps yet or don’t think you’ll use that feature much?

Fenix 8 if budget isn’t a factor, epix pro gen 2 best bang for buck if budget is a factor

Super practical! I was a newbie runner and the coaching has helped me run 4x a week and increased my pace, distance, and v02 max! I’m so glad I dumped my AW for Garmin though for the epix pro. The battery life cannot be understated

I second this. Exact same use case run 3x/week and weight train 3-4x/week. I found the epix pro gen 2 sapphire to be best utility and bang for buck. I tried the FR but was too run focused and I preferred the more tactical look. The fenix 8 was nice but at double the price with same sensor technology it didn’t felt worth it. You do forgo the mic and voice features but I didn’t need it and didn’t want a true smart watch but prioritized a fitness forward watch. 3 months in and I love my Epix pro gen 2 47mm

How often do you charge it? If it is more than once per week with daily GPS use for running, no thank you.

My Epix pro battery will last at least 10 days with daily GPS use (say average of an hour a day). I actually have to remind myself to charge it's such a non-issue. This is huge for me as my constant battle to keep my phone charged drives me nuts. Plus the flashlight is super handy Oh, and all my iPhone texts and other alerts work just fine with Garmin, so I have no "ecosystem" worries.

Garmin Epix 2 pro. Does everything I need and more. Great battery life

I use a Garmin Epix Pro AND up to today an AWU2. Last week I had a long run in the rain and I can tell you the AW was super frustrating because of rain on the screen and trying to interact with it. Garmin physical buttons, no problem. Today just finished a 50k race wearing both. For the second time this year the AW activity froze and then crashed/ended many miles in. If I wasn’t also running the Garmin I would be furious. Also apropo of nothing the AW started at 100 percent and ended at 9 percent. Also the AW did not have always on screen and trying to see the screen on wrist raises — the delay to wake up the screen was irritatingly long by comparison to Garmin. I’m not continuing the experiment and just not using the AW for fitness anime

I use the 4.0 and a Garmin Epix Pro. The 4.0 HR during exercise is trash. Since they didn’t fix the sensor, I will not be upgrading.

I have an epic pro but definitely would have got the gen 3 for everyday at work if they put the new sensor in it. Crazy to me they didn’t.

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!

Agreed with others that Garmin is a superior sports watch with great battery life, but not as good of a smart watch. For me that is a bonus, but that (and price) are the biggest factors for me! If you do go Garmin, the Forerunner 965 or an older Epix or Epix Pro will get you most of the new features with OLED for a slightly better price!

Agreed with others that Garmin is a superior sports watch with great battery life, but not as good of a smart watch. For me that is a bonus, but that (and price) are the biggest factors for me! If you do go Garmin, the Forerunner 965 or an older Epix or Epix Pro will get you most of the new features with OLED for a slightly better price!

I’m on an epix pro 2 and just got the AWU3. I already miss the flashlight, who knew that simple feature would be such a highlight (literally). I was planning on giving my Garmin to my son, but I’m still holding off. I’m still trying to get used to Apple’s health app to find the most meaningful metrics after my rides, this is where Garmin Connect had me hooked as it got me addicted to maintaining or improving my vo2, etc.

Did you consider getting a Garmin edge computer for the bike and keeping the AW? I have an Edge 1040 and Epix Pro, I’m considering the AWU3 and maybe able to charge it every other day (don’t know yet if that would be the case). I kind of miss a lot of the smart watch functions I had when I was using an AW6 before I got the Epix. Would miss the all week battery on the Epix though, and the awesome flashlight.

I would suggest the Garmin in that case. It's not perfect when you are articulating your wrists during workouts (eg - lifting) but it's still very good. Excellent during running or cycling workouts. Check out "Fit Gear Hunter" on Youtube. He is a CrossFit enthusiast who does FIT-file comparisons for the accuracy of Wrist HR on various watches vs. Chest Strap (considered the high-bar standard); the Garmin watches consistently perform well during his workouts based on wrist data. I loved my Suunto for style and the user interface, but when I purchased a Baro9 and it failed to read my resting HR metrics (sleep, recovery, etc.) and my workouts (including running), I was basically stuck with a watch that worked as well as my old Suunto Spartan. It was super disappointing and drove my switch to an Epix Gen 2 Pro. I really enjoy it.

I can only speak from my experience, but I did that this week. (Mind you I’ve only had my epix pro for a week) But i put in total mileage and it gave me different routes to choose from. I know the general area I live, but wasn’t familiar with the trails. So yes, I just followed what my watch told me.

all garmin watches have all resources youve cited. In my case, I like the look, style and ruggeness, then, my favorite watch is epix/fenix line. I run 4-5 times a week, but use my watch 7 days week, I rly like fenix casual appearance on my wrist when Im not running or doing exercises.

Epix pro is a great choice imo. 

Does an Epix Pro Gen 2 do the same as the Approach watch? I have one for fitness (running, triathlon) and golf, it pairs with CT10 sensors, does virtual caddy and Plays Like.

I went from Epix Pro to AWU. Didn’t wear Garmin 24/7 to care about body battery metrics . Happy with AWU , battery life is okay . Apple way is better than Garmin pay .. I use Athlytic with AWU .

I tried to switch from Garmin to AWU, and while I love everything the watch can do, I found that I didn’t care about most of the features and apps that my phone and MacBook are much better at doing. Also the Achilles heel of the AWU is the battery life. I couldn’t stand charging it every day and taking portable battery chargers on camping trips, etc. I went back to Garmin and got the epic pro gen 2. I get like 3 to 4 weeks of battery life out of it, along with a flashlight, which for some reason I’ve found insanely useful. It is more fitness focused, but the battery life is a huge factor in a triathlon/ultra marathon watch. The new fenix series coming in the next few months are rumored to have 5g and possibly some additional features. Everything they’ve paywalled I don’t use anyway.

I'm using my Epix Pro for cycling. It's hooked up to my heart rate strap, power meter and Di2. I have it mounted to a regular Garmin mount with a watch adapter (https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1221709/pn/010-13013-10/). So it's basically a small round bike computer. I am however thinking of getting a dedicated computer as I'm starting to do longer rides and the watch face is not very good at displaying routes and navigation. But in my opinion a watch, a heart rate strap (can be found dirt cheap from AE etc.) and a bike mount is more tha enough to get by until you're sure you want to splurge on a proper bike computer.

I did whoop for a few years with the bicep band. I got tired of it telling me I was going to die any day. I went back to the Garmin Ecosystem. I have an epix 2 pro. I pair that with a polar bicep optical HR sensor. It tracks my stats well and allows me to track the other hobbies I have like weights and cycling. For clarity, I pair the HR monitor and toss my watch in my bag on the side of the mat. It’s never lost connection.

I think it depends what Garmin you have. I’ve got an epix pro 2 and it feels premium. The app doesn’t look the best, but it’s full of useful information. It may not be pretty but at least the data is all in one place. Apple seems to have everything spread in multiple places

Just echoing what others have said, but why not use both? I wear my AWU2 day to day as I like the watch faces, the integration with my phone etc. When I run I use my Epix Pro 2. Having physical buttons is so much better when running. Accuracy seems about the same.

Sensor hr 5, flash, sapphire? Maybe. Having epix pro gen 2 but love 955

Epix 2 pro gen is fantastic

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 is awesome, yoy can find sales, bought pro gen 2 with 50perc off

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 pro gen 2 is superb and for less money, 965 also, if wanting silkier, and 970 with torch

My Epix Pro lasts 1 week with 5-8 activities. Can't complain.

dude garmin still stuck on archaic OS design and clunky controls. touch screen and usability/apps is whats making apple win over garmin. I have an epix pro and am ready to switch. this year isnt full switch year but they are getting damn close.

I agree with this - Fenix 8 Amoled if you want a combination of rugged looks and good quality screen. Another current generation watch is the Instinct 3 Amoled. That has the screen and rugged looks, but misses out on maps. If you want rugged looks, a good screen and maps, but don't like the Fenix 8 prices, then a previous generation Epix Pro (2 gen) would be another viable option.

