I’ve loved my Series 5 AW since it launched, but I’m upgrading to Garmin Epix 2…

[johnb300m]

One way to look at it - Garmin watches tend to last a long time. I've got a Fenix 5 coming up on 5 years. One button tends to stick a little and battery life probably lasts 8-10 days between charges rather than 14. But after 5 years it still works for fitness tracking and as an everyday watch. Meanwhile sitting in a drawer at home is a series 5 LTE AW with a battery that died after barely a year.

Agreed.
I just put my Vivoactive 3 in storage after about 5yrs, on my 2nd deteriorating band. It still works! Battery life has diminished a bit, but I can still get about 4-5 days out of it.
What made me switch was a AW sale and Garmin Connect's absolute janky performance for me....for years.

Moving to the AW-SE this past week, I've been pleasantly surprised.
So far, doing 1 dog walk or run/bike a day, and sleeping with it, I'm not using more than 60% of battery.
Night time charges while getting ready for bed, and AM charges while getting ready for work, bring me back to 100% for the new day.

I'll hold on to the Vivoactive3 though. As it still works well, and it would be perfect for camping trip weekends where I know the AW SE might not make it through.

While I miss a little bit of the sports data from Garmin, I'm really liking the more seamless interaction of the Health app and AW, over Connect x1000.

 

[utzelu]

My issue with Garmin is that it is literally a (very good) sports watch - too big, with a plastic body and dull aesthetic. But for the rest of the time, when one doesn’t wear sweatpants, the AW is much more versatile. Even the cheapest AW is made of better materials.

 

[firstcellosuite]

Agreed.
I just put my Vivoactive 3 in storage after about 5yrs, on my 2nd deteriorating band. It still works! Battery life has diminished a bit, but I can still get about 4-5 days out of it.
What made me switch was a AW sale and Garmin Connect's absolute janky performance for me....for years.

Moving to the AW-SE this past week, I've been pleasantly surprised.
So far, doing 1 dog walk or run/bike a day, and sleeping with it, I'm not using more than 60% of battery.
Night time charges while getting ready for bed, and AM charges while getting ready for work, bring me back to 100% for the new day.

I'll hold on to the Vivoactive3 though. As it still works well, and it would be perfect for camping trip weekends where I know the AW SE might not make it through.

While I miss a little bit of the sports data from Garmin, I'm really liking the more seamless interaction of the Health app and AW, over Connect x1000.

Funny you mention using your VA 3 for camping. That's one of the reasons I moved to Garmin full time. I like being able to charge it before i go knowing the battery will last all weekend.

What was the battery life on your VA 3 when you first bought it? I've been looking at getting the 4 next time it drops in price.

 

[Indianwin2001]

My issue with Garmin is that it is literally a (very good) sports watch - too big, with a plastic body and dull aesthetic. But for the rest of the time, when one doesn’t wear sweatpants, the AW is much more versatile. Even the cheapest AW is made of better materials.

Lol. I have a Garmin made out of titanium And sapphire glass. Your post is nonsensical. Much better material than Apple even a stainless steel version

 

[jmgregory1]

Lol. I have a Garmin made out of titanium And sapphire glass. Your post is nonsensical. Much better material than Apple even a stainless steel version

There is no doubt that the plastic bodies Garmin uses aren’t the same as full metal bodies like what Apple uses, but the titanium sandwich version with sapphire lens isn’t cheap looking or feeling, to me. I also love the fact that it has even better water resistance.

 

[Indianwin2001]

There is no doubt that the plastic bodies Garmin uses aren’t the same as full metal bodies like what Apple uses, but the titanium sandwich version with sapphire lens isn’t cheap looking or feeling, to me. I also love the fact that it has even better water resistance.

Yep

 

[babyexercise]

I didn’t know an electronic watch can be that expensive while it is not AW Hermès lol xd

 

[utzelu]

Lol. I have a Garmin made out of titanium And sapphire glass. Your post is nonsensical. Much better material than Apple even a stainless steel version

If you’re talking about the Marq lineup, I agree they look and feel premium. But all the rest have plastic body with some metal bezel or caseback, and basic, almost featureless design. I am coming from mechanical watches, so design and materials is important to me.

 

[ssmed]

Lol. I have a Garmin made out of titanium And sapphire glass. Your post is nonsensical. Much better material than Apple even a stainless steel version

I have a Fenix - no plastic, charges in the sun and the battery lasts for weeks – even with daily running. I wouldn't even consider a watch that didn't last a few days as a minimum!

