16.3.2017

I sold my Fenix 5 a while back and moved to the Fenix 5X. Don't make the same mistake! Brilliant watch let down by an exceptionally temperamental connector. I've had to buy more cables as the last one "wore" out after 3 months and wouldn't even charge, let alone sync via USB. I wish I'd stayed with the Garmin 5 now.Update - Software version 3.3Prior to version 3.3 of the software a 3rd of the map view screen shows how far you have to go and couldn't be disabled - which wasted valuable screen space and meant you could see less of where you need to go.Now you can disable that data field and see just the map.To do so go to Settings > Navigation > Map > Data FieldI'm delighted Garmin have madethis change!Update after two weeks of frequent useAs someone who uses the watch for hiking and doesn't use any of the smartwatch facilities or link it to my phone - here is how I feel after a week.*** Major Benefits vs Fenix 3 ***1) None*** Minor Benefits vs Fenix 3 ***1) Slightly smaller2) Screen very slightly better ( whiter background gives better contrast )3) Comfortable to wear - possibly due to the size being smaller, its slightly more comfortable than the Fenix 3. Also the new strap is softer and more flexible.4) Good battery life - a fraction better than the Fenix 3 even when using the optical HRM.*** Same vs Fenix 3 ***1) GPS works as well on both - which is to say it works well*** Worse on Fenix 5 vs Fenix 3 ***1) Navigation - Garmin now fill the map screen with turn by turn data that is just not relevant in the middle of an open moor - the map and the track I need to follow is what I use - and now I can see less of this. Also when navigating a course the triangle showing where you are appears in the middle of the map display - which is great for seeing where you've been but bad for seeing where you need to go. The the Fenix 3 it appeared nearer the bottom giving more room for the course you need to follow. I have now had a look at the Garmin Fenix 5X and this works more like the Fenix 3 with the current location triangle being nearer the bottom.2) Grade data field : No longer shows valid value on Fenix 5. Works fine on Fenix 3. I've downloaded a new data field from Garmin Connect - this one works but doesn't use the barometer for elevation measurement just the GPS.3) Some odd accuracy issues with elevation gain. Normal elevation on the hike I did today is 650 meters. Which the Fenix 5 reported correctly - give or take - for a few days. But today it reported 775 meters elevation gain. Very weird! Might be a one off.4) Occasional disconnects when the watch is plugged in to my computer ( Apple MacBook Pro ).On the Fenix 5 this only happens very occasionally, most of the time its fine. I also now have a Fenix 5X and that has USB issues all the time - all it takes is a very, very slight movement of the USB connector in the watch and it disconnects. No movement and it can stay connected for over an hour, as it did on a recent map update. Comparing the backs of the Fenix 5 vs 5X the 5X has the socket for the USB slightly deeper embedded and I think its just deep enough to cause poor connections if there is any movement. The shallower Fenix 5 socket helps ensure a better connection. Neither are as good as the Fenix 3 connector which was rock solid in my experience.*** What doesn't work well on Fenix 5 Generally ***1) Wrist heart rate monitoring! At least not for my wrists ( everyone is different so may work for you ).It can be accurate(ish) at times. But then at many other times its wildly inaccurate - easily 40 beats wrong. Looking back at the graphs of my 5 hikes recently with the Fenix 5 it sometimes shows a high heart rate on the flat and a low one going up a steep hill! But then at other times it shows things more accurately.You can't really rely on it. However it has been cold and perhaps I have few blood vessels in my wrists. In warmer weather or on someone different it may work well.Scosche - RHYTHM+ - Heart rate sensor I use on my arm works brilliantly - wrist based ones I find very hit and miss. This Garmin is not the worst I've used but its not the best either.If you have found wrist based optical HRMs to really work well for you then I suspect the Fenix 5 HRM will work for you. If you've had problems in the past with wrist based optical HRM then the Fenix 5 will be no better. I have actually now disabled the optical sensor and will try again in the summer when its warmer.My personal recommendations if you plan to use the watch for hiking are:1. If you have a Fenix 3 ( non HRM ) stick with that and save yourself some money. Or wait for the Fenix 5X with maps which if they work could be a real benefit2. If you have the Fenix 3 HRM and the HRM works well then the Fenix 5 will work well and with a smaller sensor bump - so more comfortable. So might be worth upgrading for comfort reasons3. If you have no hiking watch then the Fenix 3 works well and will be