Garmin - fēnix 7 Pro Solar

Love my mip Garmin Fenix 7 pro ss. Black Friday is coming up, if you can hold off, there should be really good deals to be had then. That’s when I got mine last year. Battery life is twos, if I run/workout everyday. If I don’t it can easily for longer. I came to Garmin from a regular AW. It had to be charged twice a day if I worked out and wanted to track my sleep. I much prefer the mip to the AW amoled screen.

If you want it only for running, then look at forerunner 255/265 or 955/965 (these with 5 in the middle have MIP screens, these with 6 have AMOLED). I’m recommending these since they’re smaller and lighter, but if you like the looks of fenix 7 go for it. In terms of HR recording you’re gonna need chest strap for running if you want to get accurate measurements. Measuring the heart rate from wrist is good until it come down to trainings with variable intensity, for example the watch alone is very bad at recording hr during intervals. In terms of GPS, fr 955/965 have the best one (multiband gps). The difference is visible when recording next to high building or in the forest. The type of screen is something where you need to see comparison between these two, I’m personally in love with MIP for its visibility when being outside and way better battery life. But everyone prefers something different so this decision is up to you. I personally have fenix 7s which i bought mainly for everyday use and hiking/biking. But I started to run with it and it’s perfect for me. Everyday training suggestions are very nice, especially if you wear the watch all the time. It’s taking many factors into account (for example sleep, stress, training load, your performance and many more) so every training is adjusted to you, no need to think what you should do.

If you want it only for running, then look at forerunner 255/265 or 955/965 (these with 5 in the middle have MIP screens, these with 6 have AMOLED). I’m recommending these since they’re smaller and lighter, but if you like the looks of fenix 7 go for it. In terms of HR recording you’re gonna need chest strap for running if you want to get accurate measurements. Measuring the heart rate from wrist is good until it come down to trainings with variable intensity, for example the watch alone is very bad at recording hr during intervals. In terms of GPS, fr 955/965 have the best one (multiband gps). The difference is visible when recording next to high building or in the forest. The type of screen is something where you need to see comparison between these two, I’m personally in love with MIP for its visibility when being outside and way better battery life. But everyone prefers something different so this decision is up to you. I personally have fenix 7s which i bought mainly for everyday use and hiking/biking. But I started to run with it and it’s perfect for me. Everyday training suggestions are very nice, especially if you wear the watch all the time. It’s taking many factors into account (for example sleep, stress, training load, your performance and many more) so every training is adjusted to you, no need to think what you should do.

Garmin 265s or if you could get a Epix Pro 42mm for a decent price would have everything you could wish for, including the latest HR Sensor v.5 If you don't want AMOLED screen then the Fenix 7 Pro 42mm would also be perfect. Also consider the Epix pro and Fenix Pro have a flashlight. Sound useless, but comes in handy from nightly toilet visits, camping or just as a strobe while running (can set it up so it auto turns on and blinks when running after sunset)

You can search for offers on Fenix 7S pro. It is relatively compact for its features. It will save you money by not needing to upgrade in the near future as you increase your activities. Garmin will encourage you/force you to move frequently and increase your VO2 Max. 😁

How quickly does it charge? I've gotten used to popping my Garmin (FR645, FR945, Fenix 7s, then Fenix 7s Pro) on the charger for 10min or so while I shower and that is enough that I never have to worry about the battery. Think the same would be true of the Venu 4?

How quickly does it charge? I've gotten used to popping my Garmin (FR645, FR945, Fenix 7s, then Fenix 7s Pro) on the charger for 10min or so while I shower and that is enough that I never have to worry about the battery. Think the same would be true of the Venu 4?

I have a Garmin 245 and I'll probably be buried with it, the newer ones are hilariously expensive and don't offer much that really matters. I tried a Fenix 7s and it couldn't even play bluetooth consistently, they stuffed too much useless crap into it

I had an Apple Watch Series 5 and it was good at distance but very patchy at stroke detection (my form isn’t that bad!). Switched to a Garmin 245 4 years ago and it was much better at stroke detection. Distance is fine with the occasional missed lap but that also happened with the AW for me. I now use a Fénix 7S and I like it a lot. I really like the ability to push structured workouts to it. That was not doable with the AW. The system for logging drills is a little cumbersome but you get used to it. The missed laps problem has been reduced for me. Now I find that if I keep swimming it catches up eventually most of the time. (Of course newer AWs may have improved too.) Good luck!

That sounds very reasonable. I think I’ll get one too. (I have a Fenix 7S and get ~5 days as well.)

Fenix 7S is much smaller than you would expect and the battery is unmatched.

I have a Garmin Fenix 7S Pro alongside my Whoop. I wore both for a week or two and found the sleep data on the Garmin to be relatively similar to the Whoop, albeit in a visualization and data representation that was exponentially worse. A big part of the appeal with a Whoop is being able to wear it all night without noticing it’s on my wrist. The Garmin is much bulkier and leaves a noticeable impression on my wrist no matter how tight or loose I wear the band. The only reason I still use the Garmin is because I like to see comparative HR data when working out to ensure my Whoop isn’t getting a bad reading - in some cases I have to adjust the position of my Whoop slightly in order to mitigate false readings. Once that is “calibrated”, I can put the phone away and just rely on the Garmin to inform me on my HR.

You state you already have a Fenix, but don't state which one? For hiking I'd probably need a really good reason to upgrade a Fenix such as the Fenix not holding enough charge for 1-2 days of hiking or not having maps (although that's not necessarily a huge requirement depending on the trail). Battery life will be better on the watches you suggested, but you're almost certainly going to be bringing a battery pack and charging a watch barely makes a dent in the capacity of a 10-20,000mah battery. I'd personally lean towards a Fenix 7s Pro or 43mm Epix 2 Pro if you have small wrists. Almost all of the features you'd use in the models you listed, but generally available for cheaper.

Any Fenix or Forerunner is great (I use Fenix 7 and see no reason to upgrade for now)

I have the 7s, and it is a tiny bit heavy but OK, depends on what you are used to I guess.

Vivoactive is basically just a smartwatch. I upgraded mine to a Fenix 7s and now I get around 10 days with the MIP screen, so much better imho.

I own a Fenix 7s pro and the Garmin sleep tracking is pretty inaccurate in my experience compared to an AWS8 and a Whoop. I don't care as much about the sleep tracking so I am very happy with the device but I agree that in terms of Oxygen tracking and Sleep the Garmin's are significantly behind.

Fenix 7s was too bulky on me, Lily active 2 was hard to read, Vivoactive looks plasticky almost toy like, Venu 3s looks more premium, so that was what I went for. No regrets

I have small wrists and use Venu 3s. I cannot pull of a Fenix. Had a 7s but sold it, too Bulky.

I absolutely love mine, I have a Fenix 7s since having maps was the most important thing as a trail runner/hiker. Garmin also allows you to share live tracking, certainly brings a piece of mine to my partner when I’m out and about for 1+ hours on the trails/roads alone! If you are only going to only wear when running then it is worth knowing some stats (like HRV, training readiness etc.) won’t be available/accurate.

Forerunner 265s would be my recommendation. I have a Fenix 7s, and would trade it for my girlfriend's 265s on the vast majority of days for the weight factor and screen alone

Hey all, Been lurking here and in Garmin subs for a while, and finally pulled the trigger on a Fenix 7S to try out MIP, fit (16.5cm wrists), and battery life. Surprisingly, I loved MIP despite being used to OLEDs (AW7, GW5 Pro, Fitbit Charge 6). Battery life and visibility in UK gloom are top-tier. Originally, I never planned to keep the 7S—just a tester. My ideal was the Fenix 8 Solar (47mm), or if I had to, the AMOLED 47/51mm. But now I’m considering switching back to iOS (S23 Ultra contract ending), which brings the AW Ultra 2 back into the equation. Then Garmin drops the Forerunner 970—making the Fenix 8 obsolete for someone like me who doesn't dive. So now my choices are: Forerunner 970 Apple Watch Ultra 2 Maybe a Fenix 8 Solar/AMOLED (less likely now) Key priorities: 1. Top-tier GPS + HR tracking (I run + play football/basketball/volleyball—mainly care about running & footy heatmaps) 2. Big on health data 3. Heavy in Apple ecosystem (Mac, iPad, AirPods, dev iOS/watchOS apps, Apple Music) 4. Still love Garmin’s battery + GPS accuracy Couple of questions: 1. Anyone moved from AWU/AWU2 to FR965 or vice versa—what did you prefer and why? 2. Is MIP officially dead on the premium Forerunner line? (Would grab a 970 Solar instantly if it existed) 3. Between AWU2, FR970, and Fenix 8 variants—which would you pick and why? This’ll be my first official premium watch, so I'm keen to get it right and have all the latest features and software longevity to last me years. Appreciate all thoughts cheers.

Thank you so much for the response! I, too, loved my AW7. It was my first smartwatch and the one I've piece of tech I couldn't use or replace moving from iOS to Android until Garmin. I have the same habit I know I can shower with it on, but I don't see a need to (why would I wanna know my stress level in the shower) plus I get to top it off. I feel the data and battery comments so much, I've been spoiled by Garmin Connect, and I'm not sure i could go back to Apple Health, to be honest. Battery wise, I took this smaller 7s to a week long holiday and only had to charge it once, assuming 965 and 970 will perform just as well, if not better. That's such a valid reason to upgrade imo, i know a lot of the sub generally see these as utilitarian devices designed for function, but it's so much more than that. It's the same way I'm considering the 970 over the 965. It's my first, and I want my best, especially with my money. That being said, how has the 965 been, especially with battery, gps, and hr. I assume with your figures you don't use AOD. I also want to know if there's any part of you that misses the AWU, specifically what? I really like the seamless music switching with airpods, taking calls, and replying to some messages. Also, Garmin Pay sucks doesn't even work in the UK, really. Apple Pay is so reliable and something I miss.

Thank you for the recommendation and responses!! While I've been ecstatic with the Fenix 7s. I always felt like it lacked in certain areas, but because of how amazing the battery was, I didn't really think about it. Here's to hopefully an AWU with 7+ days of battery one day 🙏🙏

Thank you for the informative response !! 2 is something I've unfortunately gotten annoyed with more. On my apple watch, i had focus modes, which made notifications come in different for each mode. Of course, that's not on Garmin since they don't share iOS Focus Modes or have access to them, but even garmins in built focus modes aren't great. 3 yeah, I agree. Both suck honestly. The only positive WearOS seems to have on them with customisation with minimal battery impact. 4 is what rly keeping me on garmin. I love not having battery anxiety and just looking at my watch 5-7 days later at 10-20% and charging it. With my Series 7, I have to charge it once a day and sometimes twice, probably a smaller issue with the Ultra (once every 2 days?) but its still now ideal. I miss Apple Music on my AW I tried Spotify on Garmin but it is god awful is comparison mostly due to having to use Spotify but the transferring of music and playlists is an ordeal and the Bluetooth connections isn't great. With 7, i actually like the Garmin Connect app and prefer it to any health app. It's great, and I'm easily able to find and pin anything I care about. I will miss it going to the AWU as I think the base Health app needs a major overhaul. I'm going to try the same thing and wait for the AWU3 to come out and see what sort of improvements come out from that and compare that to the FR970.

Depends what you want. I have a garmin fenix 7S pro. Great watch. Bad for cycling honestly. I do a lot of other stuff though. I use the watch for heart rate and that is it. It can broadcast my heart rate to my bike computer. I did about 2500 miles purely with a watch and the day I got my garmin 1050 I was mad at myself for not buying it sooner! If you’re doing multiple sports, running, lifting, swimming, doing whatever, AND cycling, maybe get like a Garmin 945 AND a Garmin 850 this a good budget option. If you’re just riding your bike, you have the money or something, I’d say just buy a 1050 and a heart rate strap and call it a day.

I have a Fenix 7 and it's very good at tracking laps. I swim 10k+ yards a week and it only adds a "phantom" extra lap maybe once a month, and it's usually because I did something weird to throw off the rhythm. That said, you have to switch to drill mode for kicking or other armless drills-- it doesn't autodetect that.

I have a Garmin Fenix 7S. It works great for both laps and open water swimming and has a battery that lasts forever.

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.

Better have more advanced features available in watch rather then having a buyers remorse after purchasing a software limited FR165. Fenix 7S is a lot better watch, with maps, AutoScroll and other features which are missing in FR165. You may get to used to their weight quickly.

Fenix 7s pro solar, if you prefer most of the Fenix 8 functions but without the AMOLED display at a nicer price

fenix 7s pro, if you can get watch with valid warranty, because of possibility of buttons or altmetar failure.

Nothing if you compare fr965 to fenix 7pro or fenix 8 or enduro 3.

Garmin. Garmin totally blows Apple out of the water for a fitness watch. I have very small wrists and have a Fenix 7s. It looks nice and is not sporty or tactical looking. I wear it daily. I’ve had multiple Garmins. I briefly had an Apple that I immediately returned. Idk how far you run, but battery life is not an issue with Garmin. You don’t have to charge your watch daily or worry about it dying during a marathon.

Fenix 7s. I have extremely small wrists, and I like how it fits me. It’s nice looking and not super sports watch looking, but still has all the features. I wear mine all the time with everything including with suits for work and going out. Battery life is great.

That's one thing I love with my Fenix 7S Pro - touch when it's convenient, not touch when it's not.

