I bought Garmin 7 Pro (47mm, Sapphire Solar) two weeks ago. It has been an amazing experience so far. This is my first Garmin and already it is my fav accessory.
I just bought the Fenix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar. Amazing watch! Little overwhelming with all the features. Definitely a step up from my Venu 3. Now i don't know what to do with my Venu 3
I was going to buy the fenix 7 but found the epic gen 2 for a bargain price. £374.00. I had the 735xt for years and loved it. Bought my son the 245 and I felt I needed to upgrade. 😊
I love Garmin, have a Fenix 6s. I wish Garmin would marry the Phone capabilities with the Fenix and Forerunner. I love the look of the stainless bezel on my Fenix 6 and the running functionality of the forerunner 265 and the convenience of the phone capabilities on the Venu. Come on Garmin!! Great video!
That's an amazing way to look at it. My friend knows nothing about TV's and asked my opinion on what he should get. I said unless you buy all of them, you'll never know the difference.
I’ve gone from Apple Watch Ultra to instinct 2x . Loved the battery, sports / health metrics for garmin . Decided to sell the ultra and just grabbed a Fenix 7 pro . Pretty pumped to put it through its paces . Awesome review ! Loving the videos !
Ha! Love the trophy/crown award. I'm happy to see Suunto get some recognition. They've done well and compete with the best of them, but I feel that Suunto also looks much cleaner/sleeker than some of the other watches (* cough * Garmin) without compromising durability. All this said, I just bought the Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar for Christmas and I'm super excited!
Great video man! I just switched from a COROS Pace 2 to an Epix Pro Sapphire and am so happy with the change. It’s an incredible watch and that display is beautiful.
Moved back to sunnto from garmin. Love my vertical, cleaner and less gimmicky ( my opinion!!!). Awesome to see them back in the game. Thanks for all your great videos 🤩.
I bought the Garmin Forerunner 965 2 months ago and I think it has all the important features of the Epix (maps, music, large 1.4 inches AMOLED display) but it's lighter and more affordable. It's a win for me!
I think most improved watch would be a good catagory or brand even. But seeing suunto come out with some bangers while they have been stagnant is definitely most improved this year
Thanks, Chase! I've had my new Garmin (Epix Pro Gen 2) for a few weeks now and love it. I appreciate the videos. Mapping is indeed fantastic. Especially for hiking and snowboarding. The latter of which is surprisingly only sparsely covered on YT. Having the trail names and colors of different runs while being at the resort is awesome. Cheers all!
Garmin Fenix 7 pro Saphire for me. 18 day battery life but a week on an hour of gps a day. Accurate compared with my ultra 2. Always on display and don’t have to raise it like Amoled (I just don’t like the amoled displays). I love how you can even turn off the backlight and put on a regular watch face without data and it looks like an normal analog watch as you can even get a 22 mm leather quick fit band for going out (I have black and brown). Plus love the flashlight. I use it every day.
I, unfortunately, bought my Epix Gen 2 a couple of months before the Pro came out but still love it as I don't mind charging it every 2 or 3 days, it's features are brilliant and I love the way it looks!
Granted I'm super biased because I own it and it's my first smartwatch, but the Fenix 7 Pro takes the king for the most innovative for the simple feature of a real wrist mounted LED "torch". I use that feature every single day, I'm not even kidding around. I know it's not a new feature for Garmin watches but adding it that single feature to the Epix 2 and Fenix 7 in my opinion is one of the best things on the market. Compared to my neighbor's Apple Watch Ultra 2 "flashlight" feature (if you can call it that), the light output from my Fenix 7 Pro is significantly brighter on even the lowest setting compared to the highest setting on the Apple Ultra 2.
Great vid, Dave. I’ve been testing out an Epix gen 2 Pro for the past month, really enjoying it so far. It’s probably staying with me and not being sold. My Apple Watch Ultra has been sitting in my drawer (mostly) since I got the Epix. I still hate bringing the phone with me on runs so I’ve become a dual-watch runner. One for music and text, one for fitness metrics. I swore I’d never be “that guy” but I’ve given in. Until Apple gets fitness training metrics like Garmin, I guess I’ll have to settle for switching between the two.
Hi Dave, great video as always 🙂The most exciting release for me this year were the Forerunners 965/265. I ended up with buying 265. It's amazingly lightweight and the display is just great. I was previously using the Fenix line and oddly enough what I am missing from the Fenixes is a tiny difference in how the timer works 😃On the Forerunners it only shows you that the timer is done, while on the Epixes it shows the number of minutes or hours. As I often use multiple timers, this is so much more convenient. And also I quite like the flashlight on the Fenixes and Epixes. So I am a bit torn apart. I may decide to buy Epix next year. The amoled display is something I really like.
This channel made me switch to the Garmin brand. Since battery life for me is most important and some ruggedness I getting (it's laying under the christmastree) an instinct 2X.
thank you for your vlog! very very insightful! I still use my coros apex 46mm and as a back up the huawei gt runner which is solid. If I had to choose a watch to buy now, it would have been the Suunto Race! Season greetings from Greece!
I want a garmin epix but something i can afford/would like to spend. Mainly something with great offline gps navigation and accurate monitor sensors. Do you know any budget watch that offers that?
My favorite watch aesthetically has to be the Samsung watch6 classic. I ended up with the Foreeunner 965 though, because of all the Garmin features for my outdoor adventures.
there is a thing with Garmin, most of them are Sport watches with smartwatches functionality, I mean is a device intented for sports. So it is very important to select the one that suits your needs, in my case I am a trail and street runner, so I need something very resistant with GPS , lots and lots of battery so I got a Fenix! 🙂
Great video as always I just recently switched from a Apple Watch 2nd gen se to a Coros pace 3 hard for me being such a Apple fan but the pace 3 I do like a lot better for battery life and tracking my workouts.
I doubt it. The infrastructure needed for what garmin does is tremendous. Garmin is lucky because they can leverage their decades of GPS device history and so it wasn't a huge deal to port the tech over to the watches. For the other brands they basically have to start from scratch. But they're catching up!