cheaper. But the Fenix 5 works well too - except HRM - but more expensive********************************* Original Review ********************I've been using a Garmin Fenix 3 for some time now while hiking and at the gym.I was tempted by the Fenix 5 due to:1) Smaller size2) Wrist based optical heart rate3) Higher resolution screenOn receiving the Fenix 5 I had 3 main concerns:1) Will it be buggy? ( new Garmin stuff often is )2) How accurate will the optical heart rate monitoring be?3) How accurate will the GPS be?I've only had the device two days but will update once I've had more use.But so far in terms of (1) bugs - its been relatively stable. A few freezes which required a restart but only happened twice. Once was during initial set up when I plugged it in to my computer. The second occurred as it was asking me did I want to install the new update.The 3rd bug I only noticed on my second hike. I had changed my System / Data Recording setting from "Smart" to "Every Second". This is the setting I used my Fenix 3. With that setting changed I discovered that the grade data field stopped being accurate. In fact frequently it reported my grade as zero regardless of the hill steepness. I tried changing it back to "Smart" recording and the grade started to work again temporarily but then reverts back to inaccurate figures. Its safe to say the Grade data is broken.So if the grade data field is of interest to you stick with "Smart" data recording level until Garmin fix the bug.4th oddity is some weird accuracy issues with elevation gain. Normal elevation gain on the hike I did today is 650 meters. Which the Fenix 5 reported correctly - give or take - for a few days. But today it reported 775 meters elevation gain. Very weird!I probably need to do a total reset of the watch to get it working again.Otherwise so far so good.In terms of 2 - optical HRM accuracy.I did a comparison between the optical HRM and my Fenix 3 connected to a chest strap - the gold standard for consumer heart rate measuring accuracy.First I wore both round the house for just over an hour while I did daily chores, sat and read, lied down and generally went about my day.I've attached a picture - its the one that has the scale at the bottom going up to one hour.In all graphs green is the Garmin Fenix 5 optical HRM. Red is Fenix 3 attached to chest strap.In terms of accuracy it was acceptable but not amazing. Some weird spikes and dips but also lots of times when its reasonably accurate.Summary results:Optical: Average heart rate 66 bpm, minimum 37 bpm, maximum 124 bpmStrap: Average 62bpm, minimum 46 bpm, maximum 105 bpmThen I did a short burst on an indoor bike.This is the graph with a hump towards the end of the time.This was pretty close:Optical : Avg 128 bpm, Min 98 bpm, Max 155 bpmStrap : Avg 124 bpm, Min 73 bpm, Max 155 bpmNext I did a test on an indoor rower. That's the graph where the green ( optical ) takes 2 minutes before spotting I'm exercising - so its around 73bpm for 2 mins before rising to reflect the true value. I did almost give up on this one as the the optical was so far out - but suddenly after two minutes of being out by easily 70bpm the optical suddenly picked up the activity and from then on reflected actual heart rate.Optical : avg 110bpm, min 62 bpm, max 154 bpm.Strap : avg 126bpm, min 70 bpm, max 152 bpm.Final test was walking the dog. This also allowed me to test GPS. I did some jogging in the middle to test out if it could spot heart rate changes. I also did another more rapid jog later on when a guy with a vicious dog he could barely control appeared!Optical : avg 116 bpm, min 74 bpm, max 151 bpmStrap : avg 107 bpm, min 84 bpm, max 150 bpmIn terms of the GPS I would say there was nothing in it - Fenix 3 and Fenix 5 were no more or less accurate. Sometimes the Fenix 3 was more correct, sometimes the Fenix 5. Both did fine with no issues as far as GPS goes.Day two I did a 10 mile hike on Dartmoor taking 3 hours.In terms of GPS there is no obvious difference between the two watches. No times where one appears to be disastrously wrong and the other spot on.In terms of heart rate:Optical : avg 105 bpm, min 56 bpm, max 161 bpmStrap : avg 106 bpm, min 68 bpm, max 168 bpmLooking at the numbers it seems they are pretty close - and often the readings are similar.But what it doesn't show is some seriously far out readings the Fenix 5's optical HRM is prone to.In image 5 ( unless Amazon change the order ) it shows a graph when after 30 minutes I went straight up a 45% gradient which only lasts for about 5 minutes but its pretty punishing on the heart and lungs!The green line of the Fenix 5 optical hrm suggests I sprinted up the hill like a gazelle on steriods, barely breaking in to a sweat.Sadly the red line of the chest strap more accurately shows I was sweating like a pig, busting a lung, heart pumping big time.I remember looking at the Fenix 5 and it showed activity level as the