I used a Vivoactive 3 for over 6 years. Upgraded to a Fenix 7s since it still had the metal bezel cause it looked similar but had more sport features & battery life even though it’s thicker. You can change bands to make it more elegant. I personally use the nylon bands since it doesn’t irritate my skin. My sister who is a nurse has the Vivoactive 5 & she was coming from a square forerunner. https://preview.redd.it/76zuloapoj7e1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b2ccd40661f8daa8c0518566e6d0c5d52e39968

That's only if you need AOD and if you don't use the backlight a lot. Otherwise, the backlight on the MIP consumes way more battery than AMOLED display. I know that because my mother has a Fenix 7s Pro and at first we enabled her the wrist gesture, so that her screen lights up when she raises the hand (MIP is unreadable in low light conditions without the backlight, becuase her also has the Solar panel on it which makes it darker). The battery lasted for 2 (letters: TWO) days lol. So if you really need AOD, then yes, MIP is better, but you need to disable the wrist gesture and backlight on it. But if you don't use AOD on AMOLED, battery life is basically the same. My mother charges her Fenix as often as I'm charging my Venu, but was not using AOD till recently. And you're wrong, even with AOD and AMOLED, it's nowhere near the Apple Watch! My Venu can last more than 4 days with AOD. And if I have regular GPS activities, it lasts 2-3 days. AW can't last that much even with AOD off. I had a Samsung before and without AOD, it would last max 2 days (no activities). With AOD, it would last 10-12 HOURS.

Don't know but on my mother's Fenix as soon as you activate wrist to wake, if you put back light at 60+%, it KILLS the battery immediately.

If you havent had your answer yet (my experience for the fenix 7xpro, however they didnt change much) dnd sync does not work. Alarm sync does not work. The enduro has no.microphone (only the 8 has this but only for watch actions, which are faster with the buttons). So no voice. Talking about those buttons they are the best... when in water no using the touchscreen which you can easily turn of with on buttonpress (handy for sea activities). These watches are fitnesswatches with some smart features, not smartwatches with some fitness features (e.g. apple watch). So you can make some standard respondses but thats it, and it is nog quick to responds in my opinion. The rest you already answeered yourself. I'd recommend a fenix or enduro to anyone (or other garmin watch), and everon I know that fell for my recommendations never looked back at their huawei, apple or galaxy watch. They are garmin fanboy and girls now;).

I think it’s more about pushing buttons while completely submerged. I’d avoid that.

It probably has something to do with seals under pressure. 1-2feet isn’t much. The fenix 7x is rated to 100m. Anyhow, not my watch, not my problem.

I have the Fenix 7X. But there are many cheaper options in the Garmin lineup depending on your needs! Some watches are more specialized too, but the Fenix serves me great and has everything I need and then some, including massive battery life, and it’s just extremely usable. The flashlight is a godsend as well and I use it daily. Especially when you’re outdoors at night Just figure out what you’ll actually use the watch for and it will make your choice easier.

This might make sense. I have a Fenix 7X, for me the 8 was a no-buy due to the microphone. Can't say why ;-) If I were to change for a current watch, I'd be looking at the Enduro.

Garmin Fenix 7X had been great for me on multi day activities

Fenix, at that range can prob pick up thr 7x pro these days in sales and specials, or look at the enduro 3 if your budget will stretch to the new range. I've tried lots, (do triathlons and alot of mountaineering, at all altitudes) and nothing comes close to the garmin ecosystem, especially when you start adding on inreach etc for sat comms and weather if going remote. I do alot of remote stuff and yea the inreach is super useful for trips that dont need a full on dedicated sat phone in which case it becomes a back up option but also allowing progress to be monitored remotely. Any other watch just are not durable enough or primarily handle the battery requirements. Sadly as far as I can see on a practical level garmin have no competition at present for high end users. Note I use a chest band also for HR, again garmin, but the one on the watch is perfectly good for most scenarios. Edit also in terms of wristwatch ive yet to find a barometer as good as the garmin for accuracy but also for ease of seeing trend. Again vital for safety.

I just bought a Apple Watch 10. As a runner I always used Garmin ( fenix 7x Pro latest ). I just found them to bulky lately and the smart-watch functions are not that good. Apple watch works so nice together with my iPhone and the Health app etc. It just works BETTER. Love my Apple Watch. It's just more fun to use.

This. According to my Garmin my sleep always sucks! :-D

If you could do like $50 more, I'd get a used Garmin Enduro 2 or maybe a Fenix 7X if you get a really good deal. Battery life is ridiculous (infinite on solar and battery saving mode, or can run GPS for weeks straight too), they're tanks, and they have tons of functionality for the outdoors. Great flashlight too which has saved my butt a few times when I didn't have a headlamp or it died.

I want to have a good and accurate sports and health coach. I had a Fenix ​​7x and it was measuring my sleep and walking speed incorrectly. I looked at some posts and they said that the battery life of the instinct 3 50mm solar version was not 40 days.

I want to have a good and accurate sports and health coach. I had a Fenix ​​7x and it was measuring my sleep and walking speed incorrectly. I looked at some posts and they said that the battery life of the instinct 3 50mm solar version was not 40 days.

Fenix 7x pro solar for sure, great watch

Instinct 3 solar tactical or Fenix 7x pro is what I use for weight lifting.

I’m Apple ecosystem user, I used both Garmin and AW 7. Here is my opinion.. For my use AW was useless, battery last 2 days, I always had to keep track how much battery is left😡 And another flaw is very sensitive screen (to scratches). I am a heavy user, and I scratched mine very easily. Garmin on the other hand is really rugged watch, resistant to blows, battery 20days. In my opinion AW is for easy everyday use, if you don’t do much sport. It is nice, shiny, great screen and light fitness tracking. But if you do much sport you need much better battery, and deeper insight in your activities that Garmin provides. I had garmin, then AW, and garmin again. And I will not use anything else again except garmin. About HR, it is true that AW has great hr sensor and tracking, I tested it. But my fenix 7x pro is also great with hr, tracks sleep and everything. For real training I use Garmin Pro Plus HR sensor

Oof... Just found out that the fenix 7x pro solar I bought 1 month ago (why pay 350 euro more for the 8x? Wasn't really worth it for my kind of use) will not be supported anymore. Thank a lot Garmin...

I have been wearing a Fenix 7X Pro, but started to miss the smartwatch features of an Apple Watch. Been wearing my old Series 6 the last days. I was missing the battery life and the flashlight. I prefer the looks of the Fenix and wore it when I went out. Otherwise I like the Apple Watch more and preordered the AWU3. I am not very sporty, the metrics of the Fenix don‘t give me a lot. Right now I intend to keep the Fenix for hiking and cycling. Let‘s see how much use it will actually get. Happy for any inputs from others that use both watches about where they make the cut which watch to wear.

All the hardcore runners I know are wearing Forerunner watches. The hybrid guys are wearing Fenix. Battery life on either will be excellent. Fenix gets updates for years. New features, as others have noted, will be limited to the 8. Really depends on if you want the look/weight/features of one or the other. I had the Fenix 7x and it was excellent. Currently in the 8, it isn't radically different in terms of what I use it for.

GWU is probably one of the better WearOS watches for exercise tracking, and it still sucks. I'm hoping the OP Watch 3 will be better, I'll try that out eventually. Right now I wear the GWU most of the time and a Garmin Fenix 7x for exercise. Yep, I'm one of those guys.

For me too. Has everything, compact, light, price is ok too

I am interested in the MicroLED tech for sure as that looks promising, but don't need the LTE so this isn't a urgent need to replace my FENIX 7X. I think the 7 Pro when on sale (like the past Prime Day sale) is a compelling value right now. The Enduro 4 may be the future MIPS fan watch. I imagine the Fenix 9 will see the widespread adoption of MicroLED on the high end, and AMOLED on the less expensive end.

I am interested in the MicroLED tech for sure as that looks promising, but don't need the LTE so this isn't a urgent need to replace my FENIX 7X. I think the 7 Pro when on sale (like the past Prime Day sale) is a compelling value right now. The Enduro 4 may be the future MIPS fan watch. I imagine the Fenix 9 will see the widespread adoption of MicroLED on the high end, and AMOLED on the less expensive end.

Mainly the battery , could be a isolated issue but my battery hardly last up to even 24hrs without any tracking. So i looked towards garmin after I used it for about 2 years. Have no complains about my fenix7x for now i am enjoying the flashlight😂

Have a look at the quantified scientist on youtube. Apple generally wipes the floor with all other brands on sensor precision. And is, in any case, better than Garmin. It's one of the things that persuaded me to go with AWU3 instead of my Fenix 7X. Garmin has a very fitness oriented approach. Apple has a general health oriented approach. But in the end, Apple is better at measuring what goes on in your body. Also better than Garmin. That's a measurable fact.

For those activities the Garmin Instinct line will work fine. It’s not the most expensive line, but honestly I prefer it more than the expensive ones. I have a Fenix 7x Pro and prefer my Instinct 2x over it. Only thing the Fenix has over the Instinct is built in map navigation, but to be honest trying to plot a course on your watch is not a good experience, I’d much prefer to plot a course on my phone and just send it to my watch for step by step navigation, and in that aspect the two watches work the same. The screen on the instinct, though less advanced than the Fenix, is easier to read and more clear than the Fenix. The battery life on the Instinct 2x is one of the best Garmin has to offer, with potential unlimited battery life if you are in a lot of sun, on my Fenix I got about 3 weeks with solar helping it along the way. Lastly I like the band/case material and how the watch feels on the wrist more with my Instinct than Fenix 7x pro. I’ve damaged walls, scratch my car, etc with the metal bezel on the Fenix, but that does not happen with the Instinct. The instinct also has a raised bezel so it protects the screen more, and you won’t get the metal on metal grinding feeling when working out. I will be selling my Fenix since I got the Instinct. That is how much more I like it.

If you want ergonomic go 970, if you want battery, more premium feeling go fenix

Try to search for Fenix 7X - it is not so new, released in 2022 and it still mate all your requirements.

I personally didn't find Elevate 5 more precise nor accurate than the 4. I've upgraded fenix 7x to fenix 8, so I had a chance to compare. Actually the main purpose of this switch was to improve the accuracy of hr tracing. I also was convinced that results of chest strap and elevate sensor are very different from each other.

Best decision I’ve made, switched from an AW Ultra 2 and now I’ve been using my Fenix 7X Pro for over a year without any issues

I switched from the Fenix 7X to the Apple Ultra 1.5 years ago and don't regret it for a minute, even though I also thought the Garmin was cool. The Apple does everything better when it comes to smartwatches. In terms of sensors, at least the heart rate sensor reacts faster to changes than the Garmin. The sports profiles on the Garmin are slightly better than those provided by Apple. But there's the Workoutdoors app (one-time payment), which compensates for that quite a bit. Skiing works quite well with both Apple and Workoutdoors. I think workout suggestions are only available with Fitness+ on the iPhone + tracking on the watch.

I have a Garmin Fenix 7X and the AWU2. No difference. Strength training: The Garmin can (not always) recognize the exercises and the number of repetitions (also not always). The AWU can only measure heart rate and time. Ultimately, it doesn't matter because I have a predefined training program, which the AWU displays perfectly. Skiing... works relatively identically with both watches. The Garmin can handle more than just one day of skiing with its battery. The AWU still lasts a long time, and in the evening it goes on the charger anyway and is charged to 80%. Paddling: Works the same on both watches. Garmin can count paddle strokes, but the Workoutdoors app can do that too. The Garmin certainly has its place if you want to train in a very specific way and do ultra-marathons or similar. For the average person, both watches are equally good. The AWU is a little more practical in everyday life if you also use other devices in the Apple universe.

I have the Garmin Fenix 7x and if you are just getting into marathon training one of the best things Garmin has over every other watch is it's race specific daily suggested workouts. You just put in what race you are doing and your goal time. All the major ones are already in Garmin's calendar system. From all the previous data Garmin has about your running and fitness and your sleep and recovery, Garmin comes up with training plan that changes based on you and where your at to help you reach your goal. Most of the new Garmin watches should have this feature now. It has been a game changer for me. I highly recommend it.

Best option is Enduro 3, Fenix 7X Pro or Fenix 8 Solar 51mm

I agree 100%. If a person wants to be healthy either watch is fine. Most folks in this forum are garmin enthusiasts and really appreciate their watches. But at the end of the day, being fit is much more about the person wearing the watch than the watch itself. My current daily driver is a Venu 3/Fenix 7x/instinct 3 Solar/Apple Watch 10/Apple Watch Ultra 2.

As a fenix 7X user I'm curious. What makes the AW better for sleep tracking? I find the Garmin pretty solid.

I am also training for my first marathon. I started running a couple years ago after allowing myself to get in the worst shape of my life. I have read A LOT on this topic. I love tech, so I watch videos and read articles and try new things. Apple Watch Ultra 2 is definitely the best smart watch for marathon training. I have owned the Pixel Watch 2 & 3, the Galaxy Watch 7 & Ultra, and many Apple Watches. I have never owned a Garmin, but I have thought about picking up a lower cost used model to test out and see if the tracking and analytics is as awesome as people say. I use Runna for my training plan and Athlytic for all the data analysis. They both only have apps for Apple Watch in the smart watch world. I don't really want to wear 2 watches. I want one watch to track everything for the total physical health metrics. But what has kept me using the Apple Watch and not buying a Garmin is: * I want cellular on the watch so I don't have to have my phone with me. I need to be able to communicate with my wife and kids on long runs. * I want to wear one watch and that watch to be a smart watch so I can do things like handle Ring notifications from my watch quickly. I get notifications from several important apps to me that I can manage quickly or turn off with a Running Focus I set up. * I like the integration into the Apple ecosystem that I have integrated so many aspects of my technological world. The Garmin watch cannot do many things that the Apple Watch can do, but the Apple Watch can pretty much do everything a Garmin can do. It just doesn't do that specific set of things quite as well. But with Runna and Athlytic, I feel like it closes the gap quite a bit for my use case. The heart rate and GPS tracking is so close to what Garmin does. Have you watched the million Youtube videos on this topic? The margin of error is so minimal. That's my take. I may still try out a Garmin if I can find a good deal, but I really really doubt it will cause me to want to replace my Apple Watch. We all have our preferences and use cases, but I am pretty confident about this topic and what works for me. Best of luck on your running and watch choices.

