So still that it is difficult to get a reliable reading, and we ended up never using the feature. The Pulse Ox sensor shows promise but it has one major flaw - you need to be still. Both devices use light to measure blood oxygen saturation, which is reported as a percentage - the higher the percentage, the better your oxygen levels.
Garmin fenix 5 plus#
The Pulse Ox on the Fenix 5X Plus works just like the finger probes you see in a hospital. For most people, this sensor won’t provide any meaningful data, but alpinists who are climbing at high elevations can use this measurement to gauge their altitude acclimation. In a first for Garmin, the Fenix 5X Plus ships with a pulse oximetry sensor that will measure blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels.
With up to 70 hours of battery life, the Fenix 5X Plus is an ideal long distance training partner. It lets you dial down the watch when you don’t need a ton of data and then expand those options when you take your training to the next level. This flexibility is a big win in our books. You can check your heart rate, see your distance traveled, and even see your location on a topographical map.īest of all, you can add or remove these data screens depending on the metrics that you want to see while exercising. There are an astounding number of data screens you can scroll through. The Fenix 5X Plus is unrivaled when it comes to the metrics it measures and the data it can show you while you are exercising. You can customize the list with the sports you participate in most frequently, so you don’t have to scroll through a ton of choices you won’t use.
If you are overwhelmed with the choices, no problem. You can add even more sport modes by downloading apps from Connect IQ. Similar to the previous Fenix 5 models, the 5X Plus lives up to its multi-sport branding with support for 38 different sports including walking, running, swimming, skiing, paddling, biking, golf, and others. If you manage to find a metric that is missing, you can add new features using the Garmin Connect IQ smartphone app. From watch faces to widgets, almost everything you see can be changed to suit your needs. It is the cornerstone of the Fenix 5X Plus experience and is integrated into every corner of the software. One word we’d use to describe the interface is customizable. The interface is responsive and easy to navigate - once you get used to how the up/down and back/forward buttons work - but we do wish it had a touchscreen display for further simplicity. Other than this small shortcoming, the Fenix 5X Plus was enjoyable to use. Garmin needs to compensate for this poor signal in order to improve the accuracy of the track. With every stroke, your watch goes underwater and the GPS signal is attenuated. The distance covered and the path recorded by the watch did not match the route we took, especially on short distances. The post-exercise stroke count, health metrics, and temperature data were accurate, but the watch was off on position tracking.
The only time the GPS struggled was when we were swimming in open water. The metrics recorded by the watch when we were running, hiking, biking, and kayaking were dead on as well. In an open area, we never had to wait more than 10-15 seconds thanks to the combination of GPS, Glonass, and Galileo satellite connectivity. There’s no way to wear the Fenix discreetly - you either get used to people commenting about your giant watch, or you learn to wear it only when exercising.įenix watches are known for their big, burly size and characteristically rugged look.Īs long as we were in a reasonably open area and not in a dense forest, GPS lock-on was quick.
Garmin fenix 5 series#
Just like last year’s Fenix 5X, the 5X Plus measures a whopping 51mm across and weighs 96 grams, making it 55 percent larger and twice as heavy as the Apple Watch Series 3. Garmin’s Fenix watches are known for their big, burly size and characteristically rugged look. Do the abundant features justify the expense? Let’s dig into the details to find out.Įditor’s note: We’ve added a section about Spotify integration into this review. The Fenix 5X Plus is not only the biggest fitness watch you’ll wear, it is likely one of the most expensive with a starting price tag of $850. If you want it all, the Fenix 5X Plus is the watch for you. The story hasn’t changed in 2018 with the new Fenix 5X Plus, which is one of the largest fitness watches on the market - and has a features list longer than Al Capone’s rap sheet. Garmin is known for pushing the limits on size and packing everything it can into its Fenix GPS multisport watches.