20 Best Watches For Trail Running (2023 Updated)

Bought this watch for run+bike and bike+horse ride combos because of its multisport feature and long battery life. The long battery life saved me on multiday horse rides in wilderness, where there is no charging possibilities.

The watch offers a bunch of great features at really competitive price and with a good screen. The no-touch-screen is an ok tradeoff, even though as a left hander (wearing the watch on my right hand), using the buttons requires some hand twitching.

At first I had a couple of sync problems to Flow and had to reset the device, but they disappeared in continued use. Only thing I’m missing from this one is a trackback feature.

I debated between Garmin and Polar for a new running watch as I had been using Apple Watch. I finally made a decision and love it. I decided on this due to my focus on my HR. The integration with the chest strap and the Flow app are great.

Once I figured out the pairing and the GPS, it’s been a breeze. The available data is very helpful. The size of the watch is on the bigger side, which I love and the white band is well made. Looking forward to my training and progress with this watch.

Polar has always been geared a little more towards those that really want to dig through data and those that need a versatile watch that can give you individualized metrics for running, cycling, skiing etc.

They’ve also always done so in a way that feels like there’s just a bit out of touch with the sleek and stylish way that the wearables space has gone, and not without glitches in software/hardware. Finally, with the revival of the “Pacer Pro” name, they’ve nailed the package of extremely data and multi-sport focused while working seamlessly.

Accurate, connects easy, and packed with all the metrics you’d want. The barometer is a key addition as well.

I purchased the watch in the fall of 2020 and I love it. However. after about a year of wearing the watch I noticed that the thumb side of my wrist starting to itch and turn red. I took the watch off and cleaned it with soap and a soft toothbrush then put it back on.

The itching got worse and my wrist started to look and feel blistered. I cleaned the watch again with alcohol, then peroxide, then vinegar. No change. Blistering got worse, I stopped wearing lotion and body oil.

No change. So I finally just stopped wearing the watch. I reached out to Garmin online and was told to contact customer service via telephone. I did so. Spoke to a very nice gal, Sierra, who took my information and sent me to another customer service agent, Debbie, who I can only assume offices in the bowels of the Garmin headquarters far below the sunshine.

Debbie asks me to send pics of my wrist and the watch to her. I complied. and wouldn’t you know it, all this is my fault! The part of the band that I told Debbie looks like a coating had worn off was actually “residue” to her discerning customer service eyes.

And as it turns out, I was wearing the watch incorrectly! She so observantly pointed out to me that it was clear I was wearing the watch too tightly as you could see the indentions on my wrist. having not worn the watch for several days I was surprised to hear this but, she’s the professional, yes? After listening to Debbie explain to me how to properly wear and clean the watch as if I were a toddler with an expensive toy, I asked her to forgo the remainder of her well rehearsed lecture and just let me know If this was something she was going to be able to help me with or not.

It was then that Debbie told me that despite my complete incompetence she would benevolently send me another watch band, along with another copy of the care instructions that I followed the first time.

Of note: I had the feeling Debbie had taken a call like mine before so I asked her “I’m guessing you guys have had this issue before”, to which she sardonically replied “yes. “. Comforting to now I’m not the only schlemiel out here trying to navigate the intricacies of the modern wristwatch.

Former marathoner/half-marathoner, getting back into running after almost a 10 year hiatus. I used to have one of those huge, earlier model Garmins that was like a huge block on my wrist, but it was awesome for what it did.

I always hated chest straps but like to monitor heart rate during runs. I have an earlier model Mio, which is stylish and great for wrist heart rate alone, but no GPS. Had been using my Iphone for distance and pace, but I hate opening my phone case, finding the app, etc.

to check during a run. On training runs, I want to see 4 things and really only 4 things: distance, pace, heart rate and time. And I don’t want a chest strap any more. So I researched some (not enough) and settled for the Forerunner 45, knowing that the screens were customizable and, from the photos, it “looked” fairly stylish.

I was worried the face would be huge on my wrist, but the pictures are deceiving. The watch face itself is not that big at all. In fact, it is quite small and my wrists are not that big. Unfortunately, the watch band is also small – disproportionately small.

It therefore is not very stylish for a man. It seems flimsy and just looks a little weird. That said, it’s size and lack of weight make it unobtrusive during a run. The controls are not intuitive but if you can read a guide online, you can figure it out.

On a test run, the GPS linked up pretty quick. The wrist heart rate seemed pretty accurate, so the measuring functions seemed okay. The distance was about the same as my Iphone measured. However, the BIG drawbacks are: (1) you can customize the data fields on each running screen BUT YOU ONLY GET A MAX OF THREE DATA FIELDS per screen; and (2) there is no auto-scroll permitting you to move through two screens to get that 4th element of data.

This is entirely ridiculous because there is plenty of room for 4 data fields, and non-auto-scrolling is just dumb. (for example, you could make two running screens, one distance, heart rate, pace – and the other distance, time, pace, so only the middle value would change during an auto-scroll – but you can’t do that – you have to press a button to change the screen).

So, in short, if you want to glance down at your wrist during a run and see time, pace, distance and heart rate – you cannot do it without manipulation. The watch is lightly packed with some other “smartphone” features most people who buy it for running will never use.

The treadmill setting is totally inaccurate, particularly if you are not swinging your arms the entire walk or run. There is a calibration setting, but I am skeptical. The battery life seems fine. So, in short, the watch works fine, though a little clunky to set up and manipulate (note 5 buttons – I defy anyone to figure out and remember what they all do).

However, it is not a “pure” runner’s watch like the older Garmins. The wrist band is WAY to narrow for a man’s style and disproportionate to the watch face size. For the price, it is what it is, and I will use this for my runs – not ideal but the best for what I have right now.

However, I wish I had been a little more patient and shopped around for something more streamlined for running. If you’re someone who is not a quasi-serious runner and are looking for something with those functions and is also a wearable, this might fit the bill.

But the key features are the wrist heart rate and GPS, which really only make sense for outdoor runs (or walks), and if you’re doing that, you’re probably more serious of a runner than this is a running watch.

Great cosmetic and functioning shape, but only 4-5 days battery life as a refurb versus 5-7 days advertised for new. Compared to my previous entry-level Forerunner 35, the 45 acquires GPS signal quicker (1-5 seconds versus 15-300 seconds), tracks location better (especially at the start of a run, eg doesn’t say I ran a 4-minute-mile in a circle for the first 10 seconds of a run), and provides more insight (eg sleep tracking, stress / body battery).

It’s not perfect as the sleep tracking fails, ie “unmeasurable”, for 30 minutes every night at random times unrelated to waking up or getting up, so it underestimates sleep by 30 minutes. It also poorly distinguishes between sleeping and simply lying in bed, so if you wake up 30 minutes early and lie in bed before getting up, then it counts that as sleep and overestimates your sleep by 30 minutes (requiring you to remember when you actually woke up and manually edit your sleep end time).

#sweepstakes.

Bought the blue version of the Instinct Solar. I come from as a long time Fitbit watch owner and a more recent Apple Watch owner. My original Fitbit is the Fitbit Versa (1st generation), which is square shaped and fairly simple tech.

It provided what I needed, which were steps, date and time, water proof for common usage. It allowed me around 3 days’ worth of battery life. It is square shaped. It was free from work, otherwise, it would not have been my first choice for a watch.

I bought my wife an Apple Watch Series 6 to wear, but after several months she stopped wearing it and went back to her own Fitbit watch. She explained she was tired of having to recharge the Apple Watch every day.

She preferred her Fitbit watch that lasted 6 days before a recharge. I took the Apple Watch thinking I would make better use out of it as a techie, but I also ran into the issue of it required a recharge every day or every 1.

5 days at most. It was not recommended by Apple to be worn while showering even though if you go swimming Apple states that is acceptable. I literally was afraid of looking at the Apple Watch Series 6 due to the battery drain.

The inconvenience of having to remember to charge the watch before I sleep to monitor my sleep, remembering to take the watch off before jumping into the shower, and multiple other issues just wore me down too.

The sleep data for Apple Watch Series 6 is nothing close to Fitbit sleep data and anything more advanced, you have to buy from third party app developers. I could not find anything free that was similar to Fitbit and especially not something where you could just pay a one time fee.