Well, I just bought a used Fenix 7X today to test out and see what I have been missing, so I guess we will see if I am a Apple shill or not. Do you have something to add to the discussion besides snark? Share what you use and why.

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

I mean I have both an AWU2 and a Fenix 7X Pro. The Fenix 7X Pro cost more than my UW2 and requires a subscription to get all of the native Garmin features. It no longer receives new features. I just wish that Apple would release a MIPs round watch with physical buttons. At this point I'm losing faith in Garmin.

As someone that switches between my Fenix 7x Pro and AWU2 every few months, I don't recommend buying a watch solely based off Hevy's integration. At times, the integration is buggy with my AWU.

The 970 will have support for a longer time and have the newer UI. And it is lightweight. I went from a fenix 7x to forerunner and no regrets

I wore a Fenix 7 and AWU for a new months. I looked ridiculous 🤣 A whoop like band would rock!

I went for a Fenix 7 to AWU2 to the 965. Personally I absolutely LOVED the AWU. As a smart watch there is no equal. I don't shower with my watch on and always put it on the charger. For me, I was so used to all tbe extra data available from Garmin Connect after every activity which I didn't get from Apple fitness or Apple Health. I missed the sleep tracking analysis and body battery. I missed going on a vacation without the need to take a charger with me. I tried to get the Garmin experience using other apps but I couldn't get everything in one place/app like I could with Garmin. I chose the 965 because of the screen. The AWU has a beautiful screen and I couldn't go back to a MIP display. I al going to purchase the 970 because I like pretty things and will sell my 965 to recoup some of the cost of the 970. Is it a waste of money to go from the 965 to the 970? Most probably but i just don't care. I work hard and something as simple as a new watch will make me happy for the next two years so why the hell not

If you like larger watches then the Fenix 7 pro. The 7 pro does everything the 965 does and more. Will you use the extras the Fenix has? Who knows and it may not matter. They are both solid watched and both will treat you well with your triathlons.

Obviously I can’t speak for all the results, but one critique I’ve seen time and time again, is that he has small wrists - he has admitted as much - yet complained about the inaccuracies of the fenix 7x (which is 51mm, so by extension any other large watch( Obviously his tiny wrists isn’t going to give an accurate rating with the default strap no matter how hard he tries, as the watch would bounce around and give inaccurate readings when running etc. My own, personal anecdote is that I find my Garmin 8 (51mm) far more accurate than my Apple Watch Ultra 2.

After the first week of using Race S I did a full factory reset of the watch and was ready to return it back to the store, but at the end couldn't force myself to do that because there were some elements of experience that I really liked. At the end I decided to sacrifice some features of Garmin for the simplicity and comfort of Race S and haven't used my Garmin Fenix 7X even once in the last 3 months. I am more of a trail ultrarunner so I don't really do structured workouts. But I use map and navigation a lot. I provided the same feedback with regards to turn notifications on the Suunto Forum. They heard it, at least the beta testers who have a direct channel to the Suunto team, so hopefully a change is coming. I provided tons of other feedback and a few minor bug reports as well. The main problem with Garmin is that I simply no longer trust reliability. Garmin may have a lot of software engineers but their software engineering culture is crap - they don't make nearly enough effort to ensure quality and bizzare bugs and crashes make it to public releases on every software update. Every single update may fix a few issues but introduces a bunch of new bugs. Even when serious bugs are reported in their beta forums, they tend to ignore that and release updates with those bugs regardless. They simply don't respect their users, and I no longer want to pay my money for that. I was fairly active on Garmin Forums and with their customer support and reported a lot of issues. In almost 5 years they addressed only one software issue of many issues that I had reported. The Suunto software development team isn't agile for sure, but at least they do a much better job ensuring the quality. I think that despite preferring Suunto I'll probably move to Coros in the future. I do prefer the design of Suunto but Coros is simply more agile in terms of new features and software updates. They sponsor a lot of prominent trail ultrarunners, including Kilian Jornet, and seem to understand this user segment.

All I wanted to say is that being more expensive is not necessarily better. I owned 9 different watches over many years of trail running. I did extensive analysis of accuracy which included, for example, comparison of tracks and distances of multiple runners who finished the same race. I owned Fenix sapphire 6X, which was top of line at the time - it was quite mediocre as a trail running watch in PNW. Then I owned top of the line Fenix 7X, which was one of most accurate watches I ever owned. Then I owned a very inexpensive Suunto Race S which was easily on par with the experience Fenix 7X term of accuracy. A friend of mine owns Enduro 3, and I have compared tracks and distances between it and several other watches, so I know for sure it is less accurate. See this thread: https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/enduro-3/383891/gps-accuracy-issues-on-enduro-3 And towards the end of the thread there is a side-by-side comparison that shows that the one of the most expensive Garmin watches is easily worse than an old Fenix 7X or much less expensive Suunto Race: https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/enduro-3/383891/gps-accuracy-issues-on-enduro-3/1951075#1951075

As someone who owned both Fenix 6X and Fenix 7X, I fully agree with the above. Fenix 6 series is fairly mediocre in terms of GPS accuracy, but Fenix 7 is very good. Also, it is worth mentioning that not every Fenix 7 has dual-band GPS - only pro or sapphire models do.

It seemed like they knew our side of the customer space with the 7x (no WiFi), for reasons. Then, they completely fumble with the 8. I doubt they'll go back to mic-less, as much as I wish they would.

I have a Fenix 7X and could never give up the flashlight on my wrist. Such a simple thing that's so useful.

It's on par with a phone flash. Built in white and red LEDs.

I use garmin fenix 7x pro. I do tenis, running, cycling, swimming, calisthenics, it is enough for everything.

Ive had the 945lte, Fenix 7x and now the Fenix 8 and i have NEVER had any bugs or problems. I might be lucky or the people complaining might be unlucky... Just remember this: if you enjoy a product and it just works flawlessly you would maybe recommend the product to 1-2 people. But if you had a really bad experience people tell 10+ about it and complain on forums.. If i could do one thing over i would go for the Fenix 8 Solar and not amoled. If you love long battery life go for Fenix 8 Solar or enduro 2 or 3. Especially if you plan to log long activities like hiking.

I used these features on my Garmin Fenix 7X: 1. Music. Kills battery life but recharging the watch takes a lot less out of your storage battery than a phone. 2. Text and phone call alerts. Leave phone on silent. 3. Watch is damn near indestructible. Can't say the same about cell phones. Keep phone safe in bad weather and rough terrain. 4. The flashlight is truly useful. 5. See your current mileage without opening FarOut. 6. Track steps, elevation, GPS track....feed tracks into something like Relive to play them back. Sure, some of this only appeals to nerds like me. I dont see how to justify the cost other than as "I want one". It's entirely superfluous and redundant to your phone's capabilities. I never hike without it.

Most of these calorie counters are estimates and not even close to accurate for any sport with high amount of directional changes, they're more accurate for more straightforward sports like running cycling and swimming, but even then those are broad estimates. I use a relatively high end garmin, fenix 7 pro which I wouldn't recommend for badminton as it is heavy and sometimes will smack into your racket and your racket will lose the clash. If you want to try one I would recommend the Forerunner 265, or basically any sports watch thats not too big, garmin has significantly better optical sensors but aside from hr data don't trust the calorie estimates too much.

Apple Watch charges about 3x faster, so charge it for the 10 mins you take a shower. Garmin is about the same in that regard. They both charge for about 10mins a day to sustain you forever. They’re about equal. The only real advantage would be if you have no access to charger for multiple days, but how often would that be realistically? You charge your phone every day, it’s not that much more of a hassle to charge your watch especially at 5 watts which is crazy fast. And i have a fenix 7pro, but tbh battery isn’t great on it for long activities. 18 holes of golf demolishes my battery. AWU drains way less during long activities from what I’ve seen (I’m only a week in though).

I am using Garmin Fenix 7 pro watch. It count reps. My whole trening plan is in this watch crested through Garming app. DM me if you have any questions regarding this watch.

You can get a Fenix 7 Pro for less than that from John Lewis at the moment. It depends what you want from the watch. If you want sturdy and looks good then go for a Fenix, if you want lighter then go Forerunner. You won't get a Fenix 8 in that budget but the 7 Pro is still very good for the money.

The 255 doesn't have training readiness even though it has all the other metrics needed to get training readiness. Also doesn't have maps. If you want either of this features then go for the 955. It if you want a more watch looking watch (if that makes sense) do for the Fenix 7 Pro (although more money they are very good and almost on a par with the Fenix 8 of you don't mind a MIP screen). Any of the options will see you through a marathon, in fact they should see you through a week's worth of marathons!

Fenix 7 pro gets 36 hours of GPS, Enduro goes even longer. This is far more than you will get from a phone and recharging takes far less power than a phone. There is absolutely no comparison (and let's not even get started on GPS accuracy between Strava app on a phone and a dedicated GPS watch).

Garmin has an activity for Ice Skating. I use that.

Your watch will barely measure jackshit while playing. You need to couple it with a chest strap. Period. I've used just the watch (Garmin fenix 7pro). It's just not responsive enough in terms of live tracking. It measured me getting into the 120bpm range for a few minutes here and there. You'll finish the session, read the data and know intuitively it's not accurate. With the chest strap however, it tracks your heart rate by the millisecond. If you're in that range, it will measure it that way. You'll finish your session and look at the data and it will match what you felt from an exertion standpoint. Garmin has an activity for ice skating so I use that. But yeah, even when someone tell me their average/top bpm for a run, it's almost worthless data with no chest strap. In the chest of running, it tracks mapping and time and does it's best at HR.

an entire month battery life.. without solar. The screen has more contrast than the fenix 7 pro. Has all the features on connect that you would on the fenix. The only "bad" thing about it is it uses elevate 4 instead of the 5. I'd trade for a instinct 3 if I didnt already have the fenix. I hike a lot as well and tracking with the fenix doesnt last as long as the instinct.

i own fenix 7pro solar. Best watch ever(literally), will not replace it at least 5 more years. I do hiking/climbing/road cycling except for running tho. I do actually train for a marathon in April rn, Forerunner 245 is you best choice if you don't need mountain oriented features and other stuff. What's so great about garmin watch. I track quite accurate my surfing activities, skiing, have always great navigation out in the wild, satellite messaging features, great battery capacity, great water pressure resistance(up to 100m). What else do i need, i ask myself. But in reality, only for running you don't need much. You basically need only HR tracker and gps device to track the pace and distance. So any watch is fine

I'm rocking a Fenix 7 Pro. I disabled the touchscreen entirely and do everything through buttons. So, so much better!

I have a Fenix ​​7Pro, 265, and AWU1. I also used a 965 before. Unless you have a specific use or design preference, most Garmin watches are similar.

I used 245,955,255,745,265,965,fenix7pro. I also have AWU.

I have both - Fenix 7pro and AWU1. Have a Coros Apex Pro too if that matters. The Coros stays in a desk drawer. The Fenix I use for running workouts (it’s paired with Stryd pod). Strength workouts and everything else - AWU for the win. I can do without the Fenix, but like the way it displays the running info 🤷🏻‍♂️ If I had to give up the Garmin or it died, it wouldn’t bother me.

100% about the weight thing. I came from an Apple Watch, and even after years of use, it never felt natural, and always felt heavy, even though the weight was similar to my Fenix 7 Pro. This Fenix 7 Pro is so lightweight and natural feeling that I often forget I’m even wearing it, and I certainly have no issue sleeping with it.

I’m thinking of moving to the 955, I have the fenix 7 pro 47mm and it’s to big and heavy, the hr sensor sticks out and it’s cutting my skin. The 955 has everything the fenix does I think minus the flashlight

Care to share the differences? I hike a lot and use a Fénix 7 pro.

Garmin fenix 7 pro and I’d get sapphire and solar. You get the best hr sensor, maps for hiking and overall great metrics and data for gym etc. I use mine for mountaineering/hiking, climbing(indoor and outdoor), cycling, rowing, gym and it’s great. The fr965/955 is also great but you lose the better hr sensor there

Guess it depends. I went from the fr255 to a fenix 7 pro and the difference was night and day. During certain workouts the fr255 just wasn’t accurate and when I now compare the elevate 5 to my chest strap they’re pretty damn close

Garmin. Anything from the fr955 up has maps and offline navigation(maps and then by turn nav). Also the fenix 7 pro can be had for amazing prices if you look and are patient

Yeah. I have the 7pro and not getting any significant updates kind of sucks ass.

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.

They are all "good enough" without a HR strap tbh. If you don't care *that* much about HR data... you'll get by with wrist as long as it's tight. It's usually pretty accurate for consistent based efforts. It's the intervals/gym sessions a wrist really struggles. Since you mention mapping... look into the Forerunner 965 or 955. Difference is the 965 has an AMOLED display, 955 is what we call MIP. MIP = longer battery life. Both are on sale, 955 is on sale tremendously if that's a route you wanted to go. If you can afford/find a deal on a Fenix 7 Pro that has the most up-to-date wrist-based optical HR sensor which is more accurate than the Forerunner 965 or 955 HRM. Lots of options there, but I've been recommending some friends to get the 955 lately, as I think I've seen $350 for the regular and $400 for solar model prices out there. I think that's an amazing bargain.

Fenix 7pro is on sale with the release of the 8, it’s an awesome watch & I would highly recommend it to anyone that’s looking for a fitness / health / sleep tracker. I love mine.

Agree, I bought a Garmin earlier this year and the 7 pro was the most watch for the (sale) price. Went sapphire glass and haven’t noticed any scratches yet although the bezel has some scuffs, so I think the glass upgrade is worthwhile.