@@ChaseTheSummit ok, thanks. I like the fenix too but if I go with the epix vs the 7 pro is it a pain with the amoled when using the maps because you have to keep activating it vs the display on the 7?
Honestly guys I have the Garmin fenix 6X pro solar and I got it for 400 on sale and it is such a great watch for being a bit older . If you wanna start with a Garmin but high quality go for it!
I'm waiting for my Suunto Vertical to arrive to me soon. The main reason I picked it is that it looks like it gives the most mobile-phone like experience while giving a battery life that is better than Garmin devices (which from my perspective are less convenient to use).
I’m thinking of getting the Pace 3 as my first actual sports watch as I’m sick and tired of my old Fitbit do you think that’s a good choice for a semi beginner with a limited budget? I’m so torn whether to go Garmin or COROS.
@@ChaseTheSummitawesome! I think I’ll be able to sleep now 😂 I think I’ll go with the pace 3 as it meets most of my needs and if not I’ll upgrade to a garmin in a few years
I was very surprised that Apple released the Ultra 2 this year. It is an amazing watch, but the Ultra 1 is still an amazing watch at the end of 2023. I can somewhat understand the decision since it was priced similarly to the Ultra 1 and did have some improved features. I see it as a watch for people who generally shy away from the first model of any new product.
Big Garmin fan, until my Dr had me get the Apple Watch. I chose the AWU. The gps connects so much faster than My Garmin Fenix 6. Literally the AW will find signal for a run in :30 or less, while my Garmin (worn on other wrist) took three entire minutes once. It’s light and durable, and I realized I don’t mind throwing it on the charger every other day. Battery has been fine while out on the trail or a run. Only complaints is lack of treadmill calibration post run, and Apple health is much less streamlined when compared to Garmin Connect.
Unless you REALLY need the mega battery life of the Vertical, the Suunto Race is a far better value. I am a tester for Suunto so I have been using both watches for quite a while. They both are just about identical in accuracy and features, with the Race have a big advantage in readability due to the OLED display and also a big advantage in purchase cost. Either watch is great, but you get more bang for your buck with the Race. Enjoy your upgrade!!
Thanks so much for this review!! My cousin is wanting to start a running program and was so overwhelmed with decisions. I’ve been running over 18 years but like her get overwhelmed with all the choices. I have the Coros Apex which I love & never regretted but wasn’t sure if that was best fit for her. I sent her your video after recommending the Apex Pace 3 due to your recommendations. Have a great holiday season & keep your videos and podcasts coming 👌
@@ChaseTheSummitAwesome, looking at getting one 😊 thanks so much for your reply. Your videos are really great, and entertaining. Follower all the way from South Africa.
@@robhunt8378 Thanks for your reply. I’m thinking of getting a FR255, their price has dropped here, and it seems like it’s perfect for what I need. Even though it’s not a brand new model, it may just be one of Garmin’s best devices of all time.
Thanks for the great and fun video! I must say that I would put Apple products always as a let down because of the wall that they put up for non-apple products. I use a mixture of apple and non-apple products (Iphone for work and android private, Ipad but also chromebook) so it is always tricky to see if it will work, thats why I try to stay away from Apple wearables and use a garmin as a daily watch although in general, the Apple watch would be nice for some features also...
Thanks Dave. If Apple introduce training readiness and fitness analysis etc like Garnin, they'd walk it wouldn't they. Polar V3 was biggest let down at that price.
Polar has the best HR accuracy. The only thing I can say about my Garmin FR965 is the battery lasts for a week but the menus are cluttered and the software is unreliable. The wrist HR is unusable so don’t buy Garmin unless unless you want to to wear a chest strap 24/7. Apple is a great smartwatch but too reliant on the touch screen to be usable for running. Don’t listen to the hype
@@Neilveg I get decent HR accuracy from the Grit X Pro to be fair but get much better results from Apple. They have the best optical HR for me. But.... they lack the training analysis of a Garmin / Polar etc. Once they sort that... could be game over.
@@ChaseTheSummit true. Suunto made a nice decision doing a high quality but not so pricey approach. Just wish it isnt so expensive here in Japan. Its like 600usd
Thank you for your work in this year. You showed us a lot of new and great things about gadgets. Wish you good luck for the next year and a happy holiday season to you and your family!
Teriffic video. A key thing for me is ECG as well as price so decided to go with Venu 2 Plus instead of Venu 3. Coming in at $100 less kept it in my under $400 price point. And we'll see how ECG sensors work out.
Just bought a Suunto Vertical after dabbling with Garmin and Coros for years. I only care about GPS and Batterylife mostly so happy to see them mentioned here.
@@ChaseTheSummit I struggle with the very generous Step Tracker (over 2000 Steps difference to Garmin) and the Sleep Tracker which took my pee break at 4am as my wake up time while I still slept 3 more hours afterwards. Sure, those are the simple day to day things but it urks my impression so far. Maybe we see a Fenix8 or Enduro3(2X/Pro) in the next months.
Can you recommend a Garmin watch that has V2 Max and health related features, but without most of the fancy stuff like flashlight, music, messages. Thanks!
Happy holidays Dave. You should consider splitting your mapping category to include travel. It’s probably the same for an android watch. If you are walking around in another city or even your own and you want to find something, using Apple Maps and your AW is super useful. The AW will also vibrate when you should turn and give you arrows. Garmin cannot come close to that. I tried that when I had the 955, but it never worked that well. It was hard to find a landmark on the watch map and just did not work properly. Just my 2 cents.
I've found that navigation while hiking and/or biking on the Fenix 7 is awesome. I get an alert before I need to make a turn, and another when I need to make the turn. The alert is loud enough to be heard even when I'm cruising along on my bike with the wind passing my ears. The alerts are loud enough that others in my group hear them as well. The "Around Me" feature on the Garmin maps has banks, restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, sports venues, and all kinds of stuff. Just tap on one of the icons and it will route you to that place.
