Garmin fēnix 5 GPS-multisport-Smartwatch

I did not think that I would be writing a review on another Garmin watch this year. I purchased my fēnix 3 in 2015 (2 years ago) and it has been a revolutionary device for me, both in terms of aesthetics and functionality. When Garmin announced the fēnix 3 HR last year, there was no compelling reason for me to upgrade. Then earlier this year, the fēnix 5 was announced, and once again, I was not convinced and even put pen to paper on my reasons ‘not’ to upgrade. So what changed and why did I decide to bite the bullet?BUYING RATIONALEThe fēnix 5 is a sports watch for the most serious of athletes. It is designed and marketed for the outdoor adventurer, and can pretty much record any sport you can think of, from running to skiing. Due to the gorgeous aesthetics and high-finish, the fēnix 5 doubles-up as a very stylish day-to-day smart watch. There are a number of bands available, including a stainless steel metal link bracelet. One of the biggest issues I had with the fēnix 3 was that to change straps, I had to use the mini-screwdriver tool set which was fiddly and time-consuming. So my initial plan was to simply purchase both the metal link and silicone ‘quick-fit’ straps for my fēnix 3. However, if I was going to spend quite a bit of money on the bands, I thought I may be better off upgrading entirely and began to consider my options.REASONS FOR UPGRADING TO THE FENIX 5 (FROM THE FENIX 3)Now you may already own a fēnix 3 or fēnix 3 HR, and be considering the upgrade to either the fēnix 5 (like me). There are some new features, and you have to think if these are worth the extra cost. For me personally, the reduction in bulk is the biggest plus point. The fēnix 3 is a lovely watch, but the biggest complaint I have had with it over the past 2 years is the weight/bulk (and non-easy changeable straps). If you do not mind the weight of the fēnix 5 (it is the same as the fēnix 3), but do want a slightly smaller watch with the same OS as the fēnix 3, the fēnix 5 will not disappoint.NEW FEATURESBoth the fēnix 5 and the Forerunner 935 have retained the familiar OS found on the fēnix 3. If you have used a fēnix watch in the past, you will feel right at home. However, there are a number of new features that will immediately be noticeable, and enhance your experience. Aesthetics aside, here are some of the new features that I found particularly useful.Higher resolution display: The original fēnix 3 has a screen resolution of 212 x 212, and the new fēnix 5 and FR935 have a resolution of 250 x 250. A slight increase, but things do appear a little bit sharper and more punchy.Easily changeable straps: Arguably the biggest incentive for me. Garmin are really going to town to ensure that their higher end watches become more than just a sports watch. There are a number of bands available to buy, similar to the Apple Watch. And this time around, they are very easy to change and do not require a mini screwdriver kit. This means you can now wear the fēnix 5 as both a sports watch, and with smart wear. It literally becomes the 24/7 watch I had hoped for! (Well, almost, and I’ll discuss why this isn’t entirely the case shortly). The straps ‘are’ compatible with the new FR935 as well, but in my opinion, only the silicone bands look fine, and I cannot imagine the leather or stainless steel bands working well with the plastic enclosure of the 935.Strava segments: This is one of the key selling points in both watches, and it does not seem like it will be coming to the fēnix 3 / 925XT. As with my Garmin Edge unit, I can now star my favourite Strava segments. When I come close to them, I get a notification on my watch informing me when the segment will begin. Once it starts, I know exactly how far behind I am from my segment PB. I think this will come in very handy to ensure I try my best to retain the KOM I have on a handful of local running segments!Training status: This new widget saves and stores information relating to your activities, providing vital information such as VO2 max, recovery advisor and race predictor times. These aforementioned were also found on the fēnix 3, but training load has now been added, which makes performance analysis even more intuitive, allowing you to know how hard you have been training over a certain period of time. One negative point about all of this is that you need to use the same device to get an accurate picture of all of this. I use my Garmin Edge for cycling, and that data is not taken into consideration on the watch, so the recovery advisor is a little redundant in that respect.As quoted on the Garmin website: “More advanced indicators like