I was 15 years of garmin owner and recent model was epix pro 2. Garmin watches very professional and real deal however i switched to awu2 8 months ago im very happy. Cuz of AW benefits my Main reason was apple music. Im a guy who doesnt carry phone since 2018 while running etc and garmin was full of issues to use music app or load some tracks offline listening as i dont get my phone with me. But.. apple wartch brought all my apple music library and ease of use , and addition to it i have now e-sim cellular online i can receive or make calls without phone while doing exercise in early hours. So garmin has very advanced fitness tracking and better battery life . These two only better over apple watch anyrhing else as smart watch apple watxy better , 72hrs battery live i learnt to live with ut and im not pro sportman i dont need that much data for my fitness

I have an Epix Pro, aka the AMOLED version of the Fenix 7 Pro. It is not a perfect watch, but it is good. However, there are some long lasting bugs in the firmware and the last major version has been release by Garmin despite multiple beta testers reporting bugs. That is something that kills the experience. I had a Fenix 6S Pro and a Vivoactive 4 before. Both good watches with their strengths and flaws, but never that buggy. So, unless you want diving, I wouldn't go with the Fenix 8. Get a used/refurbished Fenix 7 Pro or an Epix Pro and have almost the same watch and features for a lot less money.

Yes. I use Polar 10 with my Garmin Epix2 Pro.

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 )

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 )

I moved from Garmin epix pro Gen 2 to pw3. Other than the battery life and hiking tracking there isn't really much else I miss. Especially when the pw3 was half the price Pw3 has miles better sleep tracking, heart rate and smart features. It has its own version of body battery but doesn't do vo2 max, but like you my Garmin gave me a good score when I'm definitely not, so never trusted it anyway .

Parallel, I said goodbye to epix pro gen 2, hello to venu 4

1) venu 4 doesn't have maps. 2) I hate using maps on any watch, they are just too small. Which is why I switched from an epix gen 2 pro to my venu 4.

Also an epic pro 2 user here. Can't see a reason to upgrade mine yet either. I was hoping the 8pro would tempt me but nope. Maybe the 9 will.

My issue is I wanted a 43mm model. Im a dude with maybe average/slightly smaller than average wrists and I have been wanting to move to a more "normal" looking watch. I don't mind charging every few days. This makes my decision to sit this cycle out easy. Maybe the 9 will be different.

As much as I loved my Fenix 6 and epix 2, I can't stomach spending over a grand on a watch I'm going to upgrade in a couple years anyway. The venu 4 price was much better and I will feel less bad when I get my next watch. That being said I kept my epix pro gen 2 just in case I ever go on long hikes or whatever, venu 4 is my daily.

Last gens Fenix is the 7, which is the same as my epix gen 2 pro, just mip instead of amoled.

Garmin does a function called Extended display that enables you to transfer your watch data screens on to your head unit if you happen to own both. Prior to owning my epix pro 2, I was just using my Edge 130 plus (with power meter + hrm). I didn’t really enjoy using the watch on its own while riding because of having to lift my hand of the bars to check my numbers. However the processing power and health data are more advanced on the watch than the little Edge head unit. These days I usually record activities on my watch with display set to ‘off’ and use extended display on the 130 to check out my power/hr/speed etc. If I’m following a route I also use the extended display to view my normal riding data but tap the watch to wake up the screen and browse the map to make sure I’m headed in the right direction. It works really well for me

My watch (Epix Pro) seems to track the sleep phases quite accurately. This is why I decided to go for the Index Sleep armband to make use of the smart alarm functionality. The damned thing hasn't woken me a single time during any "shallow sleep" phase, it always sets off on the exact time! If this doesn't get fixed by a firmware update, it was a total waste of money.

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.

My Epix goes on for 16 days... the biggest version for a month. Let's be honest here, do you really make such long runs that takes 16 days or longer?

I can't speak for MIP screens, but I can for OLED. It is good readable in direct sunlight. In the dark it switches to dark mode, so the entire forest won't change to daylight due to brightness of the screen lol. I the condition your described, the OLED screen would be perfectly readable. My current watch is an Epix Pro, the previous a Venu 1, the Venu 1 did had difficulties in bright sunlight, but not so much in the scene your described. I've looked at MIP screens to when looking for an upgrade to my dying V1, in my personal opinion, MIP screens are overrated, the benefits are also minimal. Battery for instance, your watch could go on a few more hours... not more days. My epix for instance can go on for 16 days.. I can't imagine a scenario where I run 16 days in a row without any sort of charging solution. Aside from maybe the 0,5% of all (elite) runners. The major advantage of readability also went gone with the latest generation of OLED's.

i did a 'review' of the race s (which is functionally close to the race 2): [https://www.reddit.com/r/Suunto/comments/1itwkov/suunto\_race\_s\_review\_and\_why\_i\_am\_forced\_back\_to/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Suunto/comments/1itwkov/suunto_race_s_review_and_why_i_am_forced_back_to/) for me it was an easy decision to go back to garmin now i'm back on garmin (epix pro - functionally similar to fr970) i have been pleasantly surprised by how useful the smart features and mapping is on modern garmins, amongst all the the basic stuff that just...works. i would encourage you to buy and try both (check their returns policies but at least in the uk i was able to return my suunto before 30 days of use).

I just had this argument. 255 was reduced to £200, bargain, the 265 wasn’t worth the price increase to £320. But I wanted the 255M so no need for a phone when running, that’s £240. My friend then introduced me to the offer of the Epix Pro Gen 2, reduced to £370 from £740. It has maps, music, all the 255-265 and Fénix options, whilst looking beautiful and more watch like. Had it for a few days now and so glad I did. Everything the 255-265-955 and Fénix can do, at a fantastic price point, with the luxury feel of a £900 watch

Epix Pro Gen 2 can be had for nearly half it’s original price and is a very solid watch.

255. Right for your running and cycling. Good batt and price. Epic too.heavy. HR can be less accurate if excessive bounce from running or excessive bounce on bike from uneven roads.

I've been using my Epix 2 Pro to do multi-day Hikes. The issue with Garmin for multiday hikes is their software is very limiting on the watch and on garmin connect. During multi days, if I get to my destination and want to stop the watch for the days stats, I press resume later. This caches the data and will pop the activity back up the next day, but it COMPLETELY DISABLES sleep and other metrics like body battery. So I am unable to effectively track multi days of sleep in the backcountry, a metric I am interested in The other issue is that if you save the activity, you cannot restart that activity... even if you accidently save it. Meaning my miles and activities would be inaccurate Then on top of that, Garmin won't let you stitch multiple single activities into a larger multiday activity on connect... needing random 3rd party sites to do this then reimport Basic software features making this watch not as reliable or user friendly in the Backcountry. I also charge my watch every other day in the field (I bring solar and battery bank) due to using all systems on GPS or the watch gets super weird when in the forest or summiting mountains on steep terrain Other than those simple to fix issues, this watch does everything and anything I need. It has exquisite mapping and one of my most used items in the backcountry If anyone has any fixes to these issues, or has another watch brand that has better software. Let me know

Yes, but I used to do this with the Epix as well. The inconvenience would be to take it off to charge when I don’t need to, not when I would have had it off anyway. If the watch lasts 5-7 days on a full charge with the daily shower top ups I am more than happy. And for long hikes/events, I assume using a chest strap would save a bit of battery as the watch wouldn’t use its optical sensor.

I moved from a Garmin Epix Pro to the Ultra, except I got it last Friday. My treadmill runs over the weekend and Monday were all under 1 hour and consumed between 3-4% battery each, although with a HRM600 chest strap, so no optical sensor. I charged the watch using my phone as a power bank while showering and managed to squeeze 4 days from 80% since I put it on until 10% when I decided to give it a proper top up. Very pleased with the battery, although it’s not the 14 days I got with my Epix. That being said, I love the smart features, the confort (feels very light), the screen, the sensor accuracy, the rings and Workout Buddy. I thought I will miss the morning report and body battery, but am doing just fine without. There’s a free app called Body State which offers some insights, although subscription based ones like Athlytic and Bevel probably have way more. I haven’t tried any of them yet. Sleep tracking seems on point, although I notice a drop in my deep sleep compared to Garmin’s tracking, but nothing major. Things I don’t like: -HR zones and how it calculates them (220-age, and automatic refreshes every month). I don’t know how you can do Z2 runs with it. -HRV sampling seems to happen every two hours. HR sampling is every few minutes when not moving. -No smart coach - but plenty apps in the store - Runna being good. Edit to add more things I don’t like: it overestimates active calories (compared to Garmin) All in all, if they keep improving on it, I don’t think I’m coming back.

I never had it going down, only up. I was actually reading about this over the weekend, and apparently you lose 1-1.5bpm per year, but Garmin never downgraded me.