 

[Indianwin2001]

If you’re talking about the Marq lineup, I agree they look and feel premium. But all the rest have plastic body with some metal bezel or caseback, and basic, almost featureless design. I am coming from mechanical watches, so design and materials is important to me.

The Fenix and Epix have NO plastic. And design is your preference. I don't like the square design but some people do.

 

[utzelu]

The Fenix and Epix have NO plastic. And design is your preference. I don't like the square design but some people do.

Taken from Garmin’s own website, the case body is made of “fiber-reinforced polymer with steel rear cover
Sapphire Editions: fiber-reinforced polymer with titanium rear cover”.

In other words, plastic body with stainless steel or titanium caseback. I have also seen them at the local shop.

 

[jmgregory1]

The Fenix and Epix have NO plastic. And design is your preference. I don't like the square design but some people do.

Utzelu noted this as well, the Fenix and Epix bodies of the watches are made with a fiber reinforced plastic that has titanium or stainless front and rear covers. As I’ve said previously, it would have been nice if they offered an updated Marq version with full titanium case, but I’m completely satisfied with the Epix 2 so far.

 

[Indianwin2001]

Utzelu noted this as well, the Fenix and Epix bodies of the watches are made with a fiber reinforced plastic that has titanium or stainless front and rear covers. As I’ve said previously, it would have been nice if they offered an updated Marq version with full titanium case, but I’m completely satisfied with the Epix 2 so far.

Do you like the nylon band? I also bought it but the watch feels very light and now I think I prefer the silicon

 

[solarmon]

I got the Enduro in the Fall (2021) bc my AW4 would last only about 12 hours.

The Enduro lasts 50 days on a full charge. At first, it would report 30 days on a full charge. Then I turned off the O2 sensor, and it shot up to 50.

Still wear the AW for sleep, as I prefer the stats it produces. It will be a long time before Apple can match the Enduro.

 

[jmgregory1]

Do you like the nylon band? I also bought it but the watch feels very light and now I think I prefer the silicon

I prefer the nylon for it’s breathability, especially given my daily high intensity cardio workouts generate a ton of sweat. I get what you mean about the lighter weight and I’ve actually been thinking about getting a titanium band for non-workout wear.

 

[Indianwin2001]

I prefer the nylon for it’s breathability, especially given my daily high intensity cardio workouts generate a ton of sweat. I get what you mean about the lighter weight and I’ve actually been thinking about getting a titanium band for non-workout wear.

Thanks. I'll look into the titanium band.

 

[solarmon]

Thanks. I'll look into the titanium band.

Warning: I ordered and then returned the “titanium” band, bc it more than doubled the total weight. The Enduro, by itself or with the nylon band, is quite light. Surprisingly, the titanium band felt very heavy, and it was not easy to try to change its length. Plus, the price is too high because it did not live up to the expectation that it, too, would be lightweight.

 

[Indianwin2001]

Warning: I ordered and then returned the “titanium” band, bc it more than doubled the total weight. The Enduro, by itself or with the nylon band, is quite light. Surprisingly, the titanium band felt very heavy, and it was not easy to try to change its length. Plus, the price is too high because it did not live up to the expectation that it, too, would be lightweight.

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll stick with nylon. I wish I could find a nylon band in white for my Epix

 

[flynz4]

I’ve owned my Series 5 Nike Sport Apple Watch since it launched a couple of years ago and it was a big reason for my getting healthy during the pandemic. But there are two things that are now making me look at upgrading to a Garmin Epix 2 Sapphire watch.

One is of course the battery life. I used to be able to get 30+ hours of wear time with my AW, but I’m now needing to recharge at the end of every day, so where I used to be able to wear my AW to sleep, now I can’t and it’s something I miss.

The other is less of a performance issue and more of an aesthetic issue - I’m sick of the rectangular watch shape. Previous to my AW purchase, I owned a Seiko Automatic watch, and wore it 24 hours a day for 15+ years. My youngest son is now wearing it and it has a decidedly more sporty look (with round case) flat sapphire lens (still in perfect condition) and stainless body that although scratched still looks fantastic. So I’m ready to jump back to a round watch, but not willing to give up the health tracking.

The talk about Apple releasing a more rugged AW is interesting, but I certainly don’t see them offering an AW with 6-16 days of battery life, like the Epix 2 can get. Sure, the Garmin doesn’t have cellular connectivity and can’t as seamlessly integrate with the iPhone, but I just can’t get excited about getting another AW without some significant jump in battery life.

If you like the functionality of the AW, but dislike the battery life, then having a 2nd AW fixes the battery life problem. I wear my S7 all day and my S4 all night. One is always on the charger, and when I switch watches they auto sync. I never even think about the battery.