I preferred a circle shaped watch anyways. I did some research on what was available out there that would not cost an arm and leg to purchase but had all the bells and whistle. My criteria were: – Long battery life.

– Steps count, heart rate, sleep monitoring. – Some kind of GPS feature. – Not super expensive, but not a cheap throw-away watch either. – Can take a little bit beating but doesn’t have to be military grade ruggedness.

– Circle watch and looks good (obviously). I know that “smartwatches” will not last as long as a non-smartwatch, unless the battery replacement is simple, LCD screen will last for a long time, etc. This Garmin Instinct Solar seems to fit all my wishes at this price range.

The battery life is crazy good, I mean enable everything including the pulse ox and you should get at least a week+ worth of battery life easily. This is with the watch not absorbing any sunlight at all.

It has a simple GPS, nothing fancy, but I bike ride and will be using an external dedicated GPS device for routes. I just want something for casual hiking and biking, nothing serious. I can wear this to sleep, the sleep data mimics close to Fitbit’s details.

Really nice and it’s built-in to the watch, you do not have to make a separate purchase. I do not know how accurate ANY of the watches’ heart rate are, but wearing the Fitbit, Apple Watch, and Garmin working out, the rates show to be within 15 beats of each other.

Take that for what its worth, I don’t need the accuracy for any critical medical monitoring conditions. I read that external heart rate monitor strap would make the readings accurate, so I am considering to get that should I need it later (5K/10K running, etc).

There’s a lot of other features from this watch that I have not yet used, so that is just a bonus goodie for me. I have used Garmin to connect to Strava, the data recorded is great and as expected (same with Apple Watch and Fitbit), no complaints there.

I wear this watch showering, sleeping and everything in between. The recharge of the watch is fast too, if I am standing around working, I plug in the watch and I think within 30 minutes I can get a full charge from 50% (I never really paid attention how long it takes to fully charge).

There’s got to be something not that great about this watch, you ask? Otherwise, why the 4 stars instead of 5 stars? Yes, the PULSE OX feature is a bit flaky. At night, it seems to measure the oxygen level all over the range.

As log as 80, and as high as 100. I wore the Apple Watch Series 6 and my wife’s Fitbit Luxe, they all had above 90 range. Now, one thing I am starting to realize is how you need to wear the Garmin Instinct Solar and online research also confirms.

You have to wear the watch higher on the wrist, it cannot be loose. When you sleep, just slide it up the wrist and make sure it’s tightly pressed against your skin. I need a few more sample nights to test, but I had one night where it was 85 or higher, the next night it was 90 or higher.

I’ll sleep on it a few more nights and then see, but looks hopeful now that I have the watch tightened a bit more against the skin. If you measure the Pulse Ox manually, it is always 95 or higher, this is as expected.

Overall, highly recommended watch. I would buy again!.

I’ve owned my watch for about 2 years. My use and experience: I wear it daily, only take it off to shower or charge, have trained and ridden a century, regular weight training/running, and work as a first responder.

This is my first smart/GPS watch. It’s extremely tough; I hit my wrist on things constantly and don’t treat this watch any more gently than watches I’ve broken in the past. I would describe it as the dumbest, toughest smart watch out there.

It works fine for the casual athlete but following a route via directions on the watch is tricky and things such as viewing a route/map on the small black and white watch face is nearly pointless. The downloadable ‘apps’ are rarely built for this watch versus other Garmins.

In terms of tracking routes/times, the GPS has been quite accurate and reliable in town and out on the trail. I would highly suggest this watch as a first GPS watch, to replace other ‘standard’ rugged watches, or as a secondary brute watch for those with larger, more expensive/delicate watches.

These things go on sale often and with the second generation recently coming out, don’t pay full price for this one. wait for it to go on sale. Random note: I charge my watch once a week and it’s rarely below half power.

I have stretched it two weeks a couple times but don’t care to do so. It handled my 6ish hour century ride with absolutely no issues and tracked my backpacking for about 2 days/20 miles of constant GPS/heart rate tracking before dying.

I own a Garmin Forerunner 220, which finally died on Wednesday Night. I used it for tracking HR, intervals, and keeping tabs at outdoor competitive running events. So, I needed something that could do similar.

While I could easily afford a Forerunner 245 (at Black Friday prices), I needed something I didn’t have to wait for, so after some brief research (here and on the Garmin website to make sure this could do everything I needed), I pulled the trigger on the Instinct.

After using it for a few days, I’m glad I did. It is actually a major upgrade from my Forerunner. It has much more battery life than my old Forerunner, does everything I need to do (like hr alert so I don’t go too high on workouts), and has extra features I will be exploring later.

The only downside from my perspective? The screen is too small for me to see (I wear glasses that I take off while working out). The workaround for me is to intently listen to the alerts emanating from the watch, and wait until I can download my tracked workout results to my home computer so I can see them on Garmin Connect.

Also, it doesn’t automatically connect to my external hrm (I wear a chest strap), but I can simply just get it to pair up prior to doing a workout, so it’s also not a big deal either, just different.

Pro tip: make sure you disable the internal hrm if don’t use it like I do. Otherwise, it may use it if your chest hrm loses contact with your body (and skews your hr readings, as wrist hrm’s are not as accurate as the chest ones are),.

Been using the watch for one month, have logged daily workouts, outdoor and indoor biking and runs. As most reviews report, I think there is some inconsistency with the GPS ability to track run/walks.

I walk the dog every morning, usually a similar route, but can get different reading each time. Always within about. 2 of a mile on a. 5 mile walk. Getting the GPS to locate satellites at the start of a run/bike/walk takes longer than my cheap Garmin Forerunner.

And I’ve noticed it tends to lose the GPS on some routes, where the Garmin doesn’t. (Or at least the Garmin doesn’t announce that. ) It’s my 1st smartwatch (I’m late to the game) but I think it’s been very good at what I wanted to track, daily workouts of various kinds (3 days strength, 3 days cardio) and it’s helped me see where I can improve.

I have kept the setting on basic functions so there is probably more of the watch I could be using, but so far, so good. I got a great deal – under $100 – and at that price point, I would say the watch delivers.

March 2021 UPDATE After using the watch for nearly three months, am having major issues with the GPS. It constantly loses signal on my walks and runs, even if I am running laps around an open outdoor track.

It showed a 3 miles run around the track (12 laps) as a 32 mile marathon, even though the path it generated was nowhere near that distance. It often takes my daily. 5 mile daily dog walk and registers it as 1 or more miles.

I run wearing a 5 year old Garmin Forerunner as a backup. No issues at all with the Garmin tracking GPS and it usually shows very similar mileage as GPS app on my phone. The Amazfit GTS is usually off by as little as.

25 of a mile and as much as 1 mile. In reaching out to Amazfit, they do not offer much support. Suggested I do all the things I’ve already done(update the App, connect the phone to the watch before a run, etc) so I don’t think I will get much help from them.

Still feel like a got a great deal on the watch, and I’ve been happy wiht how it tracks activity, heartrate, calorie burn, etc. But the GPS is a big deal and I don’t see any way to fix it. Buy with caution and make sure you buy a protection plan.

I LOVE this smart watch! Catching it at sale price makes me love it even more. It has the normal features such as counting steps, heart rate, and other things you’d expect. I love the sleep pattern review, by the way.

And it appears to be on point! But the one thing that surprised me the most was the alert that tells me when I’ve been sitting too long. I was very impressed with that feature. It automatically made me want to get out my seat and get my body moving.

I also like the different options it has to change the face. The only small complaint I have is the comfort of the band. But that’s not entirely their fault, as my wrist appears to be in between sizes.

I was pleasantly surprised with this watch. I originally bought the cheaper version and after reading some reviews returned it for the GTS. This watch definitely has more features and is light on my wrist.

There are several diferent watch displays to choose from. Sometimes there is a lag with updating the weather to your current location. The heart rate monitor seems to be fairly accurate. I have not yet tried the GPS tracker for runs and bike rides.

I do like the pedometer and text notifications I get also. The app has more options than this particular watch model is designed for. There are other watches out there to base against this one but I’m pleased with my choice.

I bought one for my wife also but she has not yet explored it. Hope this helps.