My Fenix 7 Pro has a lot more

I personally would get whatever watch I wanted for everyday use and consider bringing a power bank for charging in the field. Others on this thread have mentioned crashes with long recordings. I’ve experienced that too with my Fenix 7 Pro Solar. RIP trail 55k : (

Garmin Fenix 7 owner here. It has great battery life (a week or more without GPS active). The software quality could use some work. The Spotify integration has been downright unusable, and the watch sometimes congratulates me on running my PR mile no matter how fast it actually was.

I also have a Fenix 7 Pro and disabled the touchscreen for everything except the maps (which I never use) and yeah it's super nice!

Had a 265, moved to a 47mm Fenix 7 Pro because I wanted full mapping since I started trail running and MIP display and didn't care about potential new features. Yes, the Fenix units weigh more, but a good chunk of that weight comes from the stock chonky silicone straps. The difference between case-only on my kitchen scale was \~10-13g if I remember correctly. When running, I definitely noticed the additional swing weight on my wrist with the F7 on stock silicone, but don't really notice it now that I have it on a nylon band.

I have a Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar. Really good watch but for your budget, the forerunner series would be a good fit for you.

Fenix 7 pro ! Great watch, i wear it 24/24, running, swimming, hiking on holidays etc ..

Meh, Garmin is a lot more expensive and satellite and SOS features are behind a subscription. Not to mention that Apple does not leave previous flagship model completely in the dust by withholding new features and software updates - ask any Garmin Fenix 7 Pro owner.

This is a goated feature and the main thing I miss from Garmin. The display flashlight doesn’t compare and it’s annoying to turn on/off, even if you set up the action button for it.

Fenix. Power house device. Love my 7 pro solar. Great battery life. Great features. Great software. Just fantastic edc device

Garmin is good in the pool. Forerunner 945 and Fenix 7 Pro user here. Used for everything listed. But at some point after 6 months+, my experience is that the elevation tracking for running/swimming gets all messed up due to weird things that happen when water dries on the sensor, and you need to get a replacement. The other nice thing: Garmin replacement is great. And I know you’re not asking this, but I stopped using the watch in the pool for workouts due to the elevation stuff and after two replacements. I started using Form goggles. Form is even better than Garmin for lap detection, strokes, etc. And is a great aid for OWS with its compass when paired with my Garmin.

Hi, I own forerunner 970(before that multiple forerunner devices 945, 955 solar, 965) fenixes(6 pro, 7 solar, 7 pro, 8) and edge 1050(before 530 and 830), also im reviewer for suunto in my country. Based on cycling, its ok... i mean it never will be dedicated bike computerm but its ok, U can pair multiple sensors. Power sensor works ok, but U can't set avg power counting with 0 or not like in garmin. About app, its really nice, even it shows peak power and speed for 30sec, 1min, 3min, and 5min. I had it before launch to this day and it is pretty stable(also i never experienced losing training session on garmin). About indoor cycling, smart trainers are not supported and I hope this will change soon because garmin in top in this matter. For running its also great Now there are some diffrences between app and watch with recovery metrics at this moment

Hi, I own forerunner 970(before that multiple forerunner devices 945, 955 solar, 965) fenixes(6 pro, 7 solar, 7 pro, 8) and edge 1050(before 530 and 830), also im reviewer for suunto in my country. Based on cycling, its ok... i mean it never will be dedicated bike computerm but its ok, U can pair multiple sensors. Power sensor works ok, but U can't set avg power counting with 0 or not like in garmin. About app, its really nice, even it shows peak power and speed for 30sec, 1min, 3min, and 5min. I had it before launch to this day and it is pretty stable(also i never experienced losing training session on garmin). About indoor cycling, smart trainers are not supported and I hope this will change soon because garmin in top in this matter. For running its also great Now there are some diffrences between app and watch with recovery metrics at this moment

Fenix 7 pro. Love it as an everyday watch as well as golf. I believe any of the newer fenix lines come with the built in golf but worth checking because it used to be exclusive to sapphire if I recall right

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

This was the watch I wanted but picked up the Fenix 7 Pro Solar because it came in a 47 mm case and was a few hundred bucks cheaper.

I bought it while having my fenix 7 pro. They are basically the same thing except Venu 4 is more suitable for daily use in terms of its simplistic design and its light weight. And Venu 4 is missing the map but I got fenix 7 pro to hit on the trail. I dont like the UI/UX desing that Venu 4 brings in, which is kind of new. The design lacks of some consistency while sometimes you can use bottons to operate sometimes you cannot. The aesthetic is inconsistent with some old interfaces that Garmin has. And the color/icon just feel a bit weird to me on Venu 4. But overall I am very happy with it/

THIS. I bought this watch last August and it’s great. Recently I also added the HRM Pro plus for activities where I can’t wear the watch like martial arts. You will be pleasantly satisfied and it should last you for a few years of support.

I don’t have much experience with other brand, but my Garmin Fenix 7 Pro serves me very well both with running and gym workouts. The watch can recognize gym exercises, counts the numver and repetitions and you can add the weight after each set.

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!

I’m using the Fenix 7 Pro Solar and still get 11–13 days of battery life. I do 4–5 workouts a week with GPS and GLONASS, and it also tracks pulse ox while I sleep.

The Fenix 7 Pro Solar is available for $500 right now, it’s also a great watch, pro: solar gets you up to 37 days of battery life, cons: no AMOLED display, fwiw.

I am amazed by how good my Fenix 7 pro is (the pro versions supposedly have a more accurate heart rate detection). Used consistently it accurately read my sleep (night and nap) and gives me accurate sleep times. The quality of the sleep metrics seem pretty accurate but I’ve only compared it to how I feel during the day, not any scientific approach..

GW 8 44mm and Fenix 7 pro solar user here. I hear you, I am also torn between them. When I wear Fenix, I miss LTE connectivity (as sometimes I would like to leave my fold 6 at home) and smart functions (phone connections, ability to respond to messages and whatsapp, better google maps integration, etc). And when I wear GW 8 I miss better battery life on Fenix (\~ 2 weeks vs 1,5 days), better metrics (GPS on GW is bad) and sport tracking (more detailed info). So I end up in keeping both. GW on daily basis or when I want to leave phone at home, Fenix for sport tracking.

I tried on a Fenix 47 and didn't see that much of a size difference on my meaty hands.

$770 CAD? I paid $800 CAD for a Fenix 7 Pro lol

Have you looked at the Fénix Series 7 pro, the pro comes with the latest from Garmin in sensors, the battery life is amazing and now that the 8 is out you can get the 7 pro for a very good price thanks to the offers there are

Yes, the 7 pro is a great watch

I know it's not a FR, but i switched last week from a FR745 to a Fenix 7 Pro Solar for 499€. Very happy with my choice.

Have a Fenix 7 Pro solar. It's fantastic for the hills. Managed a good deal via Amazon of £400 a few months ago.

Go 7pro. Good deals right now. I just did the same.

I did the same but eventually went with the Fenix 7 pro. Happy with it.

Same here. Fenix 7 pro

I moved from an apple watch ultra to a Fenix 7 pro. I definitely prefer it as I didn't really use the smart features of my apple watch much and not having to charge for 10 days at a time is actually super useful. I don't regret moving at all. If you don't care about smart watch features and want something on your wrist basically 24/7 with continuous HR monitoring and better HRV then make the change. But other than that. Not much reason to change imo.

Tactix and Fenix are the two models that every military member I work with chooses. I personally have the Fenix 7 pro and it works amazing.

Thanks guys! I just bought the Fenix 7Pro Solar; the optical sensor is way better than the old sensor

I have a fenix 7 pro solar and absolutely love it. I’ve used it to navigate hundreds of miles.

Love my fenix 7 pro solar and fenix 8 amoled a bit pricey but really works well for me . Maps are always an issue for me ,i do like the smart watch feature of a mic and speaker here and there ,but perfect for exercising in many forms from surfing to hiking and riding motorcycles .... i hear epix is similar but less pricey. Well wishes on your journey

Same here, started the trial a while ago. I really like the idea of it, if didn’t have my fenix 7 pro I would have bought the whoop. Whoop is very expensive, it does the same thing my Garmin does. It only does it a little better, especially the app. After the trial I will return the whoop and keep using my 7 pro until it falls apart.

Fenix 7 pro. Used a fenix 6 pro for 5 years. This was perfect for trailrunning already, a map on my wrist is the single biggest reason for a fancy watch for me. Upgraded to 7 pro for road running actually, my 6 wasn’t very accurate when it came to measuring current pace and stuff like that.

Get a Fenix 7 pro. You can find them at only slightly higher price levels than the FR 965

Possibly, but the price difference is negligible (might depend on where you live).

Go to Garmin, My Apple series 7 died probably for the same reason in just over a year of having it brand new. I was pissed and 1 week out of warranty. I went with something cheap first “wahoo element” I actually like this watch as just as Watch but it’s super basic as a smart watch and HR monitor is absolutely trash. I could be sleeping and it will say my HR is 180bpm. Anyways, long story short my wife got the fenix 6 this past summer and I have been jealous ever since. Well a week after Christmas she surprised me with fenix 7 solar pro and I will never, ever go to another smart watch brand ever!

Please forget about things like status symbols. You're only working on your health for yourself. I take sports very seriously and devote a large portion of my free time to it. I've tested the Fenix ​​7, the Fenix ​​7 Pro, the Fenix ​​8, the Ultra 1, the Ultra 3, the Series 11, and the SE3. In the end, I stuck with the SE3 Cellular because it's the most sensible device for me. Sure, I have to charge it more often, but it can run a marathon, and that's enough for me. I'll probably run another ultra or two, but honestly? Do I really need to spend three times as much on it just for that?

Please forget about things like status symbols. You're only working on your health for yourself. I take sports very seriously and devote a large portion of my free time to it. I've tested the Fenix ​​7, the Fenix ​​7 Pro, the Fenix ​​8, the Ultra 1, the Ultra 3, the Series 11, and the SE3. In the end, I stuck with the SE3 Cellular because it's the most sensible device for me. Sure, I have to charge it more often, but it can run a marathon, and that's enough for me. I'll probably run another ultra or two, but honestly? Do I really need to spend three times as much on it just for that?

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

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

Just bought the new Fenix MIP. I would say the same. Pricey, but hopefully worth it for a long time like my 735xt I just retired!

Can’t blame ya for that. I will admit, the fenix feels bulky, and I didn’t even get the 51mm size. It took a few days to get use to the extra weight.

Garmin Fenix 6 and 7 are having some hot deals right now. Go Sapphire for the extra protection. But if you only need the bare minimum, Forerunner 2xx

I am currently using the Garmin Fenix 7 + MyFitnessPal specifically for that purpose. The calories burned throughout the workout are quickly synchronized with the MFP app, through the Garmin integration. As a disclaimer, I only use the Strength workout from the watch, and start/stop the set.

Another vote for the Fenix 7. It’s extremely durable and gives you plenty of metrics about sleep, HRV, VO2 max, ect. The battery life is great and I don’t have to charge it every day unlike my old Apple Watch that would die after less than 12 hours. They’ve also have good running workouts that I’ll sometimes do.

I have heavy black full sleeves both arms and I've found none that work. I have a Garmin Fenix 7 that's essentially just a watch now since I had my sleeves done last year. I have an Oura ring which isn't much for fitness and it's all beat up just in a few months or wearing doing yard work and I'll ditch it once my annual sub is finished. I've heard the newest Whoop might work, thinking about trying it but it's nearly $30/mo which is significant and I'm not sure I'm ready to stop wearing a watch.

I got a fénix 6 that works great. Will sell it to ya for $250. In great condition. I use fénix 7 w whoop and it’s great. Lmk

Garmin fenix 7 has been pretty great (upgraded from forerunner 45). My only 3 sad spots - a HIIT workout type doesn’t track runs as part of the WOD. You can make a button that fast switches it to a different workout type (run) and then back (hiit), but that’s moderately annoying. So either you don’t get running metrics, or you play hit the button during the WOD - I do like the watch itself, but grips can hit the button and stop the workout (maybe I’m just being dumb?) - if you have an iPhone not all metrics go into the apple health apps. BUT I really like the garmin connect app so I don’t care very much.

IMO, a Garmin watch suits your needs better than apple. The way that it tracks health metrics and lays them out in the app is better. Apple watch is a smart watch first and a health tracker second. I’ve had both for long periods of time. I’ve had an Apple Watch since gen 3 and upgraded to all the versions aside from the newest one. Prior to that I had Garmin watches. A little over a year ago I saw my good friend’s Fenix 7, and got very curious. It seemed to do everything having to do with fitness better, and the battery lasted literally 10x longer. I do miss controlling Spotify and having cellular on my watch, but giving that up was well worth the switch. I can’t see myself going back unless Apple somehow makes the battery last for a week or more, and even then I’m not sure I’d switch again. Having the ability to customize the faces is pretty huge as well. I never much liked any of the default displays Apple allowed. Take whatever you’d have spent on an Apple device and spend that on a Garmin.

Garmin Fenix 7 - gives me more than everything I need for golf and all my other sports

True. My Fenix 7 stopped receiving new features befor i had to charge the watch. Which is good because the charger port suck big time

Fenix7 here. Run about 3times week + crossfit also 3 times a week. Always chest strap connected and runs right now are around 25km/week. Charge it every 2 to 3 weeks. FR165 definitely has a smaller battery than fénix series

I don’t think it’s “much more.” It varies from person to person. For me, the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Garmin Fenix 7 are within +/- 1 bpm compared to the Polar H10. However, I do agree with you that a cheap chest strap (connected to an iPhone via Bluetooth) is the most affordable way to measure heart rate accurately during workouts.

Apple Health uses the same data to score my sleep that is generated from my Fenix 7. Last night, Garmin gave me a sleep score of 79, while Apple - again, using exactly the same data from the same device - gave me a sleep score of 98. When it comes to tracking sleep, you have to accept that much of this is arbitrary, there is no right answer, and you're probably best off just getting a spiral notebook and using it as a "sleep journal," as they used to recommend before the advent of wearable tech.