For the discounted price you can find it for nowadays the 255 is still amazing value. Still totally unconvinced by the 265 range. Curved displays. horrible oversized "RUN" button, hefty Amoled tax.
Hey Dave, thanks for this opinionated take on this year's releases! I always return to my Garmin watch simply due to the utility and versatility the hotkeys and the torch are offering. 90% of what I use on the watch is literally one button combination away. DND, touchscreen, redshift mode, timer, you name it. through the five buttons I can work those blindfolded. I think that deserves a mention of sorts. Maybe an award topic (Utility watch), but certainly something for the comment section ;-)
I used the AW Ultra, I was using all sorts of apps to try and match Garmin metrics for fitness tracking. But yesterday I moved to a Garmin Epix 2 because it has all the fitness tracking features and maps and awesome screen with at least twice the battery life. Giving up amazing smartwatch features for amazing fitness features. Why can’t I get both? Oh well.
Can you recommend a 40-42mm slim android watch? I want something that looks like a traditional classy watch. Not super thick like most smartwatches. I want something that looks like a normal watch. I don't especially care about fitness features. I want something I can read and reply to messages with, can play music on paired bluetooth ear buds, has apps and ideally calling. I like the Honor GS3 aesthetically and several Pebble watches. They have the slim profile I'm looking for. But they all seem to have larger faces, which just makes you look like a child wearing an adults watch imo.
Samsung and Apple both had this feature before "Double Tap" in the Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. However, these features were previously for "accessibility" for people who couldn't interact with the watch with 2 hands. Those accessibility features weren't all that great in my testing and FAR less reliable than the double tap implementation in S9/U2. Apple claims their new S9 Sip chip is able to sample your movements much more frequently thereby improving the accuracy of gestures and the experience.
Coming from Polar v800 to Garmin Forerunner 735XT to a Garmin Venu 2 and this one is good but not for triathlon I’m waiting for forerunner 975 I think that would be good if they are releasing on March 2024
@@ChaseTheSummit I was reading that Garmin will release a new one but I don't think it's very reliable, I rectify, I hope they will release a new one this year. :)
Dave, not a category, but I'd appreciate it if you can give your opinion on this question. Of all the watches you tested, have any models or brands ever caused skin irritation where the optical HR senson contacts the skin?
@@ChaseTheSummit yes it's odd but I believe Apple watches are more of an everyday wear type of Watch. But I've seen on garmin's website and others that you should take a break from wearing your watch which would indicate acknowledgment of maybe an issue?
I did, and there’s an entire video on my channel about it. Long story short, I got better accuracy out of the Balance and it has basically the exact same features while also being cheaper and nicer looking (in my opinion)
@@ChaseTheSummit Thanks for your quick reply 🙂 I've been thinking about buying the Amazfit Balance, but then again, I've also been looking at the Ticwatch 5 Pro, which isn't so expensive at the moment, and then I did get a membership newsletter from a local hardware/electronics store that they're beginning their January sales early and amongst the smartwatches there are Xiaomi Watch S2 Pro, Polar Grit X, Polar Ignite, Polar Pacer Pro, Suunto 9 Peak Pro, and various other models, and it's all warches that I think have some good aesthetics in their design, and not all of them are too "chunky" and also, most have great functionality as well. ... I am very often out on forest trails on foot, as well as horseback and on my mountain bike, so a key feature for me is that the watch allows me to hook up with my earpods, which allows me to answer calls without taking my hands of the reins when riding (I often train/ride horses that have a skittish nature and can scare/spook easy) and of course a multi-system GPS tracking/trail function is always great as I often go "off trail" and then it's great to be able to backtrack another day if new found trails/tracks seem good. Oh, and I like fiddling with watch face design, so again, a watch that has easy accessable interchangeable app/watch faces ... Isn't the easiest decision 🙈
@@ChaseTheSummit thanks 👍 I've bought the Balance now... Just got the 2nd update today. Apparently they don't work as quickly with releasing updates to Europe at the same time as the U.S.
I would like to know if Garmin didn’t have a chest strap would you still choose 965 or Venu over Apple watch because Apple have better sleep tracking and HR accuracy. Wouldn’t you feel bad knowing that some other wrist watch measures everything better.
For me, the biggest let down was the Suunto Vertical. Every fitness option / guesstimate is based on a few factors. Distance, pace, vertical ascent/descent, heart rate, SpO2, etc. If the watch itself cannot be fed, reliably, that data then everything it estimates is off the mark. If i'm hiking on a 15 degrees climb and the watch shows 120BPM then you know that everything else it infers from that metric is wrong. If i'm resting after said climb, by walking easily and taking deep breaths to recover myself and the watch shows a constant 145-150BPM then you're either unfit for the job or about to burst a vein (neither is the case since my AWU1 and my 7X Pro showed simillar results on the same trail). Thanks to this and this alone, Suunto Vertical (especially considering its price point) should be this year's biggest letdown. Why would anyone spend 800Euro for a watch that lacks routable maps, NFC payments and has a severely lacking OHR monitor is beyond me.
Please help me find a watch that meets this reuqirement: My current watch (Pebble Time) allows me to (assuming the watch is set to it's music mode) * go to the previous/next song (or seek when it's a book or podcast) * pause/play each with just one physical button press (no need to see or touch the screen) I am looking for another watch that gives me this capability for all ios apps with playback funcitons.
My only gripe on the AWU2 heart rate is that it randomly goes dark/greys out in the middle of my runs for minutes at a time 😅. Have you ever had this issue?
Didn’t include it in this one. If anything it would fall into the “let down” category but I’m going to be re-testing it soon with a replacement from Polar with new firmware . Stay tuned.
im very new to this smartwatch world and i do abit of running. i’d say im pretty impressed by Amazfit Balance through your review😂. as a beginner, garmin is abit too much and also coros is abit too sport-watchy so the Balance is actually perfect for me its just the experience with iPhone is not so great🤣. nice video dave!
