Garmin Fenix 6X Pro, Premium Multisport GPS Watch, Features Mapping, Music, Grade-Adjusted Pace Monitoring and Pulse Ox Sensors, Black with Black Band

Pros Great Battery, Amazing Maps,Cons Garmin Pay not as good as Apple pay, size and price.Ok, I’m an apple fan boy and love my Apple watch, however I also run 25 miles a week and cycle about 30 miles a week and I have to say the Garmin is amazing……..The battery life is said to be 21 days, well like anything use it hard and you wont get 21 days but you will get over a week using it daily which compared to an Apple watch that im used to charging daily is a massive improvement.I like to do a different run each Sunday and the maps are just well “Amazing”, “outstanding”, I use strava heatmaps to pick popular routes and plan them myself or more often than not I just copy somebodies’ else route from Strava and hit the download GPX file, I upload this into the watch using Garmin connect on my PC.The Garmin pay is not in the same league as Apple pay and only works with a handful of banks in the UK so this is disappointing, however I got myself a Revolut pre-paid card that cost me £5 and I do have to pre load it with some funds but this works fine and overcomes that issue on not working with Uk banks. I guess buying a coffee with you phone when out for a run its worth this slight hassle, But Garmin pay not being as good as Apple pay is my only gripe with the watch.Everything else is better than Apple. You are paying for top of the range with this item and it’s a good allrounders watch, its great for skiing, cycling, swimming and running. well almost any sport really. However, if you don’t go on the beaten track and don’t need the mapping you can save money with a cheaper version. However even if you only use the map function a couple of times a year its great to have.Its big, this I got the larger 51mm version and it wont suit small wrists and without meaning to seem sexist I think its more a Man size watch, not everybody will like the size but I have poor eyesight and the larger screen is great for me.So amazing watch, 100% recommend with Garmin pay being my only gripe, well and the price……. Its expensive….. last years model the Fenix 5x pro is £100 cheaper and can pick up used on other marketplaces from £300 so only real decision for me was go new or save £200 and get a Fenix 5x pro…. Not sure that the 6x was worth the extra £200 over the 5x model but due to my more eye sight and loved the larger screen.Beware if looking at cheaper models that not all garmin Fenix models have maps and it’s the mapping that is the jewel in the crown for me. Really easy to follow all running routes, easy to plan routes.For cycling the Fenix is not as good as top of the range cycle computers, something like a Wahoo bolt computers tell you about strava segments so this Fexnix wont replace at decent cycle computer but will do most Mid-level cycling features.As others have said Heart rate monitor not as good as chest strap but Ill be honest its pretty close and for daily use it works fine. It’s the best on a watch ive ever seen and much better than an apple watch.For me I could just use strava on my iwatch or iphone, both have music and did I really need a garmin watch? No I could have mad do with my iphone and my iwatch, but honeslty I don’t regret buying it the battery life and the maps are class leading. The test message notifications are really good, the music is really good. If money is no object or your thinking do I get the new iwatch model or a Garmin Fenix….. Go for the Fenix. It will take you a couple of weeks to get used to it but once you do you wont look back.The garmin watchs are NOT touch screen and this is one of the biggest differences to an iwatch. I found the buttons fiddly and I didn’t like it at first, I had to learn what each button did. I even had to read the instruction manual which is not something you ever need to do with a iwatch. Even after owning it for 3 months I asked another garmin user how to record lap times on a track and sure enough simple click of a button but if you don’t know which button to press….. So it does so much its worth reading the instructions to get the most out of this watch.Also its not a stand along watch for me, I have to sync to my PC once a week to load running routes, it uploads to strava daily via Bluetooth to my phone do you don’t need to sync do your PC but if you are looking to make routes and programme running routes you will need a PC or laptop at home.Garmin connect links to mapmyride and mayuprun and strava as well as many other running apps.

I've had a Garmin Forerunner 245 for just over a year and clocked up over 1,200 miles of running with it. As a motivational device it has been superb. I just wanted more of the same - bigger screen, full topographical mapping, longer battery life, deeper analytics, Strava segment integration - and I have not been disappointed. Keeps things fun on my long hours of marathon training - following an endless variety of courses using its superb navigation features. Sleep and heart rate monitoring is not perfectly accurate (particularly at higher levels) - just the limitation of optical sensor method of measurement. I wear the Garmin HRM-Run chest strap for workouts (which also gives you running metrics such as cadence, vertical oscillation, etc - so well worth the extra). Have found the GPS to be very accurate so far. Now the Fenix 7 is here, the price of the 6 is very tempting and given how much I have used the Forerunner I could justify the upgrade. The hardware is only half of the story though. The brilliance of Garmin is its class-leading integration of hardware with software: the Connect and Explore apps and website (where you can create new workouts, training plans and courses to navigate) are absolutely superb. Was concerned watch (at 90g, compared to 38.5g of the Forerunner) might be too big and heavy. It IS big - to accommodate its 1.4" screen and this may be an issue for some but I don't even notice it on and I don't have the thickest wrist. If that's a deal breaker there's always the 6 Pro or 6s Pro. Just extremely grateful to Garmin for taking a casual runner and turning him into a running machine!!

This review is for the 6 not the 6x.Great watch, loads of features, rugged build. Too much to list here but if you're into sport or anything where you might want GPS without lugging a bigger device, this is great.It's a little bulky, part of its charm, but it takes some getting used to to wear at night and sometimes I take it off. My previous vivoactive 3 never caused me any bother. But the upside is several weeks battery life even when doing a few activities a week.I'd read reviews saying the 6x was then to go for as it has a bigger screen and can have more fields. My eyesight at 48 isn't great so I hold the watch at arms length to view while running. Even so the 6 is fine, I just have less fields shown at once so they're bigger. The 6x just looked ridiculous on my male relatively skinny wrist. The 6x also has longer battery, but I get 3 weeks on the 6 - how much are can you need unless you're an extreme athlete/adventurer!The display is lower res than something like an Apple Watch, but who cares. My wife's Apple Watch needs charging every night, and wouldn't last even one long cycle ride. It does have cooler watch faces and looks so crisp, but as a sports/adventure watch, the Fenix really hits the mark.And I'm an Apple guy for several decades. But I have a Fenix and an Edge on my bike.Absolutely love it.There is a new model coming out imminently though, which is a bit annoying as you know your device wont be supported for long even though you're only just bought it - Garmin do update the Fenix brand quite well, but never with new features so bear that in mind......