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Garmin Fenix 6 Watch (Update = bought one in summer)

 Poster: A snowHead
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@DB, I don't know much about these sorts of devices so sorry if my input is no help. But.

I bought a Suunto Ambit3 Peak last year and now I have figured it out, I find it terrific. This is a discontinued model. I got mine for £200 (including HR chest strap). Still available at Ekosport.
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kitenski wrote:
Or if you don’t need routing this is a solid deal! https://www.wiggle.co.uk/garmin-forerunner-735xt-gps-watch-hrm-bundle/


Yes I could buy something like that to replace my watch and then buy another GPS for around €200. Not as compact as the Fenix 6s but around €450 vs €700, plus a bigger navigation screen.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
HammondR wrote:
@DB, I don't know much about these sorts of devices so sorry if my input is no help. But.

I bought a Suunto Ambit3 Peak last year and now I have figured it out, I find it terrific. This is a discontinued model. I got mine for £200 (including HR chest strap). Still available at Ekosport.


Is that the one where you can use your mobile phone display in connection with the watch?
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@DB, I got a Fenix 6 at the start of lockdown, as an upgrade to a suunto ambit3 peak.

The suunto was a great watch, I’d had it over 4 years and many thousands of miles hiking and running. Even now the battery is still as good as new. However, it’s a few generations behind the Fenix. For sub £200 the vivoactive 4S that my son has is cheaper than an ambit3 and has quite a few more features - music on the watch, proper notifications from phone, better mapping and optical HR.

The big differences for me with the Fenix vs the ambit3 are a) with on board Spotify I now love running to music (never had before as I don’t run with a phone) and b) the mapping and routing is outstanding on the Fenix vs the line diagram on the suunto. I click on a few trails on the computer screen to piece together a run of whatever length, send it to watch, and then it’s really easy to follow the precise route. 20 miles into a 22 mile run, when your brain has shut down, it’s a godsend. There’s also much better power management, although I’m not sure when I’ll be back to multi-week trips again!

I went for the 6 pro, the normal 47mm one, which is noticeably smaller than the suunto. The screen is fine for navigating on this, but I’m a little less convinced about the 6s screen.

For the last couple of years, amazon prime day (?July?) has had big Garmin discounts, and there’s also an on-off student discount that gets you 20-40% off. The chest strap is another £50 or so tho worth considering an arm strap instead - I’m switching over soon.

However, if you’re looking for a suunto ambit 3, I’ll sell you mine cheaply!
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Almost 18 months and my 935 still going strong and been great for logging all non-cycling activities inc skiing with no satellite drop-out issues. @kitenski, hope all is well?
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Sorry forgot to give my feed back (only just realised as @rayshow just bumped this up).

Bought the Fenix 6X in June 2020.
Wasn't cheap but really pleased with it. The garmin connect app is great. The ability to download tracks on the move is what I had been looking for, esp. in conjunction with Komoot.
Also like having the GPS on a watch, it vibrates if I go off course which is really useful esp when your hands are full (hiking/snowshoeing/skitouring with poles).

Thanks for all the advice/opinions/help.
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@DB, thanks for reporting back, I’m about to get a 6x as well (actually, to receive it as (pre)Christmas present).
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Does the 6 do the ski maps?? I went to Apple Watch 5 and it’s been great for me
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Looks like there are ski maps for the Fenix 6 too.

https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-6-series/171493/ski-maps-on-fenix-6
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@kitenski, yup it does... I got one a month or so ago and really pleased with it. there are a lot of little things it does that are quite useful. It is highly configurable and it takes a while to work out what to utilise and how to do shortcuts. I tend to use it more as a sensor on my wrist and couple with my phone for analysis with the Garmin app/ strava etc. where I "review" the data.

I haven't used the ski features yet but compared to my old suunto looks loads better.. jacket mode to wear on outside of sleeve, barometric and GPS altimeter, temp sensor and GPS maps for quick look when touring...
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@skimottaret, and a multi day/week battery life, to encourage you out on longer trips!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@snowdave, could be but I am not a sleep in a hut person Smile
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Yes the battery life is awesome for those multi-day trips.
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You know it makes sense.
I've had the 735XT for barely 2 weeks before I had to return it to John Lewis. The screen had frozen and went blank after a pool swim. Hence, not quite as waterproof as advertised for a multi-sport watch.

