fēnix® 8 Solar, Sapphire, 51mm, DLC Titanium, Black/Pebble Gray

Having previously owned a Garmin I'm familiar with their limitations and glitches when it comes to navigation. I would never rely on a watch or even a full fledged navigation device without a paper map backup. But then again I'm a bit of an old, old-school guy. Most of the navigation metrics are hit and miss and to be taken with a grain of salt, however the turn by turn directions have been a real convenience as long as there's a full GPS signal. I really wish Garmin had a decent mapping application so I could create custom routes without having to export from a functional mapping app. The routes get jumbled up sometimes in the transfer process. Garmin Connect and Explore maps are Micky Mouse navigation tools and I'm not sure why a company that makes such high quality devices can't match it with the same quality software. The sleep monitoring features are as useless as any other watch or ring (based on all the reviews I've seen). The flashlight is a great feature but the best thing about Garmin is their incredible battery life. I don't think the solar gain is worth the trouble and seems like mostly hype. The bigger factor with battery life by far is the watch face selection. No comments on the athletic training functions. As a builder I put this thing through more abuse than it deserves so it has a few scratches but not on the sapphire bezel where it matters. All in all it's a really reliable, fun and expensive toy with more bells and whistles than anyone could ever figure out, much less actually use. I would never rely on it in a life and death situation, but I think that statement is a redundancy.

I’ve owned just about every fenix and tactix series. The 8 is definitely an upgrade from the 7. If you’re wondering if you should get the 9. Save your money. Unless you don’t have the 8. If you’re military, get the fenix instead. You don’t need the tactics version. The fenix will literally do what you need. Plus at least in my unit, we can’t wear smart watches for certain things. I changed out the band from one of my other garmins. Way more comfortable and worth the extra money. Trust me. Battery life is great. Charge it maybe onece a mouse depending on gps usage. Display it great. At least with my settings for the screen. I definitely recommend it though. Especially if you like to use it for tracking or workout features.

The best smartwatch in almost every category. I use it mostly for tracking sleep, running, biking and golfing and so far it has blown me away. It is extremely accurate and with very heavy usage the battery lasts for weeks. Lots of different watch face options as well as bands available, I have on a titanium band. Insanely durable and just an all around amazing watch. I personally like the MIP display since it's always on and during the day I never need to use the light, the display is plenty bright enough. On the wrist it has a very premium look with the sapphire lens and titanium bezel. Size wise It's definitely on the bigger side of watches at 51mm but with that you also get the bigger battery. It's not too heavy tho, I think it feels just right. Very easy to learn how to use, either coming from an Apple watch or something else the software is very user friendly. It's pretty pricey at around $1,199 but I believe it is well worth the investment if you are someone who takes your health and well being seriously.

By far the best sports watch I've ever owned. I migrated from a FENIX 6 Saphire that served me for 4 years and I don't regret it. I continued with the MIP option because it's more discreet and uses less battery. I wear it every day for indoor activities and on weekends for outdoor activities. The solar charging works very well, but to really have an effect you have to leave it in the sun a lot. On a day-to-day basis it doesn't make any difference, but perhaps on a longer walk, where you can put it in the sun to charge, on top of your backpack, it might make a difference. The changes are subtle, but they are noticeable on a daily basis, the screen settings via the app, the touchscreen working very well, are easy to adapt to. A friend once told me that it's easy to adapt to better quality, and it's true. I see a lot of people talk about the price, but unfortunately there's no such thing as good, beautiful and cheap. It's not cheap, but it's very beautiful and not just good, it's excellent. It's well worth buying.

Really like the larger face when using it for golf. Paired with the Garmin Z30 range finder and the Garmin Connect App this system is the perfect Golf Caddie. Used together it automatically triangulates your distance, factors wind, elevation/slope etc and gives you the Plays Like Distance, and it will recommend a club. I haven't purchased the club sensors, but I will, because they will track and learn your distances and make precise club selections according to the conditions. It's truly amazing! The local wind conditions, including the direction is super handy, especially in the hills and forests where wind direction can't be easily determined. When playing Cart Path Only, you can shoot the Z30 laser at the pin, it locks in the precise distance and then you can leave the range finder in your cart, as it will track you with GPS and auto adjust to the pin precisely. Lastly, the Find My Range Finder, and Find my Phone features make it worth every penny! I lost a $600.00 range finder on the golf course, that won't ever happen again.

It's a Garmin, what else is there to say. Its capabilities are beyond expectations. I'm coming from an instinct 2x and epix gen 2. I got this initially for the battery life, which was amazing! There was nothing new my epic couldn't do, except for the flashlight, maps and microphone. I haven't used maps since I got my epix. And the flashlight is such a luxury but it's not worth the price in 'upgrading'. It's such a beautiful watch and you could feel the quality in weight. The band is comfortable, and the size took a bit to get adjusted. I was upgrading for the fitness capabilities, again nothing my watches couldn't do. So I think I'm gonna be returning it, and soley for the legibility in doors, I thought it would be more legible even with low light but I've found myself to have to move my arm a certain way to read it. I didnt want to have the brightness up due to the battery drainage. If it was my first garmin watch, it'd definitely be worth the price.

***1 Year Update*** Great watch but 51mm is SLIGHTLY TOO BIG Im a big guy at 6'1 220lb athletic build and it felt big - so I absolutely loved the watch itself however, it felt like I was wearing a little blocky computer on my wrist - ended up returning and going for the 47mm solar, which is an absolutely perfect size & fit. I didn't think that a few millimeters would make that big of a difference, but honestly, it does. Coming from an Instinct 2X Tactical Solar I already knew I wanted MIP display instead of OLED due to better battery life, less of a phone-screen-on-my-wrist vibe... This has every bell and whistle I could ever want, I actually avoid using it like a true smartwatch ie. Turned off phone notifications and nagging etc and utilize it for logging fitness activity, weather updates for work, gps & maps for hunting/atv trails/hiking, snowboarding runs and all things lifestyle... This has become more of a tool to log my overall well-being and keep improving.

Love it

Excelente producto si te gusta cualquier deporte al aire libre, lo compré porque jubilé mi Fénix 3 HR. Sin duda es un súper reloj para los amantes de los datos físicos, salud y el deporte.

Purchased for my son who loves it, although the first one had to be sent back because it had a faulty battery sad I couldn’t give it to him for his birthday, but it didn’t take too long for a replacement

Excelente todo, vendedor serio

Muy sarisfecho con el reloj, el software corre muy rápido, buen rendimiento de la batería e interesantes nuevas as funciones

Garmin does not disappoint. I truly believe this is the best smart watch in the market for an active person. I do not notice it on my wrist. Amazing battery life. Excellent futures.