Depending on the function, I might buy a S8 if there is something new I crave. Then I’d alternate between the two newest and give my S4 to someone.

 

[Indianwin2001]

If you like the functionality of the AW, but dislike the battery life, then having a 2nd AW fixes the battery life problem. I wear my S7 all day and my S4 all night. One is always on the charger, and when I switch watches they auto sync. I never even think about the battery.

Depending on the function, I might buy a S8 if there is something new I crave. Then I’d alternate between the two newest and give my S4 to someone.

This is what I did for 3 years. BUT the fitness metrics on the Garmin is far and away better than AW

 

[jmgregory1]

If you like the functionality of the AW, but dislike the battery life, then having a 2nd AW fixes the battery life problem. I wear my S7 all day and my S4 all night. One is always on the charger, and when I switch watches they auto sync. I never even think about the battery.

Depending on the function, I might buy a S8 if there is something new I crave. Then I’d alternate between the two newest and give my S4 to someone.

Yeah, I knew that there were people doing exactly that as a way to get around the Apple Watch battery limitation, but as I mentioned, the other thing that I really wanted to get back to was the traditional round watch aesthetic. I’m completely satisfied with the Epix 2, which I’ve owned for two weeks now - and only had to charge it once. The only thing I do wish it offered was cellular connectivity, but it wasn’t a deal breaker for me.

 

[jmgregory1]

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll stick with nylon. I wish I could find a nylon band in white for my Epix

The downside to the Garmin watches, even though they’re popular, is they don’t sell enough to create a big secondary band market. And Garmin’s own proprietary bands are just too expensive, as they seem to be following Apple’s lead in pricing them at the top end of what people are willing to spend.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I had an early fenix and found it far too complicated for what I was going to use it for. Not familar with the epix, but the fenix was the 'do it all' watch. I got the exotic metal one, and the finish was wearing off of it from my shirts and suit coats. I offered it on ebay, and got a really nice price for it. The winner said that he admired my hinesty and was looking for one that wouldn't be 'beat to hell', but 'seasoned'. I was surprised the finish wore off so quickly, but whatever. Got a Heuer and then the first of many AW's.

The AW isn't a 'sports watch', but it's gotten better. At for battery life, I usually end the day with around 60% left, but I don't have it actively track my exercise. The one two times I did, it was not pretty. Once, dead AW, the other time, 25% and falling fast. They seem to have to work on the battery usage of the ancillary features more. Having GPS suck the battery that hard isn't good for customers, especially when they have been trying to seel it as more of an 'activity watch'. I have a Garmin Edge for my bikes, and connect through th e Bluetooth on my Mac Mini for telemetry from the trainer.

I wonder if there is a market for a 'location hub' t hat could do the apparent heavy lifting that seems to kill the AW battery, and then just feed the data to the watch. But at that point, why not just use a different device to track activities and events, like an epix. I guess I'm grateful that I have options that seem to work well/better...

I had such big hopes for the fenix. It sure looked manly, capable, intimidating...

 

[The_Interloper]

My issue with Garmin is that it is literally a (very good) sports watch - too big, with a plastic body and dull aesthetic. But for the rest of the time, when one doesn’t wear sweatpants, the AW is much more versatile. Even the cheapest AW is made of better materials.

I disagree completely with this, having owned practically every Apple Watch since the Series 2 including a Sapphire/SS Cellular S5 and a Garmin Fenix 6X Pro.

Aluminium is a soft metal and its inclusion on the Apple Watch may look premium but it isn't. It scratches and dents easily along with the glass which has NO bezel protection; also, my SS AW was easily chipped to my disappointment just when playing golf!

The Fenix/Epix range are "tool" watches. They are primarily about function over form; the nylon/plastic body keeps the weight down while the SS back and bezel enhance durability and protect the screen.

The downside to the Garmin watches, even though they’re popular, is they don’t sell enough to create a big secondary band market. And Garmin’s own proprietary bands are just too expensive, as they seem to be following Apple’s lead in pricing them at the top end of what people are willing to spend.

Garmin watches use standard bands depending on your case size (20mm, 22mm etc). As a result, the third party band market is much larger than the Apple Watch. Garmin's QuickFit bands simply allow the straps to be quickly swapped out with the pin left in. This is handy, for example, when swapping between using it as a bike computer and a watch (remember, it's a tool!). For a massive selection of QuickFit bands at ultra-low prices, look on AliExpress.

 

[ssmed]

Comparing a Fenix 6 or 7x to an Apple Watch is comparing apples and oranges. Can you imagine taking your three Apple watches for a multi day ultra!