Garmin Fenix 6X Pro Review

Introduction

From the success of Fenix 5 Plus, Garmin thought of upgrading its features and came up with the new Garmin Fenix 6 Pro. With a bigger screen, greater battery life, and a better menu system, there’s no doubt that this is a sports watch for the high-intensity runners and multi-sport users. If you are considering investing into something that’s really worth every penny then you got to have the Garmin Fenix 6X Pro.

 
Fenix 6X Pro is the newest member of Garmin’s outdoor watches. This big guy is packed with amazing features that make outdoor activities a great adventure. It may be a luxury compared to standard watches, but that is for a reason. It is targeted to the high-end sportsmen and sportswomen, high-intensity multisport fanatics and plain and simple anyone who takes very seriously their workouts and needs a wealth of metrics and super accurate readings. Garmin Fenix 6X Pro specifications will blow your mind.

There are lots of things to admire about this watch like its big screen, which makes viewing topographical maps, metrics, and notification a lot easier. It’s perfect for outdoor adventures because of its battery life, which can last up to 60 hours on GPS. And don’t worry if it is running low because it has a solar-charged display to help in increasing its battery level. That is a really useful feature.

More than just a sports watch, Fenix 6 Pro is a competitive smartwatch as well. It’s very rare to find a watch that delivers a great fitness tracking system with advanced add-on features. It might not be as light as the Apple Watch or Samsung Watch, but if you prefer outdoor activities then this watch is made for you.

The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar works great in bright sunshine so if you want to really squeeze it and properly enjoy its features that is where you need to be. In regards to the solar charging battery feature in the 6X Pro Solar model, don’t expect it to be charged up just by going outside for a couple of minutes, the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro has a big battery inside that will require a few hours on a charge. If you want to take advantage of its solar charging, you will need to go on a hike to the mountains or take a long walk or run on the street on a clear sunny day. Remember, all the fun is outdoors!!

Of course, the basic features are there, like a built-in music player, interchangeable bands and works fine with iPhone or Android phones. But that’s not all, Garmin made sure that with GarminPay you can buy things you need without pulling out some cash, as easy as that!

PacePro

 
Whatever sport you’re into, this watch will turn your workouts into daily challenges with effective and efficient data to go over once you are finished. With this in mind, it has a fantastic feature called PacePro, a training tool that helps you with pacing strategy and guides you throughout the activity. You can now create a running route of your choice through the Garmin Connect app (or via the watch itself on the Pro versions), set a distance goal as well as a time in which to complete the route and the Fenix 6X Pro will automatically calculate your splits for running it. This is super cool.

But it doesn’t end there, it gets even cooler. As you run, the watch will show you your target pace at any given point but will change based on your changing pace, elevation and how fast you run compared to what was expected. You get a handy timing figure telling you how many seconds below or above you are from hitting your target time. Not only that but you also get a graphic too that shows you how much of the split you have got left to do.

We think this is an incredible function and a feature that we liked the most. As long as you put in a time that’s realistic for your fitness level you will also love it. If you want to be constantly challenged all you need to do is input ten minutes too optimistic and you will learn how far behind you are in achieving your goal. This is an amazing feature for improving your training goals fast.

Fenix 6X Pro vs Fenix 5x Plus

We already know where the inspiration of Fenix 6X Pro came from. There is a lot of improvement in some key features of Fenix 5 Plus to make the new device claim its own place well above the Fenix 5 Plus. So let’s talk about their similarities and differences using the chart below.

Features	Fenix 6 Pro	Fenix 5 Plus
Weight	82 grams	86 grams
Size	14.7 mm	15.8 mm
Screen	1.3 in	1.2 in
Resolution	260 x 260	240 x 240
Internal Memory	32 GB	16 GB
Battery Life	46 days	10 days

Activity Tracking Features

With the Garmin Fenix 6 range of sports watches, you will get a very solid and extensive selection of features targeted to the sport and fitness fans. They have migrated from both the Fenix 5X Plus and Forerunner 945.

Those top of the line features cover PulseOx, Race Time Prediction, Performance Condition, Training Effect, Aerobic Training Effect, Anaerobic Training Effect, Body Battery, heat acclimation and altitude acclimation. On top of it, there are a number of upgrades that have made it into the Fenix 6 Pro range of watches such as a race predictor and VO2 Max. As you can see, a pretty extensive toolset on top of whatever standard features you would expect from a high-end sports watch.

 

Gym and Fitness Training

This watch has an active tracking system that can monitor your gym workouts as well as your rest times. It automatically counts your reps and weight using the Garmin Connect app. Garmin Fenix 6X Pro is an amazing sports watch whether you train indoors and outdoors.

Gym and fitness training includes cardio workouts, automatic rep counting, and yoga. The basic activity tracking features of Fenix 6 Pro has a step counter, sleep monitoring, and all-day stress tracker. In addition to this, the training load helps you see how productive your workouts and how you can improve effectively.

Heart Rate Tracker

Features for heart-rate monitoring include heart-rate zones, heart-rate calories, and heart-rate alert. Tracking your heart-rate will help you know how long it will take for you to recover from your previous training session. Furthermore, it measures your stress levels instantly and helps you to find the best training that suits you.

If there is a group that should love this new watch are swimmers and triathlon athletes as the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro will now read your heart-rate on your wrist, even underwater. This is huge in our opinion and definitely a step in the right direction where we want the technology to go to but as first-generation, the precision is not as great as using a chest strap. It will be good enough for most people, worth to bear in mind for those who compete, don’t just throw away your chest straps, they are still the most accurate way to measure the heart rate.