sweat poured down my red face as "easy".It took the Fenix 5 4 minutes to catch up with the strap's accuracy.In the final image this is from me 2 hours later going downhill. Again for some odd reason the optical HRM drops to 20 beats lower than the strap for about 5 minutes.The Fenix 5 can be reasonably accurate - but then has times - which can last for minutes - where it goes off on one and becomes wildly inaccurate!Still I think this is the nature of wrist based optical HRM. The wrist is a terrible place for accuracy and no optical HRM is ever going to completely solve this.For accuracy it has to be the chest strap ( or Scosche - RHYTHM+ arm based optical heart rate monitor which is almost as good as a strap )In summary:Screen differences - minimal in terms of resolution - I really can't tell any difference between the new higher resolution Fenix 5 and the old Fenix 3. However I did notice the Fenix 5's "white" background is whiter than the Fenix 3 - which is a slight grey/brown off white. This results in better screen contrast on the Fenix 5 and therefore readability, especially in lower light.Battery life: I did a 3 hour hike with the Fenix 3 and Fenix 5. Both were charged to 100% last night. By the end of the hike the Fenix 5 reported 81% battery left. The Fenix 3 77%. The Fenix 3 is 9 months old approx and batteries do deteriorate over time. But it looks like even with the optical HRM operating the Fenix 5 battery life is as good or perhaps better than the Fenix 3.Bugs - touch wood so far few and far between. I hope Garmin keep it that way - I'd rather wait longer for newer features and have reliability then bags of new features rushed through resulting in bugs. The worst bug is the grade errors - which I hope they fix soon as its a data field I often look at.Size - yes the Fenix 5 is smaller - and the 5S much smaller still. The Fenix 5 definitely feels smaller on the wrist and I find long sleeve tops with narrow arm openings now fit better over my watch. With the Fenix 3 there were some tops I had to put the watch on top of as they wouldn't fit under.Optical heart rate monitoring? A mixed bag. Often its acceptably accurate - but has moments of crazy inaccuracy!I use the Scosche - RHYTHM+ arm based optical heart rate monitor most of the time when exercising and having compared that to a chest strap found it to be accurate enough to use as a replacement to a strap.In comparison I would definitely not say the Fenix 5's optical hrm is a good replacement for a chest strap - it has a few too many wild readings.But for situations where accuracy is not essential its actually perfectly acceptable. Better than some other wrist based optical HRM's I have tried - and I have tried quite a few.However you may find the optical HRM works better ( or worse! ) for you. Optical HRM on the wrist is very dependant on the person wearing it, what activity they are doing and outside temperature. I've found cold hands/arms does seem to reduce accuracy. It'll be interesting to see how it performs when its warmer outside. In my tests so far its been anything from just below zero to around 8 degrees.Also the optical sensor bump on the Fenix 5 is not far from flush with the unit's back - it pokes out a little but nowhere near as much as other wrist HRM devices I've tried - especially an earlier Garmin I tried which left me in pain due to its large bump. So far the longest I've worn the Fenix 5 is 3 hours and it was never uncomfortable during that time. In fact it was very comfortable. When I got home no obvious dent from the sensor or strap. The strap also has a nice soft comfortable feel to it. Comfort-wise the Fenix 5 is definitely a bit better than the Fenix 3.Navigation - I followed a course during my hike. By and large this worked the same as the Fenix 3 but with one important downside. When viewing the "map" screen on the Fenix 3 your see just the map ( well your pre-plotted route ). With the Fenix 5 around 1/3 of the screen is taken up with turn by turn navigation. With the result less of your route shows on screen. I had to zoom out from 0.2 miles zoom to 0.5 miles scale to view the same amount of info. For me this is a major disadvantage - I don't use the turn by turn navigation - I just look at the route ahead. I did try and find if there was a way of changing this but so far not had any luck. If anyone knows please leave a comment!I've attached a screenshot of both watches following the same course with the map screen showing. Fenix 5 on left side.So over all I'm fairly happy.If you are wondering why I've given 5 stars despite the sometimes wild heart rate readings, its because the issues will be the same with any wrist based optical heart rate monitor. If you search the Internet you'll see its a terrible place to monitor heart rate optically but that's not the watches fault. I've just come to accept its a rough guide to my heart rate - sometimes a very, very rough guide!

