Garmin - fēnix 8 Pro – 47 mm, AMOLED

The new fenix 8 pro does have lte, although a different experience pushed though garmin’s network.

Although I‘m a long time iPhone (since iOS 6) lover, i‘m biased towards Garmin: no way AW for me ever. Don‘t like the looks (too girlish, not robust more like a Micky Mouse toy) and lousy battery. Nevertheless regarding your item 1) you‘d need the recently launched Fenix 8 LTE & Satellite at €1,150. Great, top end Garmin watch. Item 2): Not that many banks allow Garmin access to their payment infrastructure- so you first have to check whether your prefered bank is on the Garmin Pay list. Whatever choice, good training!

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

But it is - speaker, microphone, calls, texts, watch assistant etc, it is marketed as a smartwatch and less an adventure watch. The Fenix 8 Pro maybe a bit more so as an adventure watch with the LTE and satellite but still also marketed as a smartwatch as well.

They don't have the processing power and you are seeing the repercussion on the F8Pro just by adding LTE - it drains the battery. Adding smartwatch features would drastically impact the battery and Garmin users would lose their minds.

This! I wouldn't even agree that the accuracy of the Apple Watch is worse than a Garmin. For running, my AWU is on par with a Garmin. I find it just struggles a bit in open water. I'm in the same camp, using Apple Watches since Gen 3, and always the cell version for various reasons. But I will make the jump and get a F8Pro. I basically just want the connectivity for emergencies. But it's also not an irreversible choice. If it doesn't work out, I still can sell the F8Pro and get a new AW(U). So, why not risk it.

I’m not a golfer but the Fenix 8 or new 8 pro might be a good shout. I went from AWU to the Fenix 8 last year. Very happy with it

Happy to know I’m not the only one why sleeps with multiple devices lol (AWU3, F8 Pro, Oura, Ultahuman and occasionally whoop) 😅

Pro AW: the smart features Pro Garmin: all the sports features and battery life Mostly use smart features and just do some sports once in a while and don’t care about good metrics but just get moving? -> AW Want great sports features, great metrics and battery life but don’t need smart features on your watch?-> Garmin My verdict on AW and Garmin about what sucks after using both interchangingly sind Fenix 5/AW6. You can assume that these things sucking on one watch are better on the other watch: Garmin: - almost no smart Features - paying with the watch is a joke. - can’t interact with notifications other than reading and dismissing them (Apples fault) - not as flashed out as AW UI - with the 8pro you now have LTE but other than that you always need your phone with you for comms AW: - cal metrics are just plain wrong 90% of the time when doing anything that’s not running or walking. They give a wrong impression and are plain useless when trying to loose weight by logging calories. - move alert/standing alert is a joke. Just let your arm hang for 1min every hour and you have a perfect standing record. Stand the whole day but have your arm bent and according to your watch you sat all day. With Garmin you have to either walk 250 steps or can do other exercises. - none of the 3rd party apps (athlytic, bevel, peaks, etc) give remotely useful i.e. correct analytics of my data - battery life. What battery life? - you can’t just easily create custom routes for your run on your phone and use them. And if you let’s say use an app like Komoot then you can either navigate with Komoot or run with a running app but not both. Even with WorkOutdoors you have to upload your own GPX file that you have created who knows where. - no daily workout suggestions if you don’t use a 3rd party app. - Custom workouts dynamically on the fly because you feel like it? Not possible easily. What I use: Garmin Fenix. Why? Health and sports metrics are way more important to me than smart features. For those I have my phone.

I’ve used them all and honestly Garmin is the best . I ended up returning my Suunto Race 2 . Their flagship watch because it’s not accurate with collecting data. If it can’t do that then any info it provides is also unreliable . I’ve used a Fenix 8 Pro. It did everything I wanted and more but I couldn’t stomach the $1300 price and returned it. I actually regret doing so . I had been using an apple watch all these years but getting serious about cycling is why I tried the Suunto and Garmin. I use a Garmin Edge 1050 with a Garmin HRM chest strap for my riding. At the gym lifting and for everything else including sleep I use an Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Athlytic App. Apple’s sensors are so damn accurate . With all of this said I still wish I had a Garmin

So, honestly, it's not a very good comparison (in my opinion.) Just Imagine happened a natural disaster, like an earthquake. You're trapped under a building and have to wait for rescue. How long would your Apple Watch last? How long would your iPhone last? How long would your Garmin Fenix ​​last? I've been using an Apple Watch for years and just switched to the Fenix ​​8 Pro, and the difference (data, graphs, recommendations) is significant. If you're looking for a sports-focused watch, go for the Garmin. If you're looking for a multimedia wristband that you have to charge every day, go for the Apple Watch.

The battery life is really important for all of us that what Im saying. Let me give you real example from my life; my home town is in another country and I am living in another country. When I try to go there (using airplain + another airplain + train) my trash apple watch ultra has already gone ofcourse iphone is the almost gone. I dont want to walk everywhere with powerbank for satisfy apple watch :) apple watch is a mini iphone. Useless. When you use it more years you will understand me. Not comparable with the garmin. Im saying the same thing that if you are loking for multimedia wrisband that you have to charge everyday yes my comment is very absurd. Thanks.

Both have pros and cons. Newer apple watches especially the ultra have fast charging and can easily do 2 days of battery life. Im considering switching from my Fenix 8 back to apple watch ultra 3 for the better health safety features like tracking hypertension. Fall detection. And ability to use my watch without my phone if I go on a run. I don't have to bring my phone for a run which is nice. With my Garmin Fenix 8 I feel like I have to bring my phone because I need a device to call 911 or for family to reach me. Garmin now has Fenix 8 pro that connects to Garmin network but it's just not the same. And now watch 3 ultra supports satellite as well for emergencies. For me it's more about safety. Garmin watch has great metrics sure but will it accurately detect hypertension? Will it detect an afib or heart issue? If I fall can it call emergency services? Only if my phone is with me. I have two young kids and I'm in my 30s now so the safety features are just more valuable for me this time in my life. And the apple watch has saved lives before.