your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and Lactate Threshold help you to better judge your actual performance level during cycling or running and the Race Predictor eventually estimates your ideal finish time for a 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon distance races based on your current VO2max number. Training Effect 2.0 will provide aerobic and anaerobic benefit scores for each training session, so that you understand whether your high-intensity interval training really pays off”.HR sensor: One of my biggest gripes with watches I have owned before was that wrist-based heart-rate sensors simply didn’t work for me. I had tried my fair share, believe me! This was not a key selling point for me personally, but more of bonus. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the HR sensor on the fēnix 5 has been pretty reliable so far. As others have reported, it does take a few minutes to get going, but once a successful recording has been established, it stays put. Now this will throw off my average HR for the activity, but does help me train in certain zones once I know it is working. I would still prefer a chest HR for proper training, but it is good to know that the wrist-based HR sensors are getting better. As I am now wearing my fēnix 5 pretty much all-day, it is interesting to note my resting heart-rate throughout the day when I am not training, which is surprisingly accurate. I still would not advise anyone to use a wrist-based heart-rate sensor over a chest strap, which has proven to be far more reliable for training purposes.SAPHIRE VS NON-SAPPHIRE (FENIX 5)So if you decide to go for the fēnix 5 over the 935, you then have to choose between the mineral glass or sapphire edition. This was another issue playing on my mind in my deciding process. The sapphire version is available in black and comes with an extra yellow silicone band. There is also a slate-grey sapphire edition, but this is (currently) bundled with the slate-grey stainless steel link bracelet and only available from Garmin directly. Note, that the slate-grey link band can also be purchased separately. The mineral glass version is only available in slate-grey.The main difference between the two (colour aside) is that the sapphire version has a sapphire crystal screen (evidently!) and built-in wifi. The wifi is not something I am overly fussed with, and in all honesty, I often use bluetooth to upload my runs/rides when I am out. As for the sapphire screen, it is a very welcome addition and I think it is worth the extra £90. In my case, however, I wanted to pair the fēnix 5 with the slate-grey band, so needed to have a slate-grey bezel (only on the non-sapphire models right now). Coming from a sapphire fēnix 3, it will be interesting to see how the two compare. But from what I’ve read, mineral glass should hold-up well and not endure any scratches (if taken care of!).The non-sapphire version retails for £499 and the sapphire version for £589. I picked up the standard edition on Amazon for £436 and the slate grey link bracelet for £145; the sapphire edition (slate grey) with the link band is available directly from Garmin for £730. So essentially the difference would have been £150 more for the sapphire version, plus a wait of 5-8 weeks (the current processing/shipping time). Yes, I would have much preferred the sapphire version, but the wait was far too long and saving £150 right now seemed like the sensible thing to do. Slightly off on a tangent here.I purchased the standard edition fēnix 5 from Amazon. After buying two separate sapphire versions from Cotsworld, I was disappointed as both of these units had previously been opened and had scratches/fingerprints on them. Staff there insisted that this is how they are shipped to them, which I had a hard time believing. Also, when returning one of the watches, a member of staff admitted to me that the watches are often opened and handled, etc. and may even be returned. But I digress. The unit I received from Amazon was indeed sealed with tape and I could immediately tell it was 100% brand new with no scratches, fingerprints or other imperfections (as a new item should be!).The bezel on the standard fēnix 5 has a slight matt finish, whereas the sapphire unit seems to be more glossy. I also noticed that the mineral glass picks up and retains smudges, etc. more easily than the sapphire edition.CONCLUSIONSConclusively, I am very happy with my new fēnix 5. Paired with the stainless steel link band, I can now use it as an all day watch. It is so versatile and a fantastic smart watch. I really don't want to take it off! I have also got the FR935 and added some pictures for a comparative analysis.