I have a Garmin Fenix 7, it has dedicated climbing tracking which I’m reasonably happy with, but it’s probably not what you’re looking for as it has a screen and Garmin’s cycle tracking is very basic (no symptom tracking). In terms of safety I feel quite confident that with a nylon Velcro strap it will break before my skin does if it does get caught on a hold, might be worth looking for something similar if you go for a wrist tracker. Another thing to keep in mind is potential damage from scraping the wall, my watch is meant to be quite sturdy but I still use a screen protector and replace when it gets too scratched

I KNOW. It’s so hard to go back. I had a Garmin instinct before buying my first Apple Watch back in 2021 I think. The Garmin seemed awesome coming from a Fitbit Ionic before that I had forever. But now, trying to go back to even a Fenix 7 feels like I’m going back in time. The only time I’ve really been able to break away is while wearing my Garmin on vacations. For some reason I like it because it can get dirty (especially at the beach) and the charging is basically nonexistent.

This is my answer. I've been using it for 2 years, and the data is excellent. Many people will say the heart rate on a watch is not accurate enough, but I bought a Polar heart monitor to compare, and they're almost always within 1 to 2 BPM across full workouts. ... I also have had problems with grips stopping the clock, but if I wear the grips a little high on my hand, it usually is fine.

It’s accurate enough for me as an amateur hobbyist putting in 100-150 miles a week on the bike with lifting in between. I like pouring through the data but understand there’s a margin of error and that the margin is acceptable. I find the stats to generally track with my perceived effort and fatigue. I have a chest strap HRM that use indoors but not on outdoor rides because comfort is more important to me. Also, my Fenix 7 is pretty indestructible (somehow I find myself bumping into walls, corners, doors, drawers etc without any major damage) and the battery can last for the longer pieces and I generally only have to charge every couple of weeks instead of every day. The other big thing is that I’m in the Garmin ecosystem with a Garmin head unit as well so all the data feeds to one place and there’s efficiencies that come with tracking in one ecosystem vs multiple devices that may not quite capture the same data the way the app requires to provide analysis.

Te preguntaría si es para carretera o para correr por montaña. Si es carretera pillate un FR 965. Mas luminoso, mas comodo para el dia a dia y co pantalla Amoled. Si es para trail vete por el Fenix 7 . Tienes pantalla MIP, pero muchisima mas resistencia a arañazos, caidas y golpes. Ademas de mayor bateria. En cuando a presicion de los sensores son iguales, ambos usan el elevate 4.

Fenix 8 or forerunner. Debatable about the 965 or 970 as most people were disappointed with the 970 which is basically the same. I’m waiting for the Fenix 8 pro that should be out around August 2025 hoping it has LTE or some upgrade on it worth upgrading from my beat up Fenix 7

I think a week is pessimistic, I have the Fénix 7 and track workouts 6 days/week. A charge will last me at least 20 days. Granted, I’m not hiking with GPS for 10+ hours a day, but the watch will give you an estimated time based on charge it will last. I just checked and found that at 83% my watch estimated 46 hours of gps tracking on run. You might be right, a week may be about all you get depending how long you’re tracking each day. I do think that you’ll get a lot further than with your phone though

It's tedious to set up workouts in the web interface. However, there is a "Free" option when you open the activity that I use every time I lift as a way to watch my heart rate recover and timer to monitor time under tension, and rest time between sets. For big movements where the watch is actually moving in space (squat, deadlift, etc) it can ascertain what you're doing and record it. I've never done anything with that information, but you could go in after the fact and clean it up I guess. For subtler movements, or those that don't involve your arms at all, it can't tell which lifts you're doing. I'd personally just get a small weightlifting notebook from amazon and keep track that way. Or there are approximately 2342309 available apps that do it also if you want to mess with your phone. But overall, the Fenix 7 I have is pretty much limited to just being a mildly accurate rep and rest counter for me.

In terms of weight. I went from wearing a couple different Nixon watches and now have a Garmin fenix 7 that I wear all day everyday. It is slightly bulkier than my normal watches, but it is also lighter. People saying it was heaving coming from a normal watch I found it to be light. Wearing it overnight (which I didn’t do with normal watches) too a second to get used to but it’s fine now. So I think even coming from not wearing a watch, most smart watches aren’t actually too heavy.

Look for a Garmin Fenix 6, 7, or 8. The Fenix 6 does everything you are looking for.

New old stock Fenix 7. 380 bucks and it's amazing.

Garmin user here: Macrofactor for food Garmin for cardio Hevy for weight training Both sync to Strava automatically. Note that garmin's training readiness score has nothing to do with weight training whether you track that in Garmin or not. If you measure accurately, after 6 weeks Garmin & Macrofactor are agreeing on my TDEE which is very satisfying to see.

I've been wearing the Fenix 7 since it came out. Maybe a few years? Personally I focus on my cardio capacity as much as hypertrophy so I really like it. It's helped a lot with sleep, zone 2 training and increasing my VO2 max. Not very useful for weight training but I think it estimates calories burned solely based on your HR well.

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).

Don't be afraid to look at other Garmin watches.... As a casual runner I got a great deal on a Fenix 7 (330GBP) and it does a great job with my running but also a good looking watch for daily use, gym work and golf. Plus it has great battery life. The size and weight really doesn't make much difference on my mediocre runs and I get a lot of other use out of it which I wouldn't if I just got a forerunner.... Justifying the purchase a lot more. Just bought my wife a venu for the same reasons.

Sorry for the late reply, never saw the notification! If you're still interested, it's mostly that I can wear the Fenix much more in daily life as in my opinion it looks far classier and suits most occasions. I don't know if the forerunners can use the golf apps but that's a big one for me. My main point was really that the Fenix feels like a watch for daily wear that does a great job as a running watch too

Fenix 7 is fine, even without dual band GPS it's still very accurate. I was using Forerunner 255 with dual band GPS but almost always use single band all systems mode and it's still accurate. Now I'm using Quatix 7 which based off Fenix 7 and doesn't miss the dual band.

A chest strap is what you want for cycling. The amount of times I've seen even high end smart watches (Fenix 7) report half my heartrate when I make a sprint is absurd. I cannot trust anything but a chest strap.

I have a Fenix 7, and bought a Garmin 530 for road cycling because the heart rate isn't correct. When doing intervals, it will easily ready at half or two quarter heart rate, and that SUCKS This is the case with a fit bit as well, so I believe it's just because of the way watches measure heart rate.

Another vote for the Garmin Fenix 7 or 8. You get the surfr app with the 7.

Garmin Fenix 7 (with or without solar charging)... They are VERY affordable now (since the Fenix 8 came out last year)... They do A LOT while standing up to hard environments

I’ve had some issues with my vivoactive 5 and my Fenix 7 now. Often it’ll track an extra lap or 2, usually if I do 1500m I’ll end up with the watch saying 1525m or 1550m. That said, this week I swam 1500m by my lap count and the watch ended up tracking 1600m. I think it also has to do with the fact that I was in a crowded swimming lane and had to stop/change strokes halfway through laps to avoid running into people.

Thing people forget is that AW also charge in about 15mins compared to a Garmin. I had an Apple Watch and threw it on the charger when I took a shower and that would give it a significant boost. Try that with my F.Pro 7 and it’ll gain 2% Obvs I prefer the Fenix’s battery life, but I find charging takes so long it’s a much more noticeable interruption

garmin is the only answer here. ok maybe coros too, but avoid AW if you want accurate readings. there’s a reason i have two apple watches that sit in the bottom of my drawer of my desk. especially if you do underwaters apple watch is trash. it would tell me i did almost half the yardage i was actually doing and never wore it again. fenix 7 never misses…

I like tracking my hikes. I use a Garmin Fenix 7. It’s fun to know exact mileage and vertical gain. I love the mile splits so I know my pace which is only really important for figuring out when and where I’d be done for the day. It can vary widely on the trail from 17 min miles all the way up to an hour a half. I also loved seeing my fitness metrics improve on my thru. I felt it in real time but I can look back at my heart rate during earlier climbs vs later climbs and it’s a completely different profile. I am a bit of a science nerd so this may not be your cup of tea but I liked it. I’ll also echo the practical benefits like flashlight, track back, friends and family notifications, and fall detection. I also carried a Mini InReach.

I have a Fenix 7 and love it. The S works great for smaller wrists.

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

I love my fenix 7. I think most watches would do the trick but I highly recommend getting a chest strap to connect to the watch for heart rate. Gives you the most accurate heart rate and I think that is what allows vo2 max calculations on runs over 20 mins. I didn’t think I needed music but the fenix 7 downloads playlists from Spotify so I have music loaded on and just connect to my headphones. I don’t always run with headphones for various reasons but sometimes it’s nice to have.

Used fenix 7 would probably be in your budget. Try and get one of the ones with the flashlight, its probably my favorite feature on the watch.

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

I’ve had the Garmin Fenix 5 and 7 and I love them both. The only reason I upgraded was because I wanted to be able to play my YouTube Music (yeah, I’m the guy that uses YT music) and the 7 is the earliest model you can do it on. Somethings I would say is I didn’t get the solar because not only is the battery life great, but charging it is really fast too. Finally if you get one there are a few tricks you need to teach yourself (or dm me and I’ll help you out): Download your maps Send a gpx file to your watch Send an AllTrails gpx file to your watch Navigate with a loaded gpx Use the TrackBack feature Use the Navigate Back to Start feature

Garmin. I started with the original instinct solar, but now have a Fenix 7, edge bike computer, garmin scale, garmin heart rate strap... garmin has always just worked for me without a ton of work or research to figure out how it works. It's all very intuitive for me. I also love using garmin connect to have all my data from cycling, running, and working out in one place without having to import and export stuff from different apps or devices.

It depends on your budget. Flagship is Fenix, and many other watches are reskinned versions of Fenix. For example, Enduro is Fenix with a longer battery and MIP screen, where Fenix uses AMOLED. Epix is Fenix with a more expensive case. Tactix is Fenix with custom software that is aimed at the military. Aquatix is Fenis with customisation for sailing, etc Then you have a lower batch of watches aimed at running. I have no experience with those versions. Personally, I had Fenix 7, then I went with Enduro as long battery was important for me, and I didn't care for AMOLED and a microphone to access a voice assistant on a watch.

A used fenix 7 solar might fit your needs and budget. Easily gets me through a long weekend with high accuracy and HR monitor turned on, could go a quite a bit longer in expedition mode if needed.

Just got a FR 570 to replace a Fenix 7 - WAY more comfortable to wear because lighter weight and less chunky profile, also maybe the lugs sit different relative to the back of the watch, so it lies flatter on my wrist than the difference in thickness might suggest. Probably less durable/beatable than a Fenix long term, but so far so good. Excellent choice for your use case. Note that if you want maps you’ll need the top model.

I had Fenix 7 as my daily driver for last 6 months and in the end decided it was too big and heavy for me and switched to FR 970. Cannot say that this watch is super satisfying, but it is WAY more comfortable to wear every day. I would probably try Fenix 8 sapphire with titanium case/bezel since it is very lightweight, but the price is crazy for this model plus it is still chunky.

I have the Garmin Fenix 7 and absolutely love it

How does the vibration compare to your Apple Watch? My Fenix 7's vibration feels like barely anything compared to my wife's Apple Watch. If they improved it with the 8 series, I would love to upgrade.

Yes. For an Ultra I think you'd be looking at the Enduro or Instinct Solar. You could also consider the Fenix 7 Solar or Forerunner 955. Gotta look at the battery life. Solar per se doesn't necessarily do much, it's more that these watches are lower-power or bigger-battery too.

I had a Fitbit charge 2 for about 6 years and loved it until google took over and screwed up the compatibility and syncing. I now have a garmin fenix 7. MASSIVE step up. The battery doesn’t last as long, I use to get a week with 8hrs of tracking, now I’m charging every couple of days but that could be because I have all the bells and whistles turned on which aren’t needed. If you’re a data nerd and want more info than you ever thought was possible, then seriously look at garmin. I just have the free topo maps on it at the moment and pay no subscription. And quality seems good enough to navigate by. I haven’t tried it out in the bush yet, but to be honest i wouldn’t rely on it for navigating and would stick with map and compass or phone app where I can zoom in and out so much easier. It is geared towards running, but hiking, alpine are all options in there as activities. I love that it’s ocean proof too and can even track sailing.

I used the ultra for about a week. I can't stand charging every day. I don't care enough to type texts from watch and don't believe ultra HR monitor compared to Fenix. I get around 2 weeks of battery on my fenix7

Both Garmin and Coros make sport watches that are fine for what you need. I jumped from Garmin to Coros because of the crazy price jump of the Fenix 8, Connect+ subscription service and bad firmware updates for my Fenix 7 that Garmin has not addressed for more than a year now. The trust has been lost.

I got an AW after my first two Garmin’s (Vivosmart HR and Vivoactive 3). I lasted about 6 months with it, before I got my current watch, the Fenix 7. I think a lot of it comes down to personal preference. I couldn’t cope with having to charge my watch every night, which was my main reason for changing back to Garmin.

Garmin Fenix 7 something or other. Garmin Edge 530 on the bike with a Varia rear light/camera. I don’t see any value in Strava, I just use Garmin Connect.