The Venu 3 or 4 is the closest Garmin make to an Apple Watch (non-LTE but does have mic & speaker for calls), but the Fenix 8 Pro is the only one that has LTE and is thus independent of a phone. But the F8Pro costs a lot more than the AWU3 and needs a Garmin subscription to use the LTE and satellite communication features. Garmin Pay works exactly the same as Apple Pay but is useless in my country as no banks support it (it's nothing to do with the retailers).

When I was thinking of switching from Apple to garmin there wasn’t as much information as I’d hoped about what the transition would be like. These below were some of my main concerns about switching and how I’m dealing with it. Let me know if you have any questions. I’m a little less than a week into my first garmin watch (fenix 8 pro). I’m coming from an Apple Watch Ultra 2 (used everyday for 1 year). I used every feature and more on the ultra. And I have to say I am loving the fenix. So much more training metrics and analytics here it is insane. If you are serious about training you have to have a garmin it seems. Apple Watch training rings/fitness app. Apple does a good enough job at this for your everyday person and closing rings can be fun and satisfying. It’s cool that you can interact with family and friends and see their workouts and all that. But then again Strava does that better. The garmin connect and health features shows (no joke) at least 10x the metrics and analytics that Apple does. I am mind blown looking at all of this information (a lot of which I still don’t know what it means). It’s very cool and also helpful so far, and finally I can see V02 max. Golf. I used 18 birdies on the ultra. It’s good. After a round your ultra watch is almost dead. I used garmin golf the other day. It’s better, not by much but it’s certainly better. Shows the hole on your watch face which is really cool. And the interface of garmin golf is over all better and easier to use imo. (Still sucks battery about 15-20%) But still super excited about that one. Phone calls and text messages when I do not have my phone are something the fenix is missing. I know it’s possible but I haven’t figured it out. And it’s not so simple and streamlined as the Apple Watch. However. I had the ultra for a year and I can count on one hand the amount of times I used the call and text feature without my phone. In theory it’s great and you think you’ll use it. But the reality is that you just really don’t. We think we NEED our phones at all times but when you let go of it you realize how little you actually need it lol. Music. Another thing the Apple Watch does better is Apple Music and music not having to be downloaded. I had to start a Spotify account and then download a playlist which I thought made no sense because the watch is supposed to have lte right? So why do I have to download music to it? Whatever. Spotify easily made me a playlist I sent it to my watch and that’s perfect for any run less than 15 miles. Runs more than 15 miles I’m on trails so I have my phone with me anyways for podcasts, audiobooks, more music, etc. Third party apps. Apple has an endless amount, garmin has almost none which was surprising, but seems like they got their own thing for almost everything. But again the thing was I thought I’d use those third party apps a lot more than I actually did. Watch faces. This is something Apple hands down is so much better at. Garmin needs to do something about the watch faces. It’s not super important but I’d like to see the ocean tides on my watch at least. Doesn’t seem like too much to ask and I can’t figure it out. Battery life. Garmin is obviously crushing the Apple Watch here. However my battery seems like it will last me 5-7 days rather than the advertised 15 days I think it says. I’m assuming this is because I do a minimum of 1 hour activity everyday. 2 hour runs while listening to music really seem to drain battery. If anyone has any advice on how to conserve battery while using activity modes that would be helpful. I’m going camping for a week to trail run and hike. I won’t have a lot of access to charging. Final thoughts so far. I’m really liking the fenix 8 pro. I’m liking all the training analytics that come with garmin. I have yet to try surfing with it, that was something the Apple Watch did really well at. So I’m hoping the fenix 8 pro can at least match what the Apple Watch did. There’s obviously a lot more about the fenix I could say. But I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface. There’s a lot more I can learn about this watch. I downloaded a map for a trail run with a pacing coach attached to it which is cool! Super excited to try that out. If I didn’t compare some aspect of these watches in this review it’s because the garmin does it better lol. If anyone has any tips and advice about anything mentioned above I’d appreciate it. Especially with lte phone call/messages.

Fenix 8 Pro, they introduced many new features in the Fenix 8 and it's their first truly flagship watch, that has all the sports metrics and all the smart features, and it combines all features that Garmin ever had into one watch. Those that are saying Fenix 7, LOL. OP asked which is the best, not what you prefer.

it must be a solar model thing - no idea why - my F8 47mm oled gets GPS in 8-12 seconds every time, and has more battery life than what you reported even though it's a smaller watch. It's never rebooted on me once and I've had it about 7 weeks now, and do a gps workout nearly every day.

I have fénix 8 amoled 47 and my wife has Apple Watch 10. Mine says 16d but I get around 11-12 days with 4 activities last week between 45 min and 3-4h. The Apple Watch does not last more than 2 days. However, if Apple gets more battery life for their next releases, lets say 5-7days, because their products are integrated with iPhone etc, a lot of people might go back to Apple. I love my fénix 8.

I don’t like wearing watches at home because the notifications get annoying. For me, 42 hours of battery life is more than enough unless I’m traveling to a mountain or somewhere without electricity for an extended period. I mainly stick to running and cycling, and, even the AWU1 handled those activities perfectly. Ended up selling my Garmin LTE version because longer battery is pointless for me.

I got myself a fenix 8 (X?/Amoled), and it's all I could have asked for. Definitely one of the best sports watches on the market. The price is mental though. I got it from a refurbishing-site, and traded my Fenix 6X for it, otherwise I would have waited some more months, for the price to drop a bit further. No matter how you decide, take into consideration though, that if you plan to go off-piste, the sports watches, like all electroincal devices, can affect the signal of your avalanche beacon. Nothing to do you with your purchase per se, but that should always float around in the back of your head, when using a watch while skiing (wear it on your weaker hand, across the body from your beacon, etc).

Your watch must have been a dud then, I have the fenix 8 (amoled), and run about 70-90km a week, that’s a lot of gps time, and I have around 10-12 days of battery easy. No way the Apple Watch Ultra and Fenix are the same if you do regular gps activities.

