Garmin - Fenix 6 Series
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 10, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
39
4
"3 years on a fenix 6 without issue."
"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."
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."
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"
36
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."
Disliked most:
4
16
"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)."
1
9
"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"
0
25
"chunky edges on my 4.5 inch wrist which is tiny"
"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."
Thank you for your review. It was really a pleasant read. Before the release of the Fenix 8, I was strongly considering it, mainly due to its diving features. However, when it finally launched, I found the feature set underwhelming and decided it wasn’t worth the price for such a limited offering. Instead, I shifted my focus to the Enduro 3, but due to delivery issues with the local representative, I ended up purchasing the 7X Pro. To my surprise, around the time of purchase, Garmin rolled out firmware version 18.xx, which became notorious for its battery drain issues. Despite widespread reports, Garmin neither acknowledged nor resolved the problem. Instead, they seemed to prioritize releasing new features and updates, many of which introduced additional issues. Frustrated, I reverted to using my trusty 6X Sapphire as my primary watch. Although I occasionally give the 7X Pro another chance, my trust in it has eroded. I simply can’t rely on it for races or long adventures because I don’t know how it will perform or if it might fail unexpectedly.
r/Garmin • Fenix 8 Solar 51mm Review: A fantastic, end-game quality watch…if it weren’t for confounding, unforced problems ->There is Garmin Swim (IMHO essentially it is a ForeRunner, but swim has been put in focus; review here https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/10/garmin-openwater-review.html). However, modern Garmin watches are all able to track pool swim as well as gym workouts (you might have to set exercises later in the app if you want to track muscle groups affected). Essentially ForeRunner is for runners mostly, Forerunner 9xx is focused on triathlon, Fenix is mostly for outdoors - but again, all of them can do almost the same. I’d go with Fenix if budget allows.
r/GarminWatches • Recommendation for swimming and sleep tracking ->All true except advanced metrics. They are also present in Fenix (it has even more features for hiking) and Instinct. Forerunner is not more advanced. The rugedness is mostly about the bezel. In fenix and instinct it has a rim which gives extra protection to the screen. But that means rugged watches are more bulky what can be a problem in the gym. The real question is lightness of forerunner vs battery life of fenix /instinct
r/GarminWatches • Too many watch models ->I've only been swimming for last 7 months, but Fenix 6x has been doing great!!! Over 100 swim sessions.
r/Swimming • Watch that measures heart rate underwater as accurate as possible ->It's fantastic. It also depends how much accuracy is a factor in your workouts. Nothing is going to beat a chest strap, but I'm okay being within 5 beats+/- with my Fenix.
r/Swimming • Watch that measures heart rate underwater as accurate as possible ->Fenix 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.
r/OpenWaterSwimming • What GPS watches are you using to track your swims? ->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
r/triathlon • Triathlon Watch Without Smartphone ->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).
r/triathlon • Garmin watch vs. bike computer ->there's more of us out there than you realize. I'm actually realizing the reason I got the fenix was to have the smallest sports tracker with the highest battery (woman with small wrists) and the best screen (Amoled is visible, wehre MIP is lmost invistible) But I'm finding the overnight data from garmin to be less and less useful or even mentally healthy, so I'm going back to using my analogs more and more. And they are prettier.
r/Garmin • Garmin, why? ->Get a garmin Fenix, doesnt really matter which model as long as it’s not ancient, off eBay
r/Rowing • Best fitness watch for rowing ->Actually the buttons on apple watch ultra are far better. The buttons on my new Fenix are spongy crap with no click.
r/GarminWatches • Apple Watch to Garmin ->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.
r/GarminWatches • Apple Watch to Garmin ->Good comparison! I’ll add that my fenix shows exercise demonstrations on the watch. I use it a lot
r/Garmin • Whoop vs. Garmin ->I’ve used several generations of the Garmin Fenix for resort skiing, backcountry skiing, and Nordic skiing in extremely cold temperatures without issue. They’d be fine in very cold weather, but it’s also important to note because you’re exerting yourself and it’s on your wrist, they’re actually probably a lot warmer than the air temperature, so they’ll be more than fine.
r/xcountryskiing • Smart Watches in Cold Weather ->Garmin is better for cycling. More accurate gps (get a speed sensor to connect to it also), get a hr strap to connect to it, it is def better for elevation as well. Garmin can also be connected to a power meter eventually, if you want to go there. Battery life will be much better. Mine lasts 15 days of no gps, or several days with an hour or so of running each day. It is a Phoenix 6 solar, so other models won’t last as long, but I’d wager you don’t have to charge them everyday like an Apple Watch.
r/cycling • Apple Watch vs garmin ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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