Second that …*they think we are their slave…cant buy kindle products… can’t rent movies in prime video… they force their customers don’t look beyond apple…cant take it anymore
Except is he wrong about anything with the watch? Overall value it’s the best. If it has 7 days of battery life it would pretty much make all other watches obsolete
Im looking for a new smartwatch not had one since galaxy gear 2 lol loved that watch but what is a good watch to go for now? Hard to move away from Samsung
If you've got a samsung phone the samsung watches aren't bad for daily wear but if you're looking for something more sport-specific the Garmin's, COROS, and Suunto's are a great alternative that work on both android and IOS.
Does fenix 7 Pro also do the same mapping feature that epix pro 2 does with being able to select something on screen and get turn by turn navigation? I’m trying to decide between epix 2 pro and fenix 7 pro and it’s so tough
@@ChaseTheSummit the thing is that I think you can scratch the race S much more easily than the 9 peak pro, I don't care much about the screen resolution. And about the Race is that It is much more expensive than the 9 peak pro which is 299€ in my country. Should I buy it at that price?
@@ChaseTheSummitDo you know if Reflex Active watches can download other apps not related to the app that had to be downloaded on my phone? As it is my first attempt at trying the smartwatch market and I just wanted to test if it was needed to spend to buy something decent, thanks.
I really love your Channel and I am happy to see that your number if followers is increasing. I habe a question and I hope you can help. I have an AW Ultra 2 and I am training for my first Marathon. GPS is great but on every single run I have at least for 20% of the run there is no heart rate data. On some races even mire that 50% of the total time has no heart rate data. Ever heard about this? Do you know a fix? My watch is thight, I habe no tatoos, almost no hair. Thank you. Wish you lots of luck with the channel.
Thanks Dave. For me, Garmin 965 is the best smart running watch in 2023. I think you agree with me. All the best for you and your family. Happy Holidays!
Hi Dave. 2023 was Suunto return. For me, the major let down was Polar, particuarly Polar Vantage 3. Would like to see a wider categorization that include health based devices like Huawei, Wear OS Devices Samsung, Mobvoi, Xiaomi and non screen devices like oura rings and optical HR monitors with recording capabilities. At the end of the day, a watch is as good as the data recorded and reported in terms of accuracy and reliability. Happy Holidays. Cheers from México.
I bought Garmin 7 Pro (47mm, Sapphire Solar) two weeks ago. It has been an amazing experience so far. This is my first Garmin and already it is my fav accessory.
I just bought the Fenix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar. Amazing watch! Little overwhelming with all the features. Definitely a step up from my Venu 3. Now i don't know what to do with my Venu 3
Dus Fenix awnser to phone 📱 cols?,,,I mean dus it have a microphone?🤙🤗
@@icaroluca41 no
I’ve been looking at the same watch and glad you’re having a great experience.
I was going to buy the fenix 7 but found the epic gen 2 for a bargain price. £374.00.
I had the 735xt for years and loved it. Bought my son the 245 and I felt I needed to upgrade. 😊
I love Garmin, have a Fenix 6s. I wish Garmin would marry the Phone capabilities with the Fenix and Forerunner. I love the look of the stainless bezel on my Fenix 6 and the running functionality of the forerunner 265 and the convenience of the phone capabilities on the Venu. Come on Garmin!!
Great video!
A watch is like a knife ...the best one is the one you have with you. Thanks for all the videos this year.
That's an amazing way to look at it. My friend knows nothing about TV's and asked my opinion on what he should get. I said unless you buy all of them, you'll never know the difference.
I’ve gone from Apple Watch Ultra to instinct 2x . Loved the battery, sports / health metrics for garmin . Decided to sell the ultra and just grabbed a Fenix 7 pro . Pretty pumped to put it through its paces . Awesome review ! Loving the videos !
I have both 😂 I don’t think any watch can replace the Apple Watch. But I use Fenix 6 for serious training 😊
How are you going with it two months later?
I’m waiting for the instinct 3 to switch from apple
Ha! Love the trophy/crown award. I'm happy to see Suunto get some recognition. They've done well and compete with the best of them, but I feel that Suunto also looks much cleaner/sleeker than some of the other watches (* cough * Garmin) without compromising durability. All this said, I just bought the Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar for Christmas and I'm super excited!
my only gripe with suunto watches is HR accuracy, I'm not expecting a 99% accuracy but at least not below the 75% mark
Always been a huge Suunto fan! Really happy with the progress they’re starting to make to get back in the game. Great video thank you!
Are they better? I´m just asking, bcs I love them.
Suunto Vertical & Suunto Race have shown that they made progress
Glad to see Suunto back in the game!
Great video man! I just switched from a COROS Pace 2 to an Epix Pro Sapphire and am so happy with the change. It’s an incredible watch and that display is beautiful.
Moved back to sunnto from garmin. Love my vertical, cleaner and less gimmicky ( my opinion!!!). Awesome to see them back in the game. Thanks for all your great videos 🤩.
Was thinking of getting a 9 Peak Pro or a Race they look great.
I bought the Garmin Forerunner 965 2 months ago and I think it has all the important features of the Epix (maps, music, large 1.4 inches AMOLED display) but it's lighter and more affordable. It's a win for me!
It's battery is inferior to epix and fenix
@@kmsingh8539 The battery life and lightweight of the 965 is its strongest selling point.
Fun video. I agree with your conclusions. Glad to see Suunto on the list! Thanks for producing this. Happy holidays.
I think most improved watch would be a good catagory or brand even. But seeing suunto come out with some bangers while they have been stagnant is definitely most improved this year
I actually did film a "most improved" segment but didn't love it so I dropped it. I'd say Suunto gets that one though!
I'm loving the Garmin Forerunner 965 a day in. I just hope it can hold up in salt water and surfing. 🤙🏻
Thanks, Chase! I've had my new Garmin (Epix Pro Gen 2) for a few weeks now and love it. I appreciate the videos. Mapping is indeed fantastic. Especially for hiking and snowboarding. The latter of which is surprisingly only sparsely covered on YT. Having the trail names and colors of different runs while being at the resort is awesome. Cheers all!