9.2.2018

Having wanted a smart watch that could also track my activities (specifically swimming) I did a lot of research and the Fenix 5 seemed to hit the spot. It seemed expensive but my other option was the Tag Heuer so this was actually relatively cheap by comparison.I like a 'normal' size gents watch, and not keen on the current trend of massive watches that are awkward in a normal setting - this will also be my watch during office work. The 5S is recommended for women or people with small wrists, but to be honest at 42mm it's the size of a normal gents watch and not at all a womens watch, but fine to be worn by women instead of the much bigger 5 and 5X. The only issue is, it does come with a short strap,which is annoying as the watch face is a nice size (as I say perfect gents size) but I was on the last couple of holes in the strap and had to buy an aftermarket strap to get a normal sized length. They are only around £8 and actually it's nice to have different colours as the straps are so easy to remove and replace.In terms of use, this is definitely more activity watch than smart watch. For my main function which is swimming, the watch is great. It's so far recorded my sessions perfectly, getting the stroke type pretty much bang on and counting lengths perfectly. I've also used the 'tactical' mode to record some long walks and it provides really good data at the end and a very accurate GPS map of the walk. Great functions are the ability to 'track back' to your starting location if you get a little lost or if you save locations (such as where you parked) it will guide you back.Battery life is brilliant and so much better than the likes of the iWatch, however it's a pain not having wireless charging.In terms of negatives, the screen resolution was a big let down. The pictures all show really nicely rendered images of smart looking watch faces and the Garmin IQ store shows really detailed nice faces that can be downloaded to use. However in practice anything other than a simple analogue face (or digital face) will look pixelated and clumsy. The display looks like those from about 5 years ago and a very poor aspect to this watch considering it's price point. All it's competitors have really detailed screens that look the part, however if you didn't know the cost, you would think this is a cheap Chinese smart watch from the screen resolution alone.That said, the way the screen 'backlights' using reflected natural light is really impressive and makes using the watch when outdoors or under artificial light fairly easy without needing to activate the backlight.Overall, if you want a brilliant activity tracker with great functionality (especially for swimming), this is definitely the watch for you. If you want a top notch smart watch to show off a fancy screen and use as a substitute to your phone, then I would go elsewhere.

