Garmin Fenix 5

Wish I knew!! – Hi. I bought a Fenix 5plus and only recently were told that some maps will not update even though new maps are available on the X versions. When I purchased the 5 Plus I was never made aware that at some point new golf maps will not update due to my watch size. If I knew I would have spend $200 more and bought the X. Show details

Excellent watch for virtually every use – Received as a gift 18 months ago. Has served as an excellent smart watch for tracking activities and statistics. Heart rate, steps, sleep for every day tracking, and more activities/sports specific tracking (both outdoor and indoor, and even gym equipment like treadmill and elliptical machines) all track pretty accurately. GPS function, while… Read more

draining the battery a lot faster, also keeps good track for outdoor activities. Synchronises well with Garmin Connect app.

Other functions, such as alerts, reading messages/emails, calls etc are handled well, but can be a bit too much - takes a little bit of effort, but using the Garmin Connect app to choose and authorise specific apps definitely helps if you tend to get too many random alerts from apps you rarely use.

Waterproof: great to keep on at all times, whether showering, at a swimming pool, or at the beach.

Battery life could be a little better, but does tend to last long enough if not used for many activities. Lighting and screen are great in most circumstances. Default watch faces are good, but downloading customised ones from the Garmin app help make use of most of the empty space if you prefer having more information on one face.

Biggest issue would have to be the user interface. Using timer/stopwatch functions requires a two-second button push, then 4-5 more button pushes.

Overall, a very good watch. Great build quality, not uncomfortable on the wrist for long periods of time, displays all the useful information you need and tracks your activity and usage well.

HR software issue - accurate.... whenever it decides to start working – Negatives: HR Sensor (Software) - Absolute GARBAGE Positives: Battery life - Great Usability - Great HR Sensor (Hardware) - Very Accurate This watch is a very expensive item and like anyone who has purchased one, I expect to get what I pay for. The HR sensor has a major issue in the HR software, it has an undetermined time lag in detecting… Read more

increased HR when exercising. I’ve researched Garmin responses to this issue and have tried all of their suggested fixes but to be honest, I don’t think there’s anything the end user can do! The HR is actually very accurate when it starts to read properly, the problem is this can literally be ANYTIME during your work out. It is very frustrating when 10 or 20 or 15 minutes into exercise your heart rate on your machine/bike (chest strap) shows HR at 150-160BPM and the watch HR is still saying 110BPM. I don’t agree with the ‘Don’ters’ that if you want accuracy use a chest strap, that’s actually the most frustrating thing, the wrist HR is actually very very accurate, it’s just when it decides to kick in during your work out. Which might be 5min in, 10min in, 25min in or 16:30min in. To me this is a major SOFTWARE ISSUE that the developers need to address immediately. From what I’ve read in reviews this issue has been ongoing for too long. Other than that the watch battery is awesome, the watch is very accurate, there are great work out personalisations you can do. Such a shame when the main purpose of the watch for, I’m assuming, most people is wanting the convenient RESPONSIVE wrist HR monitor without the inconvenience of having to put on a chest strap.

Could have been better – I had a Garmin Forerunner 235 before. It was a great watch for the price. After using it for about 2 years, though I should upgrade it with a fenix 5. I bought this watch last year from JB Hifi. I have been using it for about 3 months now. I use it for Running, Cycling, bushwalking, fitness sessions and occasional pool swimming. What I really… Read more

like about this watch:

+ The best looking Sport watch in the market (at least for my liking)

+ Quality design

+ Great battery life. I get almost 2 weeks with one charge. I am a heavy user who uses the watch to track at least one activity (1hr) per day

+ It comes with so many programmed activities that covers pretty much all sport that most people would want to track (such as running, cycling, swimming, golf, yoga, cardio, crossfit, rowing...etc)

+ Customisable

+ Overall good GPS / HR tracking

Not so good stuff:

- Bluetooth is terrible. Watch loses BT connection when the phone is about 10m away from the watch but still in the same room (really annoying). I did not have this issue with my old FR 235 which was quarter of the price of this.

- Elevation measuring is not accurate

- Heavy. It took sometime to get used to the weight of this watch.

- (Coloured) bezel could easily get cuffs

I would still recommend this watch to anyone who is looking for an all-in-one-solid-sport-tracker.