Still rocking with the garmin fenix 6 pro solar since launch for hikes,fishing,kayking and i still love it
Best release for me was the Epix Pro 51mm. Everything I ever wanted in a fenix watch
Its nice that Garmin's GPS chops are translated well into their smartwatches
Just baked only 17 minutes ago 😊
The winner in all categories is the Garmin Fenix 7x Pro
Garmin Fenix 7 pro Saphire for me. 18 day battery life but a week on an hour of gps a day. Accurate compared with my ultra 2. Always on display and don’t have to raise it like Amoled (I just don’t like the amoled displays). I love how you can even turn off the backlight and put on a regular watch face without data and it looks like an normal analog watch as you can even get a 22 mm leather quick fit band for going out (I have black and brown). Plus love the flashlight. I use it every day.
Good to see the Apple Watch Ultra getting some praise. I'm still rocking the Gen 1 and still loving it.
I, unfortunately, bought my Epix Gen 2 a couple of months before the Pro came out but still love it as I don't mind charging it every 2 or 3 days, it's features are brilliant and I love the way it looks!
The original Epix is still a great watch!
Granted I'm super biased because I own it and it's my first smartwatch, but the Fenix 7 Pro takes the king for the most innovative for the simple feature of a real wrist mounted LED "torch". I use that feature every single day, I'm not even kidding around. I know it's not a new feature for Garmin watches but adding it that single feature to the Epix 2 and Fenix 7 in my opinion is one of the best things on the market. Compared to my neighbor's Apple Watch Ultra 2 "flashlight" feature (if you can call it that), the light output from my Fenix 7 Pro is significantly brighter on even the lowest setting compared to the highest setting on the Apple Ultra 2.
Great video, in my opinion the best release of this year was the Suunto Race, it has a nice valance in price, features and looking. thanks Dave.
Great vid, Dave. I’ve been testing out an Epix gen 2 Pro for the past month, really enjoying it so far. It’s probably staying with me and not being sold.
My Apple Watch Ultra has been sitting in my drawer (mostly) since I got the Epix. I still hate bringing the phone with me on runs so I’ve become a dual-watch runner. One for music and text, one for fitness metrics. I swore I’d never be “that guy” but I’ve given in. Until Apple gets fitness training metrics like Garmin, I guess I’ll have to settle for switching between the two.
Hi Dave, great video as always 🙂The most exciting release for me this year were the Forerunners 965/265. I ended up with buying 265. It's amazingly lightweight and the display is just great. I was previously using the Fenix line and oddly enough what I am missing from the Fenixes is a tiny difference in how the timer works 😃On the Forerunners it only shows you that the timer is done, while on the Epixes it shows the number of minutes or hours. As I often use multiple timers, this is so much more convenient. And also I quite like the flashlight on the Fenixes and Epixes. So I am a bit torn apart. I may decide to buy Epix next year. The amoled display is something I really like.
The garmin instinct 2x tactical solar wins for me 🙃
Wish it has good mapping though
This channel made me switch to the Garmin brand. Since battery life for me is most important and some ruggedness I getting (it's laying under the christmastree) an instinct 2X.
thank you for your vlog! very very insightful! I still use my coros apex 46mm and as a back up the huawei gt runner which is solid. If I had to choose a watch to buy now, it would have been the Suunto Race! Season greetings from Greece!
I want a garmin epix but something i can afford/would like to spend. Mainly something with great offline gps navigation and accurate monitor sensors. Do you know any budget watch that offers that?
Aluminum Apple series 9
I have the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Caters for everything I need. Sure it can make me coffee as well if I want it to 😂
My favorite watch aesthetically has to be the Samsung watch6 classic. I ended up with the Foreeunner 965 though, because of all the Garmin features for my outdoor adventures.
there is a thing with Garmin, most of them are Sport watches with smartwatches functionality, I mean is a device intented for sports. So it is very important to select the one that suits your needs, in my case I am a trail and street runner, so I need something very resistant with GPS , lots and lots of battery so I got a Fenix! 🙂
Great video as always I just recently switched from a Apple Watch 2nd gen se to a Coros pace 3 hard for me being such a Apple fan but the pace 3 I do like a lot better for battery life and tracking my workouts.
Pace 3 is the king for best value for money and battery life
I really like the look of the Suunto watches too. But do you think that they will/can upgrade the maps to work like Garmin?
I doubt it. The infrastructure needed for what garmin does is tremendous. Garmin is lucky because they can leverage their decades of GPS device history and so it wasn't a huge deal to port the tech over to the watches. For the other brands they basically have to start from scratch. But they're catching up!
@@ChaseTheSummit ok, thanks. I like the fenix too but if I go with the epix vs the 7 pro is it a pain with the amoled when using the maps because you have to keep activating it vs the display on the 7?
Honestly guys I have the Garmin fenix 6X pro solar and I got it for 400 on sale and it is such a great watch for being a bit older . If you wanna start with a Garmin but high quality go for it!
I'm waiting for my Suunto Vertical to arrive to me soon. The main reason I picked it is that it looks like it gives the most mobile-phone like experience while giving a battery life that is better than Garmin devices (which from my perspective are less convenient to use).
I’m thinking of getting the Pace 3 as my first actual sports watch as I’m sick and tired of my old Fitbit do you think that’s a good choice for a semi beginner with a limited budget? I’m so torn whether to go Garmin or COROS.
COROS pace 3 is a great choice or the Garmin 165 if you want AMOLED.
@@ChaseTheSummitawesome! I think I’ll be able to sleep now 😂 I think I’ll go with the pace 3 as it meets most of my needs and if not I’ll upgrade to a garmin in a few years
I was very surprised that Apple released the Ultra 2 this year. It is an amazing watch, but the Ultra 1 is still an amazing watch at the end of 2023. I can somewhat understand the decision since it was priced similarly to the Ultra 1 and did have some improved features. I see it as a watch for people who generally shy away from the first model of any new product.