Its 10 atm waterproof rating means that you can enjoy water sports at large and without any limitations unless you are into serious deep diving.

Garmin Coach

 
Using the Fenix 6X Pro, you get to use the training program Garmin Coach, which helps athletes who run for 5k, 10k, or half marathon achieve their goals. You can decide which training plans you prefer, the Garmin Coach will adjust based on your progress or stats like VO2 max levels and blood oxygen levels. And as for the basic features, it does a very good job monitoring and giving accurate marks for your heart rate.

GLONASS+GPS Tracker

Getting lost will never be your problem when you have this watch with you. Through the GLONASS+GPS tracking system, it can easily pick up a signal and track smaller changes in route during runs or cycles. It uses more than 24 satellites which guarantee accuracy and precision all the time.

It is definitely worth mentioning that The Fenix 6X Pro picks up GPS signal quickly (massive sound of relief as GPS linking can be tricky sometimes) because it uses so many satellites to pin down a signal. We are yet to experience any issues with it losing signal during our runs and cycles so we can confirm that the signal is robust and solid.

Incidental Fall Detection and Assistance

This additional feature from Garmin Fenix 6X Pro helps you in times of need. Accidents are unpredictable and with this watch, you can seek help just by holding the light button. After it vibrates 3 times, a signal will be automatically sent to your emergency contacts with your present location. This is a really useful feature and can literally be life-saving.

TOPO US and Ski Maps

Downloadable topographical maps help runners, cyclists, and other athletes for navigation and location tracking. It shows popular routing that enables you to enter distance with suggestions and guidance. The same principle applies to TOPO US and Ski maps feature Garmin’s highest level of topographic detail (1:24,000 scale), complete with terrain contours, searchable points of interest and turn-by-turn directions on roads and trails. This will in doubt turn your workout in the snow into a fun adventure given the fact that there are so many ski resorts worldwide.

Outdoor Recreational

If you are into golfing, Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is the best match, because it has features exclusive for this sport such as digital scorecard, auto shot, and pinpointer. For hikers, this watch offers ClimbPro ascent planner where you can find important information about your climbs, distance, and elevation. And for swimmers, it has time/distance alerts, stroke type detection, and pool swim metrics. That looks to be a pretty comprehensive and in-depth range of features that justifies the price tag. This is not a watch for the average person but one that wants to take their training and exercise to the next level.

Quality & Effectiveness

Based on looks, one thing stands out and that is how we sturdy and solid yet stylish the Fenix 6 Pro is designed. From its stainless steel case to its Sapphire glass, it oozes refinement and excellence everywhere you look at. The QuickFit silicone bands are interchangeable and you can choose from nylon, leather, metal, or even titanium for additional elegance. Long gone are the days where wearing a sports watch like this to a corporate meeting would make you stand out for the wrong reasons. You can wear this watch in any environment and you will not stand out as wearing the wrong kind of watch.

Even if it’s not a touch-screen watch, there are five physical push buttons to use for operating this device. Also, there’s a built-in screen-light toggle button on the top left that you can use if necessary. And with better resolution and a bigger screen than its predecessor, reading the maps and stats is as clear as crystal. We were really impressed by this, especially when outdoors.

Another great progress on the Fenix 6 Pro from its predecessor is its menu system. The widget view style is now available so you can see more than one category on the main menu. Thanks to its larger screen, it can display six data fields such as your heart rate, runs, distance, time, pace, and timer. This can huge when you are in the middle of an intensive workout and you struggle (or might not even have time for) to switch between screens because you can only see 3 or 4 data fields like with most sports watches. With 6 data fields, you can certainly set things up so the main ones you want to see are right there on the screen, easy to look at.

Now, there is no getting away from the fact this watch is bulky and heavy. You can’t expect this kind of high-end features to come in a slimline body. Everything in life is all about getting used to and at the end of the day you buy a watch like this for a reason. Worth bearing in mind though that if you take it off before sleep, the body battery function will not get any accurate reading and results. This is something down to personal preferences.

Battery Life and Modes

 
Whenever we want to buy a new watch or any new gadget, we always look for the one that can stay on for longest hours, days, or weeks. You would say that battery life is a pretty important factor to take into consideration. We just want to avoid the hassle of recharging as much as possible and with the Fenix 6 Pro you can conserve battery life through several modes.

One full charge, it can last up to 46 days (yes, you read correctly, 46 days!!) and when it is in smartwatch mode, you get to squeeze battery life for around 2 weeks.  We found that quite decent. However, in normal use (for what this watch was intended for) such as exercise tracking multisport metrics, etc, it works up to a week, which is quite amazing. Performance drops significantly when all the bells and whistles are running in maximum mode, it will only last you for 72 hours. That, to be honest, is pretty impressive because even the hardest ironman triathlon won’t take 72 hours to finish so however you use it, there will always be plenty of juice in the tank.

Conclusion

So the question is, should you get the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro? The answer is, definitely! If you are into serious training or exercising, that is. It’s a great multi-sport watch that offers everything you need for your tracking needs and outdoor activities. Fenix 6 Pro is a killer sports watch with a powerful set of navigational tools, fitness trackers, and let’s highlight this, an impressive battery life.

As a sports watch, Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is hard to top because the overall package is simply the best of its kind. All advanced features on this watch can be controlled with just a touch of a button. It may not be the most stylish one out in the market but the possibilities of Fenix 6 Pro are endless.