7.8.2018

I upgraded from a FR230 to the Fenix 5, mainly for aesthetic purposes. This is a lovely looking watch with a real solid feel to it and I really like the design. It is big, but comfortable and tracks so many stats from so many sports that you could get lost in them!OHR seems pretty accurate (to within 2 beats of a proper ECG) for me at least and the sleep tracking and all day stress widgets are quite interesting to look at.Step count, distance and calories burned all seem fairly consistent with my expectations from historical data.GPS appears fairly accurate compared to previous devices, although a few activities have come up a bit shorter than I was expecting (less than 1% discrepancy)

5.6.2019

I bought this watch primarily because I have started running regularly and with specific goals in mind again. The Galaxy Watch I have was causing me some irritation with the inaccuracy of the GPS tracking, losing a hundred or more metres from a 6km route.For a start, as a smart watch there are plenty with better/more features, but then primarily as a fitness device the Fenix 5 is far superior. The GPS setting now includes "Galileo", which is noticeably more accurate than GPS alone, or GPS with GLONASS when looking at the track of my route. The few routes I've done so far have all been distance accurate compared with what I know them to be. It also automatically detected my heart rate monitor chest strap (a MyZone strap)

13.1.2018

Hi All,This is my first fenix watch but I’ve been using garmin watches for years so I have high hopes for this.First impression is it’s a beautiful watch to wear, it doesn’t just look nice, it’s very comfortable.The screen on my vivo active was small, great for runs, not so great for smart notifications, no such issue with the fenix, the screen is perfect size.Next is the activities it can track, for me it’s perfect, snowboarding, climbing, you name it it’s on there, the only thing that’s missing is skydiving but there is time yet.I have read reviews about the strap being sharp and cheap, at the end of the day it’s going to get sweaty so personally I think it’s fine,

2.2.2019

So this is my second Garmin sports watch. First was the Forerunner 205 (going back a bit). Previously had a Polar V800.I bought this watch earlier in the week for £349 off amazon and notice the price has jumped back up again. Same happened for the Fenix 5 Plus. Was £449 and back up to £550. Was going to go for the 5 Plus but as I noticed the price hike, that put me off so went for the 5. After all, only seem to be a few minor differences between models and wasnt fussed about spotify etc.The build quality of the watch to me seems to be solid so far. Hasn't had any real tests yet so I will be back in 12 months time to update review. In comparison, my Polar V800, I had to change straps twice in 4 years of ownership,

30.7.2019

I have had Garmin sport watches in the past but I switched to the Galaxy watch recently as I wanted something that looked more like a watch instead of it looking like a fitness tracker. I decided to take the plunge with the Fenix 5 because it looks like a watch! After a ton of research, I decided on the Fenix 5. The 5S is too small for me and 5X was too big for my wrist. I considered the 5 Plus range but the only real benefit is on-board maps and the only time I use maps is when cycling and for that I use a Garmin Edge 810 cycling computer.I considered the Sapphire version but to be fair, the only benefit is an extra strap in the box and the lense itself. Inside,

21.9.2018

I bought this watch because of the incredibly long battery life in GPS mode (24h). As an ultramarathon runner, I need a watch which can last at least 12 and ideally 24 hours in GPS mode and the Fenix 5 is that watch! I considered the Fenix 5 plus, but it turns out that this newer edition of the watch actually has a shorter battery life, so I decided to stick with the original Fenix 5. I wear the watch everyday as a fitness tracker. It tracks your daily steps, heart-rate and activities as well has having a handy altimeter and barometer which is very useful for those long trail runs and hikes in the hills. Furthermore, the watch looks fantastic and rugged and very smart.

5.5.2020

Anyone who has one of these watches knows it does everything you will need and more. Whether you are someone who like tracking steps to a seasoned semi-pro athlete this watch has something for you.Screen is easy to read and customise - custom faces and activity screens are excellent!Battery life is excellent - I use GPS features once a day for around 1hr 30mins and a charge last 2wks +The watch is not too big or heavy - sits comfortable on the wrist without being overbearingBuild quality is good with a mixture of toughened plastic and stainless steelLoads of accessories - straps, rear charge covers and screen tectors2 main faults as I see itOn the front - the bezel is prone to scratching way too easy so could start to look beaten up early on depending on how heavy handed you are.