Epix pro is correct, also Venu 3(+s). However I heard the Elevate V4 wasn't horrible either. 

I switched from an AW to a Epic Gen Pro II a month or so ago. No regrets so far. Mostly witched for the battery life. I also just didn't need all the distractions. I was worried about missing WhatsApp texts and being able to open the garage or such but really haven't noticed. I've really likes not having to worry about charging especially whwj doing muktiolle bike rides in a day or week and traveling. Even got rid of my bike computer and heart rate monitor. I am not an atheate but to me the watch does all that well enough it simplified my life.

I went from an Apple Watch to the Garmin Epix 2 Pro, and now rock the Fenix 8 51mm. No regrets whatsoever. **Battery life alone is worth the switch.** I charge it *once a month* with regular tracking—MTB, hikes, runs, walks. Apple Watch had me charging daily, especially with GPS use. **Build quality?** Fenix is a beast—titanium bezel, sapphire lens.. **Customization and compatibility?** Garmin lets you tailor everything and works with both Android and iOS. Do it!

That's what I do with my Epix Pro Gen 2. It's basically a glorified very expensive flashlight for me 😅. No regrets, it's a beautiful, amazing watch and I love it!

I have the Garmin Approach S62 and the Epix Pro Gen2. Both are excellent. The Epix is better but the Approach is lighter. I prefer warring the Approach when I play

I migrated (after letting the pain and anger of the Connect + wear off😸) from Venu 2s to Epix Pro and I don't think there is another electronic that I loved so much in all those years not even my M4 Max or PS5 Pro. The watch is really great for my routine, running cycling and a bit of strength. The suggested daily workouts seems to integrate with the running calendar and a mirage of other metrics to help you get to the set goals, I found the SDW much better than the Garmin Coach on the Venu 2s.

Discrepo en que el Garmin está mejor construido, cuando probé el Epix 2 Pro no me podía creer que ese reloj costara 800$, el ultra tiene mucha mejor construcción y durabilidad.

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).

Wish I could say the same recently for my epix pro gen 2 recent update drains the battery over 20% while I sleep with nothing changed in setting I’m getting max 3 days without a charge now 😢

The Fenix 8 is objectively the best of those watches, but by far the most expensive. The Enduro 3, Fenix 7 Pro or Epix 2 Pro (if you want OLED, which is honestly a must for me now) have a very similar set of features but will be significantly cheaper. I personally wouldn't buy a watch for its solar charging - not only do some models of the Fenix series have that too, but all of those have great battery life to easily last multiple days, and in most cases, you will have the ability to charge your watch in some capacity at the end of the day. I can't say a lot about Coros, pretty sure they're fine too, but Garmin works great for me so I have no reason to switch

Garmin isn't the best imo okay let me rephrase I have the epix pro and venu 3, I prefer venu 3 just because it's a little more lighter and hugs my wrist better

Please don't make the mistake I made. I have a tiny wrist and my epix pro sometimes miss tracking my sleep being a little bulky ya know. I'm thinking venu4

Tbh I had the same thing in my head in the past hence got the epix pro in the past but there are moments I regret the bulk especially for sleep tracking

I did the same with an Epix Pro. No regrets and also deep in Apple ecosystem.

So I had the Apple Watch one ended up switching to the Epix Pro because I do a lot of indoor cycling and I needed to be able to manually adjust the mileage after the workout. Does the Apple Watch three allow you to adjust the mileage in the workouts app after the workout?

I just don’t want to be burned again (Epix Pro Gen 2 user). Just imagine this time next year when the Fenix 9 comes out with a new sensor and features and they stop supporting a $2K Fenix 8 Pro. Pricing is just bonkers at this point. Love my Garmin but sadly Apple giving you an $800ish Ultra, always updating software for past generations and a solid trade in program makes them look a whole lot better.

I sold the ultra 2 and bough epix pro. but Garmin made it obsolete so soon with no new UI updated and then not rolling on features which are there now on newer watches. It feels like cheated that my 1 and half year old watch is now obsolete. Although Garmin has good health matrix but I do not think it justifies the price tag. I will move back to ultra 3

I sold the ultra 2 and bough epix pro. but Garmin made it obsolete so soon with no new UI updated and then not rolling on features which are there now on newer watches. It feels like cheated that my 1 and half year old watch is now obsolete. Although Garmin has good health matrix but I do not think it justifies the price tag. I will move back to ultra 3

It's already outdated (but still do more than 165). That why you can buy it at that price so don't expect anymore new update (same as 165,265,955, 965, Epic Pro etc) but the good thing is it's more stable/less bugs.

At that price 255 if you can live without touch screen. BTW Epix Pro at 370 is a steal but if you don't need map, climbing features, rugged &heavy case, 255 is more than enough.

IDK. 955 is maybe Garmin's most bang for your buck. However, look-wise it isn't much different from 255 why pay another 120 more if you don't need map, music, touch screen and climbing features. On the contrary, Epix Pro (Gen 2) looks much nicer but that's another more 80.

Don’t forget to check out Suunto they make comparable watches that are cheaper in price. Went from a Garmin epix pro gen 2 to a Suunto Race 2 and it’s honestly slimmer and has a lot of the same features

Lots of good advice above so probably a case of picking which one you like the look of the most from all those. The only thing I want to add is that they are all quite large and can be uncomfortable to sleep in, so if you really want to do sleep tracking you may want to budget for the new armband Garmin released. I’m sure some people sleep fine with their watch on but I find it too bulky (I have Epix Pro 2 but they are all similarly chunky)

Im happy with my epix pro 2

Im happy with my epix pro gen 2 … imma upgrade when the battery will only last a few days

For years I wore a Fenix 5s and then 6s in rose gold. I have an Epix Pro Gen2 now which has a nice amoled display like the current Fenix 8 series. The Epix 42mm (same size as the Fenix s series) came in soft gold which is also attractive for women. I almost got that but I wanted a little more battery life so I went with a 47mm this time around. But the 42mm would been just fine and if I had a job where I have to dress more professionally I would have gone with that one. The Epix pro gen2 is the last generation and while not cheap, is an excellent deal since it does almost everything the current Fenix series does (certainly everything your wife wants) including the current gen HR sensor and has an amoled display. The Venu watches are okay but are more lifestyle and not true sports watches. I briefly had one and it wasn’t near as durable as the Fenix/Epix. All of these had sapphire glass because I’m not the most girly girl and am tough on my watches.

Get the vivoactive 6 if you are not so serious with training and want that lifestyle type of watch. If you are serious but still want the lifestyle type of watch can go for the venu 4. FR265 is a great entry training watch. Fenixs only for hardcore athletes, FR970 is a mini fenix but better off getting a fenix 7. Epix Pro Gen2 is a great watch also but have been discontinued and wont be getting any new updates. FR570 better off with FR265 Apple watch has terrible battery life, even if you are using apple’s ecosystem I still wouldnt recommend it if you value battery life. Feel free to ask me anything, I did all my research since I was also planning on getting a watch

Epix starts to working very slow screen looks like works on 20hz refresh rate , another thing all new functions are only Reserved for newest watch epix get only fixed bugs. There is much more functions on amazfit for less price

Epix pro or Fenix 7 pro are technically on par with the 8 and good alternatives! The only differences are new ui, no new features and microphone/ speaker. If you don't care get them cheap and enjoy the heck out of them!

If you want the absolute best fitness watch, you want a Garmin. If you want a “good enough at fitness” watch, an Apple Watch will work just fine. You CAN juggle a series of Apps to mostly reproduce Garmin’s functionality. Personally, I have both an Apple Watch Ultra and a Garmin Epix Pro and I always end up coming back to my Garmin. Honestly, the best way I can describe it is this: The Garmin watches are clearly designed by people who understand what’s makes a good sports watch. The AWU was designed by engineers who googled, “What makes a good sports watch?” You CAN use an Apple Watch just fine for fitness purposes (Its sensors are actually best in class), I personally did so for a year myself, but going from Garmin to Apple will feel like a downgrade for fitness purposes (But will feel like a HUGE upgrade for smartwatch purposes)

As much as I liked the Forerunner, it really looks like a toy next to the Epix. Don't get me wrong, it's a great watch but now that I do a big chunk of my runs without glasses because of the rain, I'm really enjoying the bigger, brighter screen.

To be fair it probably wasn't the most reasonable reason. Mostly the aesthetics and a bigger screen. The 255 was too small for me. Also I found a pretty good deal on the Epix and sold my 255 for not much less than the price I paid for it. If you are familiar with amoled's ups and downs and want to buy one, go for it. It's a fantastic watch.

