Garmin - tactix 7 – Standard Edition

I had a Garmin Instinct 2x Solar Tactical Coyote tan, I was in love with that watch, and I didn't need detailed maps and a color screen. But...that watch is not for longer trips with routes loaded, say over 130km with GPS on. My watch froze twice. That day the watch and the navigation were unusable. Then I bought a Garmin Tactix 7 Standard Edition, for me it is the best Garmin watch I have ever had.

Not a swim specific watch, but I use a Garmin Tactix 7. I find the tracking very accurate, but the watch is pretty bulky and I notice it more over long distances. Heard good things about the Garmin swim though

Sounds like you don't need the best and newest to get all the features you need here. Most of the watches you're being recommended will be perfect for you, yes. But any older Fenix/Tactix will work for you too. In fact, I'm still using my Fenix 6x Solar, does literally everything you outlined here besides the stealth mode, jump master, etc. A Tactix 7 or event Tactix Delta will achieve all you need. Just a side note, best battery = MIP display. Don't think you can get a stealth mode (night vision) with an MIP display, that's reserved for the amoled versions. Good luck on your search!

IMO, think about the what it is, a watch. It's primary function still is to tell time. If you have to charge it every day, flick your wrist in a weird way to see it, etc then it's not very good as a watch. Get the Garmin. I have the Tactix 7 and it's amazing.

The 3 is slightly better all around, but the 2 has better battery life(due to some more modern features on the 3). You can't load music on either but you can control it if you're listening from your phone(but it is NOT very intuitive). Neither has maps per se but they have "breadcrumb navigation" which essentially points you in the right direction and gives you a path to follow to a predetermined point. If money isn't an issue you should look at the tactix 7

I can confirm my tactix 7 has it.

Garmin are top-notch. I've had a Fenix 2, a Fenix 3, and currently use a Tactix 7. I've never been let down. I use my watch for swimming, cycling, running, skiing, paddling, and hiking. Between the Fenix 3 and the Tactix, I tried an Apple Watch SE Nike edition. It lacked a lot of the features of the Garmins and had crap battery life. After less than a year, it went into an unrecoverable boot loop after a swim. They replaced it under warranty, and 3 months later the same thing happened to the replacement. I would never buy another, and if I did, I wouldn't trust it for aquatics.

I've had an apple watch and currently have a Garmin Tactix 7. The apple watch and it's warranty replacement both failed during swims- they went into a permanent boot loop and couldn't be fixed. My Garmin has churned through 300,000 yds so far this year with no issues.

Good lord, what are you planning on doing, ODA level stuff? An Instinct (Solar) tactical is probably all you really need, Tactix is has some serious features - like windage and range finder. Good luck!

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.

I went from years of wearing a Garmin Tactix to an Apple Watch Ultra this year. The battery life was a pain to get used to, but the Ultra lasts about two days and I will charge it when I am at my computer and it isn't terrible. I am kind of used to it now. I miss some of the map features and battery life when hiking/camping in the mountains, but overall I am very happy with everything else. The cellular service is a great addition. I actually get quicker gps lock for runs and like it better than the Garmin on my runs. I use the Hevy app for lifting and have no complaints. I love the ability to add so many more apps on the Apple. Even apps like mobile pocket that lets me add bar codes for my gym, Costco, etc. are an added convenience that I enjoy. Apple Pay seems to work better than the Garmin Pay which had issues for me.

I literally did the same thing with my fenix 3/6 and tactix but being able to run without a phone and still have access to emergency services or family through the watch is far superior than battery life during my 20-25 hours/week training.

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.

I mean, I think this is solid advice, but alternatively…just sell it. I sold my AWU2 a couple months ago and transitioned to a Tactix. I regret nothing.

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.

Most of the watches are overkill..ive got tactix because I like the look of it. I just hike and mountain camp. Get what you fancy.

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

Garmin - They have a lot of watches at different price points. There is built-in GPS and the battery lasts for several days, unlike a smart watch that you typically need to charge every night. The Garmin app easily syncs with other fitness apps, if that's important to you. If you have a smaller wrist, go for the "S" models that will look and fit better.