I believe you can get about 20hr of (multiband/all systems) tracking with the 970 so 2 full days might be possible but it also... on the edge. Unless you hike 5hrs a day of course. For the fenix8 47mm this would be up to 35hrs (or 28hrs with always on) Also, using maps will increase battery usage. But can't you just bring a small powerbank with you? That way you can simply charge when needed and the battery in the 970 is so small that you can bring a very compact one. But yeah, battery wise the fenix8 is the winner, easily. In the same pickle here, the 970 is on the lower side battery wise for me even though I really prefer the looks and weight. At the moment it's too expensive for me, don't want to spend 750 euros on it, so waiting for a nice deal anyway but with a 100k in mind a 20hr battery life max IS enough but still... would like more.

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.

Then I think you made your decision and Fenix 8 is the best one to suit your lifestyle. To be frank, if I spent time in mountains, I would probably also went with Fenix 8. FR 970 just doesn't feel right there, as you said somewhere here in the comments, and I 100% agree

The Fenix 8 sapphire is lighter than the 970 by 4 grams, and the non-sapphire version is only 3 grams heavier.  So weight is effectively negligible. 

I am referencing the weight of the case only, which is 52g for the Fenix 8.  It’s not clear if the 56g for the forerunner 970 includes the band, but if it does, you’re right there is a notable weight difference, but a nylon strap on the Fenix could bridge the gap. 

Damn my F8x amoled lasts longer than that lol but ya first month or two with new Garmin hardware is always figuring out bugs. My experience with the 8x has been mostly positives. But then again my expectations are calibrated based on past watches.

You get all the features you want and have a new hardware that lasts a long time, has attractive features like AMOLED and offers everything on the software side and does not limit you in anything

I have the Fenix 8 amoled which I use for running and hiking, the sapphire glass is great so it doesn’t scratch and I love having topo maps standard. Cons is the price. Forerunner is a good option if price is an issue.

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

Tactix 8 is nice but don't count on any help from solar i have had the fenix and tactix solar and i actually prefer my amoled for length of batt life. i have put it in batt saver mode in full lux not on me for 3 hrs and achieved 1%that went down after wearing it .my casio does way better with solar this is the only thing that is a disappointment!

Bough AWU3 3 days ago after selling my Fenix 7 Pro. I was really looking forward to make a switch for a long time, read and watched tons of reviews, did everything to like AWU. It's a really cool watch, great smartwatch, Garmin sucks in that area a lot. The watch faces are way more beautiful and feature packed than those on Fenix, the UI is super fluid, great bright screen, and I pretty liked the look of it, I was a little bit tired of Garmin's rough look and watched something more casual. Well, today I want to Apple Store and returned it. Not because of battery life, no. My watch worked fine for 2 solid days and I was more than ready to charge it once in 48 hours. For me it's a fair price for that smooth UI and rich smart functions. But because training-wise AW sucks. You need to buy tons of 3rd party apps to make it functionally closer to Fenix, pay for subscriptions and still it remains worse than Fenix. One of the reasons is that AW doesn't measure your HR continuously when you're not training, so all the popular apps that show you health metrics like Bevel or Athlytic (both require paid subscription) just don't have that data and show you some random 'AI-inspired' numbers. Second thing - buttons. Yes, AWU has some shortcuts where you can press 2 buttons simultaneously, but it's not even close to Garmin's buttons. You still need to use touch interface all the time. With Garmin I have muscle memory (I've been using Fenix since 3HR), I can operate it in my sleep, so easy and so natural. I hardly ever used touch screen of my Fenix. And the third - flashlight. It's the best fucking feature out there. The moment I sold my Fenix I started to miss that badly. Collecting dog's poop in the dark, navigating to the toilet at night, check on the kids - I used it every day, many times, you get that habit and it becomes super natural. Now I just can't live without it. Apple Watch is a small iPhone on your wrist. It's cool. But I already have an iPhone in my pocket. So I decided I didn't need a second one. But, AW taught me one thing - AMOLED screen looks and feels gorgeous. I was long time MIPS fan, but now I think it's time to move forward. So the moment I returned my AWU - I ordered F8 AMOLED. Hope that it won't disappoint.

I’m glad my story helped! As far as I remember, Garmin was always like that, in the past I’ve always bought Fenix from the previous generation and they’ve never received new features from up-to-date line. 1-2 years of support is a joke for sure. I want to believe that with the new code base of Fenix 8 they will have longer support, but maybe those are just dreams. Anyway, Fenix 8 after AWU felt like returning home, such a satisfying feeling. didn't regret for a second.

Used the same but switched to Fenix8 and I am very satisfied with all features it provides

I changed a galaxy watch4 for a Garmin Fénix 8 and there is no color.....no point of comparison.

Aw 2-7/ now fenix8 user here. I hate the garmin system/update clunkyness/user interface. Its like a last decade thing. Oh, not to mention the "motivational" sleep amd regeneration tracking. Im looking alternatives to go back, i really dont like this besides the 14 days battery life.

I’m seeing the exact same things. Have Awu2 Fenix 8. I typically get up in the middle of the night in the Fenix loses track of any sleep that happened before I got up. The Apple gives me a full score for the full amount of sleep.

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).

I am on day 2 of the exact same scenario. Fenix 8 and everything. 😂 There are some definite positives to the Whoop and some definite drawbacks. I’m still undecided but I’ve got 28 more days to figure it out. 😎

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

I‘ve used an Apple Watch every day since the first model shipped and I’m currently sporting an Apple Watch Ultra. But I’ve also had a Garmin Fenis 8 on my other wrist for three weeks. It replaced the Whoop I had used for three years, and I plan on using them both going forward. The Garmin is definitely superior for all things fitness and body tracking because of the depth of the data, the vastly better battery life, and the greater customization options for activities. But I think it sucks eggs for anything “smart watch-y,” which is also very important to me. From phone and app notifications, music, custom apps, and text messaging, the AWU is head and shoulders ahead of the Garmin. I also think it’s much better for scuba diving where I use it as a backup computer to my Shearwater. So, I charge my AWU each night and use it during the day to track my non-fitness life, and I wear my Garmin 24/7 to track my activities and health.