I was looking for a fitness watch for my wife to replace her reliable 12-year old Polar watch with LCD screen. The feature she most liked about that old Polar was that whilst running it was possible to have the heart rate display occupying full-screen in large easy to see digits.

Interestingly (and frustratingly), NONE of the YouTube fitness and gurus EVER mention this issue. Cannot wait until they hit their 60s! I know that “a certain competitor’s” watches do have this feature but do not like their lousy battery life.

So, purchased the Garmin Venu SQ thinking that I could install an alternative watch face (WRONG) with large digit heart rate filling the screen whilst in an activity (partly right). I knew that if it did not work for my wife that I was happy enough to keep it and would go ahead and purchase an “Xxxxx” Watch for her (which is what we have done – she is not all that concerned about the battery life anyway).

So, I find the Venu SQ to work well. Its battery life is great – close to a week if you are battery conserving in at least a couple of days if you have every single feature turned on. Heart rate is accurate.

Oxygen saturation consistently reads low (I have checked it against a professional device). I can use it doing kettle bell exercises, including snatches. Being rectangular, and not particularly large, I can wear it firmly at the end of my forearm, very near the wrist (probably a bit further towards the hand than recommended by Garmin).

In that position my wrist can be fully extended (dorsi flexed), the top of my hand just touches the watch but not firmly enough to hit the physical button, and as the kettle bell settles on the back of my forearm it does not bash the watch.

The watch faces can be customised a little but unfortunately, unlike higher level Garmin watches, it is not possible to download lots of other watch faces. I probably would not have bought it if I knew that before hand.

Nonetheless, I am quite happy to have the watch. I had a Garmin Forerunner 310XT for many years and loved it, including all the metrics. I am 63 now and whilst I mourned the passing of my 310, I no longer need all of its features and find the Venu SQ does all that I need.

I should have stuck with buying (yet another) FitBit Versa, much as I hate how those break irreparably just after the warranty expires. The Venu SQ is a comparable but very distant second in my experience.

My main complaints: * Battery life is vastly exaggerated. Great the first few weeks, but since then it’s only been good for 3 days max, and that’s with only an hour/day (at most) of actual workout tracking.

* The @#$% constant “searching for Varia lights” message. Half the time I rotate my wrist to check the time, I see that dumb message and have to press a button to just view the clock. I don’t have any Garmin Varia bike lights.

I never will. There is no option to tell the Venu to stop looking for these @#$% lights. Very annoying. * Tiny, tiny fonts and symbols. They really fail compared to FitBit in this regard. * Auto activity tracking.

“Move IQ” is terrible and again, fails greatly compared to FitBit. It usually doesn’t capture activity, when it does it often mis-identifies the activity, and it doesn’t do full-fledged tracking the way FitBits do.

It only captures a fraction of the metrics compared to manually starting/stopping an activity. * Activity pauses lead to activity splitting. If you pause, whether manually or if Move IQ determines you’ve paused, it starts a (15 minute?) tracking pause.

If you don’t manually press the button to resume activity before that period ends, the activity is automatically saved and ended and you have to (if you realize and remember to do it) start a new activity.

Pretty silly if, for example, you’re on a long hike or bike ride and take a lunch break. I don’t want my 3 hour ride to be split up into multiple activities with multiple maps, calorie counts, etc. * Garmin Connect website is okay, but clunky.

You’d think it wouldn’t be hard to just show a basic line chart / time line of metrics. It’s a big mess of sparse dashboard widgets that aren’t smooth to navigate. On the plus side, it’s comfortable enough, the band hasn’t broken yet (after 4 months), and the calorie burn math doesn’t appear inflated like FitBit’s.

My husband purchased this for me for my birthday in December. I previously used a basic Fitbit. If you use reading glasses to read, you will need them to do anything on the Venu. The text is small and cannot be adjusted.

The Venu does is supposed to record activities. The only activities I use regularly are walking and swimming. I would prefer to use a hiking activity option, however, this does not exist on this watch.

I have tried to use the walking activity several times (my husband has also tried to use it, his view is that it is, “fundamentally flawed”). The walking activity automatically stops when you stop walking.

This is a problem if you want to admire the view, check your map etc. The watch stops after approx 5 / 10 seconds. It does not tell you it has stopped and so if you pause at any time during your walk the activity stops and you don’t notice until you check your watch at the end of the walk.

This is a problem if you pause on mile 1 and you end your walk at mile 10 – the watch does not log your entire walk. It is possible to set the walking activity to automatically start and stop, but the satallite doesn’t pick up your restarted walk straight away and so the distance and steps reading is inaccurate (under recorded).

Also, I once started up the walking app and the watch automatically changed the activity to a swim. I have tried to use the swimming activity. It has worked twice. I once turned on the swim activity and the watch automatically changed it to a walk, I didn’t know until I had got out of the pool at the end of the swim.

The Garmin Connect app is clunky and takes ages to sink with the watch although my phone is 4 years old and may not be entirely compatible. I cannot see the point of receiving texts and listening to music via a watch.

Pointless, as you need to connect it to your phone anyway, why not just listen via your phone??? Overall if you want a fashion / sport watch this might be for you. If you want a fitness watch, try Fitbit.

I’ve gone back to my old one, it still works.

This watch is excellent. Received it for Xmas as a present from my awesome wife. I have owned the watch less than 30 days yet feel very confident with all of it’s features. With the Garmin Connect App you can customize the look of watch face with settings you want.

Connecting the watch to phone enables you to receive notifications and weather as long as you set your Bluetooth On phone. Very user friendly and holds up to all weather conditions. The watch comes with 2 bands which is convenient.

Battery life is 2 weeks for my use and you can link Spotify account to the watch for listening to music during workouts or while working outdoors. All other features work well including Heart Rate Monitor, Barometer and Map features.

Highly recommended as an multifunctional watch.

I bought this as updating from an old but trust Garmin 245. I’ve had tendon surgery so I can’t wear a watch too tightly and some competition brands and older Garmin required a firm fit to operate the HR sensor, it after testing a friends Fenix 6 I found the sensor worked well on a more loose fit.

I’ve only had it on for a few days but it’s an amazing piece of kit. I’m fairly familiar with the set up and there’s tons of how to vids out there if needed. Accuracy is spot on and the new features (maps-pace pro) are just what I was after.

I chose the Tactix over the Fenix as I just liked the look more and it fits better with my style and work. The size is the same as some of my G-Shock watches and only 20g more which is noticeable at first but after a day it’s no issue and not noticeable.

First Class have been…. cliche alert…. first class. All correspondence both verbal and email has been prompt and professional. I’m definitely going to be visiting their pages again very soon.

I normally wear the Garmin fenix 6 and I really like it. I maybe play golf 10-15 times a year but had no interest in buying a range finder or constantly looking at my phone at a golf app, after all the whole point of golfing is enjoying the friends and the course.

So I decided to give the Approach S42 a try. I have used it 3 times on the course and absolutely love it. Honestly it has improved my game just by knowing how far I am from the hole but more importantly actually knowing how far I hit each club.

Super easy to use and everything I need for a causal golfer who didn’t want to spend a lot of money. For me this is a golf only watch as I tend to be very active and need the durability of the fenix, not to say the approach is not durable but I am not interested in finding out.

The brightness and color of the course on the watch is perfect even in the sun. It is easy to use and I highly recommend it. As far as looks it is on the smaller size for my taste, but it is light so it doesn’t interfere with my swing and it’s just big enough not to be your kids watch.

It will track your steps but that’s it, so it’s not a fitness tracker in my opinion. In closing I say get it you’ll really like it and if you are a very serious golf maybe upgrade as I think this is a mid level golf watch.

Also the customer service at play better is amazing I had a few issues with my fenix and they fixed everything very quickly with no questions asked, that’s why I bought the approach from them as well!.

I previously had the Vivofit 3 and the battery life was waning after 5 years so I thought I would get a new one. I saw this watch thinking it would be great for my golf game and would be similar to the Vivofit 3.

Unfortunately it comes up short in a few areas. 1) the chrome beveled edge scratches very easily. Much easier than the gun metal finish on the vivofit 3. Within 1 week from normal wear I have one nick and 4 scratches on the polished chrome edge.