Big Garmin fan, until my Dr had me get the Apple Watch. I chose the AWU. The gps connects so much faster than
My Garmin Fenix 6. Literally the AW will find signal for a run in :30 or less, while my Garmin (worn on other wrist) took three entire minutes once. It’s light and durable, and I realized I don’t mind throwing it on the charger every other day. Battery has been fine while out on the trail or a run.
Only complaints is lack of treadmill calibration post run, and Apple health is much less streamlined when compared to Garmin Connect.
I’ve been eyeing Garmin 965, fenix 7pro and the epix 2. Still torn on which one I want to get come 2024
Huawei watch 4 pro, in low power mode it lasts 16 days with 1 hour of exercise per day u can also send and receive messages
Amazfit Falcon wasn't mentioned. It's one of the watches that look great...😊
My Suunto 9 Baro still does it's job well... but I am REALLY tempted to splurge and get a Vertical Titanium Solar as an upgrade.
Unless you REALLY need the mega battery life of the Vertical, the Suunto Race is a far better value. I am a tester for Suunto so I have been using both watches for quite a while. They both are just about identical in accuracy and features, with the Race have a big advantage in readability due to the OLED display and also a big advantage in purchase cost. Either watch is great, but you get more bang for your buck with the Race. Enjoy your upgrade!!
Thanks so much for this review!! My cousin is wanting to start a running program and was so overwhelmed with decisions. I’ve been running over 18 years but like her get overwhelmed with all the choices. I have the Coros Apex which I love & never regretted but wasn’t sure if that was best fit for her. I sent her your video after recommending the Apex Pace 3 due to your recommendations. Have a great holiday season & keep your videos and podcasts coming 👌
I agree for 75 Percent. Coros is the most underestimated Brand , who deserves more. Suunto also ; but I Like your Thoughts
Thanks for tuning in!
The issue with Coros (for me personally) is that it's a Chinese brand. And I don't want to give my data to Chinese company
@@habibhassan7770 Suunto is chinese too 😂
@@giancarloricagno1050 good for me then, I use Garmin
For me the best watch of the year was the Garmin s70..love the golf watch / smart watch did 130 + rounds LOVED IT
I know it’s an oldie, but how do you rate the FR255 going into 2024? Is it still a worthy contender in your opinion?
It's still a great watch and recently got a bunch of welcome updates!
@@ChaseTheSummitAwesome, looking at getting one 😊 thanks so much for your reply. Your videos are really great, and entertaining. Follower all the way from South Africa.
It's an amazing watch, same as the 955 if you need maps. 265/965 are vastly overpriced IMO.
@@robhunt8378 Thanks for your reply. I’m thinking of getting a FR255, their price has dropped here, and it seems like it’s perfect for what I need. Even though it’s not a brand new model, it may just be one of Garmin’s best devices of all time.
I got Garmin forerunner965......love it❤❤
Thanks for the great and fun video!
I must say that I would put Apple products always as a let down because of the wall that they put up for non-apple products. I use a mixture of apple and non-apple products (Iphone for work and android private, Ipad but also chromebook) so it is always tricky to see if it will work, thats why I try to stay away from Apple wearables and use a garmin as a daily watch although in general, the Apple watch would be nice for some features also...
I remember when Garmin was the smartwatch to avoid it was so bad good to see their better these days
When was that? They've been a top selling brand for the past decade!
Thanks Dave. If Apple introduce training readiness and fitness analysis etc like Garnin, they'd walk it wouldn't they. Polar V3 was biggest let down at that price.
Polar has the best HR accuracy. The only thing I can say about my Garmin FR965 is the battery lasts for a week but the menus are cluttered and the software is unreliable. The wrist HR is unusable so don’t buy Garmin unless unless you want to to wear a chest strap 24/7. Apple is a great smartwatch but too reliant on the touch screen to be usable for running. Don’t listen to the hype
@@Neilveg I get decent HR accuracy from the Grit X Pro to be fair but get much better results from Apple. They have the best optical HR for me. But.... they lack the training analysis of a Garmin / Polar etc. Once they sort that... could be game over.
Glad to see the 965 not getting overrated here. I think its not the right price for the pros and cons
I still love the 965 and wear it 99% of the time but there were some great releases this year. It’s all about personal preference!
@@ChaseTheSummit true. Suunto made a nice decision doing a high quality but not so pricey approach. Just wish it isnt so expensive here in Japan. Its like 600usd
Original - you made some good points - Happy Holidays to you and your family, Dave!
Thank you for your work in this year. You showed us a lot of new and great things about gadgets. Wish you good luck for the next year and a happy holiday season to you and your family!
Thank you for tuning in! Happy Holidays!
Teriffic video. A key thing for me is ECG as well as price so decided to go with Venu 2 Plus instead of Venu 3. Coming in at $100 less kept it in my under $400 price point. And we'll see how ECG sensors work out.
100% agree with the Venu 3.
Just bought a Suunto Vertical after dabbling with Garmin and Coros for years. I only care about GPS and Batterylife mostly so happy to see them mentioned here.
The Vertical is a great watch! Enjoy it!
@@ChaseTheSummit I struggle with the very generous Step Tracker (over 2000 Steps difference to Garmin) and the Sleep Tracker which took my pee break at 4am as my wake up time while I still slept 3 more hours afterwards. Sure, those are the simple day to day things but it urks my impression so far.
Maybe we see a Fenix8 or Enduro3(2X/Pro) in the next months.
Great Job, Chase! I‘ve just bought the Garmin 7 sapphire/solar and I‘m so happy with it. Now I made it: I‘ve changed from Apple to Garmin 😊!
Can you recommend a Garmin watch that has V2 Max and health related features, but without most of the fancy stuff like flashlight, music, messages. Thanks!
Happy holidays Dave. You should consider splitting your mapping category to include travel. It’s probably the same for an android watch. If you are walking around in another city or even your own and you want to find something, using Apple Maps and your AW is super useful. The AW will also vibrate when you should turn and give you arrows. Garmin cannot come close to that. I tried that when I had the 955, but it never worked that well. It was hard to find a landmark on the watch map and just did not work properly. Just my 2 cents.