I have a Fénix 8 and for me it is quite reliable in sleep and cardio. And if you want more precision in your sleep, I recommend the Index Sleep Monitor

I have a Fénix 8 but for the use you are going to give it, the Forerunner 255 or 265 would be good for you

Since the differences are not many, both watches will serve you perfectly but I would go for the Fénix 8 which is aesthetically more beautiful and resistant

garmin 970 or fenix8. these 2 can match Apple Watch's functions with better battery and more professional sports functions

Well I just ordered the oura ring to see if that fits me better. Never worn a ring so not sure, but want to make a decision around Black Friday to see which to keep. I also wear a fenix 8 so I don’t really need whoop because why? I get accurate data with the F8 + chest strap I don’t need a second device with bad HR sensor. I also don’t use the strain feature as I have a training plan which I follow. So probably oura will fit me better. Will not wear it while gym etc but that’s fine as it syncs my garmin data

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

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.

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

How accurate is the GPS, especially when running through woods or on overcast days? I've found Apple watches and even lower end Garmins don't handle position tracking very well in those conditions. Sometimes they'll be as much as a half mile off for a several mile run. That's the only time I can't fault the Fenix series watches, the GPS is nearly flawless. The only thing I've found more accurate is a handheld.

Get a garmin Fenix, doesnt really matter which model as long as it’s not ancient, off eBay

Yeah I feel like apple sleep tracking is similar to its specificity with fitness tracking. Instead of in depth (and maybe somewhat disappointing data) it gives you the positive fluff version to encourage general day to day health. I compared whoop vs. AW vs Fenix and Apple was the only one that just skipped my mini awake times. Found that strange

Yeah I mean none of them are perfect but I do think Garmin has been best so far.

Its the Fenix without speaker/mic and without diving features, but better overall performance as tradeoff (longer battery life, MIP screen, better solar charging, more lightweight...)

Know a guy who has used his twice for 100k and both times its died around 60km in. Not the speediest runner but easily makes cut off. The gps in it is shocking too, he would routinely get more distance and elevation on almost any run I've done the whole full smart watch in the past and happily have gone back to a fenix now. Im good with seeing notifications and being able to answer calls. Happily run disconnected from my phone and contact

You can't go wrong. There are features that the newest Fenix (or Epic pro) have that the others don't. So if you care about ecg monitoring that might change the model you are looking at.

This is my perspective as someone who uses Whoop and wears an SMP or a Speedy that I rotate according to how I feel. Also, I've tried Oura, and liked it, but it wasn't for me. And I have an AW Ultra that I use when running and hiking, and this is after a few years of using a Garmin Fenix. Most people think of Whoop as simply a fitness tracker, which it is, but it is much more. What seperates Whoop from other things is how it shows you the impact of your behaviors. Yes, I think Whoop was less than honest about their upgrade policy with the new 5.0 and MG release, but I still can't find anything like it. The "magic" of Whoop is that it allows you to pre-select certain behaviors that will appear in a daily journal. Each morning you take 30 seconds to check yes or no on these items, e.g. Did you consume added sugar yesterday? Did you eat a late meal? There are endless options. As times goes on, Whoop continues to show you how these behaviors are impacting your sleep so that you discover how far before bed you should stop eating, or what's the latest time of the day you can drink caffeine without it impacting your sleep (even though you may think it doesn't because you fall asleep quickly). I'm not trying to sound like an advertisement for Whoop, but I think most people evaluate Whoop without knowing what it really does. So when I run or hike I use my Ultra for reasons that don't overlap with Whoop. But the rest of the day, when wearing my SMP or Speedy, or when I sleep, I wear Whoop because it is providing overall health insights that I find valuable and have led to lifestyle changes that I may not have made otherwise--even as a person in great shape who works out six days a week.

I would suggest any Fenix or even any forerunner over any vivoactive or venu of you're serious about training. Sure you can get by with most basic stuff on those watches but if you get serious about training or want better features you'll have wanted at least a forerunner model

garmin epix/fenix no complaints

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

Ok, just hear me out for one second before you think I'm crazy. The red light on the Fenix line is AMAZING. I use it every single night multiple times as it makes walking around at night super easy and not at all straining on the eyes. Honestly, it might be my "I'm not giving up this watch for e.g. an Apple watch, ever" feature. The Tactix light is green. I have no idea how well that'll work at night. But I absolutely LOVE the red light.

Another vote for a Fenix. Great overall wellness tracking between sleep, fatigue, steps, stress, HR, and intensity minutes. But the reason I like it more than anything else is the battery life, 15+ days if I'm not GPS tracking or playing music off of it.

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

I use Garmin. Watch battery lasts a week at a time workout charging and the watch itself is nice. If I'd gotten a less fancy version than the fenix, my watch battery would last even longer

This is what I do. I have a Garmin Fenix as my sports watch and switch to the Vivosmart when I am wearing my Speedy.

Issue isn’t normal use. Issue is when using with the fitness or when GPS tracking. My Ultra 1 won’t last me more the 18 hours on long hikes. And this is in low power mode with GPS pushed to my iPhone. If you’re tracking a multi day hike, or plan on being in the wilderness more than 2 days, the watch is useless to carry with you. Especially if you’re in trouble (satellite doesn’t help if your battery is dead) The new Garmin Fenix offers 28 days of battery life, solar charging and will last 4+ days under intense use. Plus it has Garmin InReach built in.

Yeap. The elephant in the room. 16 days battery life on my fenix.

The new fenix has both satellite capability and cellular fyi I don't know if the emergency service is included though l. Guessing it's gonna be a membership like what I needed for the inreach

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

Garmin does not have all those features in most watches. Which model can I control my smart home? I cannot directly download apps on my Fenix. I also cannot access Apple Music.

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

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

Bought one relatively recently, I wanted MIP but didn't like the Fenix weight/cost. This seemed like the best option, for ~€300. The 255 would have saved €100, I probably don't need all the 955 features but I didn't like the 255 styling. I'm not sure if it is any more "future proof" but maps is kinda neat. I want at least 5 years out of the tech I buy, and with MIP being less and less common I can't see why I would stop using this before it dies.