Having had the Epix Pro the last couple of years - the flashlight has become a feature I can't live without. As much as I like 5 buttons, I would be hard pressed to choose against the flashlight if its an option!

Garmin epix pro. Little to no problem with default swimming function. Sometimes I use ‘Drill logs’ for super accurate tracking (distance wise).

As mentioned already, disabling the auto-interval feature is, in my opinion, essential for accurate swim tracking. I’ve swum with the Garmin Forerunner 245, then the Swim 2, switched to the Apple Watch, and now I’m back to the Garmin Epix Pro. All of them seem to struggle a bit with auto-interval detection, but aside from that, I’ve never had any major issues with tracking swim styles, laps, distance, or heart rate. Occasionally they might miss a lap or two, but nothing worth stressing over. Also, as far as I know, most indoor swim trackers rely on the push-off from the wall to mark the end and start of a lap (outdoor swims use GPS). So it’s possible your push-off isn’t strong or consistent enough to register properly.

I've owned several Fenix watches. I currently use the Epix Pro and Venu 3. No issues whatsoever. Sounds like the Fenix 8 has issues. I hope Garmin gets their quality control back to normal. Watches at this price point should be flawless.

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.

Do you need the microphone and speaker? If no, the epix 2 pro or fenix 7 will probably be more than enough. However if some features will drop, they both probably wouldn't get them. You have to decide if you always need the latest stuff. I'm super happy with the Epix 2 pro.

When I had my Venu 3 basically 80% of performance metrics in the Garmin connect were missing. I was surprised how much there is when I got my Epix 2 pro. Garmin websites has a compare feature to check which watch has which feature. 

I’ve always had Apple Watches since they came out. I just ditched mine for an Epix 2 Pro. Couldn’t be happier. Battery life alone is worth it.

The sensors and batterylife are nice on the Garmin...but holy shit it has the ugliest watchfaces compared to any other smartwatch.....havent even found one worth paying for besides the fact you need/want to on a 1k epix pro

Epix Pro and don't think twice... I wish there was a 45mm...

I have had the epix pro gen 2 for a couple years. It’s basically the fenix 8 AMOLED before they released it and my battery life has gone down a little bit but I’m still getting a good 2/3 weeks depending on usage between charges. I really liked the old fenix watches and now with the amoled display I would go for that. I like the more rugged look of the watch over the other models.

I have the Epix Pro. I’ve had it for over a year and thoroughly enjoy it. The AMOLED screen is crisp. Battery life is great (get about 6 days out of it with sleep tracking, daily running activities, and weight training twice a week). I would recommend adding it to your list of options. Ive also tracked other activities on it (skiiing, snowshoeing, walking, indoor cycling). I have an iPhone and it syncs just fine.

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.

If flashlight is main decision for those usages would make more sense epix pro gen 2 that has huges sales these days. Otherwise it is quite dumb

Valid point. Counterpoint, my Epix Pro became part of my arm after about 12 hours, but it's certainly personal preference/something to consider.

I hated smartsatches, especially those AW or Samsung, because battery life was useless. Then I got an Instinct Solar, 23 days of charge and all the health and sport capabilities were as good or better than AW but I missed the colour screen so I got a Epix Pro and it have it all, 6 to 7 days of battery life with always on display, 15 days without it. Oled screen, sapphire cristal, and everything I need. Never come back to other regular brand.

Epix Pro and Instinct, epix for daily use and Instinct when I need the extended battery life.

Thanks Garmin.  Meanwhile Apple watches are nearly all getting feature updates while Garmin leaves the top end model from 6-9 months ago in the corner to starve while dangling expensive stale AI crumbs. -hungry Epix Pro user

There's a bunch of videos on youtube about G vs. A- I've gone back and forth several times so far, and actually have a Fenix 8 on the way to try out, after using AW's for several years. I've tried the 965 and Epix 2 Pro, and have been using the Ultra 1 since it came out, as well as the regular ones before that. Without the AW- you're losing the ability to answer phone calls and texts on your wrist, using Apple Pay, as well as snoozing alarms and changing focus modes on your phone from your wrist. Note- the Fenix 8 allows you to take calls and answer texts on it, not sure if the 970 does, too. With the Garmin you get much better battery life, better included sports/sleep/activity tracking, a single place on your phone to look at all that data, included training and workout plans, a watch that looks like a watch, and the ability to use watch faces that make your wrist not look like a mini-computer (although most you have to pay for). I have seen that the measured sleep stages aren't as accurate as the AW, tho, although they're still fairly good. I'm an older guy, becoming a little more far-sighted, so I find the info on the AW easier to read. The Epix only has regular and "large" fonts, but I find that large setting to still be too small to read some data easily. No such worries w/the AWU. If your sight is still good, this won't be an issue. So if you're looking for a great sports watch, want good battery life, a single app to review your training data, and not be tied to your iphone 24/7, Garmin's are a good bet. I'd say give it a try, and if you decide you cannot live without the AW after a while, you can always sell the Garmin and go back.

This. Recently got Epix pro gen 2, wanted MIPs but there was 160€ difference between F7 pro and the Epix, I've no regrets moving to AMOLED.  Enduro 3 is probably the best but 51mm is way too big for me.

Venu 3 or epix pro (from secondhand) -screen is amoled. -ui is best as it gets (apart fenix 8 ofc) -elevate 5, as in best sensor there is.( This should be most important thing to keep in mind choosing garmin) -venu has voice assistant if you are in to that kind of thing, venu is slimmer and smaller more formal sort of -epix is a tank, it looks like you can destroy a brick wall with it.

Both my Garmin 945 (which I use as a dedicated swim watch after retiring from daily use), and my Garmin Epix Pro gen 2 seem to have believable heart rate data during swims as long as I wear the watch snug. I remember comparing it to an old HRM-Tri when they first enabled optical heart rate during swims and it seemed pretty close, which was good enough for me. If you want absolute accuracy, you’ll have to get a Garmin watch and an HRM-Swim. You won’t have to pour over an excel file, it will sync the HRM-Swim data with the Garmin watch swim activity.

It’s very good for both swimming laps in a pool as well as open water swimming. You can set pool length size, create pool swim workouts, do auto rest to detect when you’ve stopped and when you’ve started an interval. It detects what stroke your swimming, has good optical wrist heart rate, and some advanced swimming metrics like SWOLF. I actually use an older Garmin 945 as my dedicated swim watch, as it’s smaller than my Epix Pro Gen 2 which is my daily/running/hiking/other sports watch. The main downside I’ve experienced is it will occasionally miss a 25 yard lap if I’m doing sprint sets of 50s in a 25 yard pool. I’m decently fast for an older guy (multiple 50s at low 27 from a push is no problem) so it’s either the speed or my form breaks down and it didn’t detect my flip turn properly. One other downside I thought of, but is actually a benefit to me is it doesn’t detect drills or kicking. I’ve seen the Apple Watch supports kick detection. I don’t mind and actually like to put the watch in drill mode, then at the end of each interval you tell it how many yards/meters you’ve done.

Sold my epix 7 pro ,what's the point in having an option to reply to messages, but then you cant as you can only use saved messages ,unacceptable on such a high price premium watch Garmin are sports watches not smart watches

I had the AWU1, then I bought an Epix Pro 2 about a year ago. Today I ordered an AWU3. I miss the tight integration with my phone and the user interface. I will miss the battery life and the morning report.

Ahh. I'm debating switching from my Garmin Epix Pro to AWU3. I feel like I already have Garmin HRM and a bike spd/cd sensor so I'm in the Garmin system already. But I'm pretty bummed about how the new updates for Garmin doesn't get trickled down to the Epix.

Used to have Suunto until 2019 and switched to Garmin. Was happy with both. Garmin has a few more features. Still using Epix Pro Gen 2. Suunto Race 2 looks promising and is half as much as the next gen Garmin Fenix watches. Had hoped AWU could at least get to a week of battery in normal use and maybe 24 hours in GPS use but looks like we have to wait a few more years.