Disappointing to say the least. 2) You can’t customize the watch face as much as the vivofit. The vivofit you can change the face style AND the color pattern, widget display on the watch face. On this watch you have to use the preset faces options and the default colors and widgets displayed on the watch face.

Disappointing as well. 3) On the Vivofit 3 you can scroll through the holes on the golf course with a simple swipe. On this watch you have to push the side button, then push up or down to switch the holes.

Not convenient when playing a round with 4 other golfers waiting on you.

I was excited to change from vivoactive 3 to the S42. thought it was an upgrade. But I did not review the product properly, it has no smartwatch features to help your fitness goals on day to day. For golf it is great and i enjoy using it when I play, but for day to day, or other sports it lacks any features that might make it useful.

Does not even have a heart rate sensor. I wished they had a trade in program, but i missed the 30 day window and had to import because the garmin store in my country sells any garmin almost 30% higher than garmin online, so it is cheaper to import that to buy at the local garmin store.

I am now stuck with it and want to upgrade to the fenix 7 but dont want to spend an additional 700 to 750 dollars. (900+ if i buy in the local garmin store). Again, for golf it serves its purpose perfectly but not suitable for an active lifestyle or someone focused on fitness.

My mistake for not investigating it properly, but for the price point i never figured it was such a basic smartwatch.

If you need a no frills or flashy watch and care most (or entirely) about function this is a great watch. Plenty of customization, widgets, activity tracking and tools. With a bit of time watching tutorials and learning how to customize it to your preferences it can be made very personalized with the things you want and use and streamlined to not show the things you dont.

While its not a substitute for a good compass, dedicated altimeter/barometer, chest rig pulse monitor or thermometer it does do all of that fairly accurately providing you do your part in set up. Its also got some very useful hot key options like Man Over Board to quickly mark your gps location, various gps coordinate formats, sunrise/sunset, moon phases, gps track back for if you need to get back to where you came from, gps course plotting and numerous other handy options.

The app for tracking activity is also handy if youre tracking things for health (again not as good as a dedicated system) although the step counter is definitely not as accurate as something like a Fitbit and the staircase counter really doesnt work well at all.

One downside (for me) is that it only comes in black or moss green. The moss green is a nice subtle shade though so it works fine. So if you need a watch that goes well with a more formal look than this is not the one for you as even in the black it looks like a stereotypical sport/fitness watch.

Another is that some people have had issues with the altimeter/barometer readings due to where the input detector is located on the bottom of the watch allowing it to get blocked by sweat and debris, I have not had that problem yet myself however.

I havent really worn a watch for almost 20 years because I hate the feeling they had restricting my wrist movement. This is light and comfortable enough that I dont really notice it except when Im washing my hands.

Ive worn it everyday since I got it and actually dislike the times I need to take it off. Its also tough enough Im not worried about it if it gets banged around while playing with the kids or doing activities that are rough on gear.

If you want/need a watch with the options this thing comes with its well worth the price and Id argue a far better value than some others that are twice the price with similar features.

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with this watch. I have had this watch for a few months and here are my thoughts. Pros: The GPS function seems to be very accurate HR monitor at rest is spot on overall functionality is pretty intuitive the solar charging really does work, after a day in the sun you will pick up a few days of charge Cons: the HR monitor during a run is wildly inaccurate.

mine usually picks up on my cadence and will show my hr in the 170-180 for 30-40 minutes at a time for such a rugged watch, the watchband is already breaking a few months in. I reached out to Garmins support team and they said it isn’t covered under warranty, The deal breaker on this watch is that the surf app is ATROCIOUS! DO NOT BUY THIS if you plan on on using this solely for surfing.

my last session logged over 60 waves when I was only out for an hour. I use this more for other activities than surfing and checks enough boxes for me that it works.

As a watch, this product is excellent. Looks good, & has a lot of great functions for a recreational enthusiast. However, my rating is reflective of this watch’s intended market & why it does not fit such a purpose.

The GPS is terribly slow & effective use of course plotting is nearly impossible while on objective. Furthermore, the “tactical” features aren’t very useful. Night vision mode isn’t worth the effort; you’re better off peeking under the NVG’s.

Save your money & buy a Foretrex 601 instead & use a cheap G-shock for all other watch functions. I would not purchase this again if given the opportunity to go back & do it again.

I have been a long time user of Garmin products, from my time living abroad and using their navigation units in my car, to wearable products, to aviation units, they’re fantastic and this product is great as well.

I have had three wearables, Fenix 3 Pro Sapphire, Fenix 5X Sapphire, and now the Tactix 7 Pro. I upgraded from my Garmin Fenix 5X Sapphire to the Tactix 7 Pro Edition for several reasons: 1. I really wanted the touchscreen UI option which was not available on my Fenix 5.

2. I saw a personal need for the LED flashlight. Admittedly it seemed like a gimmick at first, but there are numerous times I have walked into my bathroom late at night and don’t want to turn on the overhead lights.

Talk about point and shoot 😉 But the ease of having a white/green light two clicks away is awesome and I use it all of the time (under my truck, working on projects in the garage, out on the grill when I haven’t planned to grill quite that late.

etc. The dimmable option is a nice edition, but I do wish there was a red light as opposed to green. The “Tactix” name implies tactical, and some tactical map data will not show up under green light.

3. I was initially leaning towards the Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar, which does have a red light, but that watch did not have the on-board Aeronautical Database with Direct-To Navigation. As a private pilot this feature is definitely an option I wanted to have, quite literally, at my fingertips.

4. I really like the solar charging addition, it hasn’t greatly extended the watch battery life for me just yet, but I have found myself in positions in the past where I forgot my charger and was either walking around with a paperweight or switching to battery saver mode.

Overall I am pleased with the increased battery life as compared to my previous Fenix 5, the UI is very intuitive and I am very happy with this as an upgrade. The software seems enhanced compared to my previous 5X but without so many drastic upgrades that I don’t feel like I’m having to learn an entirely new interface.

The touchscreen swipes, and response time is outstanding. This is my initial touchscreen watch and I am very pleased that the screen doesn’t get overwhelmed with fingerprints. Again, the watch is intuitive, dismissing alerts and the accuracy of a tap is excellent.

I don’t know that I have a use for the “Kill Switch”, or the “Night Vision Mode”, but the durability, weight, and customization options are great. I’d highly recommend this watch for anyone looking to upgrade to touch screen, which can be disabled by the way, LED flashlight, and aeronautical database which isn’t available on the Fenix series.

Anyone with a Tactix Charlie/Fenix 3 or earlier will see huge changes in both weight and onboard software. **Wish List** Additional Case Color options Red LED add-on.

I bought this particular model for the tactical feature set along with the fact that it uses the toughest glass and case material. It’s a smart looking watch. The surprise for me is that it is not only smart looking, but very smart acting in terms of fitness features.

It has a robust capability to calculate vO2 max. The maximal theoretical rate of your body’s oxygen consumption. This is a marker of your life’s trajectory. When it reaches zero, you’re dead. You want this to be as high as possible within your age range now, so you’ll have as long a life expectancy trajectory as possible.

It’s able to make this calculation using either biking or running dynamics assessments. Usually you’d have to spend a couple of hours of very expensive lab time with a mask strapped to your face running your hardest on a treadmill.

Having this number available at a glance on the watch face is incredible and powerfully motivating. The workout guidance the watch provides to increase vO2 max and cardiorespiratory fitness is next level.

Tracking exercise is esy. I’ve already added the Garmin HRM in order to obtain access to advanced running dynamics. HRV tracking in order assess performance readiness and sleep recovery is extremely insightful as well.

Battery life is another strong point vs other competing products on the market.

I’ve had Garmin watches since the early series of Forerunners and I’ve loved the features and data, these watches keep getting better and better. When the Fenix, Tactix and Epix 2 came out I was torn between the different features.

I tried the Epix2, and LOVED it. The AMOLED screen was gorgeous but when I switched to midnight shift I had to to back to the transflective display. Being a bigger guy I knew it was down to the Fenix 7X or the Tactix7 because I like the larger watch.

Finding a sale on the Tactix that gave a bit of I decided to go with this since it had all the features I needed and then some. Starting from the outside in…. the QuickFit system for the bands is excellent.