I was looking at the Fenix! It's pricey but it did seem to have the most functionality that would be useful for him. I don't know that he would mind losing the running specific data as part of his WOD but then again I think he's the type that would like to know his pace/HR to target. As long as there is a process to program the switch from hiit to run and then back to HIIT I would guess he would suffer the moderate annoyance if he wants to mine that data. And we are not an apple house lol and I agree, Garmin connect is pretty slick. I've found their race predictions to be hilarious but other than that their metrics are pretty spot on!

I would go Fenix personally if money isn't an issue. Better looking, better build, longer battery, and better (more waterproof) buttons. I really don't like the look of the forerunners so that may also be a big bias for me.

Funnily enough, a lot of people do more than just road running..... a forerunner is not great for swimming, cycling, heavy trail running etc. Ive run multiple half marathons in my fenix no issues as well as doing many other activities without the worry of cracking a plastic watch and having enough battery to do so. I also did say that I was bias towards the look.... but it still remains that I think forerunners look cheap.

Garmin Fenix varieties are good, solar options if you're in the sun etc for extra battery too, but full charge is like ~15 days without non stop Ox readings You can also get a face cover [over clip] and or a screen protector like for your phone on the watch face. Maybe worth looking at!

Fenix is great for running but it’s overkill. Has more features than most runners could poke a stick at, a little on the heavy side too

Return the Apple watch get a fenix

Most of them are decent at hr without a strap but you’d want something with the elevate v5 sensor for the best data and unfortunately that’s fenix only. The 255 or 955 would be the best bet here but the 255 doesn’t have maps. Also the 965 is great if you want oled instead of MIP

Basically any Garmin from the 255 and up. Fenix is the best but pricey so forerunner should be more than enough

I’ve been wearing my garmin fenix in it for over a year. No issues

I swapped my Omega for a Garmin Fenix and haven't looked back. I'm a cyclist in the garmin infrastructure so it makes sense. Its one of the best sports watches, comes in a range of sizes to fit different wrists and I think it looks stylish as well compared to the square apple watch.

Appart from the battery life, flashlight and physical buttons, the AWU outperforms the Fenix on every points. Better smartwatch, top notch sensors (see videos from TheQuantifiedScientist). Sure you need to use 3rd parties app to match Garmin Experience (WOD, Athlytics, HealthFit) but otherwise you won't regret it.

Its a lot smarter then my casio. My casio cant show me the way home after a hike in the forest. It cant show me maps. Therefore its a smartwatch. Its full om smart features a regular watch cant do. I once had a apple watch. Now i can’t think of one feature that watch did that my fenix cant do, rather the opposite. Ooh one thing, the apple watch could answer calls. But that was just annoying. So i would argue fenix is smarter then Apple Watches in many ways not all but many.

Its called a fenix. Its like a mercedes, audi, toyota, skoda… something in the middle.

As a Garmin user, I'm quite jealous. This doesn't replace my Fenix for exercises but would be a great companion for everyday activities and I could wear my classic watches again.

Garmin Fenix, used Garmin for years, battery measured in days not hours

I would say it is not correct comparison. You need to compare Apple Watch with Garmin Fenix. Standard model (not AMOLED) last 24 days. X version - from 30 days. I'm using 6X Pro Solar Titanium and even after 2 years of using it is keeping 30 days on one charge. Neither Apple nor Samsung can bring me the same experience

I’ve had both. I am primarily a runner but right now doing triathlon training as well. I have the forerunner 955 and it does well beyond what I need. I like it a hundred times better than the fenix I had.

I’ve had both fenix and forerunner. Even as a multi sport athlete ( although primarily a runner) I hands down love my forerunner way better.

Forerunner 970 and call it a day. It's specifically designed for a cost no object triathlete. You can get a Fenix or MARQ if you like but they're heavier. Might be better at golf, scuba and flying if any of those are relevant to you.

Update. I went to rei today and tried a fenix. It feels double the weight of my 965 and bulkier as well

i have a fénix and i won't bring it. You can get miles and ascent trivially from FarOut. just tap on a point behind or ahead of you. For me the fenix is a training tool, it's not for the main event. your stats will be: * Steps: Many * HR: Light/moderate aerobic * Sleep: Shit * HRV: Shit * Status: Overreaching * GPS: The same damn trail as everyone else. Also the power saver mode GPS is pretty bad and [can remarkably *over*estimate distances. ](https://www.tendigitgrid.com/d/159-garmin-ultratrac-review-and-data-accuracy) Number Go Up is fun but not worth it. Track for the folks at home with the Inreach on 1hr tracking. Your watch won't broadcast to your family like the Inreach will, it's redundant and less functional for long distance location tracking. I have ONCE briefly, used a pre-loaded Course on my Inreach for snow navigation on Wonderland Trail. Probably it would be nicer on the Fénix but not enough to bring it. Ill probably stick some Sierra courses on the Inreach ahead of time though.

But nobody say what garmin works with messages better of do it APW with same iPhone. I switched APW to Fenix namely this reason. I dont miss any whats app call or telegram call or messages from it with fenix. But AWU at all is very very good thing, especially if calls and messages from all messengers not matter for you (I apologize in advance for my English)

whoop, using the bicep strap so my wrists are free during workouts. i prefer the no screen no distraction myself, especially when working out. also have a garmin fenix as well as a daily watch.

Yes, I carry a Garmin Fenix and record each day’s hike as an activity. You absolutely do not need a smart watch to hike but it a lot of fun and convenient to have. I love all the stats for each day’s hike. HR. elevation gain and loss. Pace. It’s also convenient to have all the information the watch provides right on your wrist. How many miles you’ve gone. Elevation. (On a nasty up hill I’ll just know the elevation I need to get to and can glance st my wrist for progress without overthinking the distance.) Sunrise and sunset times. Day length. I set a notification to go off 1.5 hours before sunset. That’s my dummy check reminder I need to be looking for a campsite. I also set a lap notification for 1.0 miles. That way I can mentally keep track of how far I’ve gone. The newish elevation acclimation widget has been interesting. Most of these functions/information is as lap available on a cell phone. But it’s nice in watch form. The battery needs of a smart watch are negligible. I did need to recharge it daily.

I use a fenix for activity tracking and an Oura ring for sleep tracking. Two devices is unfortunate, but the oura’s small size, sleep tracking, and readiness metrics are worth it.