All the best in your search!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:

Yes the battery life is awesome for those multi-day trips


If you want extended battery life coros watches are the way to go.
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boarder2020 wrote:
Quote:

Yes the battery life is awesome for those multi-day trips


If you want extended battery life coros watches are the way to go.


Used to have a V800 Polar that should have given me 13 hrs with full GPS, it was down to around 6 hrs after 4 years. On long day trips it was a pain missing the GPS track on the last part of the tour.
The Fenix 6 has 32 hrs with full GPS, the Coros Apex only looks to have 24 hrs.
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Coros Apex has 24, but It's £300, so much cheaper than fenix. A better comparison would be coros vertix, which is the top coros model and costs around £510 so still a little cheaper than fenix. Vertix has 60 hours full GPS.
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boarder2020 wrote:
Coros Apex has 24, but It's £300, so much cheaper than fenix. A better comparison would be coros vertix, which is the top coros model and costs around £510 so still a little cheaper than fenix. Vertix has 60 hours full GPS.


Not heard of Coros before but a worthy contender for anyone looking for a high end GPS Sport watch.

Comparison here ...
https://www.sport-passion.fr/en/testing/comparison-garmin-fenix-6-suunto9-vs-coros-vertix-polar-gritX.php
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And another view here , garmin have a lot of experience in this market which I think shows especially in their software

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/05/coros-vertix-adventure-gps-premium-watch-hands-on.html

Option A: If you met me in a bar somewhere, I’d tell you (even without drinks) that the COROX VERTIX was essentially a Fenix 5 (non-Plus edition) knockoff, except, not a very good one. I’d tell you that while the exterior shell/fonts/etc match what they copied, the underlying features and platform aspects just don’t exist. I’d also note that the adoption numbers I see from various training platforms show that COROS simply isn’t achieving even Kickstarter-type metrics.

Option B: On the flip side, if you wanted me to be overly positive, I’d tell you that the COROX VERTIX has stepped up in looks from the COROS APEX, and that they’ve incorporated new functions that the company could take advantage of down the road with better integration between the device and the smartphone. I’d point out that the quick release bands are a nice addition, while the SpO2 function could be handy if you’re at high altitudes often and for long periods of time. Additionally I’d note that the SpO2 alerts is a feature not found on any other GPS watches to my knowledge.
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Actually the coros apex does have 35 hours GPS in the £300 46mm version - so more than fenix6. It's the 42mm version that "only" has 24 and is £270.

They are quite a new brand, but have been generating lots of good reviews. I'm actually using a coros apex now, and am very happy with it. You don't get some of the bells and whistles of the fenix watches, for example navigation is just breadcrumb trail rather than maps. They seem to have covered all the bases of what a GPS watch "needs" though (I realise this is quite subjective!). Their watches do have fantastic battery life, and calculate running power (I'm not 100% convinced how useful this is yet, but considering a stryd pod alone is £200 I'm not complaining the watch does it!).

For those looking for their first watch and not wanting to spend a lot of money I think their pace2 model is amazing value for money. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/09/coros-pace-2-in-depth-review-multisport-running-power.html

Doesn't do navigation or skiing though, which will probably rule it out for some. In which case I would suggest looking at the apex which has navigation, downhill ski and snowboard, and also a ski touring mode. There seems to be little point going for the vertix which is a lot more expensive for what seems to mainly just be more battery life (how many people need more than the 35 hours offered by the apex?) and oximeter (fairly pointless unless you expect to be at high altitude a lot).
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@boarder2020, does the Coros do mapping? If not, then for me it’s not in the same category.

As @kitenski says, the breadth of Garmins platform - eg garmin pay, ConnectIQ integrations (I can unlock doors with my watch...), Spotify on board, direct links and mirroring with the bike computers etc. is a huge barrier to entry for any new provider.
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@kitenski I would agree that the vertix isn't a great watch (as mentioned above the apex does most of the same stuff for a cheaper price, the additional features are likely to not be particularly useful for most).