20.12.2018

I have had this watch for just over 1 month now. My previous watch was the Garmin 910xt but i always wanted a Fenix as they look like a solid quality watch. And it is.I have the Carerra White one. I though the band would get dirty easily but it is still a very pristine white at the moment. THe buttons are nice to push. Very easy to find in the pool or or your run. The screen is nice and big and is very customisable. Battery life is ok-maybe once a week i charge it. I am only using the activity tracker for swims and runs as i have another garmin for the bike. I think if you were to do a lot of activities and use the GPS more you wont get as long from the battery.

28.10.2018

So I have had my Fenix 5 for over a year now, and feel its a good time to share my thoughts. I have used the watch extensively over the last 12 months, Probably more than 100 runs, road bike rides, mountain bike rides, Triathlons (London), Open Water swims, pool swims and the watch has always performed perfectly. The batter continues even after a year to last for a week. I have gone on holiday for 10 days, not taken the charger, and its almost lasted the holiday which included 4 runs and 4 swims. It fits comfortably on my fairly slim wrist (see picture). I am 5ft 9in and slim build but the watch does not look out of place. During my travels (Europe, Seychelles, Dubai, Canada, Mauritius)

30.5.2017

I've had this watch for about ten weeks now and have held off on writing a review until the novelty had worn off. I use it mainly for indoor cycling and mountain biking.In short, it's great and does everything I wanted it to do. I have to admit to having started out with a fairly exacting list of needs and sports equipment it had to be compatible with or capable of being used with before waiting about three months for it to be released. But, having looked around the busy market place for these sort of devices, trawled through user manuals and spent time looking on the forums I plumped for a device which is a more expensive solution but does come from one of the established providers.I've not been the dissapointed.

23.4.2020

I bought this after giving up on finding a smart watch that was also a good activity tracker, I tried a few.Accurate activity tracking is more important to me and this does that and it does it well.The screen isn't pretty like a Samsung Galaxy Active or an Apple Watch, it's like looking at a 30 year old Casio but it more than makes up for it with its always on display which is always easy to see even in the brightest sunlight and amazing battery lif,although the design isn't sleek I really do like the it, it looks like it means business.Like all wrist based trackers if you want an accurate picture of a gym workout weights or HIT you'll need to pair this with a chest strap,

20.4.2017

I've umed and ahhed since the launch day whether to buy the Fenix 5. Managed to get it for £410 so went for it. I'm not sure it's worth £499.99 but a £410 I could stomach it.I feel that the HRM is more accurate than the F3HR but still not as good as a chest strap but that's to be expected.Being 4mm smaller than the F3HR does make quite a big difference on the wrist and whilst it's still big it feels better and doesn't look ridiculous. I nearly went for the 5s but feel that this would be a shade too small.The user interface is much nicer than the F3 but feel upset that they didn't include Wifi. Although starting the app to upload activities isn't much of a hardship.I do find that the strap on the F5 isn't very comfortable as the buckle is quite harsh compared to the F3's.

10.7.2017

I'm writing from the perspective of a casual exerciser, not a sportman. I understand those at the top of their game have concerns about the accuracy and suitability of the wrist-based HR sensor.For my purposes - daily activity tracking, cycling and walking - the sensor suite is fine and consistent meaning I get good insight into changes in my health / performance, which was what I was after.For the 90% of my life that I'm not cycling/walking/otherwise exercising, this watch is absolutely *superb*. The watch face is large, clear and easy to read (because it's always-on), the gesture for backlight is (mostly) OK, the "smartwatch" features do a great basic job (All I really wanted was notifications on my wrist,

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