Garmin - Fenix 6S Pro

I have a Garmin Fenix 6s and I love it for tracking laps. It doesn't track kick sets, I think it needs arm movement, so I just track those in my head and you can adjust the distance in the Garmin Connect app. But other than that it's great and very accurate. Maybe only off by 25m each swim.

I never knew it had that function!! Thank you!

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 don't have any notifications whatsoever on my Fenix 6s pro. I just never set them up. Not a one. I work in a regulated area that prohibits certain distractions like that. That said, it's not a dumb watch, so it can have notifications if you set them up.

Fenix 7 should work great. (Double check for 100hz) I have fenix6s and it works but doesnt show live data and 25hz processor is shit with surfr. Also dowloading times are long. Not that i am slightly bitter with my yesterday 20m jump with 21+sec hangtime. According to surfr ai calculation 9m with 7second hangtime 🥲

I have a Fenix 6s which does everything you mentioned, has lasted for ages, and was well within your budget. The top end Garmins all have very similar software, so it’s more about the look, screen, and build (more metal or more plastic). I don’t think you’d be dissatisfied by any of them.

I have a 955 and a petite female wrist. The watch is big for me but it’s manageable. In the winter, it gets a bit caught on my short sleeves sometimes but that’s the worst of it. I came from a Fenix 6s which was much thicker and heavier so even though that watch face was smaller in diameter, it was much more in the way. It was too heavy. I don’t find that the 955 really bothers me, especially when running.

I use a polar h10 chest strap and a garmin fenix 6s pro. Does exactly what I expect. The only thing I wish I had was the quality sleep tracking that whoop has. I am surprised nobody has tried to duplicate their sleep tracking algorithm.

For me. Garmin Fenix 6s pro has changed my life. I gifted my now wife one, less than 3 months after meeting her. It’s fundamental to our lives now

I have a Garmin Fenix 6s. Fenix series is definitely on the more expensive end, so this is a more hesitant endorsement. I would have gotten a forerunner in the 900 series, but they don't come in the small size. I will say though, the one I have is five years old and still going strong and tracks pretty much every activity you can think of, so I do like it. You can also download music to the watch too if you want to ditch your phone if that appeals to you. They just recently came out with the Fenix 8 line, so you could probably get a more reasonable price on the 6s or 7s depending what you're looking for.

Garmin for sure. Probably a forerunner or Fenix series. I personally use a Fenix 6s and it'll work for all those sports despite being 6 years old

Garmin Fenix 6s. I use it to track a lot more than just swimming though. And it's lasted, I've had it 5.5 years with no issues so far.

def a garmin, i have the fenix 6s and its phenomenal for tracking swims!

You should first think about what you need from the watch, then choose between the models that offers that specs. Without knowing your use case, the Suunto race S is difficult to beat. I use a Fenix 6 pro myself. I like the maps to be customizable, but when it dies I will change brand. Prices in new Garmin releases are too high in comparison with other brands offerings.

I think you are in a hard spot here! When someone is serious about something, it is difficult to gift them something about that something. In the same way that you cannot gift a mouse to a software engineer unless it's the Logitech Mx 3 or superior, you cannot gift apparel to a serious runner unless it's something really good. My point is, if you want to gift him a watch, it is difficult to recommend you something that is below $300 or $400. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of watches out there that cost less and may work. For example, you can buy the Garmin Vivoactive or Instinct for around $200, or the Amazfit T-Rex Pro for $150 (this is a really good watch for the price). However, if he is really serious about trail running, you may have to consider a Garmin Fenix 6 (between $350 and $400 on Amazon) or a Garmin Forerunner 945 (I just saw it at $319 on Amazon). If he is into both road and trail running, the Forerunner may be a good choice, but if he is getting more and more into trail running, the fenix is the best option. Note: You won't get navigation in budget-friendly watches, but I haven't meet a racer that needed it. Generally, the course is marked and people carry their phones (I have offline maps just in case). Note 2: You can save a lot by purchasing the previous-generation model (that's why I recommended fenix 6 and forerunner 945).