Is there a way to sync Apple running stats with the Garmin connect stats? I am getting a AWU3 but consider keeping my Epix Pro 2 for longer endeavors

I have some recent comments floating about - not a hater in any way - long time Apple user here, have an AWU 3 currently. Recently did a run wearing an epix pro gen 2 on one wrist and my AWU 2 (at that time) on the other - I couldn’t get over how the AWU picked up increases/decreases in HR almost instantly and the epix lagged behind most times by ~10-15 secs…and depending upon intervals, etc. sometimes never had the chance to get as high/low as it needed to to hit a spike/dip. “Wear a chest strap” - ok, but I was just surprised how poor the wrist experience was live given how many “athletes” opt for these watches. There are other reasons I am still intrigued - but, that threw me off.

I switched the the Garmin Epix Pro 2, and it is waaay better than the apple watch IMO. You cant respins to texts/emails via the watch but I rarely did that with my apple watch anyway. You still get all notifications, and the biggest thing is the battery life. I legit get 14-15 days between charges. I went on a week long vaca and didnt even bring the charging cable. Game changer!

I've owned apple watch ultra 2, Garmin Epix pro 2, galaxy watch ultra, pixel watch 3 45mm. If you have a pixel phone the pixel watch works the best with your phone. Will you be running with your phone? Pixel watch has LTE and good battery life. GPS accuracy is decent but not the best. Garmin has the best GPS accuracy along with apple watch ultra but the Garmin UI leaves a lot to be desired and it doesn't have LTE so if you don't bring your phone you can't make an emergency call which I didn't like. If you're in the USA the pixel watches also have a sale. And they come with 2 years free data from Google Fi if bought on Google store. They can't make calls but they can text. And they can call 911. This is because it's a data only plan from Google Fi veruss getting a plan through your existing cell provider who may or may not offer free watch cellular service. Pixel watch 3 is my favorite watch for pixel phones. Apple watch for iPhones. The Garmin is nice but it's not a very smart watch. The battery life is insane though. Like only had to charge it once every few weeks which was cool.

I've had the fenix 7s pro and the epix pro gen2. I believe they are both the smaller form factor (42mm). I love the topo map feature for hiking and I've done similar amount of hiking as you (I'm also female) and also use it for running, biking, walking strength training, and paddle boarding. I think they are phasing out the epix in favor of the fenix8. So that either means you might be able to get an epix at a discount, or if you like the latest and greatest, might be reasons for the fenix8, which I think they make with solar (no solar on epix). Solar on the 7s pro was basically not functional, even if you spend 8 hours in the sun. Hope that helps.

The difference between the HR sensors is negligible in my opinion. Went from Epix Pro to 965 and so far it’s on point with the HRM pro plus. You get a few additional features with the Elevate 5, but they are rather gimmicky as far as accuracy is concerned.

I switched from AW to an Epix 2 pro (25 day battery life! Woo hoo! nb it is shorter if you're using GPS but still waaaay longer than AW) and I only miss a few very small things about AW. I liked being able to say "Hey siri, set timer for 5 min" or whatever while my hands were all messy. I liked occasionally answering the phone until I could GET to my phone and I occasionally enjoyed replying to messages. More cards available for apple pay than garmin pay, which I use the heck out of. Huge plus for me - the activity tracking smokes apple. I can pair a real HRM, my power meter etc. to my watch if necessary for riding. I'd suggest going somewhere like REI where you can see a bunch of them and get a feel for how they'll fit on your wrist. I definitely enjoy having a watch that look like a watch on my wrist though.

I use both. My Garmin Epix Pro is my training watch and my Ultra is my everyday smartwatch. I had been a long time Garmin user from before the days of the Apple Watch even existing and I prefer their platform for training. Plus there are just some things that the Apple Watch does not yet do well, at least not with the default apps, for example swim workouts. However, for everyday use it’s hard to beat the Apple Watch’s integration with iOS. For me though the feature that really convinced me was cellular and the way it can mirror the phone. When out on bike rides I was carrying my phone with me in case of a breakdown I couldn’t field repair and being able to leave the bulky phone at home was a big factor. I actually do double wrist and wear both for some workouts. For runs I have the Garmin on one wrist to track the workout and prompt me if I’m running intervals, as well as evaluate the workout at the end. The Apple Watch is on the other wrist and is for Apple Music playback, to be an emergency phone if needed, and for things like opening my garage door via HomeKit when I get home. For bike workouts I usually just wear the Apple Watch since I use my Garmin Edge bike computer (paired to a chest strap HRM) to record the workout. For swimming I just wear the Garmin since it does swimming workouts better and I don’t need the Apple Watch for anything there. The nice thing is once everything is synched to Garmin Connect it also writes to Apple Health which does update my rings, even for workouts where I wasn’t wearing the Apple Watch.

If you’re in the UK, hsamuel have a great deal on the epix pro gen2

In what way? 6 days AOD 14 without…

I did it about 6 months ago, AWU to Epix pro. Let me know if you’ve got any questions. So far, I won’t be heading back!

I run and Hike (a long hike early in the year that killed my Apple Watch battery got me looking). After looking, I realised that I don’t actually use any “smart” features that are only on Apple. I track workouts (walks,runs, hikes, gym etc), listen to music well I do, get some notifications and then want health metrics. For all of that garmin either matches or beats Apple. But, with way better battery life, nicer watches as I prefer round and a torch I couldn’t live without now lol

Iv come from PW to Garmin they are 2 different devices. The only reason Garmin last for a number of days is because they dial back the feature. As for 24HR Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) does this.

Epix pro 2. Around 13 days with 3-5hr gps activities a week.

Lmao the Epix Pro treatment is brutal. Garmin really said "here's your $900 watch, enjoy these exact same features forever while we put everything new on the next model" Meanwhile my buddy's 5 year old Apple Watch just got handed features that would require me buying a whole new Garmin. The update game is night and day between these companies

I previously had a Samsung Galaxy watch 4(not sure if about the version), but the battery life was terrible, I sometimes used it all during my long cycling days, I recently upgraded to a Garmin epix pro 2 that I got for all the price and I'm really happy for now. Except for Garmin pay that doesn't want to accept my credit card, but it might be a bank issue in my case.

Except for Garmin pay, I've had no issue yet, it doesn't feel laggy for me.

One thing that Garmin has heads and tails over the Apple Watch is battery life.  Love my Garmin. Incredibly accurate on the course.  I have the Epix Pro and for golf it gives me “plays like” distances accounting for elevation and wind.  There’s also a pin-hunter helping you aim when the flag isn’t visible.  My older Forerunner 945 would give me distances to and distances to carry hazards. But the newer Epix does that while also showing a map of the course. 

Check out the Epix Pro Gen 2. Garmin was running a huge 50% off sale. And the Epix Pro was a more polished version of the rugged Fenix. But technically it's more in line with last generations Forerunner 965. I use the Epix Pro and love it. And as great as it is to have the latest and greatest when Garmin doesn't update UI in past models, the watches are stay great for a long long time. I've been running a 945 for years. And before that the 235.

They’re not getting new features. They’ll still operate the same way out of the box.  So you’re getting an incredibly capable watch and its feature set as-is. Just not getting any new OS or additional features in the future.  Garmin isn’t bricking the watch or anything.  So if you like what the Epix pro does now, then the sale is an incredibly good deal. 

I've noticed that between Epix 2 (v4) and Epix 2 Pro (v5) the later is less prone to cadence lock during simple walking for example.

I switched from an Apple Watch Ultra to an Epix Pro about 6months ago. Recently I was helping a family member with their Apple Watch and started missing mine so I put it back on and it lasted 3 days before I put it back in the drawer and put my Epix back on

My epix pro 2 only last like 6 days :(

I also bought for running + golf and went with the Epix Pro Gen 2

I think it has everything I need and I love it. Only con was the price lol

Exactly this. Went from awu2 to epix pro gen 2. Battery life alone was worth the switch, but for trail riding and exercise I absolutely love it. The data and insights are great!

Epix Pro Gen 2. Have had a Fenix 8 and Tactix 8. Sticking with the Epix. Plus they are crazy cheap right now.

For me, the biggest advantage is offline maps on my Epix Pro (also available on the 970, Fenix and a few others) which is something that Apple doesn’t do at all - although you can download offline maps on your phone from some suppliers. The other advantage that I exploit is the data sharing across devices - my Edge devices know what training I carried out using my watches, and the data is collated and used to advise my training progress and plans. I would never use any watch on my bikes (unless I really wanted to crash!!) so Apple doesn’t get a look-in for that use case. And I’m not putting my £1600 iPhone on my handlebars.

Garmin Epix pro 2 has worked beautifully for me.