"Its been 10+ years since the first AW launch. If i ask you to list various health and training insights provided by AW natively it wont even cover 20% given by Garmin."---Because that was never the intention of the AW. AW was not released as a Garmin watch competitor, it's more of a do-it-all watch. You can easily install 3rd party apps to get whatever metrics you want but Garmin can't do what AW does. I like Garmin's long battery and for me AWU is more than enough as well. "I would not trust any algo developed by them compared to a company like Garmin using a dedicated FirstBeat analytics "-----I was a Garmin user before and FirstBeat is nothing fancy. If you stay in this sub enough you'll see all the posts about the algorithm miscalculation. This post seem like biased praise for Garmin rather than reasonable analysis. I have number of time that my Fenix and FR965 froze during hiking and running, and I don't even bother making a post complaining their shitty CPU and hardware. Wear whatever you want and relax

I run a Fenix as well, but look at the instinct line as you may find something there

Hands down Garmin Fenix or Enduro.

I’ve switched back and forth between Apple Watches and Garmin (Fenix). Right now I use an Apple Watch, but I might buy a Fenix as well at some point. Apple Watches are superior in being a *smart watch* - if you have an iPhone. Better notifications, better integration, looks cleaner (better for up to business casual), and it is decent for activities. I love cellular! The Fenix (and probably all other Garmin watches) are superior *Activity Watches*. Way better tracking, nice screen for maps, more customization in data screen, more durable. I like physical buttons, the flashlight of the newer models. But they aren’t good as smart watches. Simply not good enough integration with my phone for what I need, so sometimes stuff aren’t up to date. No cellular is annoying For someone like me who mainly bike, and thus have my Edge, I don’t need to focus on activity watches. I just bring my Apple Watch to be able to ditch my phone without going off grid. And in day to day life I just prefer the Apple Watch. One of each would be superior.

Fenix or Coros if you want/need the navigation, otherwise any of the other basic Garmin will be fine

Fenix fan, too, for the maps as I am also an avid outdoor person.

Apple Watch will do fine for a long time - only got a Garmin last year. However once you go to only having to charge your watch once every two weeks you just can’t go back to Apple. I have a Garmin Fenix (on the $$ side) but I wear it every day as my normal watch too and have had zero issues making the switch. However there’s heaps in the range, I love accuracy, maps, long battery and lots and lots of data so I can overthink every run - so Fenix it is! The forerunners are great and the vivoactives are a good mid range model. There’s other brands like Suunto, Polar etc. For true accuracy on any wrist watch you may need a chest monitor. But if you really like your Apple Watch I found it pretty good unless you’re somewhere with not much reception

This is not clear. Which activities can't you wear a sorts watch? Do you mean like work or formal dinner where sports watch might not match your outfit? If that is the case, you should consider the garmin fenix. More premium build and you can get different watch straps that can be changed quickly if you need to dress to impress.

Garmin Fenix is impossible to kill

Garmin Fenix, I bought a second hand one on ebay and I absolutely love it and the best bit is the charge lasts for over a week.

As an FYI: With The Garmin, you can configure your watch and the app to NOT display any data that you don't like or do not want to see. I have been using Garmin watches (fenix) and head units (Edge) since 2012 with no significant issues.

Most people coming from apple go vivo active or venue. Venue being closest to a smart watch. Personally, I'm a instinct guy. Although I'm wearing a Fenix today since I didn't charge my Instinct for 2 weeks and it died before bed. I've swam tens of thousands of meters (more like hundreds but..) in pool, open and salt water with my Garmins. Done free diving (only to about 40ft, I'm not very good) and press the buttons regularly sub surface. I've also done cliff jumping with every watch, and haven't lost a garmin to water intrusion. I would definitely select a 100m rated model for water sports. Any watch can fail but I've had 6 garmins and none have. I also had a bunch of Casio and Timex over the years and not one failure.

I use a Fenix and and instinct. 100% accurate in the pool unless I'm doing under/overs (15m under, 10 over, 15 under, 10 over) then it will miss some laps. Most people aren't doing the legal 15m pullout (I do it to circumvent no underwater swimming) so this isn't an issue. Other than that, as long as I'm stroking with my arms, it rarely misses a length. I've had an Fenix 2/3/5x in the pool and mostly use my Instinct in open water because I don't mess with a HRM (wrist is fine, I don't care that much for the OWS and if I do I use my HRM pro).

The Apple Watch is deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, and most notably in messaging, and events (events is a surprisingly broad subject). It is a superb smartwatch that happens to have a lot of fitness features. Garmins are sports watches first, that happen to have some smart watch features. Forgetting the software featres, the Fenix and Tactix are highly rugged and that's a feature for them.

Fenix owner: I've never even once used the maps when running.

The music and podcasts via Spotify work pretty well on my Fenix. What makes it clunky?🤔

Yes they are pretty rubbish for swimming. I just switched to a Garmin Fenix which hopefully will be better. The Apple Watch managed lap counting ok for me but open water was a disaster and the rest of its counting (calories etc) was also well off by the looks of it. Your does sound even more broken than just being rubbish though. It should be able to count laps fairly accurately, I think most of them can do that ok.

do you want more of a smartwatch that can also track fitness? or do you want a fitness watch that has some smart capabilities? that's basically the math when comparing Garmin to pixel or apple watch. I have a Garmin Fenix because I do a lot of hiking and like having the maps on my wrist. But if it weren't for that, I'd probably get the Garmin Instinct

Oh yeah good call. Battery life is super important to me. I do ultras so having 24+ hours of gps is necessary. And when in regular life, charging once every 10 days or so is pretty sweet

Garmin supports those apps (atleast last time when I looked). The best watches for swimming would be a Garmin Quatix but the Fenix is almost the same watch. Both are well made and support for sure Spotify. Strava is connectable within the Garmin App.

There should be, but it isn’t. I have 255 and it’s great, capable, light watch, but it has weak display and no touch, changing straps is a hassle. So I waited long for 975, but I’ll go the Fenix way very, very soon :) Maps are definitely better on the 965 than on 255, navigation there is really rather basic.