On me every minute! – Excellent watch, can't fault it. It's on my wrist for almost the entire day. Tracks just about everything. I use it mainly for ocean swims, runs, and biking. The Garmin connect app supplements the watch and is very helpful to gain crucial insights into your workout! Must buy for any sporting fanatic. Show details

Can't live without it – Great sport watch for triathlon Accurate tracking with running swimming and riding Over a week's worth of charge when not doing any activities and after 2 years still getting 12 hours of activity Show details

Built Like a Rock – I have had one of these watches for a long time and I wear in every minute of the day (except when charging) and it is a beast. Great features for day to day life, sports and best of all it has been bashed, crashed and smashed but not a scratch. I couldn't be happier. Show details

Amazing – I got this watch as Christmas present because my wife knew I was chasing it since 1 year . The size 51mm of the watch is great . It works perfectly , connect to the phone very easy . You get lots of info which makes your life easier . The 2 apps are fantastic , you can change faces so you don t get bored of it . Great watch Absolutely suggest it Show details

Faulty backlight functions – Love Garmin and I've owned several devices, but despite its great features, like built-in music etc, the backlight problems began only a couple of months in. For the price it is simply unacceptable to have no backlight at all, with the screen is barely visible during the day, let alone at night. The interface is also not as intuitive as other Garmins. From my expereience I wouldn't recommend this model. Show details

Buttons excel touch screens in wet conditions! – - fast charging and good battery life - waterproof is a huge bonus and keeps device clean - Can easily personalise everything just like an Android phone - Light weight and not too bulky for small wrists like mine - the SUP mode is great for paddling sports Show details

Perfect for Tri training – Perfect for Swimming Running Jogging Counts swimming laps Times sets and rest periods Works in open water swims Gives pace as you run Alert every 1km running Heart Rate distance Speed for Riding Keeps all your training organised on Web The Alarm is easy to set and good for every day Use. Show details

Good outdoors watch, with health benefits! – Bought this primarily for GPS functionality so have been disappointed. The Garmin etrex units I have previously purchased work straight 'out-of-the-box', not this one, had to down load 'widgets' or something to get usable grid co-ordinates for my paper maps (Australia) and even have to mentally adjust co-ordinates, depending on the map. When the… Read more

price for the watch is about AUD $1,000 that's not good enough. The maps on the fenix5X watch face are too small (for a grumpy old man (GOM) like me) and the screen maps lack any detail in remote areas, so marginaly useable. Garmin seem to have little interest in purchasers who use paper maps.

Battery life is fantastic, just did a ten day trip in remote Tassie without a re-charge, using the GPS, very successfully, daily but only from time-to-time.

The altimeter is really flaky unless you are constantly in the wild. I have to constantly re-calibtate it, even when returning to or at home! Garmin need to fix this or withdraw it.

The five buttons are pretty intuitive even for a GOM like me and reasonalby user friendly. I know you can get cheaper fitness watches, but with the steps and floors counters I have lost weight and can monitor my activity, and have that incentive to keep active. Conectivity to smart watch is an unexpected delight (ok, I didn't know!, dergh!)

Awesome – Absolutely the best ever tracks weight, heart beet, Stes ... Will be getting a 6 I would highly recommend this and syncs very nicely to my iPhone very good and worth the money Show details

New watch damaged from the box – I purchased a brand new Garmin Fenix 5 plus sapphire and when I opened the box the unit's bezel was damaged in 4 places. The unit was send back to Garmin for inspection and they informed me that the damage is cosmetic and are not covered under warranty. I paid a lot of money for a unit not charged or worn and has 4 scratches on the bezel. If… Read more

you pay that amount of money for a watch, surely it should come out of the box damage free?

I expected a lot better customer service from Garmin and really disappointed in their response.

Needless to say I will think twice in supported their products in the future.

Rgrds,

Quality Product – Fenix 5 is the premium multisport GPS watch with wrist-based heart rate, advanced fitness features and interchangeable bands you can go from workplace to workout. Whatever sport you want to track, fenix 5 has it covered, thanks to built-in activity profiles and performance metrics plus smart notifications.

Wear it every day – Easy to use, great battery life great tool for tracking fitness activity’s the gps makes running workouts easy no more driving around in the car to find distances for intervals, built well wear it every day for the past year and a half as a mechanic and it has not failed  Show details

5 s plus goes flat in 3 days max and bluetooth constantly not connecting – I've been having issues since I bought this watch a couple of months ago. The battery is supposed to last a week and I am lucky to get three day not even using it as a sports watch AT ALL. Also it regularly won't connect to bluetooth. It's apparently a known problem and Garmin will not replace for me.  Show details

5X Plus, best watch I have owned – After years of wearing Suunto Ambits I made the switch to the Garmin Fenix 5X Plus a few months ago. An expensive purchase, but well worth it. Have worn it through the mud of 2 Spartan races without a drama. Holds charge well. Quick change bands are great, I swap them often to match my outfit. I did prefer the Suunto movescount system with the calendar layout, but maybe thats because I'm used to it after using it for so many years.  Show details

good competitor to the Suunto – Overall it's very good: Advantages: - Bulky, though this depends on your wrist size - you can always go for the 5S for smaller wrists, though its battery life is lower. - Good battery life - Responsive - Accurate GPS and compass - Good customizability with downloadable "apps," widgets, and watch faces Disadvantanges - Doesn't have the… Read more

most smartwatch type features like other watches (e.g. no NFC payments), but then again if you are getting this model, you're using it more for the sporting/outdoor tracking, rather than everyday use.

