Garmin - Fenix 6 Series
Models:
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Feb 15, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
29
1
"There's a "Climb Indoor" activity that I use for both indoor/outdoor roped climbing and there's a bouldering activity for bouldering."
"2 miles of data sheets from all that tracking"
"Apple was the only one that just skipped my mini awake times. ... Garmin has been best so far."
38
2
"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."
"Battery life is super important to me. I do ultras so having 24+ hours of gps is necessary."
"My 43mm Fenix with Dual gps, Garmin live track, always on screen still had juice for up to 20-25 hours of running."
38
3
"Friend of mine uses my old Fenix. That is a 9 year old watch, going strong."
"has held up brilliantly after 4+ yrs of heavy use unlike prior Apple Watches."
"i can bang it against a rock all day with no worries."
16
1
"Battery life is super important to me. I do ultras so having 24+ hours of gps is necessary."
"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"
"Trail running so I can load the route onto my garmin and navigate without carrying phone for 50km"
Disliked most:
0
23
"I came from a Fenix 6s which was much thicker and heavier so even though that watch face was smaller in diameter, it was much more in the way. It was too heavy."
"It’s far lighter and that makes a huge difference for me, particularly as I sleep with it."
"My fenix was just so heavy and bulky, I really wanted something lighter and more comfortable"
1
7
"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"
"HR inaccurate at times and often delayed (which sucked during interval workouts)"
"Garmin only works on a certain part where I’m not tattooed"
3
15
"Garmin’s notification integration with iOS is dogshit."
"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."
"feature updates stop after the next model is released. ... All this for a £1100-£1730 device that’s likely to stop receiving feature updates as soon as the next model comes out 12-18 months later. (It’s not like the watchOS updates)."
0439932r 1.0I have a garmin fenix 6 pro and it’s underestimating my calories daily by about 200. According to the watch data and tracking every morsel of food religiously, my weekly deficit is ~2200 calories. I’ve lost between 0.5-0.8kg/week for the last 4 weeks. That means my real deficit is over 3500 calories per week. Every BMR/TDEE calculator does the same, underestimates for me. I barely exercise and get about 8000 steps per day at work. 1400 cals a day, 5ft 3 and currently 149lbs
95VR6 1.0Fenix 6X PRO. Was a new open box item in John Lewis and marked down to £276 about 3 years ago. I’d been looking at an instinct and then saw this and jumped on it. Can’t fault it.
A1naruth 1.0All 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
Touch screen is better for maps, quicker customization of data fields and easy shortcuts on the watchfaces. There is also much more detailed summary after workouts. I didn't know about the flash light when I changed from 6X. But it really is extremely useful
Touch screen is better for maps, quicker customization of data fields and easy shortcuts on the watchfaces. There is also much more detailed summary after workouts. I didn't know about the flash light when I changed from 6X. But it really is extremely useful
a5hl3yk 1.0Fenix 6X Sapphire! Works really well in open water. In the pool, it may lose a lap here and there but I've never lose more than 4 laps in a 3000 yard swim.
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
why not both? if you get like a Fenix 6 used then you can also get a Garmin 130 Plus for the bike. I use my watch for the overall measurement, but the 130 allows me to have a screen in front of me (I don't sync the bike computer to my workouts).
Able-Resource-7946 0.2there'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.
AccomplishedFail2247 0.2Get a garmin Fenix, doesnt really matter which model as long as it’s not ancient, off eBay
AccomplishedFunny550 0.0Actually 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.
AccomplishedPost6864 0.2And really, i have Siri on my Fenix - so all these smart features are on my Fenix. I don’t need to answer messages or read emails on my watch. It’s enough to be able to read a notification. If it’s important I grab my phone. Did the same on my awu. It looks ridiculous when somebody is typing a message with his watch, isn’t it?
Accurate-Mastodon-50 0.2Good comparison! I’ll add that my fenix shows exercise demonstrations on the watch. I use it a lot
Accusatory_Giblet 1.0I have an AWU3 and just grabbed a Fenix8. How do you mix their use? Do you use the garmin for sleep? If not, how does that change your training load? I had a fenix6pro that I used for a couple 50k’s, and I want to get back into doing them. That’s why I picked up the 8.
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