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 🥲

Apple watch ultra 2 is your only real option for longer battery life and esim and the rest of the features you want. You do know that if you have a spotify premium sub you don't have to have an e-sim to listen to music, as you can download playlists and save them onto the device, unfortunately offline spotify is only available on wear os watches (not an option for iPHone as locked to android), apple watches and garmin. Garmin may be a good option as can do offline spotify playlists, and has built in route options or can pull them from strava, syncs data with strava way better than apple does; and the models that offer music all offer at least up to 10 days battery life, and they can offer way more than garmin does in terms of built in training metric and analytics and features. Note offline music + gps on watch is a heavy battery drain - so 1hr or gps activity + offline music and you are looking to recharge every 4-6 days (maybe longer) depending on the model, compared to multiple charge per day on AW (assuming you sleep with it) or daily charge on AWU2 If you want a mic and speaker look at venu 3, FR570, FR970, Venu x1 and Fenix 8 series. Otherwise you could go with vivoactive 5 or 6; FR265, FR965, FR955 and prior fenix 7 (and its variants like Epix 2 etc).

f you're looking for a reliable smartwatch with great battery life and accurate heart rate and GPS tracking, here are the top three options that I recommend: 1. **Garmin Fenix 7** * **Price**: $600+ * **Battery Life**: 18 days in smartwatch mode, 57 hours with GPS tracking. * **Features**: Rugged build, excellent GPS accuracy, heart rate monitoring, and long battery life. Ideal for outdoor activities, running, and gym workouts. * **Why**: One of the best smartwatches for outdoor enthusiasts, providing accurate health tracking for active users. 2. **BP DOCTOR GP 8** * **Price**: $189+ * **Battery Life**: 5-7 days * **Features**: Blood pressure monitoring, GPS, heart rate tracking, and sleep monitoring. * **Why**: A well-rounded health and fitness tracker that includes important metrics like blood pressure, ideal for users serious about tracking their overall health. 3. **Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE** * **Price**: $600 * **Battery Life**: 2 weeks in smart mode, 36 hours with GPS tracking. * **Features**: Advanced health and fitness tracking, including heart rate, GPS, and the ability to make calls. Great for runners and cyclists. * **Why**: Excellent battery life, solid GPS accuracy, and ideal for those who want more than just basic fitness tracking.

I have the Fenix 7 and can tell you I will not buy another watch without maps. Great for when you are in a strange place and familiar areas. I am from South Africa but was able to run through the Norwegian forest on my own because of maps and Garmin Explore. Even at home if I want to run a new 20k, I just go to Garmin Connect, generate an automatic map and have a brand new course. If I am in a foreign city, I can put my hotel as a point in my watch and will always be able to find my way back even if I have no data coverage.

I'm beginner runner, but I hike, hunt & fish, golf and do a pile of other activities. I had $500 budgeted, and was able to grab a Fenix 7 on sale for 60% off when the Fenix 8 was announced. I also looked at the Forerunner 965, but it's much more running focused and I wanted a more do it all watch. Was it overkill? Yes. Would I buy it again in a heartbeat? Also yes. It's been stupidly useful for me. I've found the other features from sleep to body battery to health check-up well worth it. If you're planning to just stick to running, the Forerunner will do you well. If you want a more do it all, also look at Fenix/Epic/Instinct.

Figured I would update! I ended up doing the fenix 7 that is on sale. For that deal I figured I couldn’t pass it up. A little more than I originally was going to spend but I am excited. Thanks for all the comments.

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

I have had several Garmin watches over the years I used them, including the Venu 2, the Fenix 7 and my last was the FR265. All were terrible at sleep tracking for me. No wearable is accurate at sleep stages but for me apple reflects how I feel. I found Garmin had me getting terrible sleep every night, never catching my actual sleep properly and having me sleep when I was wide awake. The nap feature was a total disaster for me, giving me 3-4 naps daily while I was a work at my desk, certainly not sleeping. Oura overestimates deep and Rem significantly, no way I am getting 3 hours of deep sleep a night. As for sleep scores they are junk science. Sleep is complex and the idea that a watch/ring can pair it down to a simple number when it can't accurately measure sleep stages is ridiculous. Even sleep labs are not accurate in doing this. If you have 2 techs look at a the data in a sleep lab they will not agree. It just is far too complicated. It is better to look at the amount of total time slept if you are going to look at sleep at all. Body battery and stress scores in my opinion are just gimmicky features that I never paid attention to. I prefer to listen to my body rather than a watch. I did appreciate the activity tracking of the Garmin but again when the sleep data is being used for a great deal of the metrics the data became useless for me. The idea that more HRV readings is better has been created by the fitness world, just like the idea that you should take 10000 steps a day. More HRV measurements, particularly continuous measurements are not needed, one reading in the morning is really sufficient.

Honestly, I just use the indoor climbing widget and dont really log anything. I'm mostly using it for heart rate tracking tbh.  Outside, whether I'm on ropes or bouldering, I use the mountaineering widget because I like to track my heart rate and see the GPS route after. I love looking at the distance after bouldering especially, it has superconcentrated activity in a very small area and you've still gone 5 miles.  I dont really have uses for the features on the bouldering widget. Also, I have a fenix 7 with a silicone strap and while it gets scratched, it's held up quite well. 

I agree - I have a Fenix 7 (regular not pro), and it's great for now though, Its a few years old and the battery is not what it's used to be. I don't need the flashlight or LTE or otherwise - just maps and a long lasting battery.

I'm still half convinced the reason I run still is because I bought a Fenix 7 when I started trial running and am a cheap bastard and need to justify my purchase.

I switched from a Fenix 7 to a AWU2. At the beginning, I was worried about 1) battery life 2) health tracking 3) fitness sensor connectivity (cycling, mostly garmin equipment) 4) fitness app connectivity. I run, play tennis and work on my triathlon form. I track all of those activities, ok - if I forgot to charge the day before to a long run, I need to quick charge the watch. But, I can enjoy my music with my AirPods, can leave my phone at home because 1) I can pay 2) can call / write a message. Never had <2 days. Health tracking alternative is “Bevel”, but I don’t need my watch to verify “yes my sleep was nice”, or “shit, just slept 4 hours after I was drunk”. But the trends gave me insights I did not had before. “Health fit” is doing the app integration, and with “Watch Link” I can use the HR sensor for my bike. The sensor is as accurate as my chest strip before, but now I can leave it also at home. I don’t regret it, even if I need some other “specialized” apps now, but I think they are doing better. Buuuut, free water swimming tracking is a pain. Anyway, during my investigations / test measurements I found out that even the Fenix was just a rule of thumb. Now I can directly see that’s shit, before I was trusting the values - shit in details as well //and hey, now I can unlock my car / smart home locks with my watch. Ever had something useful in the Garmin store?

I'm really happy with my fenix 7 But since there are several watches that do what you want, what other things interest you? Waterproof? Maps & back-to-start function? Solar?

I use a Garmin Fēnix 7. I don't kayak, but I swim with it.

I've purchased both a Garmin Fenix 7 Solar and a Samsung Fit 3 device. I haven't found anything quite like the Fitbit One which seriously bums me out. I love the way the One worked when it was able to sync properly. I had switched to an older Inspire for a while, but knowing that you need to switch to using Google instead of whatever the original system had been by early February 2026, I've been looking into other companies to see what they have to offer and what could possibly work best for me. The Fitbit app has also been giving me some grief with the Inspire, so I'm sure it's just a matter of time before it too is totally phased out. The nice thing I'd found with the Garmin is that it can set up an auto step goal for you each day if you're looking to improve your distance each day (you of course don't have to do that, just change it in the app) and you don't necessarily need to go into any sort of 'activity mode' to start using it for just daily distances unless you want to use GPS tracking routes. I ended up purchasing a stretchy wrist band that fit the Garmin on eBay so it could fit around my ankle to track from the time I get up until I go to sleep at night. I'm not someone who actively moves my arms back and forth when walking (I might also walk and use my phone, hindering the arm sway), so that was the best option for me and is closest to getting the steps taken each day. I haven't played around with the Fit 3 too much yet. I'd gotten that on Amazon, but I did the same with that tracker as well, purchased a band that isn't silicone to wear it on my ankle. The only difference I had noticed so far is this tracker needs to be recharged much more frequently than either the Fitbit One or the Garmin device. I want to say I'd read it can be anywhere from 3 days to 13 days for battery life depending on what features you have actively tracking. You can disable to screen from turning on unless you press the side button and I believe you can also disable the heart rate portion of the device if you're not needing that information as well. Removing both does help prolong the battery life. The nice thing about both Samsung and Garmin is they have a nice range of watches to choose from, especially if you're looking for something pretty simple and user friendly. You can compare up to 4 or 5 devices on the Garmin website and connecting it to a phone was pretty simple as well. Unfortunately I didn't find a website to sync with with either brand, I too miss having that capability with Fitbit. Both brands also have the motion sensor inside the devices, so you don't have to use the GPS to track an entire activity. You may also check with the relative to see if the place they work or if they have medical insurance to see if either has some sort of walking or fitness program where they can get a free device for signing up. I've never used an Apple Watch, so hopefully someone else can speak on what they're like as I know the Samsung device wouldn't be useable with an Apple watch. Best of luck in your search! :)

I have a garmin Fenix 7, and I absolutely love it. It tracks gps accurately, and has stats such as stroke rate and distance per stroke, but for super accurate hr, I would connect a chest strap to the watch. Often if I don’t, the watch alone doesn’t track the hr super accurately.

I think it is interesting to take a look at some of this stuff, but it really doesn't impact training for the most part. The main thing I get out of my wearable (Fenix 7 Garmin) is that I have started to use it for HR instead of a chest strap. It's just easier and one less thing to remember for a ride or clean at the end of the day. Accuracy is excellent - the watches have come a long way IMHO. With Garmin this is all out of the box, no sub required, it is nice. I wouldn't really bother with it otherwise.

yeah my fenix 7 also bumped with my racket quite often 🤣. one of the possible solution is to wear the watch in my racket/dominant hand.

I have a Garmin Fenix 7 series that I love. It's decent with tracking climbing/bouldering and of course excels with running. Does well with hiking too. Battery life has been great.

Garmin is the way to go, I have a Fenix 7 and love it. It's pricey but worth it if you want to track paddling, exercise, outdoor activities, etc. It gives a very accurate track line of your paddle. Also gives a lot of useful information like stroke rate, distance per stroke, speed, heart rate, etc. Can be good if you're working on paddling technique, endurance, sprint, etc. Can overlay those things together to see things like heart rate vs stroke rate, etc. not sure which Garmin watches have this feature, I imagine any of the ones that can track paddle boarding as an activity will give you all this data. Also very rugged so no worry about it getting damaged.

I’ve order it. My experience: I now have a garmin fenix 8, which a have for 2 weeks, and i waited for the new aw to return this, it’s awful 😂 Before this i had a fenix 7 for a day, which i return it because i found out garmin wont provide major upgrades for it. Before this i had a aw 3 gps, that I’ve use for 8 years. I think it will be a great upgrade since i’ve order the cellular one.

Same here! I’ve been using a Fenix 7 for trail running and multi-day hikes, and the battery life is just insane compared to my old Apple Watch. The solar charging isn’t magic, but it definitely helps stretch things out when you’re out in the open for hours. Totally recommend it!

Took the Fenix 7 on a 4-day trip in Snowdonia, full GPS mode on, checking the map fairly often, and I still had over 40% battery left at the end. Plus, it handled the rain and mud no problem.

Hi all, Got my OnePlus Watch 3 recently, and I’ve always wondered how it would compare to my Garmin Fenix 7 for fitness tracking — since fitness is a big thing for me. --- Run Summary Distance: 4.39 km (OnePlus) vs 4.40 km (Garmin) Time: 25:59 vs 25:55 Average Pace: 5:55/km vs 5:53/km Best Pace: 4:11/km vs 4:34/km Max Speed: Both 12.3 km/h --- Heart Rate Average HR: 176 bpm (both) Max HR: 187 bpm (OnePlus) vs 192 bpm (Garmin) Min HR: 154 bpm vs 156 bpm --- VO₂ Max OnePlus Estimate: 41 Garmin Estimate: 45 Lab-tested VO₂ Max: 44.5 → Garmin is closest to lab --- Running Dynamics Cadence (avg/max): 168 / 200 spm (both) Stride Length: 1.01 m (both) Vertical Ratio: 8.6% (both) Ground Contact Time: 266 ms (both) --- Power & Respiration Power (Garmin): Avg 332 W, Max 430 W Power (OnePlus): Avg 283 W, Max 460 W Breathing Rate: Avg 42 bpm (both) Min/Max Respiration: 21 / 54 bpm (both) --- Recovery & Training Recovery Time: 46 min (23 min intense) — both Stamina (OnePlus): Start 100%, End 66% Aerobic Effect: 4.1 (OnePlus), 4.4 (Garmin – Threshold) Anaerobic Effect (Garmin only): 1.8 Training Load (Garmin only): 138 --- Conclusion VO₂ Max Accuracy: Garmin is more accurate (closer to lab) Both watches track key stats very well Garmin Fenix 7 leads in training feedback, power data, and clarity OnePlus Watch 3 holds up surprisingly well — especially for a lifestyle-focused smartwatch that also looks better One big con for me: OPW3 doesn’t show training loads (low/high aerobic, anaerobic) — which is huge for me. I split my training into HIIT, Zone 2, sprints, and weight lifting based on those metrics. I’ll use it for another week or so and decide whether to send it back. Honestly feels weird wearing something else after having my Garmin daily for the last 1.5 years.

I am missing the workout functionalities of my garmin.. Training loads, more insights.. However this watch looks better, has better functionalities regarding smart features. Not sure what to do..

I am missing the workout functionalities of my garmin.. Training loads, more insights.. However this watch looks better, has better functionalities regarding smart features. Not sure what to do..

I am missing the workout functionalities of my garmin.. Training loads, more insights.. However this watch looks better, has better functionalities regarding smart features.