- Expensive

- Heart rate monitor gets inaccurate when you're active, though this is a limitation with any watch that uses the same tech to measure heart rate.

- Hard to see indoors sometimes (easier to see in the sun)

Garmin fan for life – Love it... use it everyday. I have no complaints.Brilliant watch. Battery life 7 days+. I use for running, hiking and Mountainbiking. Heart rate, sleep and stress tracking also very insightful and seems pretty accurate. Motivated my wife to get into shape. Works well with the MyFitnessPal app she was already using.  Show details

Garmin Fenix 5 – This running watch has been used for several months, feeling: 1. The watch is relatively light and has no sense of burden; 2.GPS positioning is faster, eliminating the need for a longer mobile phone positioning time; 3. The data is more accurate and suitable for runners who have more stringent data requirements.  Show details

Garmin Fenix 5x – Bought this watch in June and am very happy with my purchase. Has very good battery life and the functions are useful for my everyday life. I would highly recommend this watch despite its high price compared to other watch models. It looks slightly bulky if your wrist size is small but its still worth it if your not too fussed on the size.  Show details

In love still! – Best watch yet, dress it up or down so it never has to come off! Always up to date, tracking of location and back tracking when on trails is super handy (several times!) sometimes the gps takes a while to kick in starting a run but usually this is due to high cloud cover. Can’t fault the watch at all!  Show details

Love love love – I adore the Fenix 5s. I love the step counter, the GPS, the heart rate monitor and the Connect app. It's got everything, it works really well and I find it really motivating to beat my step goal every day. Not only is the function great, the form is beautiful. I have the white one and it's very elegant. It looks like a watch, not a big chunky thing like the Forerunner.  Show details

Screen cracked in 9 days – Bought a Fenix 5, had it for 9 days, quite excited about using it for various walks, day 9, I really hadn’t used the watch for anything I intended for, I was simple giving a friend of mine a tour of the watch verbally, while I was doing this the screen crack on its own, he witnessed it! I returned it to the place purchased, they contacted Garmin,… Read more

Garmin’s reply is that it was physical damage and that it was not covered by warranty, they came up with this conclusion by looking at the photos of the crack and not the watch!

I tried several times to communicate what had happened but they really where uninterested at customer service, they where also uninterested in other cases like this, I found in various forum, every time the person frustrated with customer service and basically treated like they where making up the story.

They did offer me a refurbished watch tho for $187, how generous after paying full price 9 days before!

NEVER AGAIN GARMIN !

best item I have purchased in a long time – Have had for 7 months now, puchased it for few features & has so many more features that I dont even use. Had never owned a fitness device like this before & is making me do a lot more walking, improving golf. Puchased Sapphire version & looks as good as the day I brought it. absolutely love it!!!!!!!  Show details

Best birthday present ever!! – Having been a long time garmin user (athlete) Ive considered a watch in the past - but wasn't sure i would get a lot out of it. I received it for my birthday and haven't taken it off since. accurate for measuring sleep data (as an athlete that information is essential for me) I can also track) my training, racing and it connects to my power meter… Read more

and heart rate monitor (it does have one built in also and it is failry accurate i must admit). Find it really user friendly and you can alter and adjust the screens easily enough too. Have connected it to my phone so i can see messages on it which is better when Im out training than having to pull my phone out.

The best Fitness Watch / buddy/ motivator ever!!! – Fenix 5X has everything you need to monitor your fitness. The wrist HR makes it easy to monitor your well being and progress. The software is unique, Sleep tracker, Fitness level, Work out minutes, trainings plans, running plans, compass, barometer, GPS maps, Car location, email notification, challenges, weight tracker ... this watch has… Read more

everything!

I bought this watch because of the Sapphire Glass, no scratches after half a year. 100 % waterproof. There are so many watch faces available for download, it gets too difficult to decide which one to choose.

The battery lasts up to 10 days, the watch interacts perfectly with my IPhone 8, no connection or internet issues.

I love my watch, it is worth every cent I paid for it. (Around AUD 900.—)