Garmin has a good amount of options for the 26mm bands and there are a lot of alternatives as well. The flashlight seemed like it might be a bit of a gimmick but I use it all the time now. It’s as bright as my cell phone flashlight and is very handy and activates with a quick double press.

The solar combined with the large battery that goes with the 51mm case makes for amazing battery life, which was a big deciding factor when I chose this watch. On a full charge it says it will last for 24 days in smart watch mode.

I love that for travel and not worrying about getting this to a charger very often. The solar charging can boost that a lot as well. I used this during a recent four hour race on the water and running through trails with heavy tree cover and got 100k lux hours.

The sapphire glass is amazingly strong. I’ve hit my watch a few times on material that I was pretty sure would have damaged the case and glass but not even a mark. The touch screen is responsive and clean.

Like a lot of others, water can confuse the screen. In activities like running or kayaking I shut the touch screen off and use the buttons, which is also a habit from years of using Garmin. On the inside, this has all the activity profiles from the Fenix series, plus it has the aviation features.

It also has nice features like Night Vision mode which prevents the screen backlight from coming on or the heart rate sensor from activating. This is a great feature in the tactical realm, real world or even airsoft.

Check out the features on the website about the Kill Switch and Stealth mode, very handy to have as well. The multi-band GPS is great for hiking in area that challenge the GPS signals like heavy tree cover and canyons.

This watch is simply amazing, very happy with it and I’m loving the new “7” series of Garmins and the Epix. Keep up the awesome work Garmin.

Love my new watch! I thought the silicon band would be uncomfortable and because it was white would look gross very quickly. I have had my watch for a month now and the band has been easy to clean, doesn’t scuff and because I am one of those unfortunate individuates that have very sensitive skin, I have had to clean the watch daily.

so I guess I have no idea how easily dirt shows but its easy to clean and has no scuffs so far. The other thing I do to help is put moisturizer on my writs every time I get the chance and before I go to bed.

Cleaning the watch wasn’t enough for me. Skin sensitivity aside, some things I wish that could be better: 1. The move indicator is not ‘buzzy’ enough, to easy to ignore. This is what really dissipation me the most on this watch, I have had other garmins that were better.

I switched to fitBit after a software update bricked my device, as FitBit is known to do, and came back to Garmin because I remembered liking the move notification better. Issues that are software related and probably apply to many of garmin’s products: 1.

Sleep mode can’t be turned on or off, it is supposed to automatically detect when your sleeping. The softer ware also has a ‘sleep’ power mode that automatically kicks in at a certain time but the sleep detection seams to work better if you happen to go to bed when you told the software when you were going to bed.

So if you decide to take an afternoon nap the watch might not record it. 2. Separate power modes: You can’t choose different power modes unless your in an ‘activity’ that allows you to choose your mode.

So if your night time power save mode turns off blueTooth, and altimeter but your running low on power during the day and want to save battery by turning off all the gadgets besides BlueTooth, then good luck.

3. IQ: activity detection- I have only had this pick up activity once in the whole time I have owned it, and its super sad as I used to own a VivioSmart that could tell if I was biking or jogging and it would automatically start recording those activities.

It wasn’t perfect but was so much better then the current software. This was part of the reason I got this watch. I have started biking many times and not had the IQ software pick up the activity so that is the reason for the rating.

Overall I like the watch and am glad I bought it but it isn’t really worth the full price IMO.

I had a Garmin Forerunner 645 W/ music for about 1 year before buying this watch and I wanted something with more battery and better GPS. The Fnix 6 has not disappointed with an awesome battery life that is holding up well to my often 1-2 recorded activities a day.

And the GPS connects quickly and I have never lost connection during my trips in the mountains alpine skiing to the woods XC skiing. I will say that this is a HEAVY watch and it took me a few days to get used to the weight but now it is just part of my wrist.

Also my biggest annoyance with it is how my sleeves from jackets and clothing catch on it when I am trying to move them over the watch which is due to its rather large thickness. Though overall I love this watch and I am so happy with my purchase, BUT I would not buy this watch at full price.

I have been hunting for one on sale or used and it was really worth the wait. I just couldnt justify spending $550 minimum on something that told me things I dont NEED to know, but I do love all the data it gives me :).

And speaking of data this watch has so many different metrics and activities which can be overwhelming at first but after some use it is easy to navigate. With all fitness watches take all the metrics with a grain of salt but they do seem pretty accurate when I cross-reference them.

Definitely try the watch on before buying! I have rather small wrists and the watch is the width of my wrist! Doesnt bother me at all but something to keep in mind. Finally I recommended a screen protector and even a bezel protector if you climb! My first day of ownership I scratched the bezel and one of the top screws by accidentally scraping it against a climbing wall, just cosmetic damage but if you are particular then a $7 case will go a long way.

Also one of the photos is my Forerunner 645 next to the fnix, and as you can see the fnix is significantly bigger and I would say double the weight. The last photo is also my fnix with the case on it, something I always put on if I climb with my watch on.

I have owned several smart watches and historically, have been a hardcore Fitbit connoisseur. However, when my most recent Fitbit died (it was only 6 weeks old), I decided it was time to start researching all of the available brands.

The Apple’s newest release (Series 7) seemed like great choice, as it is very compatible with my iPhone – I went so far as to go into a box store to purchase it but they were only taking back orders.

While there, I took a closer look at the Garmin lineup and I am so very glad I did! If you’re used to a smart watch with a touch screen, you’re in for a bit of a learning curve, as the commands / applications on the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro rely on physically pushing the buttons.

Having said this, spending some time familiarizing yourself with the features pays dividends. The applications on the Garmin are far more detailed and thorough than any other smart watch I’ve used. One of my favorite features is the ability to set the watch face to a fancy analog screen (like an old school watch) and then when necessary, within a few seconds, I can switch to a digital clock face containing everything from my heart rate, the weather / temperature, gps and so many other features.

All the other features of a smart watch are included in the Fenix 6 as well: text, call and email notifications, as well as calendar reminders and pop ups for things such app updates, etc. The Fenix 6 pro is a bit bigger and heavier than other watches I’ve owned but the larger screen makes viewing all of the details so much easier at a glance.

I am still experimenting with all of the applications but I’ve installed and run just about all of them throughout each day and the battery life is very impressive – I’m averaging about a 7-8 days between charging.

To summarize, I am very pleased with my Garmin smart watch. Even on sale, it was more money than other smart watches I was looking at and was a bit of a gamble for me but it truly paid off and I’m so glad invested in the Fenix 6 Pro.

After receiving many emails to write a review on my purchase I figured now was a good time to write one. I wanted to give the watch a chance. I’ve worn it daily for the last month and a half. I am extremely active Olympic weight lifting, CrossFit, and HIIT style workouts.

Training 5-6 days a week for 1 1/2-2 hours with my heart rate consistently elevated. Yet, my watch loves to tell me I’m “maintaining” or “detraining” indicating I need to “train more”. Very rarely has it said I’m “productive”.

Luckily I am not using this watch for a motivator. Otherwise it could be detrimental to someone’s programming. I wish I would have not purchased this watch and bought the one I had before FitBit Sense.

Upgraded to the Vantage M after four-plus great years with an M400. Took a bit of time to get used to the wrist-based HR monitor. Watch needs to be snugly strapped to wrist and ideally on a meatier part of the wrist farther up the arm rather than where the wrist and hand meet.

I didn’t do this on my first run and got inaccurate HR readings. But after the adjustment, it’s been fine. I love the ability to change straps easily to any 22mm strap (I’ve already done that). Battery life has been much better than expected (2 hour run barely dents the charge).

Still getting the hang of the Cardio Load report (accessible on FLOW app) – I don’t think I have enough data to make good use of it yet. My greatest concern when looking at the specs was the lack of chime/sound for intervals or HIIT but the vibration that replaces the chime is loud and strong.

I can both hear and feel it. The Vantage V has sound but is also considerable more expensive. The one knock I have is that the Vantage series does not sync with the Polar Scale as did earlier models.

However, the workaround is simple – just sync the scale readings to the Flow app on your phone and all your data will be in once place. I’m a long-time Polar user and have been impressed by the way they support their products (2-yr warranty) including continuing to produce updates for older products.