I've found that navigation while hiking and/or biking on the Fenix 7 is awesome. I get an alert before I need to make a turn, and another when I need to make the turn. The alert is loud enough to be heard even when I'm cruising along on my bike with the wind passing my ears. The alerts are loud enough that others in my group hear them as well. The "Around Me" feature on the Garmin maps has banks, restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, sports venues, and all kinds of stuff. Just tap on one of the icons and it will route you to that place.
For the discounted price you can find it for nowadays the 255 is still amazing value. Still totally unconvinced by the 265 range. Curved displays. horrible oversized "RUN" button, hefty Amoled tax.
Hey Dave, thanks for this opinionated take on this year's releases! I always return to my Garmin watch simply due to the utility and versatility the hotkeys and the torch are offering. 90% of what I use on the watch is literally one button combination away. DND, touchscreen, redshift mode, timer, you name it. through the five buttons I can work those blindfolded. I think that deserves a mention of sorts. Maybe an award topic (Utility watch), but certainly something for the comment section ;-)
How do you get DND with a hotkey?
I used the AW Ultra, I was using all sorts of apps to try and match Garmin metrics for fitness tracking. But yesterday I moved to a Garmin Epix 2 because it has all the fitness tracking features and maps and awesome screen with at least twice the battery life. Giving up amazing smartwatch features for amazing fitness features. Why can’t I get both? Oh well.
Great video! Best wishes for 2024 🎉🎉
Can you recommend a 40-42mm slim android watch? I want something that looks like a traditional classy watch. Not super thick like most smartwatches. I want something that looks like a normal watch. I don't especially care about fitness features. I want something I can read and reply to messages with, can play music on paired bluetooth ear buds, has apps and ideally calling.
I like the Honor GS3 aesthetically and several Pebble watches. They have the slim profile I'm looking for. But they all seem to have larger faces, which just makes you look like a child wearing an adults watch imo.
Doesn't samsung also have the double tap? I'm not sure who came up with it first though
Samsung and Apple both had this feature before "Double Tap" in the Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. However, these features were previously for "accessibility" for people who couldn't interact with the watch with 2 hands. Those accessibility features weren't all that great in my testing and FAR less reliable than the double tap implementation in S9/U2. Apple claims their new S9 Sip chip is able to sample your movements much more frequently thereby improving the accuracy of gestures and the experience.
Coming from Polar v800 to Garmin Forerunner 735XT to a Garmin Venu 2 and this one is good but not for triathlon I’m waiting for forerunner 975 I think that would be good if they are releasing on March 2024
Where did you get that March timeframe from?
@@ChaseTheSummit I was reading that Garmin will release a new one but I don't think it's very reliable, I rectify, I hope they will release a new one this year. :)
Suunto Race us beautiful! I had it for a month until I decided it just didn't cut it for me. Dang, I miss it.
Can you give me a comment on the battery life, finish quality,... of Race??? Thank you
@@thanhthanh831the suunto race is built like a tank, just got mine today, Saffire crystal, 100M, love it .
Dave, not a category, but I'd appreciate it if you can give your opinion on this question. Of all the watches you tested, have any models or brands ever caused skin irritation where the optical HR senson contacts the skin?
Not for me, but I know this happens to others as I’ve seen on Facebook and Reddit. Very odd!
@@ChaseTheSummit yes it's odd but I believe Apple watches are more of an everyday wear type of Watch. But I've seen on garmin's website and others that you should take a break from wearing your watch which would indicate acknowledgment of maybe an issue?
What watch do you put on your wrist after this?
965 basically lives on my wrists but I'm not 100% sure why.
So did you test the Amazfit Cheetah Pro?
It's supposed to be a more dedicated fitness watch than the Amazfit Balance.
I did, and there’s an entire video on my channel about it. Long story short, I got better accuracy out of the Balance and it has basically the exact same features while also being cheaper and nicer looking (in my opinion)
@@ChaseTheSummit Thanks for your quick reply 🙂
I've been thinking about buying the Amazfit Balance, but then again, I've also been looking at the Ticwatch 5 Pro, which isn't so expensive at the moment, and then I did get a membership newsletter from a local hardware/electronics store that they're beginning their January sales early and amongst the smartwatches there are Xiaomi Watch S2 Pro, Polar Grit X, Polar Ignite, Polar Pacer Pro, Suunto 9 Peak Pro, and various other models, and it's all warches that I think have some good aesthetics in their design, and not all of them are too "chunky" and also, most have great functionality as well.
...
I am very often out on forest trails on foot, as well as horseback and on my mountain bike, so a key feature for me is that the watch allows me to hook up with my earpods, which allows me to answer calls without taking my hands of the reins when riding (I often train/ride horses that have a skittish nature and can scare/spook easy) and of course a multi-system GPS tracking/trail function is always great as I often go "off trail" and then it's great to be able to backtrack another day if new found trails/tracks seem good.
Oh, and I like fiddling with watch face design, so again, a watch that has easy accessable interchangeable app/watch faces ... Isn't the easiest decision 🙈
@@ChaseTheSummit thanks 👍 I've bought the Balance now... Just got the 2nd update today.
Apparently they don't work as quickly with releasing updates to Europe at the same time as the U.S.
Epix Pro Gen 2 for the win! But, really I just want to know what jacket you are wearing? 😊
I would like to know if Garmin didn’t have a chest strap would you still choose 965 or Venu over Apple watch because Apple have better sleep tracking and HR accuracy. Wouldn’t you feel bad knowing that some other wrist watch measures everything better.
Would you please rate the T-Rex and it's various models? Thank you!
I love my Garmin Epix 2 Saphire, it is just amazing all around.