I did send the OnePlus watch 3 back. It is good if you are mainly into running and are an average person who doesn't really take working out seriously. Pace is spot on I'd say compared with my Garmin. I just didn't like the app and the metrics it provides, I was missing training loads, acute loads, VO2 max was off by a few points. My lab results tell me that my Garmin was very close though.. You will never get the same what Garmin provides from the OnePlus watch 3, I debated myself for a few days before sending it back. If you just run casually, don't do weight lifting much or don't care about all of that. Get the watch. Also the app is not so good haha. It provides however great basic metrics. I never took my Garmin off in the last 2 years, so it was super difficult for me. Which Garmin do you have?

Personally, I love my Garmin Fenix 7. Yes, it's expensive, but it's super accurate, tracks the data I'm interested in, and it lasts a long time. You can buy a watch with fewer bells and whistles, but your boyfriend will want to upgrade. If you don't want to spend that much, there are a lot of other great running gifts such as nice quality running clothing, a new hydration vest, a race he's been eyeing, etc...

Garmin Fenix 7. Great GPS tracking and great battery life. I've had other Garmin watches previously and this is definitely my fave.

Some of the Forerunners are not that far away from Apple. My 965 barely lasts 10 days and I think 970 is worse. I miss my Fenix 7 Solar.

I have a Garmin Fenix 7 watch that I've been testing extensively in the real world. I use it on various exercise machines to do different zones of cardio and it always exactly matches the heart rate monitors on the cardio machines I use.

This is a solid answer and comes pretty close to what Garmin gives. I’ve worn both Fenix (6,7,8) with AW (Since the series 2). What’s better to do is choose the one that gives you numbers closer to how you feel. I say that because HRV tracking ALL day is basically useless since literally everything can have an impact on HRV. Overnight is more important and waking is arguably the best time to take it (albeit easy to influence if you know what you’re doing) so there’s an argument to be made for both sides ultimately the one that works best for your needs and doesn’t dictate your day is the better choice

I foolishly had an affair with Apple for 6 months when my Fenix 7 died after a tough life. Bought a Venu 4 last week, Apple Watch gone.

I can only assume you've never ran a competitive race and heard all the Garmins beeping at exactly the same location every km.

BULLSHIT. GARMIN REPLACED MY FENIX 7 WITH ANOTHER ONE THAT ALSO ONLY LASTS FOUR DAYS. NOW THEY ARE DUCKING RESPONSIBILITY. DONE WITH GARMIN AFTER PURCHASING 13 DEVICES.

I have Apple everything, and enjoyed the Apple Watch. Don’t think I’d go back to an AW from my Fenix 7 until they improve their own performance monitoring capabilities and battery life. I don’t even run, but just having a watch I don’t need to think about when I go on a week long trip, or back to back days of snowboarding, is just so much better. The flashlight is also incredibly useful. Thought I would miss the very refined touchscreen, but tbh the buttons are better 90% of the time.  I occasionally miss the level of notification customization the AW has, and  the standard Fenix 7 is just a tad too thick and heavy, but that’s about the only notable complaints I have.  Other minor gripes: Charger sucks too but it’s hard to consider it an issue when you only use it 2 or 3 times a month. Watch face customization is very limited, but fortunately I found one for $5 that I love so now it’s not much of an issue. 

My Garmin Fenix 7 allows me to set run/walk intervals. I start my watch like in going for a run, I just can't do the suggested run or it won't time the intervals. Super happy with it.

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.

I am liking my Garminfenix 7 solar (aolar charges a bit). Way more data than I need, but my main complaint ith the apple watch was NO On the water GPS tracking (even wrote then because location data for walking, running, outdoor swimming but NOT rowing). So I am a garmin gal. Yep I wanna know my spm and can initiate a 5K and it doesnt just guess the distance. :)

Idk if anyone commented abt this or not but get the fenix 7 not the 8. Basically the same thing for less cost/issues

I wear my Fenix 7 with a plastic protective case from Amazon and a protector for the screen! Double protection I never had a problem! I usually start a strength workout when I boulder that it documents the work out better! Some times I do put it on bouldering though

I wear my Fenix 7 with a plastic protective case from Amazon and a protector for the screen! Double protection I never had a problem! I usually start a strength workout when I boulder it documents the work out better! Some times I do put it on bouldering feature though just to have some record of the routes I send

Oura 3 for sleep monitoring & Garmin fenix 7 gen for daily monitoring

I run, ski, do some horseback trail riding, do strength work and I also play Padel. I got a used Fenix 7 from a friend. It’s rugged enough qnd it has all the functions I need. I think you need to get a Fenix or the Epix. The instinct is a good option, but I think the other two are worth it.

Yes. They were no help and kept asking about stupid things 🤷. Later they shared instructions for resetting Fenix 7. The battery declined rapidly after firmware update and nothing helps. I tried this https://forums.garmin.com/apps-software/mobile-apps-web/f/garmin-connect-web/355158/troubleshooting-guide-for-high-battery-drain and nothing

I rock the Garmin Fenix 7 for MTB, I only use it for tracking and strava. I come home, and I immediately swap, then put it back on to sleep. I don't know why, personal preference, i suppose, but I always like something on my wrist. I also swim and lift but usually don't wear anything for it.

I'm guessing you aren't a strava whore? I unfortunately am. I have the Garmin Fenix 7. I wear it for 2 reasons, one that I already mentioned. The second, so my wife and buddy can track me in the event of a gnarly MTB fall. I had one last year and was fortunate that my buddy was headed to the mountain and helped me get out.

I forgot to add, I wish I didn't put it on to sleep but can't break the habit. Nothing worse than waking up, feeling great and your watch tells you that you slept like shit and need a rest day. I try to ignore it but it messes with me

What’s your experience on the comfort aspect or managing the data from each? I use a fenix 7 now but am considering also carrying the AWU for races to basically have phone right before and after the race but bringing my actual phone in a belt. Would track the race on fenix, have the AWU for phone, Apple Pay, and transit apps since Gamin never released a feasible cellular option for this. I would probably then stick with the AWU for day to day but use the fenix still for runs. Trying to figure out how to manage the daily and then activity data between the two systems and if this is even worth it.

I use a garmin Fenix 7 for swimming, cycling, hiking, mountain running, long ultramarathons and its fantastic at all of them!

I have Ultra 1 and fenix 7. As a daily driver I take AWU for my everyday workouts (name any, including weekend 100km road cycling). Garmin is obviously better for golf (free software), couple of days in the mountains (because I don’t want to think about charging at all). Other than that AWU works great. Small differences on gps, calories etc are bs for me. I don’t work in pharmacy.

Fenix 7, I like tracking my HR in the sauna

wtf. How could you live with that battery life for 6 years? I go for bikepacking a lot. After 1 year I had enough. If Fenix is out of your budget I would even consider buying a used Fenix 7 or even Fenix 6.

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

Other than the Fennix 7, nothing Garmin has compares with the sensor quality Apple has in the latest models. It was around the 8 that Apple surpassed Garmin with fitness tracking accuracy and with the Ultra and 19 or 10 they surpassed it with location accuracy as well. Garmin will still win with battery life and I’ll rather keep my watch for the QOL benefits, for me it’s mainly unlocking my Mac, the odd payment and some other health metrics that I specifically use the watch for. I’ll answer a call if I’m too lazy to walk back to my phone. The eSIM support is handy for me to be able to leave my phone at home without the safety hit of being completely offline. I have tested the fall detection already, obviously not intentionally, not sure if Garmin has something like that, but it would the also require a phone to be of any real use in an emergency. I’ll be upgrading my ultra next year if the rumoured Blood pressure and sugar monitoring come out. I am hypertensive so that would be very useful to track if it gets worse

I have a Garmin Fenix 7. I bought it on discount because the eight has come out. It wasn’t super cheap. I paid a little over $500 for it. But the 6 was even cheaper. I needed strong mapping functions because I do a lot of running and hiking in national forests. But I absolutely love it.

All new garmins are a good replacement for apple watch. I have both but my garmin fenix 7 is my daily and watch is only for a specific app workout. Mine is MIP display so lasts for 26 days

I'm lucky to get 10 days out of my Fenix 7 solar. I upgraded from the 6 when I noticed my battery life decreasing and they both get about the same. There has to be a setting somewhere I am missing that is draining my battery but for teh life of me I can't figure it out.

Depends on your budget needs, pre-owned a Fenix 7 is pretty good at all you’re asking. If you’re looking for the latest tech, the Enduro 3 has most (if not all?) Fenix 8 functions at a slightly lower price point.

Many garmin watches can read and log what they call stress. “Stress” is not necessarily mental stress, I think of it as a measure of how much your body is working. It could be from working out, it could be from digesting a steak dinner, it could be from trying to fight a sickness. It could also be mental stress. My Fenix7 is able to give me a warning when my stress is high and when it goes back to normal levels. I think many other models have that feature, too. Having this measurement of stress, garmins give you the data of “body battery”, which level goes down when stress is high and goes up when your stress is low (like for example when you’re sleeping well). If you use your garmin watch for working out, it will also tell you how much your workouts are fatiguing you and how much you should push to avoid overtraining but still challenging yourself. This feature is called “training load”. I think that most watches introduced in the last three years have these three features.

I'm a Garmin user but for much less money, Coros watches look like like a good option. I cross shopped those before getting a Fenix 7 and they have some great reviews.

Fenix 7 will have a lot more options than the forerunner 165 and its battery will last a lot longer. Fenix 7 has more storage (16gb vs 4gb), longer battery life, better multi-band sat, barometer, spo2 while you sleep (that doesn't kill the battery as fast), and you get full mapping, pace pro, more activities. The only reason i'd go 165 is if you really want a color screen and only ever jog/run.

I have a Garmin Fenix 7 watch that records my runs, walks and rides. They then get uploaded automatically.

So just to be clear, older models will still function indefinitely they just aren't getting new features, right?  I'm a little out of the loop, bought a Fenix 7 last year and want to know if I should be upset about this...if my watch will keep functioning as is for years, I'm cool I guess. New features would be nice, but I didn't buy it expecting it will get new stuff as time goes on. 

I trialed a Fenix 7 and got used to the battery and customization options. Didn't think I needed all that. Came from an old AW, so missing the music streaming and phone connectivity.

I use both daily. Fenix 7 Solar on the Garmin side, AWS10 for Apple. For steps, notifications, Apple Pay and a few dev related things I’ll keep both. Exercise is always recorded with my Fenix, maps and navigation are so, so much better on the Garmin and I only have to charge it once a week.

Went from AW to garmin fenix 7and have 0 regrets about it

The *55 series is only a year older than the *65 series and has the same generation HR sensor, GNSS chipset, etc. The software is almost the same between the two, including a lot of the recent updates like a meditation activity, passcode, and auto lactate threshold detection. Arguably the FR *55 is more up to date than the Fenix 7 series which is a sore point for Fenix owners. So 955 vs 965 isn't really that big of a difference besides the much higher resolution, much brighter and more colorful screen. Some of the other reason people are recommending older devices is because the difference between high end and mid range is bigger right now than the difference between generations, so for example battery life is better on a 955 vs a 570, or the number of running metrics is higher on a 955 vs a 570. The screen is better on a 570 vs a 955 though so technology advances have brought some good updates to mid range.

Fenix 7. Skip the screen on the 8 and go with one that holds up better in bright sunlight. HOWEVER, if these are truly your only options I’d say forerunner. Slightly less rugged, but has everything you need for a little less than Fenix series. Doesn’t have a flashlight though

Currently only Suunto and Coros are real competitors, looks like. Fortunately, I still have a couple of years before my Fenix 7 battery starts dying. Who knows what is going to be available by then. 

Totally agree. My best Garmin watch that satisfied all my needs was Forerunner 935. Lightweight and relatively flat. Then, I had to buy Fenix 7 because they stopped making Forerunners with MIP display. And I consider it downgrade because it's heavier, bulkier, and it has less readable screen because of these unnecessary extra touch screen and solar layers. Now I am looking at these monstrous new Fenixes with crappy battery life, and features that I do not need and all I want to say is WTF, Garmin. All I want is flat unobtrusive watch with good battery life and MIP display. 

Used to do Apple Watch and switched to Garmin, but not for daily tracking. I did it specifically because of the data it gives me for workouts, and the training plans. It’s a training watch. I think all the stuff you mentioned for me I don’t really need a lot of frills around, really. A simple line chart showing me VO2 max over time is fine. My Garmin Fenix shows me my current estimated VO2 max right on the face. I do like how Garmin charts HRV, but neither Apple or Garmin should be considered best for this if you really care. Wrist is just not an ideal location for it, even if Whoop had done well. I use Oura for sleep tracking. Apple and Garmin BOTH are kinda weak here. What Garmin does do well is show me trends of HRV, and from that it can be useful in terms of telling me recovery impact to training. Ultimately I view Garmin as a training device and Apple Watch as a lifestyle device. Both are about the same for daily tracking of activities and Garmin can feed Apple Health. If you like Apple nudging you to “close the rings” you’re maybe more of an Apple Watch candidate than Garmin. If you like Garmin telling you that today you should run intervals or ride a long zone 2 ride then you’re a Garmin candidate. I also hated having notifications and apps and stuff on my wrist. It was cool at first and then it was annoying and distracting. My big motivation away from Apple Watch was this. First I stopped wearing it at all. Since my goal is training data I was doing activity tracking from my phone and it was unwieldy. I looked at trackers like Fitbits and Whoops and stuff and settled on Garmin. Admittedly I kinda needed out on the data and the maps of the Fenix. I do some remote canoeing and hiking and thought the maps would be really useful. I think the only thing I really want from my watch is some ability to control audio from it. Admittedly Garmin isn’t strong here: they do have Spotify but no way to do Apple Music or Audible or anything, and what you can do is limited. So if I want to run or ride with music or a book my phone always comes with me. I remember when Apple Watch first let you do music from the Watch back in like 2016 and it was really cool at first, then I didn’t care and was bringing my phone on runs anyway. Since you asked about badges and motivation and whatnot: as mentioned Apple has really nice stuff, but I view it as more pedestrian oriented. Ultimately I didn’t ever feel motivated by it. Garmin seems to have tried to get into the social game, too, but I don’t know many people that use this and do gamification. They have a great badge system built more around training than anything else. That said… As another poster mentioned, I also use Strava and Strava as a social media platform is far more motivating for me. If you’re into training at all, look into it. Strava tells you about your previous times on a segment, for instance, and whether you’re getting a PR. It does Q/KOM (Queen or King of the Mountain). It can show you routes and segments in your area. It has a great interface for breaking down training data as well. Garmin is better for like overlaying cycling power with heart rate and elevation, but Strava gives you a lot of this data as well. You can feed Strava with either Apple or Garmin. At the end of the day my opinion on why to chose Garmin is if you want the training planning and tracking. If you have a goal like a race then it’s a pretty cool coach. If you have a program you’re already following and just want to track against it then it matters a lot less. The only other winning thing is depending on model you can get Garmins with incredible battery life. My Fenix 7 gets almost a month on a charge. My wife charges her Apple Watch daily. I’d probably go without a smart watch before going back to an Apple Watch because all of the cool features of an Apple Watch are lost on me.