Quote:

I’d also note that the adoption numbers I see from various training platforms show that COROS simply isn’t achieving even Kickstarter-type metrics.


The pace2 model has been instantly selling out online. I get the impression that production is slow, perhaps due to covid. I can't say I'm too concerned about how many units they sell. Customer service is pretty great, maybe due to a smaller number of users? you can check their Facebook users group for some examples of customer service.

As for features not being there, they continue to upgrade things. Since I got my watch this year: strength training, ability to create workout programs, running power, flat water (kayak, sup), indoor rowing have all been added. There has also been lots of tweaks with their app.

Coros seem to be aiming their watches at people that want a simple, solid watch, with fantastic battery life at a reasonable cost. If you are the kind of person that values all the extra features like non-contact payments, playing music etc. It's not the company for you.
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Coros navigation on the apex is just breadcrumb track, not a colour topographic map. Have used it for a couple of trail runs, and a couple of days cycling on routes I'd never done before and was adequate for me. Your mileage may vary.

Quote:

garmin pay, ConnectIQ integrations (I can unlock doors with my watch...), Spotify on board, direct links and mirroring with the bike computers etc.


These are the kind of extra features I mean. For those of us that have no use for them and don't want to pay a premium for things we won't use, coros is a nice solution. For people that want these things, coros is not the watch for you.
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@boarder2020, I’m all for competition and new entrants as you say work out the features you want and take it from there!! Glad Coros is working for you
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Yes, competition can only be a good thing. Although saying that the new wahoo GPS watch looks a bit naff snowHead

Yes I think the key thing is finding the watch that works for you personally. I'm well aware coros is not the answer for everyone, and have tried to be fair in pointing out some of the shortcomings of the watches too.
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@DB, if you are long-sighted like me then get the biggest Garmin, it’s easier to read without glasses when you’re up a mountain. I’ve got very slender wrists but I find the 5X is comfortable to wear. The Garmin will work with any Bluetooth/ANT+ HR strap, I use Decathlon ones at £30.


Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Thu 26-11-20 20:34; edited 1 time in total
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30% off Fenix 6!!

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/11/heads-up-for-us-folks-20-off-trainers-sports-tech-sale-stock-wont-last-long.html
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Valkyrie wrote:
@DB, if you are long-sited like me then get the biggest Garmin, it’s easier to read without glasses when you’re up a mountain. I’ve got very slender wrists but I find the 5X is comfortable to wear. The Garmin will work with any Bluetooth/ANT+ HR strap, I use Decathlon ones at £30.


Yep thought the 6X would be too big on my slender wrists but it wasn't as bad as I expected so bought a Fenix 6X Pro.
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@DB, I debated 6x for ages, and eventually bought a normal 6 pro on the basis it would fit under a shirt cuff.

That was in March. Not many shirts with cuffs have been worn since, or possibly ever will be again!

I have recently bought some bifocal photochromic cycling glasses, which have revolutionised my ability to see the screen on my Garmin bike computer and my watch. Not so effective when running tho.
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Available on Amazon Black Friday for £439.00. Bought one last night : )
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taffvalais wrote:
Available on Amazon Black Friday for £439.00. Bought one last night : )


Congrats!

Anyone knows if the straps of the 6S Pro would be interchangeable with the 5S straps?
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taffvalais wrote:
Available on Amazon Black Friday for £439.00. Bought one last night : )


Well done that‘s a great deal. Used mine again today on a mountain hike. It stopped me following the wrong path in the snow and after 5 hrs I still had 80% battery.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
for those still debating (myself included), the 6 pro is 'still' 439 on amazon.... although the 5 is 'only' 249... as I understand it, not _much_ of a difference functionally (as the 5 also has mapping).
do beware the subtle differences between 's', 'x' etc...
also - keep an eye out for the 'refurb' models, there seem to be quite a few on sale at big discounts too.

As an aside, I've an ultra-runner friend who is a big fan of Coros, I think mainly as the battery life is fine for a weekend of running (where a weekend means 24 hours of non-stop running!), - and also, they sponsor her - I think they are quite active in sponsoring 'up and coming' athletes, which is nice.
h.
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Have other users noticed the two different routing modes?