I would agree with you on that. I had Garmin fenixes for years, Garmin Epix pro, Apple Watch Ultra, amazfit trex 3 (current watch) and just got a whoop. Imo for weightlifting nothing beats the Apple Watch (ultra or not doesn’t matter) due to all the different apps available. I was using Hevy and the ability to do a live workout between the watch and the phone at the same time was dope: want to change exercice or do more complex changes during your sessions, you simply edit the workout on the phone. But if you want to do just a 5lbs increment on your lift, you can do it from the watch directly live. Only thing I am eager to test with whoop, which is a important part my decision to do the free trial for a month, is to see muscle strain and how it work in tandem with the cardio based strain. Whoop is the only wearable to do that ( but it seems you can do it with Bevel now)

The Epix pro Gen 2 is an absolute bargain at the moment. I would pick it instantly if you don't need the extra battery life of the Enduro 3.

>if you have the epix pro 2, that watch was released about 2 and a half years ago. the normal epix pro was released before that. It stopped receiving new features like a year and three months after release. Yet, Garmin is still selling it.

Not a lot cheaper. Although, you can find it a lot cheaper from other sellers. The point is, Garmin will sell a $1000 device that is already outdated and they won't keep it current. https://preview.redd.it/isvq3zoyukof1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=e0958e7329be9f829e636854fabeeb27f2b8edff

The Epix Pro. t's a no-brainer. The only reason to get the 570 if you prefer the look or want a lighter watch. The Epix Pro is superior.

Both are great watches. The running features are basically the same. The 955 is more watch than anyone would need and it's a great value. However, the Epix Pro has some nice-to-have advantages: The Epix pro has a better HR sensor, torch flashlight, ECG (depending on the country), and multi-band gps. The screen is amoled while the 955 is mips. Both screens are perfectly fine so it's a matter of preference. The EPIX is rugged but the 955 is lighter. Both prices are good, you can't go wrong.

Well, most smartwatches have that issue with battery life. Garmin has more battery life, but it's less smart, it's kind of a trade off you have to make. My Garmin Epix Pro last for 7 days and the smart features are everything I need (had a Galaxy Watch 6 before) but if you use alot of the smart features of the galaxy watch, you'll miss out on some of those (No LTE for example). But you can find models with calling, notifications, music etc. (and ofc all the fitness feature are some of the best in the market)

I’m on the verge of making the same move to AWU2 for the LTE & Apple Pay, everything else being fairly well equal with my 2.5yr old Epix Pro. I know I’ll lose some data, and integration with the Edge 1040, but the reality is I’m a reasonable club level runner/cyclist/swimmer and not a pro athlete.

After 3.5 years with an Epix Pro I went back to an AW10 cellular this year, as a runner, cyclist, gym goer & kayaker I thought I’d miss the Garmin, but I don’t, the AW is so much better as a smartwatch, and with the addition custom workouts in OS26, the gym app Hevy, and HealthFit - for me it’s a better training device. I don’t miss the battery life, I stick it on charge for a topup in the bathroom morning & evening. Oh and I can leave my phone at home.

Last gen forerunner you can find discounted often and they are great. If the budget stretches, and you want it for lifestyle too, the Epix Pro 2 is discounted a lot also and is great.

Depends on what you’re looking for I guess. My purchases have been about 60% off retail on average for models that are one year older in good condition. It’s a small sample size, and deals don’t come often. Right now, I expect Epix Pro Gen 2s will be a steal because retail has gone down and there are newer models put (although this is an older 2023 watch).

this is the main point of buying Amazfit products! had my trex 3 for 3 months now, and like it so much more than my garmin epix pro, and, like someone said, even if it burns out, I can buy 2 replacements or more, and still save money over the overpriced garmin stuff

I flip back and forth every now and then. First Garmin was a vivoactive hr. Then Apple Watch s3 Then back to Garmin with a Vivoactive 3, back to Apple Watch s5, Fenix 6 pro, Epix then Epix pro. Currently wearing aw s10, other than for kayaking. Apple Watches are getting better and better, buttons and battery are the only major benefits for me, and with an Epix battery isn’t that much better. Training info in the Garmin app is better too but the gap is closing, and subscription apps are probably even better. Bevel is great but a bit spendy. I think I’ll probably always have at least one of each now, eying up an aw ultra 3 next, Fenix line is getting too expensive now.

I have an Epix Pro Gen 2 currently and it's all I wear, but previously I used a Fenix, yes. It's perfect for me and what I want from a watch. But I'm a guy who leaves his phone on silent 90% of the time and just wants to know when my friends, children, or spouse contacts me. Or I want to load a gpx map up, or track a 30 mile weekend camping/hiking trip without fussing with my watch power. I take my watch off when I shower and about every 7-14 days to charge it (depending on what I'm doing). That's it. Many people take their watch off when they sleep and that's a great time to charge, and if that's what you do then you don't need 12 days of battery. Or 8 or 5 or even 2. But I've heard too many hikers at mile 20 tell me their watch just died, which means no data for their effort, while mine is at 75-80% and I'm ready for another 3 days in the woods. I don't need a smartwatch, I need a good battery and accurate maps/tracking. Other people will want smartwatch features first and all their integrated apps, and just track their daily 5K runs and the occasional half. That's a perfect time for a smartwatch and avoid the expense of a Garmin and it's clunky app ecosystem.

I have the FR 265 which is fine but I love my Epix Pro 2.

Yep, buttons all the way. I switched last month from AWU to Epix Pro. Unfortunately, Garmin has no clue when I fall asleep and that skews all data like body battery and other metrics like training readiness. The battery life and the buttons make up for it :).

The AW was nailing pretty well when I was falling asleep. It has a good accelerometer algorithm that detects when you fall asleep. Your respiration rate goes down, your heart rate goes down, you have little to no wrist/body movement, and it marks that moment as the sleep start time. On my Epix Pro, even if I put the watch myself to sleep mode, it says that I went to sleep 3-4 hours after that moment. So, I basically put it into sleep mode at 10pm and next morning it says I fell asleep at 3am in the morning and that I only had 3 hours of sleep. This leads to a poor readiness score and a crappy body battery. As the data analysts say "garbage in, garbage out". I stopped placing too much thought into these numbers. I only focus on my HRV and how I feel that morning to determine if I should go train or not.

I made the transition from AWU to Garmin Epix Pro last year. Major things that made me switch: 1. Buttons. You can do everything on the watch with the button. There's no need for touch input which is one thing I hated on the AW, especially when my fingers were sweaty after a workout. 2. Battery life. I get 11 days with always on display. On AWU I was lucky to get into the next day with my workout routine. 3. Ability to fully customize data screens. This is essential for my workouts. 4. Keep in mind it's a sport watch, not a smart watch. I don't care about notifications and I disabled most, but you may find this as a downside. Garmin as a developer doesn't have the same level of access to internal APIs to control notifications. You can read them and clear them but that's about it. Cons: 1. Sleep tracking algorithm is shit on Garmin compared to AW. 2. The app design feels outdated. For me, Garmin is the best choice despite the shitty sleep tracking. I had the Garmin Fenix 5 for 3 years before trying out the Apple Watch. After having AW7 and AWU for about 2 years, I decides to go back.

Switched from Apple Watch Ultra to epix pro :)

I’d go Garmin. I’ve tried Polar, Amazfit, Samsung, Fitbit, and finally Garmin, and Garmin is still the most integrated and polished of the bunch. Not perfect, but definitely the least flawed. Also check the used/refurbished market. I picked up an Epix Pro for about 50% off retail, barely used.

I bought an Epix Pro 2 second hand and I love it.

Well then, LFG! 🥳 Fenix 6 Pro in 2019 —> Epix 2022 —> Fenix 8 51mm AMOLED 2025. Each watch was better than the prior (though the F6 performs flawlessly still for my adult son) and I have zero complaints about any of them. People who get frustrated are way more likely to vent on Reddit, I’ll bet. I also think the whole new user interface starting with F8 has prompted posts, either people left behind with the old UI or people who hate change fussing about the new UI. I thought the old UI was fine and the new UI is better - boring take really. Speaking of boring, I’m not going to post a boring update like: use my Garmin every day, it performs perfectly, and I charge it once per month. But I’ll bet there are a lot of people like me out there who just don’t say much.

Garmin Epix is good at lap counting (except for kick sets). I think its pretty good at stroke detection too bud I don't check the strokes often.

YES. I want to wear ‘nice’ watches. I’d love to wear an ankle thingy with no screen that keeps track of things forever… and when I need a screen, I’d use the epix I have.