There are a slate of updates scheduled for the Vantage series that will add functionality that the brand new Ignite already has. In summary, the Vantage M has been everything I had hoped for and the Polar Flow app that you access on your phone/computer is so far superior to everything else the competition offers that Polar is the no-brainer choice for me.

I’ve been using the Polar Vantage M over the last month for cardiovascular training for XC roller skiing and summer cross training activities and have been pleased with it overall. I’ve not had problems seeing the dial, though in dusk conditions it does require extra wrist movement and quick timing or the push of a button to activate the light, either of which is difficult with poles strapped to wrists.

The H10 chest strap sensor/transmitter is essential to using it for training activities, as the couple of times that I’ve done brief HR increasing activities without it, the watch alone is clearly not registering sudden significant increases in my heart rate accurately.

A large part of the watch’s value as a training tool lies in the app software that stores the information. There is a broad variety of displays that let you know how your training is going, but the algorithms do not appear to consider periodization, so need to be taken with a grain of salt and some understanding of the need for rest days in addition to hard and average training days.

Overall I am very pleased with it. My only comparison would be the Polar Edge I used about 25 years ago, and it is far superior to that.

If there is a choice between the Pro and the non Pro versions of these watches, it comes down to whether “your sport” is on the list. That takes a little hunting to find. I have the Pro because I am an endurance distance Inline Skater.

I have four active sports that I sorted to the top of the list for convenience. GPS is fairly accurate, it estimates distance and calories burned well, and has a measure of overall health that seems flattering.

I’m in my early 60s and due to all the cardio it seems I’m 19 again. Sleep data will give you something new to look over and analyze if you never had a true sport watch before. It works well with Runkeeper/Strava/Apple Health and I can pass this info into Go365 with relative ease.

First off, I’ve owned several Fitbit watches and was looking to get away from the square and rounded-edge looking watches for me as a guy. This watch looks more “beefier” on my wrist and I love the appearance.

I do wish I could find faces that show bigger numbers. Also, when I’m in the shower the water on the touch-screen causes the various screens to change. I just take it off prior in order to avoid that.

It makes me wonder how it’ll perform in pools or the ocean. LOVE the gray color in this. The ZEPP app has a lot of information. I got a great price around Christmas which was around 130 bucks. I don’t think my concerns above warrants a 4 out of 5 so I’ll vote 5 stars and explore all the functions which are many.

So the band is really nice. It’s sturdy but ever-so-slightly stretchy so for rugged wearing I can strap it a little tighter for the heart-rate sensor can get an accurate reading. Battery lasts a long time.

I can pick and choose which apps I want notifications for, but I just turned them all on. I can’t reply to any messages but I can’t imagine trying to respond on a watch anyway. It’s pretty sturdy I’ve banged it pretty hard (coming from a less expensive g-shock I beat up a lot) and it has taken all the hits.

It’s nice being waterproof and not having to worry about it when it rains or I wash my hands or dishes. Honestly, I’m not sure what else you’d want from a watch. It doesn’t seem to have any digital assistant (alexa, google, etc.

) but honestly I don’t use them much anyway I have google home’s anyway. Since it does sleep tracking I leave it on most of the day, placing it into like a sleep/do not disturb so it doesn’t alert. I sometimes take it off for a little while just to let my arm breathe a little but it’s super comfortable otherwise.

It’s really just useful to get my notifications on my wrist and the battery lasting a while. I haven’t used the GPS feature but I don’t have as much of a need for it. If I use it at some point, I’ll put in a review on how it works.

I give this a three star because it is pretty and it tells time. However, nothing else is accurate. Having a chronic illness which affects my sleep and is triggered by stress, I was hoping to really be able to monitor these things.

With regard to steps, I put the watch on for the first time and then proceeded to set things up while sitting at my computer with my phone. It logged that I had walked more than 20 steps and I had not even stood up.

Going to take a shower, which is stressful due to the illness increasing my risk of falling, I nearly fell just outside the bathroom and the watch registered my stress level as low. However, while lying on the couch resting and relaxing, it registered my stress level as being in the red zone of high.

As for sleep, it was easy and nice to see exactly how much I was actually sleeping and especially in deep sleep and REM, however, the app changed and it is far more difficult to actually read. Now all I use this for is a pretty watch.

I’m an Apple guy, but wanted a round smartwatch that was on the small side. I’m also interested in heart rate variability (the underlying measure of “stress” in smartwatches), so that was a must. This quickly led to Garmin.

I compared the vivoactive 4s, the venu 2s, and some hybrid models, finally opting for the vivoactive for its long battery life with always-on display. After all, I use it for a watch more than anything else.

I’ve had mine 2 weeks and have been quite happy so far. It’s great for timed exercise (cardio, walking, and 7-minute workouts in my case), sleep monitoring, “body battery”, stress measure, and much else.

It’s packed with fitness features, many of which I’ll never use. I found a nice, highly customizable analog watch face in the IQ Connect store. Which reminds me, the Garmin Connect app used for synching is fantastic compared to apps for other wearables I’ve tried.

I thought I wouldn’t like the band the vivoactive came with, but it’s fine — a bit on the short side if you have a thick wrist, but good for me. So why 4 stars, not 5? I don’t care for the bluish backlight, and I can’t easily see the display inside without it.

This is especially true for notifications, which I usually can’t read in realtime. I also wish customizable aftermarket watch faces could be tweaked more easily, without having to go through both the Connect and IQ apps with each change.

Finally, and this is just me, I should have opted for the silver/powder gray instead of the slate/black; the former looks more like a watch, the latter more like a “device”. All in all, a good value, an extra incentive to exercise, and a lot of fun.

I have been a fitbit user for 5+ years but the new models looked a bit boring and I thought the software had really started to be lacking. I switched to the Garmin Vivo active because it seemed like it had everything I needed.

Primarily – Steps, heart rate and sleep tracking. Its a massive disappointment. Everything is multiple clicks, the exercise tracking is hard to use and doesn’t give you nice easy stats after you’re done.

The stats it does give me are wildly different to the stats I had collected for the same classes for years and years using the fitbit. The Sonus/spotify controls take 30-40 seconds to connect every time you try to switch a song, the watch flashes insanely bright green and red lights in your eyes all night and actually disturbs your sleep and unless you have the screen on “dark” the battery doesn’t really last that well.

Finally, most of the customisations are from 3rd party developers who’s apps end up with access to your location, GPS tracking and health data which is a huge red flag for me. I would take a pass if I had my time again,.

If you want a thorough review I suggest you look up DC Rainmakers review on YouTube. I’m an avid marathon runner and also run several ultras every year including 100s. I upgraded from a Fenix 5 I’ve been using for the last 5 years.

This is an amazing watch. I’m going on 3 weeks now of having this and I keep discovering new tricks this watch does. I wear it to bed and all day because I like all the wellness metrics it tracks such as HRV, sleep, and Stress.

It’s worth the hype. So if you’re considering this watch between something else just go for it. It is expensive no doubt but I see this watch carrying me through the next 5 or more years. Garmin makes quality products.

If you have owned a Samsung watch or Apple watch you spend so much time trying to figure out how to charge it every few days you lose sleep data or have a dead watch – seemingly all of the time. With Enduro 2 I am getting insane battery life over 3 weeks so far.

That is more acceptable and will end up winning the watch game. The data I am getting for sleep, heart rate, resp rates is amazing. The overall size is just a little big and the display is not super bright but I can see generally all of the time under differing lighting conditions and on the size – the benefits of the watch make it worth it but it is not a slim watch.

I have yet to get into things like navigation or music but I think those are possible as well.

I have worn an Apple Watch for a couple of years and have been relatively happy with it. However, the functionality was always a little lacking with regards to exercise, which is my primary use. I have wanted a new Garmin watch for years, previously having a 310XT, but struggled to justify the large cost of a Fenix-type watch.

After finally committing to the purchase, right after the Enduro 2 was released, I couldn’t be happier. The watch does everything that I want from a smartwatch and I love the fact that I have yet to charge the watch three weeks after purchasing, when I had to charge the Apple Watch almost every day.

I’m a marathon pacer — one of the people who runs at a set pace holding a sign for a specific goal time. Pacers don’t rely solely on their watches, but we do like lots of accurate data to help us do our work.