1) If you plot a course on Garmin connect or Strava and ask the watch to follow it, it gives you "simple" directions (e.g. turn left in 200m).
2) If you ask it to navigate you somewhere and thus it plans its own route, the directions have full street names (200m turn left onto Acacia Ave)

I only discovered this recently. The second option is better on a bike in urban areas, but does mean following the watch's preferred route. I haven't worked out a way to persuade it to navigate like (2) but with a planned route, so if anybody knows/finds out, please shout! I think it may be a limitation of the routing approach it uses.
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Four weeks ago a mate of mine somehow had a brand new Fenix 6X Saphire Pro (rrp was £750 now see it's £650) which he tempted me with at £550 and it's more or less been on my wrist ever since.

I do find it quite phenomenal and yes that's a big word to describe a watch, but the functionality along with the app is quite superb!

I do not use the wrist HR monitor instead choosing to use my normal chest strap as I've found that to be far more accurate on intense workouts.

I do find the ongoing fitness assessment very good and is in fact a good motivator, and since I've had it I've driven my age fitness down to 54 now.

The flexibility and apps available to monitor individual sports is very good, I have an app for both wind and kitesurfing that monitors a whole range of stuff, the SUP one records stroke rate. Then there are individual apps for trail and road running and I adjust those accordingly with Strava segments if I want.

The ski touring app looks to cover everything and cross country skiing is available as classic or skating.

Going back to the fitness assessment side of things, the watch will also record my overall Training Status based on numerous metrics, my VO2 Max along with my cycling FTP, and obviously is linked up to my power meter pedals on my bike.

As well as the above techy side of things there are the usual daily metrics, steps, sleep, stress etc as well as Registration rates and Pulse OX & Acclimation all good overall body health metrics and I do like the Body Battery which suggests how well charged I am Laughing

Then there's all the Smart Phone stuff, which I choose to or not to use, like viewing phone calls, texts and emails on the watch face, along with playing music via Spotify & buds again should I so wish.

As for Navigation, I have not played around with that yet, as when ski touring I'll probably prefer to use my phone with the more detailed mapping.

And when cycling I still use my Wahoo Elemnt as that's in front of me, but I record the activity with the Fenix, and I'm helping out on a charity bike ride on Saturday and again I'll use the Wahoo for the navigation.

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I got a 6x given to me through work. Have had it for all of this current ski season, been impressed. Handy for navigation when touring, the inreach integration is really useful for reading messages without faff, and really like exporting maps into google earth to watch fly throughs - especially tracking heli days.

I’ve used an inreach for a while, but the nav stuff on the watch is loads easier than pulling out a phone.

It’s a cool toy. Got by fine without it, but glad I’ve got it.
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@Weathercam, when you say ski touring/SUP app are these the built in apps or a 3rd party one you've found?
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@Weathercam, I have a 5X plus and use it for navigating on my MTB all the time. Download gpx files from various places put them on the watch and just blindly follow... Works really well despite the small display. I actually also have a bigger Edge 610, but find the navigation on the watch is better
Great piece of gear.
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@kitenski, SUP was a Garmin one, the skitouring one was on the Garmin IQ store.

Re navigation, majority of the time on a bike I don't need navigation, and like I said I'd use the Wahoo for that rather than look at my watch, but I suppose it's what you're used to.

As for back in the Mountains I'll wait and see how the mapping performs, but I like to see contours and other stuff that IGN has, plus satellite imagery is also useful I've found, though that's more preparing routes using Google earth etc
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I really like the garmin livetrack. When my son is racing on his bike I can see live location, speed, HR, cadence and distance all in real time. Also useful when he’s out training alone or meeting up with me later in a ride.

The whole garmin ecosystem is fantastic- I think this is what all other manufacturers will struggle against. My garmin scales upload my weight, my fenix and edge share data (and can even do screen mirroring), all my routes are in garmin, and the app’s are great. I can go out for a run or ride, head in a random direction, and after an hour or 2 ask the fenix or edge to route me home the most popular way and discover a bunch of new routes.
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