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.

I got epix 2nd gen, it’s a good watch but for some reason garmin keeps acting like this line of watches don’t exist, and I miss loads of new features

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.

Many of the Garmin lineup support multi sport, and personally I've been on the Fenix track for over a decade now, currently on Epix Gen2. Handles swimming and running spot on paired with HRM-Pro. I have an Edge 1040 for cycling. Wife has a Fenix 8, it's super nice. Weight not an issue for me, Forerunner is a lighter model but gets a plastic case if I'm not mistaken. And go for the Sapphire screen.

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.

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

Looking to get some advice. I have been using a garmin epix with Cronometer for about a year and it was so helpful with cutting and bulking this past year and extremely accurate. I picked up an Apple Watch Ultra 3 a couple days ago and as much as I want to like it I am struggling with the daily calories with it. Maybe I am just not used to the way it’s showing everything vs how my garmin was. So with my garmin I only started strength training or running workouts. Anything else like walks etc would just pile up in my daily activity balance. Once that hit -350 it would start adding it to my expenditure for the day and my expenditure would just start going up for the rest of the day going forward. It was very easy for me to know where I needed to be based on the time of day. With the Apple Watch I’ve noticed I need to start workouts for walk etc to get full heart rate data and better estimated calories. When adding those in my active energy balance number will go down each time. What I am left with is an energy balance that will not get to -350 by the end of the day and my energy expenditure just kind of stays where it is unless I start another workout. Maybe I am just looking at this wrong and the Apple Watch is a better way of judging my calories. Would love to hear thoughts. I’ve attached a couple of pics to illustrate what I mean.

So here’s the thing, with my garmin this works fine, when I have my Apple Watch set like this the active balance starts much lower and it just never makes it to that threshold. Garmin will show -119 when I wake up in the morning and Apple shows -20. When you do walks, runs, or workouts with Apple that number just never goes up.

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 have Epix gen 2 and just measured my wrist circumference at1 5 cm. It's prominent, but I am quite used to it. I think you shop for features you want rather than the 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.

I have a Garmin Epix that tracks swim data. Prior to getting it, I would just count laps, note the time on the pool clock, and enter it manually.

Agreed, I've been using my Epix gen 2 for this for two years its phenomenal

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.

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.

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).

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

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.

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.

The new Venu 4 fits your bill, but costs a bit more, and tbh doesn’t look that rugged Otherwise you’d need to look at the Fenix 7 or Epix series, and go for the 43mm variant

Epix2 should be right in your budget. I bought mine in Dec 2023 for 440 dollshairs so it should a bit lower by now

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.

I’ve been rocking the Epix gen2 since it came out. My ultra has been collecting dust.

My Epix II has been absolutely flawless. I haven't had a single issue with the watch or the app.

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.

On my Epix watch I have the lock out and screen off functions as short cuts so I can gather data while completely tuning the watch out if I want. There is a ton of value in ignoring the watch and just running without thinking out of it, but I think the long term data gathering has some value. Seeing my yearly mileage slowly go up gave me insight into the fact that I’ve gradually made positive lifestyle improvements. I find it helpful when I’m going through a psychical low - having numbers I can look back on and put the now into context is useful. So that’s what I do. Turn the screen off, lock out the watch and run when I need to.

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 started with a Samsung smart watch and it didn't track heat rate great. When I started doing heart rate based intervals it wasn't good enough. I moved to a wahoo hrm and elemnt bolt which works really good and didn't totally break the bank. A couple years ago I got the Garmin Epix to use as an everyday watch and I liked the fact I could use it golfing and on my SUP as well. I have been using the epix for interval workouts and it's great. Occasionally if I don't have it tight enough it slides down mountain biking, but it's my daily go to. I love being able to use the buttons with my gloves on. It has essentially replaced my HRM. About the only time I break out the HRM anymore is for extremely long rides, races, or if I'm going to be on a mountain bike trail I'm unfamiliar with, and want to keep both hands on the bars.

The Fenix 5 is a beast. I sold mine about the same time. Upgraded to Epix2.

If your sensor should struggle because of the tattoos you can use white epoxy stickers. Before I discovered that I wore my Suunto, Garmin instinct 2, Epix Gen 2 the other way around. But after my both very dark sleeves were finished 6 months ago the heart rate sensor didn't work. Now for the first time in years I wear the new instinct 3 amoled the 'right way', even works with the old Gen 4 sensor. :)

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

Used Garmin Epix! Just got one for $270

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 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).

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 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 love the Garmins because of battery life and all the fitness metrics. I've owned a Fenix 5, Epix Gen2 and a Fenix 7 sapphire solar. I'm partial to MIP screens and like the 7 the most but if you are a fan of AMOLED screens, the Epix is great. I use mine with a Pixel 9 and I've never had an issue with that. You can also store music files on these watches and pair the watch with earbuds so you don't need to take your phone on runs.

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?

it really depends, agree you don't look at the data but if you like to run trails, looking at the map is pretty important I use amoled (epic2) and two things are huge disadvantages mainly for longer runs: \-sometimes the wrist gesture does not work, happens not too often but ofc in the most irritating moment like you don't know if you have to turn left or right on a crossroads etc. and you end up shaking your hand like stupid (you can solve this by turning off gesture and having screen all the time on but you have to run with a strong light on your wrist which is irritating after dark and ofc battery suffers for longer trails) \-direct sun during a snowy winter, there is completely no way to see anything, like not sure how all those amazing reviews are missing that simple fact. It even doens not have to be so snowy just winterish strong sun and amoled gives up. \-last one but only important when you start duing the day and end after dark or other way around, if you set your brightness to high for good visibility in the sun then it is crazy bright after the sun goes down etc. other then that amoled works just fine, I would change for mips but actually it is getting harder and harder to get a nice mips watch.

If you want a flashlight on your watch, get a watch with a flashlight! Doesn't seem like overkill to me. Maybe check out the Epix Gen 2, as I've been seeing some good sales on them. I use the flashlight feature on my 265, which just lights up the screen, all the time.

For almost every Garmin wach you can download TennisAI app from garmin store which would capture and recognize your strokes, measure power etc. If you are interested there are two versions of the app and I would recommend to check compatible devices list from the latest one as it has improved interface and match score tracking features ( https://apps.garmin.com/apps/0073ddf4-3ec7-436d-a598-d88cfd0d583a?tid=1 ). The watch shall be worn on the hand that holds the racket so ehen it comes to a device if you buy a havy model like Fenix or Epix (>80gr ) at first it will take you a few sessions to get used to it but if you buy something lighter like venu, forerunner or fenix S version it will not interfere with the game at all.  Also the square devices are in General poorly supported by developers.

Black on black! 2 days of use and the improvements are incredible. The 45mm new display is gorgeous, the speakers and microphone are vastly improved, the battery life and charging speeds are excellent and overall the performance is noticably quicker. Very happy with this purchase. (I owned the PW2 and came from a Garmin Epix Gen 2). (Watch face is S4U Assen).

Garmin's fitness tracking is better. I look at it like this: if you want a fitness tracker with some smartwatch functionality get a Garmin, if you want a smartwatch with full Android and Gemini ecosystem, with pretty good fitness tracking get a Pixel Watch. That said according to reviews sleep tracking is superior on the PW4.

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.

Same as you. I only start track an activity on my Epix if I’m doing lead it TR. If i’m bouldering, I will just let it track my heart rate.

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

My wrist is 7.5" (American here, so not well-versed in metric). It looks like 18cm is just over 7" and I've been wearing 47mm Garmin watches since the Fenix 6 Pro. Followed by the Epix Gen 2 and now the Fenix 8. I recently tried the 970 and it honestly felt great. I really wish I hadn't returned it but I didn't want to deal with selling my Fenix 8, so I did. I've been debating getting another one. But the 970, because it's thinner, lighter, and not as bulky as the Fenix 8, doesn't *feel* like a 47mm watch (at least the ones I've become used to). It wears smaller, and that's a good thing. I think you'll be fine with the size.

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)

I will be moving from an Epix Gen 2 to a Pixel Watch 4 45mm once I'm able. This was helpful. One note - Unless you are coming from the Fenix 8 51mm, the screen size of the 45mm Pixel Watch 4 is larger (1.46 inches) than the Fenix 8 47mm/Epix Gen 2 at 1.3 inches. I think you lose a bit over the edge of the Actua curve, but it's still larger.

