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Top Pros
Top Cons
Reddit Reviews
Garmin Forerunner 935 was going strong and was about to hit the 5 year point... until I did the stupid thing of freediving with it.
Forerunner 935, had to wear my friends enduro for my one 100 miler though but it just about sees me through 100k
Fenix 8 47mm Sapphire. I've had a range of Garmins (Forerunner range: 35, 235, 935, 945, 955) but the 970 didn't appeal to me (accent colour on side and domed glass) so I got my first Fenix and first AMOLED watch (solar was thicker than my 955 which was already a bit thick under clothing). Love the look of the Fenix a lot more, plus better battery life
My 2019 Garmin Forerunner 935 is still going strong.
Ahhh I miss my forerunner 935 with its 2 week battery life, those were the days, this ultra 2 is not hateful though. Garmin does make a decent outdoor activity watch though.
I like my Garmin Forerunner 935. I liked the Fenix as well. Battery is great. It tracks swimming pretty well in the pool, I just turn it off when I'm kicking only. It does open water too. I use it for running and cycling and it's great - pace, time, laps, elevation, heart rate etc.
I’ve got the Race S, really like it! It needs charging more than my old Garmin 935 did, but I much prefer the simpler UI on the Suunto. The app is much better too but the Garmin did have some features I miss sometimes; card payments and music for example, but I’m happy with the much cheaper and smaller Suunto.
I’m gonna wait to see the watch in the field. Once reviews and comparisons come out, I’ll make a decision then. But I’m kind of with you, the AWU seems to be a better watch all around. I want to love Garmin, but they’re making it hard. I doubt even with the new sensor that it will be able to compete with an AWU. If you have an iPhone, the Apple Watch is a no brainer. I’ve worn both my AW and a Forerunner 935 for a couple of weeks, and at AW is more useful. I look at it more, if I get a call, I can answer and talk through my watch, etc. charging twice a day is a nuisance, but with an ultra it would be every 2 days ish. So it would be better. If you don’t have an Apple or considering going to Android, the Garmin is probably the best option.
Rankings by Use Case
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Apple - Ultra Series
Best for Extended battery life

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Garmin - Fenix 7 Series
Best for Rugged durability for extreme environments

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Best for Running performance & coaching

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Garmin - Forerunner 255 Series
Best for Sleep quality tracking

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Oura - Oura Ring Series





