Garmin - fēnix 8 Solar 47mm
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 15, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
184
24
"I am a power lineman, so I needed a rugged watch that could get banged around, be exposed to energized high voltage, and very harsh conditions. The TREX has worked flawlessly through all that."
"it’s super durable. ... The watch clasp has gotten scratched up but the face is still fine after nearly a year of climbing inside with it. ... instinct is very durable"
"tanky ... Only thing you really lose is a touch screen but that's better for it's ruggedness and water resistance."
300
22
"the battery lasts 2 weeks, that's with 5 days worth of tracking runs and day to day use. Incredible."
"16 days battery life on my fenix. ... The other aspect I really appreciate about my fenix is the battery life. 16 days or so. With everything I have to change these days (laptops, mice, keyboards, headphones, watches, phones), I appreciate not having to worry about it too often."
"Oh, and the battery lasts days even when exercising a lot (weeks without excercise)."
30
10
"Full watch-based navigation and mapping features—found particularly on the Forerunner 970 and Fenix series—include offline maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and visual guidance. ... For everyday runs on familiar routes, they matter less, but for trail running or hiking where orientation is crucial, they’re invaluable. ... Maps offer extra value for safety, route planning, and are also popular among cyclists and those exploring new routes"
"Battery life is super important to me. I do ultras so having 24+ hours of gps is necessary."
"Trail running so I can load the route onto my garmin and navigate without carrying phone for 50km"
219
38
"The HRV and stress is not gimmicky in fact it was the heads up for my sister in law being diagnosed with cancer …her stress was screaming with no other really identifiable reasons (in 2022) ... in my case my stress was exceedingly high … for months & months and I kept having warnings and then I completely crashed with full on burnout ... Post my hysterectomy I saw crazy stress again ( not as bad as when I burned out but pretty intense) for the first 6 weeks & then it improved a little but it’s only come back to a normal place post 12 weeks & energy levels too only back to normal at 5 months …I didn’t have keyhole. But all that data correlates with the recovery pattern for major surgery & the fatigue was chronic for weeks ... the stress marker was defo the alarm bell for my sister in law and was indicative for me."
"I've taken it on a 2 day 100km ultra marathon, with full GPS throughout, and it was fantastic at tracking everything and still had battery by the end!"
"What I love most are the customizable data screens. ... I’ve tailored the cardio profile specifically for my workouts. ... For example, in a “CrossFit Rounds” workout, I’ve set it up so I can track laps during an AMRAP and see if I’m going faster or slower than the previous round. ... The customization options are endless."
40
3
"The flashlight is the best ever on a watch."
"helps me find stuff in the dark (exclusive to models with the flashlight)"
"a torch I couldn’t live without now lol ... Torch is 10/10"
Disliked most:
15
37
"I have KEF Q150 with a 150 euro amp. They sound drastically better than a Sonos Move 2. They're different products but for the same price you have way better sound, it's not even close."
"costing $1000-$1200, respectively ... can't, in good faith, recommend a high-end Garmin to anyone who isn't rich"
"Addressing the Move, it’s a nice speaker and overpriced for what it does. ... I feel $250-300 is really what it should cost. ... If I reviewed it, it would get hammered on its value."
0
11
"During runs and activities, the Garmin watch cannot maintain bluetooth connection to the Airpods, and music starts cutting out. It gets resolved temporarily by pressing play/pause in the Spotify app on the watch, but the connection will cut out again within 5 minutes. I've searched Garmin forums and found that this issue has persisted since the Fenix 6, with no indication that Garmin plans to fix it. The #1 feature I bought a fitness watch for is essentially broken."
"So disappointed with its software. ... Have bose qc earbuds thats a top end product but have constant connectivity issues. ... Spoke to garmin don’t know how many times but they don’t have a solution. ... Not even the controls on the earbuds are working. ... I use this feature quite alot and just because of this I wont recommend this watch."
"when i am listening music from my phone: no interface for watch, no next / skip, or the most important the wheel for volume 😂"
5
31
"chunky edges on my 4.5 inch wrist which is tiny"
"ridiculously uncomfortable to sleep with"
"The Fenix is much heavier than the Forerunner. ... I had a Fenix and switched to Forerunner because of the weight."
5
25
"and I'm not getting as good of readings coming out of the optical HRM, leading to a lot of the stuff being off like sleep, stress, HRV, body battery. ... I don't know if the latest HRM hardware is a regression for me or if the chonkiness of the watch on my (tiny) wrist leads to light pollution or what."
"the watch constantly registers my heart rate incorrectly."
"The heart rate sensor (especially for weight training) is terrible"
3
29
"many workout functions require a working internet connection via Bluetooth to the phone to operate. ... None of the complex metrics are done on the watch. Not. Even. Close. ... Garmin Connect often requires an active internet connection. It really annoyed me when I owned my Fenix. ... Garmin Connect often requires an active internet connection for many features. I discovered this when I owned one. It pissed me off."
"I miss the smart watch features and being able to leave my phone at home. ... I don't want my Garmin Fenix 8 because it's not connected if I have an emergency. ... The apple watch also has better fall detection so I feel like it has my back more."
"Garmin’s notification integration with iOS is dogshit."