I've got an Epic Gen 2 and plan to switch when there's a Black Friday deal. If I do I'll try to remember and let you know

I wore an Epix Gen 2 for four years. Loved it. Early bugs were ironed out quickly. Did the job. I switched to a Pixel Watch recently. Yeah, it's for more features and the charging process feels less clunky. But you give up a lot too in mapping, battery, and data fields. I didn't change because Garmin sucked. My priorities just changed and smart watches have become good enough at fitness to lose a lot less when you switch.

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

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!

That is interesting. Got the same epic gen 2 when chose it over AWU 2. I’m all in to Apple ecosystem tbh. But the watch just felt less giving the the garmin. The battery life, the (so said) lack of accuracy in sleep and other measures compared to garmin.

It is expensive in comparison to other garmins, but so worth it. I chose the epix over AWU and love it.

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.

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.

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.

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

1-2 gen old garmin fenix should be around that much new old stock, or see if you can find a refurb epix 2. I used an Apple Watch 4 before I got the epix 2. It’s fine for heart rate and mileage if that’s all you want. In fact any watch that has a hr monitor will be fine for basic training.

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.

I was you 3 months ago, do it! You will never look back, I went with the Garmin Epix and love it,

I used to use an AWU with a Garmin Epix2, one on each wrist, both are great, but I ended up sticking with the Ultra for many of the reasons you mentioned. Cellular. I can put my phone down, finally, and still get important notifications from friends and family. Garmin is amazing for battery life, there is absolutely no competition between their battery and Apple’s. On top of that, Garmin does give much more data for exercising. But outside of those two, what else does Garmin watches have that you can’t get on the Apple Watch.

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.

Mother vote for Garmin epix. Bought second hand off eBay for less than £250

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

I switched to the Garmin Epix Gen 2 a couple of years ago, and whilst I still use the Garmin because of reasons I'll describe further down, in my opinion, the Apple Watch Ultra is a better watch in \_almost\_ every way - as both "smart watch" and "sports watch". The argument that it doesn't do everything that the Garmin does out of the box is a bit flimsy when you can get an app to make up the difference for a few dollars a year, and it does everything else as well if not better e.g. screen, connectivity, HR, app ecosystem, general UI polish. The old cliche of "Apple Watch is a smart watch that does some fitness, and the Garmin is a fitness watch that does some smart" should actually be "The Apple Watch does both really well, the Garmin does one well, and is barely even tries to succeed at the other", and if you can have both, why not do it. The battery comparison is a very important one, but I don't feel it is important for the reasons most people say it is. The modern Apple Watches will charge so quickly, that taking it off every day shouldn't be that much of an issue for most people, and the reasons the battery runs out so quickly are generally the same as the reasons why it is a better device for day to day use. Where the Apple Watch battery does however become a big problem if you're running (or otherwise taking part in) long endurance events - e.g. runs over 100km (at my slow pace). Some faster people can probably do 100 miles on a single charge of the Apple Watch Ultra, and I had to charge my Garmin during my last 100miler. I'd stick with what you've got, and perhaps spend a little more on an app to make up the differences in workout metrics instead. Reassess when your Apple Watch 10 is obsolete, but even then, seriously consider the AWU instead of the Garmin unless you really need it.

Garmin Epix Gen 2 - I bought it on launch so I've had it for about 3.5 years... Zero issues with it.

Before Garmin - I used Fitbits. Right - they're all probably made in China. My Fitbits all had serious issues or just stopped working after about 1-1.5 years. Every. Single. One. I've had my Garmin Epix Gen 2 for 3+ years now and it's still working perfectly. Now think about why that is...? This isn't random or just "bad luck".

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.

I love my Epix gen2 which is overkill for step counting but looks nice and I think they’ve been blowing them out for half the price i paid. I’ve audited the step counter for fun (nerd alert!) on long walks and it’s pretty accurate as well.

The Fenix 7 or Epix Gen 2 would be solid upgrades from your 165 - way more features for training and the swim metrics are legit once you find that pool. Both should have decent Black Friday deals and the battery life alone makes it worth the jump

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

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 have a Garmin Epic Gen 2 (had a Fenix 8 but returned it) and also an Apple Watch (had 5 so far). Both are fine and the Apple Watch doesn’t need to be a phone on your wrist and can do just as much for you as the Garmin. I think the saying goes that “everything helps” and in the case of a Garmin - it’s a sort of mindset thing that wearing this watch may subconsciously reminds you to take care of your health - so it’s psychologically maybe more effective then an Apple Watch… just my theory. In terms of what those watches can do - it’s kind of the same: both can track your hear rate , both can track exercise quite accurately, both have a GPS, both have sleep tracking. Plus point for the Garmin: - looks much better - perhaps can make you feel like you’re part of a family of people who like heath and sport - much better battery life - makes you focus on sports and health since it’s not really a smart watch Plus point for Apple Watch: - more stable software then Garmin (for example Fenix 8 software is not the best - I just returned mine) - I’d say Apple has better quality software in general and it’s more polished - Garmin is a bit backwards - sleep tracking works a bit better and the watch can track naps while the Garmin tends to miss naps You’re gonna be fine with both options and pretty much with almost any modern Garmin

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.

Epix Gen 2 is what I use for both golf and running. It's an awesome watch. Had mine for nearly 2 years now.

Garmin Epix Gen 2. Not very budget friendly though.

Curious about the fitness tracking and how it compares to Garmin? I’m a Garmin Epix user and considering other brands.

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.

If you have access to a Sam's club might be worth looking there. I got a epix gen 2 last week for $194 plus tax. It does both of those seemingly well.

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.

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.

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.

My wrist is 13 cm circumference. I have an Epix Gen 2 (47 mm) and it looks pretty enormous on me and it sticks out wider than my wrist. I would not wear it if I were a runner, to be honest. It just feels too bulky. My previous one was Vivoactive 4s and it was a much better size for my wrist (I killed it by smashing it into the wall swimming backstroke without flags).

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 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"

Depending on the types of weights you utilise in your training, you may want to consider a Garmin with Sapphire Glass. It's pretty much bulletproof (I have hit mine with a 24kg kettlebell more times than I care to mention). That said the Venue range is great if you are not juggling kettlebells.

the fenix/epix (mainly pros) options are go-to options as all rounders. I also had Instinct if you want a casio/military like watch with 25+ battery autonomy Currently I've been wearing fenix 7 pro and I am very happy about it

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.

https://preview.redd.it/7fhs78of36xe1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9203c8b09dff4c3250f76de1cca6e3baaa1ea018 I have big wrists and arms and a 51mm is still a monster watch. I love it though and honestly don’t think anyone else cares how big your watch is. Added bonus - it can be used to break down a door in an emergency

Nope, sorry, I disagree. Always go the 51mm for that battery life. It’s a fact

*sits smug knowing that I am pulling off the 51mm*

The band width on the 47 is what kills it for me. The 51 appears more proportional.

https://preview.redd.it/9k23hwc436xe1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=98141f6d31f58da7a6c372bc3b760c9e8443677b 51 mm - not a massive wrist but I’m tall so it suits me

I'm unsure what they cost overseas, but the Epix 2 has been on sale in the states the past month for $300-$400. I'd suggest adding the Forerunner 955/965 as a consideration with the Fenix/Epix watches. Are you considering the Approach S70 or different high end Approach watch? Because, IMO, that's the only one you should consider. You'll have to decide whether you value weight, aesthetics, and golf or fitness flexibility. * Functionally, the S70, Forerunner and Fenix/Epix are almost the same. It will do everything you want and more. * Will you be wearing the watch full time? The Fenix/Epix watches looks amazing, and can be worn casually or dressed up with a different watch band. IMO the metal body makes a visual difference. * Do you value weight? The Forerunner and S70 is 55g and the Fenix/Epix come in around 80g and the weight difference is noticeable. You get used to it though. The Forerunner has a plastic body, S70 is ceramic, and the Fenix/Epix have either SS or Titanium body. A couple links to help: * [https://breakingeighty.com/garmin-epix-2-review](https://breakingeighty.com/garmin-epix-2-review) * [https://www.reddit.com/r/GarminWatches/comments/1dxeltp/approach\_s70\_or\_epix\_pro\_2/](https://www.reddit.com/r/GarminWatches/comments/1dxeltp/approach_s70_or_epix_pro_2/) IMO, if you can find the Epix 2 for $300-$400 -- get the Epix 2.

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.