I’ve been using Garmins for a long time and I used to have to buy their 4-series watches — the 405 and the 410. But features make their way down and I’d been using a couple 230s for several years. After my daughter got a 45 a few years back I was impressed that now the “0 series” was getting almost feature-rich enough to meet my pacing needs.

With the 55, the “0 series” finally has enough features for a pacer. Since I got this a month ago I’ve paced three half marathons and a marathon, wearing my old 230 on my right arm and the 55 on my left.

I haven’t noticed any issues with the watch, other than its GPS getting confused in a deep woods section of a half marathon and thinking I’d run 1. 1 miles when both my 230 and the course indicated I’d run a mile, but that kind of GPS error happens occasionally on any watch and it was abundantly obvious it had happened.

Wrist-based HR monitoring seems to have come a long way in the last couple generations – while it’s still not as responsive as a chest strap, so far it’s always reported accurately after just a short lag as compared to my chest strap with the 230.

Of course, pacing doesn’t involve a lot of rapidly-changing HR, or very-high readings, so I’ll need to see how it does on an intense track workout before I can say it’s good enough for HR training, but it seems to be fine for pacing a marathon.

The most amazing thing about this watch is its battery life. Back in the days of the 405 and 410, a fully charged watch could barely make it through a 4 hour marathon; my 230, when fully charged, is at about 60% by the end of a 4 hour marathon.

But this 55 was still reading 100% at the end of a 4:05 pacing job, and evidence indicates that it really didn’t drop much — four days and four runs later, wearing 24 hours a day and without charging, it’s still at 60%.

So far I’m also impressed with the “lifestyle health” software on the watch, as it seems to have adapted pretty quickly to my specific HR, sleep, and activity patterns to give me reasonable estimates of my training state.

Obviously this is all algorithmically driven so I wouldn’t trust it to really know what’s going on, but it’s a useful indicator. I have yet to try its “track mode”. I had seriously considered a Coros because Garmins have always been mediocre on the track and my friends with Coros watches have been really impressed with their track mode.

Supposedly Garmin has acted quickly to get their “track mode” into the same range of accuracy as Coros, so I’m excited to try it out once I’m back to that part of my training cycle again. This watch obviously isn’t appropriate for a triathlete, and some of the more expensive Fenix type watches may be better for trail runners and hikers who intend their watch to be their primary device.

But for runners who train and race primarily on the roads I think the 55 represents a turning point where the “0 series” watches are finally good enough for anything.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 is my first experience with a Garmin smartwatch, and I consider myself a relatively new runner (started running about 8 months ago). The amount of features this watch has was sufficient for me, and the main selling points for me were: GPS, better accuracy in step counts than my GPS phone application, ability to manage Bluetooth earbud music from watch-to-phone connection, and the smartwatch came out recently so the software should be up to date/get consistent updates.

I’ll address my experiences with each of those selling points respectively. GPS- The default GPS settings on the smartwatch were very precise, marking times when I crossed the road and ran on the sidewalk correctly for the most part.

Sometimes the GPS data would be a little off but for the most part it was very accurate. After starting an activity you need to wait for the GPS signal, which takes ~5-15 seconds before you can start tracking your GPS location.

Music- I like listening to music when I run and having the watch paired to my phone, I can pause, skip back/forward, and adjust volume all on the smartwatch without having to take my phone out of my pocket which is a plus for me.

Newer product- There seems to be a lot of support for the smartwatch, and there are plenty of apps and widgets that are available for free and for money in the Connect IQ store. I really enjoy the notifications widget that comes default with the smartwatch that shows you notification pop-ups from your phone on your watch.

This is handy for my work where I get frequent messages and can check them on my wrist. There is one infrequent software bug that happens though, where if you delete the last notification in the list it will still say that there is one notification, but hopefully this will be fixed in the next software update.

Bought this to replace Forerunner 30. The 55 is a significant upgrade in terms of the info provided for running. Lots of features and it’s super fast at picking up GPS. I’ve found the facility to set intervals and targeted pace, split time and finishing time (via app) especially useful – I thing this will be great for setting, and sticking to, a race strategy.

Training plans for 5k, 10k and half are available on app but they are only for pace up to 7:00 per mile, so quite limited. Features like stress measurement and ‘body battery’ included. probably bit of a gimmick, but fun.

I have a small wrist and was worried that watch would look too big but it is fine. Watch face can be changed for free via app – lots of choice and some are much better than the default ones on the watch imo.

Battery life excellent (I’m getting at least 1 week) and really quick to recharge. My only negative is that the screen is much duller than my old watch and difficult to view indoors without turning on back light via button on watch; it’s fine in daylight outside though.

Knocked off one star for this but, for £130, this is a great value watch which provides everything most runners will ever need.

I took advantage of the year end sales to buy a Forerunner 945 LTE, rather than wait a few weeks for the far more expensive Fenix 7. Typically I have always gone for the latest and greatest. However, after experiencing the reality that Garmin watches essentially function well for 2 years (for runners like me that clock 2000+ miles per year) before needing to be replaced, I decided that I needed to assess what I really needed from a tracking watch.

It turns out that the Forerunner 945 LTE has everything I need, except perhaps better battery life. It lacks the touch screen of the new Fenix 7 and the soon to be released Forerunner 955, it’s missing a couple of the newest features like Stamina measurement, and the battery life is not nearly as good as the Fenix 7; daily recharging is essentially required, especially after longer runs.

But I love the size and light weight, the LTE eliminates the need to carry my phone (safety tracking is really important to me) and it has all the regular features like Pace Pro that I use a lot. I’ve never really used the maps feature, because I’ve always found the turn by turn directions to be really good on Garmin watches.

From all the reviews that I’ve read, the new touch screen capability on the Fenix 7, functions really well for Map navigation. But that is not something that I need. So paying the discounted price of $525 for the Forerunner 945 LTE, vs $999 for the new Fenix 7, was a no brainer for me.

I’ll be replacing this watch, like all my previous Garmins, in 2 years. It’s always nice having the latest and greatest, but in all honesty, the Forerunner 945 LTE gives me everything that I need, and delivers far greater value for money.

Upgrading from a 735xt. I checked out a lot of pofessional reviews and YouTube videos before feelng comfortable making the change, and I haven’t been let down! Battery life on the 735xt was excellent and the 945 is the same.

I haven’t used the amazing in-built maps feature out and about yet, but it’s there and functional so impressed there. My main reason for upgrading was to access bluetooth music capabilities not present on the 735xt and the 945 doesn’t disappoint here; plenty enough GB space, connects fast to the Jabra Elite Active 7s I use and it’s not a massive hassle to download music from your phone Spotify to your Spotify on the watch (after downloading the Spotify app for the watch via Garmin Connect app).

Also there’s the Garmin Pay ability that comes with this watch which is nifty. However, the range of compatible banks is limited so check that before you buy. I’m making a Revolut account to take advantage of this feature as my bank is not accepted.

Also double check your headphones will be compatible but that’s a much less likely issue. GPS and stats were very accurate for running in my experience on the 735xt and this 945 is again, more of the same, yet more features as well.

Only critique I have is the buttons are a little less tactile than the 735xt and not quite as good looking, not too much in it though. And there’s a lot of dead space between the screen and outer edge comparatively (something that’s fixed in the recently released and more expensive 945 LTE).

Please check lots of reviews, do your full research, to make sure this is the watch for you as it is a little pricey despite it’s reliabilty and chock full of features. Overall very satisfying watch and will be lasting for years.

I am glad that I bought this watch as I was contemplating between a couple of different Garmin models. By watching a few reviews online and how people spoke highly of this model, I thought I’d purchase this one.

I have had it for over a month now and can tell you that this watch lives up to its recommendations and high praise. The amount of features it offers for the price is incredible and it is truly a watch for individuals who love the outdoors, exercise and in general conscious about their health.

I work within the health and fitness industry, and therefore, do have a keen interest and utilise a lot of the features this watch has to offer. This is another reason I purchased this watch is because I knew that I will be using the intricate features and will be able to put those measurements to good use.

Now saying that, If you are an individual who would only like a watch to monitor your cycling distances, running, steps, HR, and maybe your stress levels then there are other watches on the market which will execute those markers very well without the high price tag which this watch brings.

