Features:

  • Premium multisport GPS watch with Elevate wrist heart rate technology. Physical size- 1.8 x 1.8 x 0.6 inches. QuickFit watch band compatible-included (22 mm)
  • Fit for adventure with rugged design that features stainless steel bezel, buttons and rear case. Display type : sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)
  • Put key stats at your fingertips with the performance widget that shows the effects and progress of your workouts. Case material : Fiber-reinforced polymer with stainless steel rear cover
  • Connected features include smart notifications, automatic uploads to Garmin Connect online fitness community and personalization through free watch faces and apps from our Connect IQ store.Display size: 1.2" (240 x 240)
  • Outdoor sensors, including GPS and GLONASS satellite reception and 3-axis compass with gyroscope and barometric altimeter
This watch is awesome!

The watch quality is amazing. I had the lower tier vivosmart 3 and upgraded to the Fenix 5x. Talk about leaps and bound difference. Navigation of the device is clearly stated in the manual. Very easy to use. Syncing to the garmin app originally was slow, but it went through. This item is fast, responsive and tough. Loads of data to track progress of cardio, weights and other activities. Battery life is great. Still going strong on 46%. Best fitness accessory investment I made. Do yourself a favor, get this watch.

Fantastic Watch with Great Features.

Over the years I've owned other Garmin, Suunto, Seiko, and Casio (G shock) watches and was looking for a fitness tracker/everyday watch. I did a bunch of research and was a little reluctant to buy the Fenix 5 due to the price and some reviews saying that it was heavy and too big for an "average/normal" wrist. Just so happened a friend of mine had a Fenix 3 and I asked to see it and tried it on. I immediately noticed how lightweight and comfortable the watch felt. It was then I decided to pull the trigger on the Fenix 5. I went to a local store and tried all 3 sizes. I initially thought the 5s would be great due to the smaller size but the silver ring around the watchface and smaller size did not appeal to me. I decided to go with the regular Fenix 5 size. I did not need the maps feature on the 5x and didn't want the larger watchface. I have just over an 8 inch wrist and although the 5x could fit on my wrist, I felt the 5 looked better on me. I went with the black since it looks better IMHO and sapphire since I know I can be hard on watches sometimes. As for the features, the watch has a ton, more than what I would use. The fitness tracking functions are great and being able to customize the watch face to see what information I want to display is great. It was fairly accurate in tracking my heart rate during workouts. I do interval training so it's difficult to use just any one activity function (ie indoor treadmill, running etc) to track a full workout. Used it on a hike and it accurately tracked distance and trail points. The golf function was great and accurate as well. All were easy to use. Battery life is great, I set the GPS to turn on only when using certain apps and I can go a couple of weeks without charging it unless I'm golfing/hiking a few times that week. If not, then it's about 2-3 workouts a week and the battery lasts. Minor complaints for me would be that the sleep tracker isn't that accurate, apparently I get more sleep than I know I do. Maybe since my heat rate slows a lot when watching tv before bed. Steps can sometimes be off. For example I did yard work/cleaning and ended up doing a lot of sweeping. My steps were off for that day. I'm not a hardcore step tracker so it doesn't bother me. Overall I'm extremely glad I purchased this watch and I never take it, except to wipe it down after a workout.

Sexy Technology

At first, I felt overwhelmed that I spent this much money on this. The first couple of days were spent feeling guilty and ashamed, but man I love this thing. I have the white, champagne sapphire 5s. I am uploading a photo for any women out there interested in this. I have tiny hands and a tiny wrist so you can get an idea how it looks on the smallest of wrists. This version comes with the gray suede and the white strap so don't buy the additional strap that it says "frequently bought with" The battery life is amazing. I charged it 2 days ago, ran twice since then and I'm at 76% The champagne worried me because I was afraid it would look too much like yellow gold since I'm a white gold and sterling silver person. It's not gold at all. it's very subtle. The white is very feminine and pretty. I am glad I didn't go with the black. 2 more runs and a hike and I'm now at 52%. Love the battery life.

Make Every Workout Count!

Certified refurbished is the way to go! This is the second smart watch I bought refurbished from Amazon and have had no issues or would have known it’s refurbished. This watch is amazing! I have been wearing it 24/7 for a few months. I have been using Polar watches (V800) for the last 9 years and never want to go back after using the Garmin fenix 5x. The metrics are ridiculously better. I have been able to run faster and longer by tracking cadence and looking at post run results. This is also a great looking watch with easy quick connect wrist band capabilities. You can use your old polar chest strap with the fenix 5x but the fenix 3 will not work with polar chest straps. Treat yourself.