Fenix 6 or above, Enduro 2 or above. All will easily last over 24hrs recording an activity. The Enduros will stretch to 48hrs at a push

On my fenix 6, pulse ox even busy at night absolutely cooks the battery. I also found it wasn’t a very accurate or useful feature other than pointing out I might have sleep apnea (which turns out I did, but based off other tests). The advertised battery life probably doesn’t include that, I’d be interested to see how it holds up if it turn that off. For reference I get probably 7-10 days on my fenix 6. Two hours of activity tracking a day, one of which is usually using gps. No pulse ox turned on ever. Using it as a watch only closer to 14 days

I always enjoyed hiking and trail running, but adding Garmin was a great addition. I've had the Fenix 6 and after lost it on a lake, got the Venu 3. Venu 3 is my go to choice, what an amazing and fast watch.

I put on my garmin and select backcountry ski.

Fenix 6

Is it as comfy to sleep with? I have a garmin fenix 6 and cant sleep with that but can with the whoop

I do the same. Downvotes be dammed. I usually like to get out at around 130 and get it down to 38 in the cold plunge. 3 years on a fenix 6 without issue.

I have a Garmin Fenix 6 and I normally have mine on. I sauna 4 to 5 days a week and have had the watch for 4 or so years. Works totally fine!

Grab the cheapest watch and pair it with a good chest strap for more accurate data. Otherwise the movements give weird data. I pair a Garmin Fenix 6 with HRM Pro+. Pay attention to HRV for recovery.

I have 674,647 yards this year alone on my 4 year old Garmin Fenix 6, and have not had a single issue with it.

I've not used the brand myself, (I have a Garmin Fenix 6 that I really like currently), but I hear a lot of good things about Coros and they have watches around the price point your looking for. One of my favorite running Youtubers (he does a lot of ultra trail runs) did a review of the Coros Pace Pro a few months back: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzH-FBISb7I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzH-FBISb7I)

I’ve been using a garmin Fenix 6 for a couple of years and it’s been solid! The only thing I’d say (and it’s not garmin specific just wrist based sensor specific) is that for things with a lot of movement like burpees and KB swings it struggles to record - so I often pair it with a garmin chest heart rate sensor too for those workouts. If it were to break I’d buy a Fenix 7, now that the 8 is out (or soon?) but for me the jump from Fenix 6 to 7 isn’t enough to replace a fully working watch

I have a Garmin Fenix 6, which is a multisport watch not a dedicated swimming watch, and it's not very accurate for distance. My last swims: **Outdoor** Actual 1000m, reported 935m Actual 1320m, reported 1684m Actual 1000m, reported 1015m Actual 924m, reported 749m **Indoor** Actual 1716m, reported 2475m

My Garmin Fenix 6 is OK, but the distance can be wildly inaccurate. Outdoors is usually within about 15%, but indoors is worse. My last swim was 1726 meters by lap count, but showed as 2475 meters on the watch... 43% over. (I'm pretty confident in my lap counts since I learned the trick on this sub of doing it by letter instead of number, and thinking of names/places/words beginning with each letter. In my usual pool "O" is a kilometer).

Yes and my Fenis 6 goes 14 days. But they aren't comparable let's be honest, not the same use cases

I daily use a Fenix 6 ;)

Still on the fenix 6. I'm not even sure the fenix 9 is gonna make me want to upgrade. Probably could have just bought the 945 745 or even the 245. None of these upgrades is gonna make me fitter. Everyone has different needs but I bet the majority don't get much benefit from last year's line-up the way things have been going. The metrics are nice to have but hardly a necessity.

One aspect you didn't mention is battery life. I have a Garmin Fenix 6... after 5+ years it's battery doesn't hold up as well as it used to, but charging is still a think I have to do once a week or so. It's also very good at managing battery life during activities... if it's running low during a long hike, it'll do things like reduce GPS polling frequency and turning off sensors to conserve battery before dying on you entirely.

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

I've used either a Forerunner 9xx or a Fēnix for about 6 years. If you give it about 5 minutes before you swim to leatch onto as many satellites as possible after it says it has a GPS fix it's pretty good. If you dive in as soon as you get the tick, it's crap.

Garmin ecosystem is chocked full of goodness. Since I run and cycle, it’s great for multi sport. A lot of folks who only run seem to love Coros watches and their environment. I think either of those (with Strava integration) would be an improvement over your Apple Watch.

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