However, if you are a person who will exploit the sheer amount of specifications this watch brings to the party then for the price, in my knowledge is incomparable to the products out there. This is not a watch for your media or an extension for your phone where you will be able to write texts or talk to it just like your Samsung and Apple watches.

This watch is for people who love the outdoors, who will take exercise to another level and are conscious for their own well being. Also, I do like the build quality of this watch, it’s light on the wrist but still feels like a premium product due to the care and finish of the buttons and watch face.

In my opinion, it does feel and look like an expensive product. To finish off, the GPS mapping system is incredible, very accurate irrespective of coverage by trees or other obstacles so if you are running in tree covered areas, it will still paint you a very accurate picture of the route you have taken.

The app which you can download, again is very easy to follow, nice and clean and does offer a whole host of indicators and markers regarding your health and fitness. I’m guessing the app is uniform for all Garmin watches, but it is a very easy app to use.

All in all, it’s an expensive watch if you won’t be utilising the amount of specifications if offers, however, a fantastic investment if you will be taking advantage of the specs and using the watch to its full potential.

Wow. what an amazing watch overall. It is so refreshing having another great watch maker in the business that provides a great alternative to Garmin. I have owned the Coros Vertix 2 for just about a year and am overall very satisfied.

I have several things that I love and a handful of things that they should prioritize improving to take my rating from 4 stars to 5. THE GOOD: 1) Absolutely incredible battery life! The best! Insane! I laugh at how often an Apple Watch has to be charged (A LOT).

Garmin is better, but still frustratingly limited. Coros, on the other hand goes for an insanely long time between charges. I work out quite a lot and use tracking on almost all of my workouts (ie: GPS) and am always impressed at how incredible the battery life is on my Coros.

2) I personally love the size of this watch (on par with the Garmin Fenix series). I’m 6′ 2″ w/ an average build and the watch doesn’t seem overly big or dainty. just right. 3) The app is very friendly to use, upgrading firmware or gps-data is very simple to manage, etc.

I also really like the customization you can do to workout screens. 4) There are also many other perks to the watch: the ability to make it left or right handed (& set which side of the watch face you want the buttons), multiple workout modes, etc.

THE BAD: 1) Complaint number one is ALMOST a deal-breaker for me. It is so, SO annoying that the map feature is not integrated into each workout. What I mean is that there is not an easy way to look at the map on the watch face while working out.

there is no way to add a “map view” while swiping between your workout data fields. It is horrible that Coros has not integrated the map into the workout screens. Instead, while you’re doing a workout and need to see where you are on a map, you have to long-hold a side button, then scroll (and scroll) to the MAP option, click on it, look around on the map, then exit the map to go back into your workout screens.

For the life of me, I have no clue why Coros doesn’t integrate the map into any GPS-based workout type. Garmin has been ahead of the curve here for years. 2) The backlighting is pathetic on my Vertix 2.

There are times that I look at my watch in variable light and can’t see anything. I tap the backlight button and NOTHING is visible. this is something that I can live without, but it is frustrating from time to time when I struggle to see what’s on my watch face (forcing me to cup my hand over the watch face and activate the light, just to see it.

3) WHY, WHY, WHY does Coros have track run, run, trail run, and treadmill run as workout options but only bike available for two-wheeled adventures?!? Why isn’t there road bike vs mountain bike? They are two completely different types of workouts that I would love to analyze independently.

4) For the love of god, Coros, please add the ability to crop a workout! From time to time, I forget to end my workout when I get back to the truck and start driving. all of a sudden my run or bike ride or kayak adventure has screwed up data due to the speed / distance travelled.

and there is no way to crop this data from your workout. Well, you can actually go into the workout in the app, edit it, and change the distance, BUT Coros clearly says “Modifying the distance does not affect the system distance accumulation or medal acquisition.

” REALLY?!? C’mon, Coros. allow us to modify the workout time/distance and make sure we didn’t set a new land speed record while running on the interstate. You need to fix this. So to sum things up, I honestly am very, very impressed with the Coros watch.

It’s battery life, functionalism, GPS accuracy, app friendliness, and much more are all very good. I just have a bad taste in my mouth (4-star review vs 5) because of the 4 issues Coros should change.

I have had the Coros Vertix 2 for just over a month now and here are my thoughts and impressions. Including some inside knowledge of where the product software will be going. My first day/first workout of backcountry skiing.

The first thing I suspected could be an issue is the placement of the buttons; most specifically, the main button. With it being in a traditional watch location I personally, run into the issue of accidental button pushes.

I’m coming from using the Garmin Vivoactive 3 for the past 4 years. I often would accidentally hit the start stop button; whether it is from bending my wrist or, or gloves or sleeves hit the button. I found that to be the case on the Vertix 2 with my first AT ski outing, even when activating the locked screen.

From a hardware aspect; that is my only complaint. Other than that, I do not notice the weight of the watch or the size. I do not have a huge wrist (178mm or 7” in circumference) yet the watch looks and feels right in place.

The strap feels really good, I have purchased a separate nylon strap from Coros for use in the warmer weather when my wrist will get sweaty. I have found this to help with moisture control and not get sores on my skin.

Wrist based heart rate. As shown in multiple YouTube reviews; the heart rate took awhile to catch up to the chest strap. But once it did, it was very close to the chest strap. The elevation came up higher than the Strava iPhone app.

That could possibly be because I used all of the satellites, the highest level the watch has. For cycling, in comparison to my Hammerhead Karoo 2; the Vertix 2 has consistently read lower elevation. After my first few activities, I went from Dual Frequency to All Systems to save on battery life.

It’s a long running debate, which device is the most accurate. Talking about battery life; this is the what Coros wants to be known for and what they boast in many of their promotional materials. I made it 4 weeks on one charge and had a total of just under 40 hours of GPS activities recorded on this device.

At 4 weeks the watch was at 5% battery life remaining, it would not sync to the app as it gave the message “Connect to power source to upload your activity. ” I plugged in the watch and roughly two hours later it was fully charged.

The battery life is really good and a big selling point to Coros and the Vertix 2. Who is this for? Coros seems to focus towards runners. I say this because in order to take advantage their EvoLab feature; all the health tracking i.

e. your fitness and recovery, you have to run for a week. This watch is for the athlete who likes to do everything but has a core training of running or has running included in their training. For me as predominantly a cyclist, and essentially an anti-runner, this watch currently is not the best for me.

What cyclist could this be for? It can be for a triathlete. It can be for the cyclocross rider/racer. Once you have done your basic fitness testing through running you can access all of the health and fitness tracking this watch has to offer.

In speaking with the product experience manager at Coros; he told me the main reason for the EvoLab being based on running is because anyone can just go out for a run. You do not really need anything other than sneakers.

Whereas cycling requires more equipment not everyone has to get going. He also told me they do have plans to get other activities to count towards your base fitness, like cycling by the end of 2022. At this point I can only give 4 stars for this product.

The main reasons being the placement of the main button and doing accidental start stops presses. The second reason is some of their widgets that operate the on the watch. I still have an issue with the sleep tracking getting cut short if you wake up after 6 hours go to the bathroom and go back to sleep.

The other widget I feel is not needed is the ambient temperature. I will post some other data comparisons in “reply” below this review for some more info.

After watching hours of YouTube reviews decided to make the switch from my old garmin Fenix 6 to the Coros Vertix 2. I live in the Pacific Northwest where it is often cloudy and most of my hikes are under a thick canopy from the trees.

This connects to more satellites which is what won me over. Typically GPS is all over the place. After multiple hikes with over a few dozen miles logged and about 27,000ft elevation gain and loss I’m super stoked with this watch.

The GPS track is SPOT ON! My previous watch and even my inreach had issues and would often create a track off trail and even over bodies of water. No issues with the Vertix and it never went off the trail once.

The elevation gain was also accurate. The thing that also blew me away was the metrics that it tracked and really helps with training or knowing how well I did or didn’t do and shows areas of improvement.

As far as route planning I was a bit concerned but it was way easier to set and plan a route and did it straight from my phone, no computer needed which was a relief. As far as the Watch color I went with obsidian which didn’t look too impressive online but once I got it it was actually cool looking and came in a sick box.

It also has multi pitch mode for climbing which I hope to utilize soon. Overall extremely happy with this purchase.