Fenix 8 Solar a Little of Training and Health stats configured. 10-14 days.
r/Garmin • What’s everyone’s real world battery life looking like? ->I like my Fenix 8 as I also run 2-3x week, weightlifting 2-3x week and bike ride once a week. I find it fits my needs perfectly.
r/Garmin • What Garmin is best for weightlifting and running? ->I love Apple and Garmin products, and I’ve been waiting for the Ultra 3 release to replace my Apple Watch Series 9. Here’s where my AWS9 falls short for me: camping and hiking because of battery, maps and navigation while biking and hiking, and the dynamic running workout suggestions that Garmin has. I can get Fenix 8 Solar for $880 through a discount with my health insurance which makes it comparable to AWU3. Things I like about Fenix 8 Solar: maps, battery, daily suggested workout, Garmin coach, MIP screen doesn’t look like a mini phone on my wrist. Things I like about AWU3: being reachable by my wife and kids while running and cycling, running errands sans phone, love the design, my watch bands will fit, my Apple Music subscription works, etc. I feel like the AWU3 fits my actual day to day better than the Fenix; although, when I do make it out for that couple times a year backpacking trip, Fenix is the clear winner. But on the day to day I mostly am tracking running and weightlifting. And a weekend gravel bike ride. Anybody have both?
r/applewatchultra • Decision fatigue: Fenix 8 Solar and Apple Watch Ultra 3 ->Tough decision for sure. I agree with both of you. I also have a Garmin biker computer and Varia lol. Enduro 3 is really the ideal Garmin watch for me - I just wish they made a 47mm variant which I why I was leaning Fenix 8 Solar.
r/applewatchultra • Decision fatigue: Fenix 8 Solar and Apple Watch Ultra 3 ->The Fenix 8 47 feels a little bigger than my Venu 4 but I think it was worth the trade in. This one feels more like a watch than a fitness tracker and isn’t as delicate as the Venu (confirmed after some accidental bumps). Sharing some love for the Quatix 8 watch face too; my go-to look for the office. Overall, quite happy with the trade in and looking forward to being more active now recovering from my spine related issues 🤞
r/GarminWatches • Venu 4 to Fenix 8 - I think it was the right decision ->I had the Venu 4 for exactly 10 days. They didn’t deduct any amount at all, I just paid the difference. If you don’t feel 100% satisfied with Venu, I’d recommend you go for a Fenix too, life’s too short for what-ifs. I know it’s twice the amount but you’ll probably keep it for a few years so it’s all worth it in the end. Venu is good option, don’t get me wrong, and it will do the work it needs to. BUT you’ll not really enjoy it
r/GarminWatches • Venu 4 to Fenix 8 - I think it was the right decision ->Tbh for my use there’s not a lot of additional features in the Fenix that weren’t there in the Venu. The sapphire vs gorilla glass is a big difference, so is the screen size. Venu has a more vibrant screen though. Battery life is similar. Presence of buttons on Fenix helps but it’s not a game changer. There’s no comparison in looks, this looks way better. Had Venu got a sapphire screen I probably wouldn’t have traded it. I think if you want a premium feel then Fenix is the way to go.
r/GarminWatches • Venu 4 to Fenix 8 - I think it was the right decision ->I use a Fenix 8 but only because I'm not on the Apple ecosystem, at ALL. If Samsung got their shit together, made a rectangle watch like the Ultra and battery lasted 3 ish days, i'd jump ship from Fenix 8 to the Samsung Ultra in a heartbeat.
r/GarminFenix • I’m honestly lost between the Ultra 3 and the Fenix 8 ->I had a Fenix 5 for 7 years, which still works and never had any issues. Bought a Fenix 8 recently, till now also never had any issues. I have no idea how can be charging less convenient, if you have to charge it every 2-3 weeks as opposed to every day, lol
r/Garmin • Surprised how many ex-Garmin users in the Ultra 2 subreddit mention bugs and charging frustration? ->There is Garmin Swim (IMHO essentially it is a ForeRunner, but swim has been put in focus; review here https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/10/garmin-openwater-review.html). However, modern Garmin watches are all able to track pool swim as well as gym workouts (you might have to set exercises later in the app if you want to track muscle groups affected). Essentially ForeRunner is for runners mostly, Forerunner 9xx is focused on triathlon, Fenix is mostly for outdoors - but again, all of them can do almost the same. I’d go with Fenix if budget allows.
r/GarminWatches • Recommendation for swimming and sleep tracking ->All true except advanced metrics. They are also present in Fenix (it has even more features for hiking) and Instinct. Forerunner is not more advanced. The rugedness is mostly about the bezel. In fenix and instinct it has a rim which gives extra protection to the screen. But that means rugged watches are more bulky what can be a problem in the gym. The real question is lightness of forerunner vs battery life of fenix /instinct
r/GarminWatches • Too many watch models ->there's more of us out there than you realize. I'm actually realizing the reason I got the fenix was to have the smallest sports tracker with the highest battery (woman with small wrists) and the best screen (Amoled is visible, wehre MIP is lmost invistible) But I'm finding the overnight data from garmin to be less and less useful or even mentally healthy, so I'm going back to using my analogs more and more. And they are prettier.
r/Garmin • Garmin, why? ->I have Fenix 8 actually and I've used ECG once... literally forgot this feature exists until your comment arrived in my notifications. I might take another ECG now, but damn that feature is imo useless. Do a proper ECG at hospital once a year and you will be fine.
r/Suunto • Suunto Race 2 is what finally allows me to move away from Garmin ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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