For me, the biggest let down was the Suunto Vertical. Every fitness option / guesstimate is based on a few factors. Distance, pace, vertical ascent/descent, heart rate, SpO2, etc. If the watch itself cannot be fed, reliably, that data then everything it estimates is off the mark. If i'm hiking on a 15 degrees climb and the watch shows 120BPM then you know that everything else it infers from that metric is wrong. If i'm resting after said climb, by walking easily and taking deep breaths to recover myself and the watch shows a constant 145-150BPM then you're either unfit for the job or about to burst a vein (neither is the case since my AWU1 and my 7X Pro showed simillar results on the same trail). Thanks to this and this alone, Suunto Vertical (especially considering its price point) should be this year's biggest letdown. Why would anyone spend 800Euro for a watch that lacks routable maps, NFC payments and has a severely lacking OHR monitor is beyond me.
Legendary video Dave 😅. Not just informativ, but fun!
Please help me find a watch that meets this reuqirement:
My current watch (Pebble Time) allows me to (assuming the watch is set to it's music mode)
* go to the previous/next song (or seek when it's a book or podcast)
* pause/play
each with just one physical button press
(no need to see or touch the screen)
I am looking for another watch that gives me this capability for all ios apps with playback funcitons.
My only gripe on the AWU2 heart rate is that it randomly goes dark/greys out in the middle of my runs for minutes at a time 😅. Have you ever had this issue?
Haven't seen that. What kind of band are you using?
I’ve had this issue on outdoor runs in the cold. Wearing a chest strap or the Coros arm heart rate monitors solved this.
I had this happen a lot. AWU1 is gone.
Yep. Happens all the time, even in indoor cycling. I finally got rid of it for this reason. I’ve had others tell me the same thing
Wheres Polar vantage V3? Havent noticed on your video
Didn’t include it in this one. If anything it would fall into the “let down” category but I’m going to be re-testing it soon with a replacement from Polar with new firmware . Stay tuned.
Awesome video like usual ! 🙏… thank you… my Suunto Race is off with the HR sensor ! What can Ido? 😢
Unfortunately it was for me too. The one shortcoming of that watch.
Oh I hop the update will correct that.. Is i it the same for the Vertical? @@ChaseTheSummit
Thanks for the great video
What is the best garmin watch suunto Apple Watch
I'm biased but my favourite looking by far is the Tactix 7 amoled. But its not the most versatile looking watch
I also reeeeeeallly like the Tactix 7 AMOLED with its flat bezel. Close call!
Is the Garmin instinct 2 a good watch?
Yes, it's great!
@@ChaseTheSummit ok, thanks!
Is multiband gps really worth it? that's the only reason i'd upgrade my forerunner 45 at this point.
In some cases. It kinda depends how particular you are about GPS accuracy. The Forerunner 265 would probably be a substantial upgrade from your 45.
im very new to this smartwatch world and i do abit of running. i’d say im pretty impressed by Amazfit Balance through your review😂. as a beginner, garmin is abit too much and also coros is abit too sport-watchy so the Balance is actually perfect for me its just the experience with iPhone is not so great🤣. nice video dave!
why is huawei and samsung out of the equation?
Two brands I don't often cover and this is mainly just my opinion in the video.
As soon as we started with the Apple Watch, I immediately went away. Can't stand Apple anymore...
Okedoke!
Second that …*they think we are their slave…cant buy kindle products… can’t rent movies in prime video… they force their customers don’t look beyond apple…cant take it anymore
Same
Haha How can a watch provoke a grown man?
Except is he wrong about anything with the watch? Overall value it’s the best. If it has 7 days of battery life it would pretty much make all other watches obsolete
Suunto race is built like a tank and beautiful!
Im looking for a new smartwatch not had one since galaxy gear 2 lol loved that watch but what is a good watch to go for now? Hard to move away from Samsung
If you've got a samsung phone the samsung watches aren't bad for daily wear but if you're looking for something more sport-specific the Garmin's, COROS, and Suunto's are a great alternative that work on both android and IOS.
Does fenix 7 Pro also do the same mapping feature that epix pro 2 does with being able to select something on screen and get turn by turn navigation?
I’m trying to decide between epix 2 pro and fenix 7 pro and it’s so tough
Yes they’re basically the same Watch. The only difference is the display and battery life.
I am in exact same process... I think I am going for the Fenix 7 Pro Solar - what did you choose and are you happy about your choice?
What about the suunto 9 peak pro? What do you think about it?
I prefer the Suunto Race or Race S over the 9 Peak Pro but that's just my opinion!
@@ChaseTheSummit the thing is that I think you can scratch the race S much more easily than the 9 peak pro, I don't care much about the screen resolution. And about the Race is that It is much more expensive than the 9 peak pro which is 299€ in my country. Should I buy it at that price?
@@ChaseTheSummitDo you know if Reflex Active watches can download other apps not related to the app that had to be downloaded on my phone? As it is my first attempt at trying the smartwatch market and I just wanted to test if it was needed to spend to buy something decent, thanks.
I really love your Channel and I am happy to see that your number if followers is increasing. I habe a question and I hope you can help. I have an AW Ultra 2 and I am training for my first Marathon. GPS is great but on every single run I have at least for 20% of the run there is no heart rate data. On some races even mire that 50% of the total time has no heart rate data. Ever heard about this? Do you know a fix? My watch is thight, I habe no tatoos, almost no hair. Thank you. Wish you lots of luck with the channel.
Does the garmin venu 3 offer navigation and mapping?
Nope, just basic bearing navigation.
Thanks
Runner up to the best value watch?
Thanks Dave. For me, Garmin 965 is the best smart running watch in 2023. I think you agree with me. All the best for you and your family. Happy Holidays!
Hi Dave. 2023 was Suunto return. For me, the major let down was Polar, particuarly Polar Vantage 3. Would like to see a wider categorization that include health based devices like Huawei, Wear OS Devices Samsung, Mobvoi, Xiaomi and non screen devices like oura rings and optical HR monitors with recording capabilities. At the end of the day, a watch is as good as the data recorded and reported in terms of accuracy and reliability. Happy Holidays. Cheers from México.
Thats lets you know there isn't anything wrong with the last generation sensor from Garmin if you can charge 3k for it. Nice vid 👍
LOL😂 I never expected the "Apple Show" as part of this review. Love the Crown Graphics.