Dopo 3 mesi di utilizzo intenso, mi ritrovo a recensire questo orologio Garmin. Mi ero deciso a fare questo acquisto per le numerose potenzialità che questo oggetto era in grado di fornire secondo le indicazioni della casa produttrice e dalla mia passione incontrastata per gli sport in generale, con riguardo particolare verso quelli endurance. La spesa senza dubbio è stata elevata, ma ritengo essere un orologio quasi perfetto per chi come me ama gli sport e ama confrontare tutte le statistiche delle varie prestazioni. Ora elencherò brevemente quelli che sono i pro e i contro dell'oggetto in questione.PRO:- Vestibilità: l'orologio, nonostante lo tenga per quasi 24 ore al giorno, non mi da fastidio e non mi pesa. Fattore importante se volete tenerlo sempre al polso per monitorare la frequenza cardiaca e le ore di sonno.- Precisione: Ormai è risaputo come Garmin sia una garanzia per la precisione dei dati GPS. Ho confrontato le prestazioni in bici da corsa con il contachilometri; i valori di km percorsi e di velocità rilevati dall'orologio e dal contachilometri della bicicletta si differenziano veramente di poco.- Funzionalità: Il dispositivo può essere utilizzato veramente per ogni tipo di sport. Io ho avuto la possibilità di usarlo per corsa, ciclismo, mtb, trail run, nuoto in acque libere e nuoto in piscina, ma l'elenco degli sport che si possono praticare con l'orologio è decisamente più lungo. Ogni disciplina dispone di tutti i valori che indicano il tipo di prestazione effettuato.- Batteria: Il dispositivo si ricarica mediante filo USB nel giro di 3-4 ore. Con un uso intermedio (5-6 uscite settimanali da 1 ora/ 1 ora e mezza), vi dura anche una settimana. SUPER!- App: L'applicazione Garmin Connect, scaricabile sia per android che per apple, è uno strumento indispensabile per controllare nel dettaglio tutti i dati acquisiti dal dispositivo. Potete vedere tutti i valori della frequenza cardiaca, monitoraggio del sonno, attività nello specifico, consumo calorico, passi, record personali (e molto molto altro). Inoltre se avete un profilo su Strava, potete connettervi mediante l'applicazione di Garmin Connect. (vedi foto)CONTRO:- Sincronizzazione del GPS: E' vero che il GPS è preciso, ma in alcune occasioni il dispositivo impiega un po' più di tempo per acquisire la posizione dal satellite; si parla comunque massimo di un minuto di tempo.- Ricarica: Per ricaricare il dispositivo è necessario attaccare il filo nel retro del quadrante dell'orologio, dove è presente il rilevatore di frequenza cardiaca; perciò il dispositivo, quando è in carica, non può essere indossato al polso.- Rilevazione frequenza cardiaca: Questo forse è il contro più rilevante; alcune volte il misuratore della frequenza cardiaca "sballa" in maniera evidente (il valore si alza fino a 110-120 bpm nonostante voi siate fermi e a riposo) per 1-2 minuti per poi rientrare nei valori reali. Inoltre, durante prestazioni in cui sudate tanto, il sensore perde contatto con il polso e non rileva più la frequenza cardiaca, oppure la rileva male, segnando una fc diversa da quella reale. Se volete avere una precisione maggiore, consiglio di comprare la fascia cardio.CONCLUSIONI: Per chi si può permettere l'acquisto di questo dispositivo ed è un appassionato sfrenato di sport, io lo consiglio vivamente. E' uno strumento completo, bello esteticamente e solido. Ha cosi tante funzioni che 3 mesi non mi sono bastati per provarle tutte.Se la recensione vi è piaciuta lasciate un like! Saluti.

I'm a runner and the most important features to me are the altimeter, pace and distance information. Having just returned a Garmin Instinct due to the issues related to the location of the altimeter sensor port (located on the back of the watch interacting with sweat)....the Garmin Fenix 5 is absolutely perfect. The sensor port is located on the side of the watch and works very accurately (must know how to set it up which is key to accuracy). I wear it all the time and love all of its features including its connectivity features......a great watch really. 10/10 for me. I can highly recommend this sports watch.

Working great,but was out of juice when purchased so thought it was dead but when I charged over night with my dash charger it turned on and working very well from than onwards.

Le commentaire est tardif et intervient après plus de 18 mois d'utilisation. Cette montre accompagne mon quotidien tant au travail que dans mes activités sportives. Je ne l'ai jamais prise en défaut. Bref, cette montre peut devenir aussi bien un partenaire du quotidien que coach pour vous aider à progresser . Trail, (ca fonction première), Kayak, randonnée et voile, tout y est passé. En bonus une durée de charge peut excéder les 10 jours et une interface logicielle en adéquation.L'investissement est important mais le rapport qualité, performances et prix sont au rendez-vous.