Also, two words with the Fenix 7: Torch watch! Honestly I use the torch way more than I thought i would!

Quite happy with my Fenix7. But difficult to validate. There is no reference in OpenWater, as you never swim in a straight line. So +-20% in distance compared to the perfect line is totally fine with me. With uneasy weather it's easily +50% distance that you actually swim.

I’ve got a Garmin Fenix 7 solar I love it, it was pricey I think I paid about £600 maybe just under with a discount code for it, but it’s been brilliant. Battery life is 15 plus days maybe 10 with heavy use. I use it for other things too like tracking my runs and other workouts, it likes to my fitness pal, OS maps etc. The best thing I find is that you can load routes onto it for a hike then you can use that instead of having to use a phone (obviously always have map and compass though) Looks like you can get them for about £400 now as they’ve released the Fenix 8. It also looks really cool

Any of the modern Garmins (Forerunner x55 series, Epix, Fenix 7 or above) - great 24/7 tracking

I like the Fenix watches, currently using a Fenix 7X pro sapphire solar and I’m very happy with it, it’s been like 18 months or so of lots of hard usage. Prior to that(2018- till I replaced it with the 7) I was also very happy with that watch.

I have a Garmin Fenix 7. I have used it for both running and swimming on many occasions. Works well. I have even set it up for c25k runs. The only downside is that the system takes getting used to. I recommend watching a few tutorials to familiarize yourself with how to get the most out of the watch.

The answer for me personally is yes. I've had a Fenix 7 for almost 3 years now, and recently revisited the Apple Watch to see if I was missing something. Integration with the Apple ecosystem is nice for things like HomeKit, replying to text messages, car apps (Subaru is particularly nice here...) and whatnot, but in the end, I like to track my workouts and I like to not charge my watch every day. Ultimately, the added integration was more a nuisance than a help, so I happily went back to my Garmin. I don't miss having cellular on my watch, nor is Apple Pay on the watch important to me, but I could see how both of those could be factors in the Apple Watch's favor.

Fenix 7 user here. I live in Finland so it gets pretty cold here. My Garmin did restart a few times during my long runs in the winter. It didn't really matter that much because it would continue the run automatically as soon as it was up and running again if I remember correctly. It was just a little bit annoying really.

Apple -> Fenix 7 -> Back to Apple. I miss the battery, that’s about it. The direct integration into iOS is just too valuable for me.

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

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

Fenix 7. Tracks laps and open water distance perfectly. Program workouts. Has on wrist heart rate but it doesn't work well in the pool - but that would be any watch. I use their heart rate strap.

I typically use my whoop daily and it’s pretty good as an all arounder for different activities. I basically never take it off. Plus side is battery lasts forever + no screen to ding up. If I’m doing something like hiking or running where I want GPS I’ll use Garmin fenix solar 7 (double watch!!)

The Fenix 7 is the model when touch screen was released- this makes using the map much easier. It is very time consuming to pan around the map with just buttons.

This, as a fenix7 user, it does everything. And has a crazy long battery life

I used my fenix 7 a couple of hundred times in the pool. I wear it in the shower and when swimming in lakes and oceans. No problems at all.

I love my fenix 7 solar! I work outside, sometimes I can go 3-4 weeks in between charges.

Physical buttons are a huge bonus. I have had the touch screen off for the last 2 years. Your assumptions on battery life are wrong, Garmin far outlast apple watches. My Garmin (Fenix 7) will last as long with GPS in full tracking mode as an Apple watch lasts with GPS off etc. I get a good 10+days between charges on my Garmin despite using it for 5-10 hours a week for tracking exercise and having all bells and whistles on such as nightly spo2 calculations and respiratory analysis. This all said, garmins, especially the top ones, are designed to be continuously worn. Not doing so means you would miss out on a lot of the watches value, particularly HRV tracking. You'd essentially be buying a sports car to sit in traffic. A forerunner 55 and a HRM chest strap will probably give you all the information you want for runs. Coros, Polar and Wahoo all do similar running watches which would be more comparable to a Garmin. The apple watch is first and foremost a smart watch with sport features as are Samsung and Pixel watches.

I upgraded my forerunner for a fenix 7 thinking I would be getting a big feature upgrade... but I feel like I should have gotten a model with the amoled screen. Honestly feature wise they all feel the same to me. Maybe I get a little more battery life with my fenix. But I would go with the shiny bright screen if I could do it all again.

Yup... And I regret it.. 😅

😂 😂 True.... So yea get the one with the brightest screen and the longest battery life. It's nice not to have to charge your watch for 2 and a half weeks. 😂

Garmin will add less laps if you stop less or segment your workouts accordingly. Kinda like saying user error? But it’s because the watch is too sensitive? Example: I swim 25 underwater. I get to the wall to stretch for 30 seconds, and then swim back to complete the lap before I do 1500 freestyle. I usually end up with 75 or 100 meters when I complete that first warmup lap. And it’s because it is detecting movement consistent with the movement of pushing off a wall while I’m stretching. If I don’t start my watch until after I stretch and warm up and I just track my main set in one big block it’s spot on. If I am doing intervals it also adds half laps periodically, but for the same reason: it’s detecting change of direction movement. To minimize this I look at a wall clock instead of my watch to know when to blast off again. Solution for garmin: stop moving your watch when you’re not swimming if you told your watch you were swimming. They could probably fix it by making it less sensitive to changes in direction. But for now I can get 100 meters just by putting my goggles on if I want. Watches: forerunner 245 and fenix 7. 25 meter pool. Freestyle only.

I have had a Fenix 5 6 and now on a 7. Each has lasted me for 3+ years and have sold them off. Every time I have had issues, Garmin has been very helpful. Sorry you had a bad experience, but I don’t know the Instinct line.

These comparisons and comments ended for me with the release of the Fenix 8 Pro. If you are listening to music, full gps, with LTE the 47MM Fenix gets like 8 hours. That’s about inline with the AWU 3 in the same use case. And if you turn off a bunch of features on the AWU it gets much longer life as a smart watch and up to 20 hours with full gps during an activity. The limitation of everything is battery technology and how much you want your watch to do. Garmin likes to make fitness focused watches. Apple makes smartwatches with fitness figures. Buy whatever one makes you happy for your use cases

Actually the buttons on apple watch ultra are far better. The buttons on my new Fenix are spongy crap with no click.

I just bought a Fenix solar last night and so far it's a giant POS. The UI is ass, syncing Bluetooth is stupid, Garmin pay is garbage and the battery life isn't anywhere close to advertised.

40 hours of battery life vs a month with the fenix solar. If I am camping or on the road, I really don’t want to worry about charging my watch.

And you forgot that you can have a steering mount for the watch with the HR monitor so no bike computer needed and still have 20 days of battery life at least on the fenix solar 😎

Had it since launch. It's been wonderful but over the weekend I got a 970. First off, the non solar has a much better MIP screen than any solar. I looked at getting a Tactix 8 or Fenix solar but as soon as I tried both on they were a massive disappointment and would never consider them. Tbh, while I thought I would not be thrilled with the transition to amoled, in all honesty I have no real negatives. You can customize it to be whatever you like. To me the 955 will be like my blackberry phone from years ago which I would easily call "a classic" and one is the best of its time. But unfortunately it no longer has a place in my wrist.

This , I’m convinced so many people don’t actually exercise. I own both the Garmin Fenix solar and an Apple Watch Ultra. As much as I love the Fenix I went back to my Apple Watch due to the identical battery life on the Garmin if you do any sort of real gps training. Also despite my phone being on do not disturb the Garmin watch vibrating and showing me notifications anyways.

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

I have a fenix Pro, with all phone related things turned off. I will only receive vibration for phone calls (as I keep my phone on silent). Otherwise it’s strictly for fitness/health

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 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.

garmin forerunner (255 or 265 are good choice )or instinct series both have solar models if you want even more battery, or garmin fenix 7 or 8 but they are bit more expensive. also coros pace 3 its a great price to performance sport watch with great battery life

solar garmin. everything i need, nothing i don't. paired with a polar HRM.

I’m partial to the garmin Fenix series mostly of cost and utility. The solar version may suit well if your backpacking over several days and need gps. They’re also pretty bullet proof, taken multiple hits while mountain biking and it’s still going strong

It pretty much depends what you want the watch for has been my conclusion. I've owned the AWU1/2 pre-ultra versions, garmin fenix 6/7/8 and prior versions. When I'm focused on fitness and endurance sports, the garmin is my primary watch. When I'm in a different phase, I strongly prefer the AWU for all its stuff. Problem for me is I prefer to have a single ecosystem that is seemless so I can focus on my goals. The reality for me personally is the garmin helps me with my goals when fitness is my goals and the AWU doesn't do quite the same for me. That's enough to have me wear my garmin - it's effective as a tool for me. The AWU is just the watch I like better, but it doesn't have actual impact on me. If I were simply wanting a casual fitness watch + smart watch, I'd wear an AWU all the time.

Any Garmin Will do. Chose what you like from a looks point of view. If you are keen on practicality, I will suggest you go for one with a flash light. I am a big fan of Fenix range my self

This is what I did. I bought the Fenix with the intention on switching completely, but I realized that I missed a lot of things about my AW. So now my AW is my daily wear and also for occasional shorter runs, walks, etc. I use the Fenix for hiking, diving, long activities, etc.

If you bike, then Garmin probably the best option if you want a dedicated bike computer. I also like that as an eBiker my Fenix watch shows all my bike status specs, watts etc for the one that is able to send the data.  Went back to Polar since I like Polar's overall approach to activity instead of steps+intensity minutes+floors etc fragmentstion. Plus now I can wear a smartwatch as a phone on one wrist and screenless Polar on the other when not working out.

I am a triathlete and training data 📊 📈 is the most important thing to your health and improvement! I’m fun of garmin products and I have been wearing Fenix watches for many years! Since this year I started running long distances and and I noticed watch is big, heavy etc and few times damaged my wrist also, so I decided to jump to Forerunner series but couldn’t decide should I buy forerunner 965 or 970 🤔 there is always 200 euros 💶 between 2 watches! And also as I know 965 has more longer battery 🔋 life…

If you are using a treadmill I’ve had good results with the HRM-Pro strap combined with my Fenix watch.  

I have a Fénix and I love it! Literally wouldn’t want to live without it. I find myself using some of the basic features on it daily (like the flashlight). It’s a huge investment, and after having it she may yearn for more tech so I’d get the fénix. I have a gorgeous one, imo. I also have an Oura for what it’s worth and I love that they each do their own thing, but for what she does hands down a Garmin watch

I used Garmin for about 7 years, about 5 models (all from the Fénix line which is their flagship), I loved them, I really did, I was obsessed with them, and it is not just the battery life, the look, they look so gorgeous, like a proper watch compared to the black rectangle the Apple Watch was (Always On Display wasn’t so much of a thing back then). Then I received an Apple Watch as a gift , and everything changed, for starters it was so much more comfortable and light, I’m not a big guy so the massive Garmin Fénix didn’t really look that good on me looking back at old photos of me wearing them, a smaller profile watch looks much better. Then there’s the matter of the smart features, I am now an Apple Shortcuts power user (it is silly but it is true) I have so many and the fact that they integrate to the Apple Watch simply cannot be understated for me, I couldn’t go back to Garmin now, it is just so much part of my life now. There’s also Apple Music which just works fantastically on Apple Watch, albeit not Garmin’s fault but the integration with Spotify in their watches leaves so much to be desired in comparison. Every now and then I look a Garmin watches and still think they look better “on paper” but maybe not on me. In terms of Running, I have to be honest, Garmin does it much better than Apple’s simplistic implementation, but then again I don’t do that much running anymore, I used to run much more back then, probably encouraged by the watch 😄 , but now I focus more on weightlifting and other workout types, I found it is better for me.

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.

For running, the **Forerunners** win because they’re lighter, have better training tools (readiness, load, recovery, VO₂, etc.), and give you more run-specific metrics. The **Instinct/Fenix** are better for hiking/backpacking since they’re tougher, with longer battery and more rugged features. Animated workouts are more of a nice to have, useful if you like guided bodyweight or gym sessions, but most people don’t rely on them. Daily suggested workouts are hit or miss: they’re good for structure but not something to blindly follow. Maps are genuinely handy if you do trails or long hikes; on runs they’re mostly good for keeping you on a planned route. The 970 only records ECG if you start it manually, it doesn’t passively check like an Apple Watch. Smart features: you’ll see texts and calls, but RCS isn’t supported (just standard SMS/notifications). The mic/speaker are fine for quick replies or answering a call in a pinch, but not something you’d want to use all the time. Why Garmin? Mostly the depth of training metrics, reliability, and ecosystem, Coros and Suunto are good but Garmin still has the most polished data!!

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.