Garmin - epix Pro (Gen 2) Standard Edition 47mm

Really wrist my wish is larger for Enduro, I'm rocking an epix pro 47mm and it's just right.

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. 

My epix pro 47mm lasts 15 days with wrist gesture, and drain 2% per hour for battery in gps use (only gps Mode). In my use, I can pass 15 days with regular gps use without recharge. 

I have a epix pro 47 mm and my watch lasts 15 days without a charge (gesture on / aod off, pulse ox off and stock wf). I Love this watch so much. In Last 5-6 years I've bought a lot of garmin watches (fenix 3hr, fenix 5, fenix 6 sapphire, forerunner 935, forerunner 955, forerunner 255, instinct 1, and now the epix pro. Epix is by far, the best watch Ive bought from garmin. Very happy with him

I have Epix pro gen 2 47mm ss, it is great, got it for 50% off. Don't pay 800, look for discounts, also don't go for newest models, Instinct 2 solar or 2x is great, also Foreruner 955... Find some store and go try them and seek youtube for further info- chase the summit, desi fit...

Had 265, now epix pro gen 2 47mm. Had 70km run and batrery was 40-50% off. If can handle 51mm epix is with enduro battery and it is a beast too. You can try cts od youtube video about ultra marathon with 965. Epix is great watch, dont be concerned about updates, they are all old after one or two years...

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

Epix 2 pro gen is fantastic

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

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

And im saying that with Epix Pro gen 2 47mm on wrist 🤣

The Epix Pro Gen 2 (47mm) was on sale last week for £360 and that has ECG. I bought it. Seems to have all the features on the Fenix and a nice bright Amoled screen.

That's where I got it from. Good deal and it's been very good so far, my first smart watch of any kind.

Happy owner of an F6Solar 47mm for almost 5 years, delighted with the Mips screen and an autonomy of 14 days, I missed the integrated maps and substantial improvements in sleep control and lack of nap monitoring. 2 months ago I bought from a friend the Epix 2Gen 47mm with Amoled screen, and maps that, without training, the battery lasts 8 days and although I don't need more and I am satisfied with its features, I feel that I want more autonomy for my weekend getaways, where I monitor//route tracking//GPS...it needs more autonomy. My wrists are not wide, the 47mm fits well but I would often like to buy a 51mm Epix 2 pro. This new f8 has more than double the range of my epix 2, that would fit but the price….the price is inaccessible.

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

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

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

I 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. 

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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 garmin epix pro gen 2 and the HRM-Pro Plus ( garmin)

Does what? Track the water temperature? It does that if you take off the watch by five minutes and put it under the water. Mine is an epix pro gen 2 ,does the same as yours, of course, it's newer and more advanced but that's not what he was referring to, i think.

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.

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.

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 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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

i 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

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 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.)

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.

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.

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?

Garmin Epix Pro, HR strap (I use a Polar one) & an Oura for Sleep & Recovery has been my trio that has worked the best to get me through training.But do yourself a favor and never look @ your scores for sleep and recovery race day!

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

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

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)

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 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'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’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 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.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

Forerunner 265 - rugged, great battery life, really good stats. Lacking: mapping, ECG Fenix 7: higher level, lower battery life than 265 (says up to 11 days, seems more like 5 days), MIP screen isn't as pretty as AMOLED Epic Pro: same watch as Fenix 7 but with an AMOLED screen

I have all three of the watches I listed but am about to send the Epix back. I think the 265 is an excellent watch!

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. 

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

I switched from the original Apple Watch Ultra to an Epix two a while back and every once in a while, I get to missing the Apple Pay. My bank doesn’t support Garmin pay and will try switching back and I’ll wear it for 2 to 3 days and then back in the drawer it goes. I think I’m gonna list it on eBay tonight so I can avoid this special cycle. I just bought a forerunner 970 I’m on my way to pick it up and I’m going to gift my Epix to my little brother.

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 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.

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.

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

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 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 swapped my AW out for an Epix 2 about a month ago and am glad I did.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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).