Watch Abuser

Love this watch. I've had it for several months now and have worn it daily, including sleeping with it and sometimes in the shower after a workout. The features have been described to death in other good reviews, but here's my take on a few of my favorite/useful features: * Waterproof - don't have to worry about wet or depth * Durable - I don't go easy on my stuff and this is no exception. I mostly work at an office, but in my spare time I do lots of good labor such as chainsaw and tractor work, yard work, water rescues after hurricanes, lots of bouncing and banging around. There is a bit of sign of wear on an edge or two, but the glass is so far un-phased by my abuse. The included rubber band is very durable and comfortable, hasn't stretched at all. * Classy - I wear this watch with holey shorts and t-shirts as well as daily to the office in slacks and button downs. Thinner than the previous model, my shirt cuff can go over the face with relative ease. * Battery Life - Very good, have to charge only every couple of weeks, even when using GPS a good amount (running) . Charges fast. * Running - Accurately and consistently measures heart rate, distance, exertion, etc. Accurately beeps at every mile I run. So nice to be able to do an accurate out and back, such as when I want to run 4 miles, just turn around at the second vibration. It tracks your exercise and pits you against other comparable athletes through their online portal. This really appeals to my very competitive side, overdoing it trying to beat some random Garmin user on the other side of the world by the end of the week * General movement - this thing will tell you to get up and move if you've been sitting too long and then when you do, it praises you for clearing the Move Bar * Sleeping - Accurately measures sleep patterns, including as soon as I fall asleep, when I momentarily wake up in the middle of the night, when I fall back asleep and wake up the next morning. * Ability to change the watch face - I downloaded the face that works with my eyesight (think larger time numbers) and key info that I want to see. I don't see any con's, other than it takes some time to become familiar with the features and how to get to them when you need them. Great watch.

Amazing watch!

This is the second Garmin Fēnix 5X I have had. The first one was loaned to me by my company for work purposes, then after a few months of using it I had to turn it back in. By that point I was so hooked on the fitness, mapping, and smart watch cpapbilities I couldn’t imagine not having something like it. I looked at several different watches but couldn’t find any with the fitness and mapping capabilities this one has so I bought a certified refurbished Fēnix 5X to cut the cost down a little bit. For fitness I don’t believe there is another watch out there that can touch what Garmin has in their Fēnix series. I have apps and widgets for everything I normally do in the gym, on the track, on trails, on bikes, and so much more. I love the constant tracking of my heart rate, my sleep, my steps, and my calories. It’s especially helpful that I can link the Garmin Connect app to other fitness and diet apps on my phone so I can get a complete picture of what my fitness looks like all day long. The mapping functions on the Fēnix 5X is, hands down, the best there is in a smart watch. I’m still trying to learn all of its capabilities. I can say I’ve navigated with the watch, I’ve geocached with the watch, and I’ve been able to communicate my location in relation to another point with my watch. I can’t wait to continue figuring out what other amazing things I can do with the maps! It would be nice if there were better instructions on the website somewhere to help figure out how to use certain features a little faster than just playing with it, though. Te battery life on this thing is phenomenal! My wife has an Apple Watch and my daughter has a Fossil smart watch. They both end up charging their watches every day or two at the most. When I’m not using the mapping features, I can get almost two weeks out of the battery before I have to charge it again. When I am using the mapping features, or if I am using the fitness features more than my normal hour a day, the battery life is obviously shorter, but even then I can go about a week before recharging. The smart features of the watch are really it’s only weakness. When I change my watch face or if I have to restart my phone it tends to disconnect from my phone. In order to get it to reconnect I’ve found I have to turn off and back on the noticifactions on the watch and in the Garmin Connect app before the watch will start showing notifications again. It would also be nice to have a touch screen to save some of the button pushing, but I can live without that as long as I get to keep my battery life.

Solid performer!!

I have been using Garmin for several years now to track my running (road and Trail), cycling (road and mtb) and swimming (pool and open water). I debated long and hard about going to the Fenix 5x and compared to the latest comparable Suunto products and other Garmin products (935), but in the end decided to stay with Garmin and the Fenix. I’ve had the forerunner 310 and 920 and found them solid and reliable. The only real issues I’ve had were operator created issues...if Garmin could just read my mind that would be great so tracking could start when I forget. 1 week into using the Fenix and I really am impressed with the Fenix. I’ve had it outside running, on the treadmill, in the pool and tracking my indoor bike training sessions...there has been a slight learning curve, but I have been able to jump right in and use the Fenix and it has performed flawlessly. One of the benefits of getting the Fenix 5x a year after its launch is that many of the bugs and issues I saw others report seem to be worked out. GPS picks up incredibly fast and tracking has been accurate. It is heavier than my 920 which I’m adapting to. I was also worried about the screen resolution, but so far I have found it clear and easy to read. I have used some screen faces and custom fields that were too small for me to see comfortably, but I just switch to something more friendly to my eye sight. I will likely provide another update after using the Fenix 5x for the next few months of a busy race (run and Tri) season.

Pricey, Sexy, Full of options. But Do Your Research.