Fenix has always been dead on accurate for me. But I’m using an Epix now. Basically the same but my old Fenix didn’t do HR

I have a garmin Fenix and I love it. I think it’s use for cycling training is fine, but definitely not a must have. I find it much more useful for running, hiking, etc, where its easier to look at. Having a map is also very handy.  Wrist heart rate is nice and easy, but too inaccurate for training. Sleep tracking doesn’t tell you anything you don’t know, it’s just too inaccurate. Body battery is highly sensitive to sleep, so also kind of pointless. I don’t ever use the training features really.  However, some of the other features I use regularly. I cannot describe how handy a wrist alarm is for waking up peacefully without waking your partner. My watch has a flashlight, which I also use daily. The smart watch features are also much more useful than i expected, it’s nice when you’re busy and you get a notification to quickly be able to dismiss, rather than bringing your phone out. Overall I’ve been surprised that the features I didn’t think I’d use I have ended up using way more than the features I bought it for.  Overall: don’t get one for training purposes. Do get one if you are attracted to the smartwatch features as well. 

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

Battery life is #1. My Apple Watch died before I was done from full battery when I hiked longs peak. I like physical buttons on my Fenix personally over a tiny little touch screen - that also has to be backlit and wastes battery. I think newer models are moving towards touch screens though, mine doesn’t even have the option. It just has a button you can press to light the screen if it’s dark but in the day I can see it just fine.

Yup, I was comparing the fenix and the enduro at REI and the fenix felt and looked like a normal watch while also having the features I wanted.

It sounds dumb, and I never thought I’d use it when I got my Fenix, but the flashlight might be one of my top used features. I’ll never own a watch again that doesn’t have one.

The 255 is a great piece of kit, Lightweight, battery is great, not a bad smart watch with the MIP screen…. HR tracks well to AW, Fenix and Amazfit TR3. Couple of beats between them.

I have the 965 and my dad has the Fenix, Fenix has much better golf capabilities. They'll both give you yardage keep score and do the basics, but Fenix goes much further.

So I’m trapped under a building and what I’m doing with my Fenix? Checking HRV and training status? With an AWU I can potentially call for help and use the siren

I’ve used a Garmin Fenix, Garmin Swim 2, and Apple Watch for swimming and by far the garmins were superior. My Apple Watch would die after about half an hour in open water, regardless of water temp, and was always inaccurate with my laps and interval times in the pool. The swim 2 and fenix work much better.

Is there no “drill mode” on the forerunne? That’s how i track kick sets on the swim 2 & fenix

I personally love my Fenix, and yes, most Garmin things revolve around running—but I do HIIT, strength training, and backpacking, and the recovery seems quite accurate. My overall fitness suffers when I don't listen to the readiness score and overdo it.

i hated my garmin fenix chunky edges on my 4.5 inch wrist which is tiny for my first one i went for the cheap apple watch 6 decided i liked it and went to a series 9 never looked back and also im in the apple ecosystem partley so this has been a great help

I keep asking myself the same question. I’ve had a Fenix in the past and I love my Edge 1050 but when I run I want my Apple Music with me and my Watch phone for emergencies. The Watch Ultra does enough running tracking for me. I’d like a little more but not at the expense of the clutter that another watch would bring. The main problem is that you are paying for a huge overlap in functionality if you have both. Two lots of sleep tracking, HRV, oxygen, VO2 Max etc etc. Yes I fully get that ultimately the fitness metrics on the Apple Watch are more basic. I honestly don’t know how people run both.

 🖐️  I fell for the allure of the Garmin Fenix in 2022, used it for a year.  Pros: nice design, rugged, tactile buttons, 10 day battery life    Cons: No cellular, MIP display indoors, mp3 transfer (I mean…who still has MP3’s lol), inefficient processor, HR inaccurate at times and often delayed (which sucked during interval workouts), software UI/UX is archaic, strength training profile is bonked, charging is slow, third party app support nonexistent) I came back and never looked back. The Apple Watch (Ultra) is a better smartwatch and health device. Plus with added third party apps I don’t miss Garmin at all. 

I'm very disappointed in my Fenix for gym (and it sounds like the same fault applies to all garmins) because of the logging of reps. When I do a workout it will assume I used the weights I specified, but then it seems to either auto-log reps, which is a disaster for things that don't involve hand movements, and require me to correct them, or assume I did zero and require me to enter the whole lot. If I'm doing 60 sets I honestly don't have the patience to manually enter the rep number, so I use a phone ap instead. The thing that really annoys me though is that it would be so easy for Garmin to make a tiny programing change and start with the assumption that you hit your target. Surely for most people who have a reasonably well-made workout this would mean they only need to change a small fraction of their reps. I have suggested they make that tiny change, as have others, but so-far it has fallen on deaf ears. Hopefully more people will suggest it, until eventually they do it. But for now I'd say stick with the apple watch.

I have the fenix and use that as the cycling computer with a seperate chest strap.

Garmin Fenix. I will always be team Garmin. Apple is a smart watch with fitness features while Garmin is a fitness watch with smart features. There are certain garmins that have more fitness functions and features than others - even among the new models. Some are more “lifestyle” watches (like venu). So just be aware of that when choosing. When I went from my venu2+ to my Fenix, a host of new features opened up for me that I now could not do without. Check out the r/garmin sub for sure if you think you might go that route

The Fenix is much heavier than the Forerunner. I had a Fenix and switched to Forerunner because of the weight.

I am an AWU → Garmin Fenix convert and have done pretty extensive testing with both, and against dedicated sensors. I have found for basically all metrics where the watch sensors are the source, the Apple Watch is more accurate when compared against the Garmin watch, although dedicated sensors are more accurate than both. I haven’t tried the Garmin chest strap or dynamics pod, but I have compared to a Polar H10 for HR and a Stryd pod for running dynamics. It’s always H10/Stryd > Apple Watch > Garmin. The discrepancy is much higher for HR than running dynamics. I think it is straight up irresponsible to rely on wrist-based HR is you’re using HR as a part of training, but the running dynamics from both watches are more than good enough for most people.

Just buy a fenix and turn notifications etc off. Calls it the only thing that I have on but that also can be turned off.