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

Friend of mine uses my old Fenix. That is a 9 year old watch, going strong. My wife still uses a Garmin watch I gave her 6 years ago. And Im still using an Epix 2, from 2022. There is a lot wrong with Garmin watches , but hardware quality isn't on that list.

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

Garmin epix 2. So good

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

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

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.

The oura ring is not a good fitness tracker in my experience. It’s great for sleep/recovery tracking, but I definitely think it’s way behind in the fitness tracking game. As for Garmin, I can’t really recommend you a model tbh bc I’m really only experienced with the Fenix. What I would say is that depending on how long you plan to wait to go back to MTB/weights, it may be worth it to get the Fenix now and you’ll have something good for that later. I do know there are some great deals on the Fenix 7’s/Epix 2’s as they’re now last gen. But they’re still extremely relevant and can be had at great prices for the features they contain. Just some food for thought

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

I managed to get through a \~24 hour 100 miler with an Epix 2 by switching the tracking to GPS only and turning off the always-on screen (raise wrist showed screen). I wouldn't necessarily recommend an OLED screen watch for someone doing a lot of hundred mile races, but depending on the course and your fitness you could probably make one of the 47mm Fenix models work or the 51mm Epix Pro.

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

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

I 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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Lately I feel like I'm more tired when I try to maintain a certain pace when using my Apple Watch Ultra 2 compared to my Garmin Epix 2. I also noticed that my HR is higher on my AWU2 vs Epic 2 running the same pace. Today I thought I'd use both at the same time. I was pretty surprised at the results. My heart rate readings from both devices are within 1 bpm of each other but the distance (and pace) has a huge difference. AWU2 recorded 8km (my target distance for today) at 6:58 min / km pace / 140 ave HR. Garmin Epix 2 recorded 9.14km at 6:06 min / km pace / 141 ave HR. Whenever I run with people using Garmin (different models) and I use my Garmin we basically do the same distance (maybe within 20m of each other), when I use my Apple Watch when I run with people using Garmin I always end up having to run a bit longer to record the same distance. I think if Apple is off by 10m or 15m per km to Garmin that's ok, but this is like a 15% difference. What do you think guys? Which brand is more accurate? https://preview.redd.it/9mapv9h5u1wf1.png?width=2625&format=png&auto=webp&s=01b628b08c8aff282c53b9db437d1c039d22aae0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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 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.

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

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

I have a Garmin epix 2, paired with a Pixel 8. This was after selling an iPhone and Apple Watch. I prefer not having to charge my watch every single day! Really the only integration with the phone are notifications and the ability to locate my phone from my watch.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

Garmin Epix Gen 2. Not very budget friendly though.

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

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.

This. And switch off AOD. I’ve tracked a 16hr run with my AWU2, and easily did ribs and hikes of 8hrs with a regular AW(whatever version was out in 2018)…just NOT with the default settings. Oh, and ignore the “just buy a Garmin/Coros/Suunto/Anazfit/ whatever” responses. They’re not helpful! I’ve ran with watches from all those brands through to as recently as Garmin Epix 2. There’s nothing magically “fitness” about them that the supposed “smartwatch” of Apple can’t equally do, and there are lots of advantages to that smarts and having access to a wider ecosystem of apps. If you like the Apple Watch, stick with it, it will easily track a marathon. Take a chance to play with the other watches too, they’re all good but all (inc Apple) pretty much do the same thing when you get down to it running wise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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).

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

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

On my 7.5 inch wrists, I prefer the 51. See how the 47 vs the 51 looks. Much better battery on the 51, too. https://preview.redd.it/n3v5vtvfu7xe1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a42f9a77be278b9a8e9fc998f9ddc0ccf0ec76b6

Benefits of 20 years in construction… used to have a Fenix 5 plus, Apple Watch Series 4, Applewatch Ultra and various actual watch’s… all felt …’dainty’… the 7X was chosen for the largest screen (& torch)…. Considering the a move to amoled now and half considering the 47mm as it has the same size screen as the 51mm…. Lighter weight, lower cost but a shorter battery life…. But I can deal with that

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.

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

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.