What can this watch not do?! I bought it as a gift for my husband (who was appalled at the expense, to be honest) for our major anniversary. He has taken to working out again and I wanted to support that with a superb heart rate device that also had a rowing and running option. When I saw the GPS feature I knew it would make a superb option for those emergency situations...I also was looking for a HR device that had a metal band since the silicone ones give him a rash. Add on the tough sapphire option and I was sold. Yes, it's BIG. I tried like hell to understand the different options of Garmins but it was just ridiculous. Could I put the metal band on a less expensive model? Dunno. Does this fancy one come in a smaller case? Dunno. So I defaulted for the option that had all the features and the band and called it a day. He LOVES it. Loves the data it kicks out, loves the battery length, loves the band options. And, if sent to Hurricane Harvey, will love the GPS option to aid in getting around an unknown area without a lot of street signs left. Is the watch worth the price? If it wasn't for the anniv date pending I would have waited a year to see if the price dropped. Is the warranty really brief for such an expensive item? Hell, yes. Ridiculously so. That is my only negative. Will I try to get an add-on warranty if I can? Yep. This is NOT the item for someone who just goofs around with working out and heart rate info. Any manufacturer will meet that intro-level need. But if you are looking for detailed data as well as SHTF compass. alt. gps data this is the one.

Buyer's remorse until I put it on.

I upgraded from Garmin's FR 735xt and although I really liked the Forerunner I'm am absolutely in love with the Fenix 5. It truly is a daily workhorse: I never miss a call, text, email, etc...but I REALLY like getting an alert that my Amazon package was delivered. ; ) I chose the Fenix 5 because it wasn't as big as the 5X. Being smaller boned I thought the 5X would look funny on me. And I liked the more rugged looks of the 5 over the smaller 5S. I bit the bullet and spent a little more for the 5 that came with the metal band and I'm so glad I did. I can wear it on formal occasions or even not so formal. The Slate Gray Fenix 5 and metal band looks so clean together...so SEXY over the solid black, in my opinion. And when it's time to work out it takes only seconds to switch to the black silicone band that came with it. I also read that the Sapphire edition comes with built in WiFi while the non-Sapphire didn't, which is why I went with Sapphire. Also, because it would be tougher to scratch. I am training for my second marathon and I can't wait to be able to use it to it's full potential.

A Pebble Owner's Perspective

This is generally a watch designed for the uber-sports guy/girl, but I'm not. I do some open-water swimming and general workouts, but I'm no triathalon guy running 20 miles with sensors all over my body. I'm pretty much a lazy bum who sits in front of a computer all day. So why the fenix?? Well, my last watch was a pebble steel. This is truly the closest comparison. I've been through several, most recently the fitbit ionic (which I returned after a week). Here are the priorities: 1. Always On. Sorry apple watch people and ionics, etc... If I've got a kid on one hip and a bag of groceries in the other, I don't want to be doing some weird flex/gyrate to get my hand in the right position to see the time. I want to glance down at my wrist that's already facing me and see the time. You'd think this isn't a big deal, but next time you look at your watch,bring it up level, close your eyes then roll it towards yourself and open your eyes when it's facing you. It's a slight pause but that's what you get with a watch that isn't LCD. Sure, it's pretty when it's on, but seriously? I want the time or the text, period. 2. Sunlight. The Fenix/Pebble use a color LCD screen. In the sun it's even more bright and crisp. At night, it's dark, but it has a back light, just like the apple watch or fitbit ionic does, where you have to roll it towards yourself, or pick it up just right (except it's much more adjustable). Like most people, however, I don't hang out in the dark all day. When I'm out and about, I want to see the time/texts 3. Readability. The Fenix/Pebble let you read the entire text or email. I don't know why, but the ionic didn't let me see anything but the date, part of the subject and who it was from. The fenix lets you see that and then read the rest if you want. (like the pebble). 4. Connectability. The Fenix/Pebble both maintain a solid connection. With the ionic, I had terrible trouble keeping it connected. I had several others that were even worse, but cost less than $100, so I can't compare. 5. Interface. The Fenix/Pebble are button nav. This is a 2 way street, but think carefully about your life here. I happen to swim, meaning my hands are wet and that isn't good for touch screens. I go to cold places where I have gloves on, and that isn't good for touch screens. It took some getting used to, but after a week or so, I could navigate around the Fenix even faster than the pebble. It's very snappy and you can reach various items from more than one direction. Pretty cool. 6. App Store. Both the Fenix and Pebble have custom apps made by both Garmin and independent programmers. It's not nearly as large a selection of programmers, but I think it's coming up. Ionic actually uses a javascript/typescript base for it's app, so my guess is that their app-store will grow quite faster, but I think the hardware itself has some problems that a software fix isn't going to help. The Fenix has a bunch of cool gadgets that I'll never use, but it's cool to have them. If you bike or hike or do things where you need to track your GPS location and altitude and heartbeat.... the Fenix does it all. For me.... meh. Oh.... and just a note again about the #1 issue of "always on". Look at the pics I have posted. It's me at work with my hand on a keyboard. If I'm coding away like the geek I am, and I get an email, I want to glace at my wrist and see if that's something I can ignore and just move on without even stopping typing. If you're a coder, you know exactly how debilitating it is to take your hands off your keyboard to check something or even switch over from whatever app you're coding in to your email..... even if it's just a few keystrokes.... you lose your flow.

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