I use both Apple Watch and Garmin, If you want a smartphone on your wrist, get an Apple Watch. If you want a \*watch\*, get a Garmin. Are they worth it? i.e. A Fenix for $1.5k? No, they are not. I use one, I like it, but if you're price sensitive, no, they are not worth it. Never used the Forerunner, sorry, don't know.

I had a Samsung amart watch a few years ago and the battery life was appaling I changed to a fenix and haven't looked back. But looking back now I dont really want a watch to send a text on or to take a phone call, ive my phone for that, when im in the car ive hands free and when im somewhere else but need hands free ive my ear phones. I honestly dont know why else anyone would want a smart watch for. My garmin does everything I want it. Track hikes and work out, I can read the texts on it if I can't look at the phone. I love being able to track my hikes and use the map function I wouldn't use a Samsung watch again. Unless there was a game changer which I can't see happening

It is overkill, but it's so freakin sweet. If you can swing it, get it. I bought an S50 and fell in love with the Garmin connect app, it's way more motivating and useful for fitness. I ended up returning the S50 and got the fenix. You don't need a garmin golf subscription for the fenix or S70 to see the better hole maps and green heat maps. You also get wind adjustments which I've found to be very accurate. I'd get the fenix because of the looks, the flashlight, the golf features without the subscription, and all the cool health metrics and training. Edit: the only thing the S50 would be better for is cheaper club tracking, since the CT1 trackers work with the S50. I bought the CT1 trackers and felt that tapping the club to the watch was not easier than just setting which club i hit from the watch screen.

Honestly, there's a TON of overlap between Whoop and any other tracker you need. It'll have your HR and HRV, recovery scores, and target strain. The ability to broadcast HR to your phone should let you cover runs and bike rides in strava. Look into various Garmin options if you want something that can record multisport events, I think Coros can do those too. But if you just want something for easy workout tracking that records swim laps and ride/run HR + GPS route, a cheap Fitbit would do the trick as well. Personally, I use a Whoop plus a Garmin Fenix. The whoop is overkill, honestly, since Garmin has a "body battery" recovery metric and can tell you how hard to go with the training on any given day. I use the Whoop because I deal with behaviors very similar to exercise bulimia and I need something that literally tells me, "you've worked hard enough today, it is time to stop." If I didn't need that, a Garmin would absolutely be sufficient on its own.

I’ve got an Apple Watch SE for hiking, running and cycling and I think it’s great for what I want. I’ve had Garmin in the past and still have an old Fenix I use sometimes for hiking, but I didn’t wear it all the time because it was big and clunky, and the only thing I ever really did with it was look at my tracks on Garmin connect when planning new walks. I found it too much of a faff to use for running in any useful way. By the time I’d remembered how to press which buttons to access whichever nested menu I needed, I could have run a couple of hundred yards. Whereas my AW is on my wrist all the time except at night and if I forget to tell it I’m running it notices and asks me if I want to start retrospectively. I charge it overnight because I’m not interested in sleep tracking so the battery life thing isn’t a nuisance. I have access to all the extra apps I need (like Zwift or Kamoot or OS maps) and I write my workouts to Garmin Connect anyway so I still have that continuous record. So far, it’s working well for me.

Went from a garmin fenix to an amazfit t rex 3. Almost a month battery life and great workout tracking and maps.

I have not used the Venu line, but my daughter has a Venu 2s and has been very happy with it. I’ve always stuck with the Forerunner & Fenix lines myself, because they suit my needs better (outdoor running & trail running).

Yeah I had a farming watch years ago, finally retired it for apple watch for several years, and now got a Fenix a few months ago. Sleep tracking on this $1k thing is really disappointing. Way worse than Apple Watch. TBH I was hopeful the training feedback would be useful, but the other week I was getting sick and it told me I was optimally ready for training. Went out and body said hard nope. Several days of being totally run down and non functional and my watch continued to say good to go. Weeks later and I’m finally recovering, and the watch has me pegged at not ready to train. I wear it all day except in the shower, or on the bike where I use a Garmin 540 with their fancy chest strap. I’m really disillusioned with their claims now AW has some garbage sensors. Useless for me tracking HR during runs even with a tight strap. GPS was pretty bad. Battery is OK for daily use but can’t support activities or camping. But how Garmin sleep tracking is SOOOO bad is beyond me

Fenix if you can afford otherwise any instinct imo.

You say heavy, after one day of wear, no one would really notice the difference in weight between the two. I'm v thin with basically female size wrists and tiny arms (I am male for reference) and run at a v high level with the Fenix and the extra few grams have never bothered me at all; haven't even noticed them after I went from a Forerunner to a Fenix.

I like my Garmin Fenix. Someone here pointed out that grips stop the workout and that’s true. Straps and grips and a certain angle can hit that button and it sucks. Other than that it does its job really really well. I hate whoop though. It being maybe 3% more accurate with some metrics isn’t enough for me to have to wear the whoop and watch (smart or otherwise). Couple that with the subscription cost. It’s just not worth it for your everyday/local comp person. They’re all trash if you have tattoos on your wrist though. The internal HR monitor struggles there. I use a chest strap or just rotate the watch to the inner part of my wrist.

Can't go wrong with Garmin imho. I've had a fenix and a couple of forerunners, and they've all worked great.

Forerunners and Epix are not supposed to use the button under water. Fenix is better in that regard, I think if you check the comparison also lists as water proof.

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

Garmin fenix works fine in sauna

My Fenix rocks and gets 90% of everything. I’m the instances when it doesn’t, it’s generally because of a multi joint movement into another movement. For instance, something like a DB Snatch into overhead walking lunges, it might only pickup the lunge portion.

I had both, currently the fenix. Personally I never used the phone features, such as notifications, calling, payments etc. Notifications on my wrist, most horrible thing to have. But tbf I don’t get any notifications on my phone. Only calls and messages of 4 people. Sportswatch? Phone on your wrist, AW

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

Garmin Fenix is the best for snow sports

For sports, always Garmin. No one else comes close for multisport watches, and I don't need a bunch of useless "smart watch" features that just waste battery.

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.

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