One To Watch | Garmin Fenix 6

One To Watch | Garmin Fenix 6

If you’re familiar with Garmin, you’ll already know their reputation for equipping some of the most hard-core sporting enthusiasts with fitness trackers that not only keep pace with their extreme adventures, but improve their performance too.

First established in 1989, the words ‘built to last’ describe both the brand and their product perfectly.

Not only are they the leading worldwide provider of navigation products, their fitness watches help us seek moments of personal best that just keep on getting better.

Introducing the Garmin Fenix 6 collection

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Released in August this year, the Garmin Fenix 6 picks up where the Fenix 5 left off; showcasing a slightly refreshed design and a few more cool features that will help you track your performance in even more detail.

Offering a variety of different models within the collection, you can choose from the following options to get exactly what you need from your smartwatch:

Fenix 6S: 42mm case, up to 9 days smartwatch battery life, available in standard or pro (pro version enables mapping, music and WiFi connectivity)
Fenix 6: 47mm case, up to 14 days smartwatch battery life, available in standard or pro (pro version enables mapping, music and WiFi connectivity)
Fenix 6X: 51mm case, up to 21 days smartwatch battery life, mapping, music and WiFi connectivity included as standard

The Fenix 6 builds on the strengths of the old Fenix 5 with some new and improved features, a slightly slimmer case, and some great battery management tools which make it a great choice for both professional athletes and amateurs alike.

To get under the skin of some of the best new updates, let’s take a look at the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro.

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The case: slimmer but just as rugged

A Garmin watch isn’t a watch that you’ll wear with a dinner jacket, but then that’s not really the idea is it?

We’re pleased that the Fenix 6 retains the signature chunky style that we’ve come to love about Garmin fitness trackers over the years.

Just by looking at it, you know it’s going to withstand some pretty serious challenges; and the battery life is going to be great too.

Showing off a cool, outdoorsy vibe and an exceptional build quality, everything about the Fenix 6 just feels right.

It might be just a tiny bit slimmer than the Fenix 5 (1.1mm slimmer to be exact), but it weighs 7g less which, when you’re trying to push your performance to the limit, makes it feel a lot less cumbersome on the wrist.

The screen: bigger means better

With a display that’s 18% bigger than previous Fenix models, the Fenix 6 is perfect for those who want to see as much data as they can with just a glance.

The bigger screen and upgraded resolution not only makes the information much clearer and easier to read, but it gives you greater control over the customisable fields, letting you personalise your data better to help you meet your goals.

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Whilst there’s no touchscreen functionality, this is actually a huge bonus when it come to having a smartwatch capable of withstanding all the knocks and bumps of a serious outdoor adventure. And we found that all the functions are very easy to control with the responsive button commands.

The features: more powerful performance

The sheer wealth of information that this watch can provide is where the Garmin Fenix 6 really excels.

Showcasing some really cool features such as the PacePro technology (a first-of-its-kind feature which helps keep to your target pace with grade-adjusted guidance which you’ll see in real time as you run a course), ClimbPro, and turn-by-turn navigation, the Fenix 6 will leave you with no excuses for not smashing all your personal bests.

Great new additions to the features include the introduction of widgets, which allow you to group your data into manageable segments. This will make it much easier for you to get to your most important data such as heart rate, step count, notifications and music controls.

But the multi-sport tracking is where the Fenix 6 truly shines.

Designed for every kind of adventure, not only do you have pre-loaded ski maps for over 2,000 resorts, and activity profiles for pretty much any sport you can think of, now you can even keep track of your heart rate underwater thanks to the improved performance of the built-in heart rate monitor.

The battery: better power management

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If you’re out on a remote trail, you’ll want to know that your watch is capable of going the distance, particularly if you’re relying on it for GPS navigation rather than just to track your stats.

The Power Management feature is a really clever addition to the Fenix 6. There are loads of options to prolong battery life, with features like Expedition Mode and Battery Saving Mode which can extend the battery life to a staggering 48 days.

You’ll also find a Power Manager Mode which will turn off some of the most power-hungry sensors depending on what you’re using the watch for.

However, the update we find most useful is having the remaining battery life displayed in time rather than as a percentage. This gives a realistic insight into how long your watch will last, and will update in real-time based on which features you’re using at the time.

Details at a glance

Guaranteed to help you push through all your sporting goals, the Garmin Fenix 6 takes multi-sport fitness trackers to a whole new level with cool new features and a rugged design that will take on any adventure you throw at it.

  • Ember orange silicon watch strap

  • 47mm titanium case with 100m water resistance

  • Muli-GNSS satellite navigation

  • Wrist-based heart rate and Pulse Ox2 monitors

  • Preloaded multi-sport activity profiles

  • Maps for over 41,000 golf course and 2,000 ski slopes

  • Store up to 2,000 or stream music through multiple apps

  • Garmin contactless payment

  • Custom watch faces

  • Smart notifications

  • Battery life: Smartwatch: up to 14 days, GPS: up to 36 hours, GPS and music: up to 10 hours, Expedition GPS mode: up to 28 days, Battery saver watch mode: up to 48 days

A collection which will appeal to those who consider sport and challenging outdoor adventures to be a part of their everyday life, the Fenix 6 collection starts from just £700 or £52.50 per month with interest free credit.

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Our Verdict

 Things We Like

✔ The high-performance heart rate monitor

✔ Super-fast GPS connectivity

✔ All the smartwatch features you would expect, such as music, notifications, contactless payment and custom faces

Perfect For

✔ Those who are serious about sport and fitness

✔ Those who want to measure their cycling and running performance in ways that will help them improve

✔ Those who want more than just a smartwatch


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