Garmin Fenix 6S Pro review: Small watch, big deal
MSRP $699.00
“Garmin’s Fenix 6S Pro enhances its fitness features without losing focus on outdoor adventures.”
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Reduced design
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Pacing data by altitude
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Extended battery life
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Easy to use interface
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The Fenix 6S Pro may be the smallest watch in Garmin’s latest Fenix 6 series, but don’t let its small size fool you. The GPS watch is as robust and feature-packed as its bigger siblings, which are some of the best smartwatches out there. It has a pulse oximeter to measure your body’s oxygen levels, useful new PacePro metrics, music streaming support and solid navigation.
All this and more is packed into a comfortable 42 mm watch case. I tested the $700 Pro version of the Fenix 6S, which includes music, maps and Wi-Fi, to see how it compares to previous Fenix models and the competition.
Updated interface
Before we get into the features, the biggest improvement on the Fenix 6 series is the revamped interface, which still retains Garmin’s signature look and feel. The new and improved default watch face neatly arranges all important metrics like temperature, barometer, altimeter, heart rate and battery life on the front display. The data is large enough that you can easily see it, but compact enough that it doesn’t get in the way of the time and date.
I like the look so much that, for the first time, I didn’t feel the need to change the watch face from the default setting. I also like the battery gauge tweak a bit. It now shows the number of days left before you have to top up, which for me is much more useful than a percentage.
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
The Fenix 6S Pro also has a new row-based widget interface, which differs significantly from the full-screen widgets in previous Fenix models. Instead of scrolling through several different screens, the widgets are arranged in rows that allow you to see the previous and next rows as you scroll. Each row provides a summary of the data, and you can select a row to see additional details. Since the Fenix watch is focused on the outdoors, widgets include weather forecast, sunset/sunrise times, digital compass, as well as traditional fitness metrics.
Don’t like the default settings? If desired, you can change the displayed metrics and their order. It’s much simpler and more customizable.
Subtle design changes for the better
What’s inside may have changed, but the physical appearance of the Fenix 6S Pro is largely intact. The company stuck with its traditional 5-button design and rugged fiber-reinforced polymer body. It looks and feels like a Garmin watch.
To protect the display, Garmin has done away with the chemically strengthened glass material and replaced it with Gorilla Glass 3, but now you can choose between Gorilla Glass 3 or more expensive sapphire glass for their display lens material. I wasn’t able to test the long-term scratch resistance of the screen material, but Gorilla Glass 3 is on cheaper phones and should protect you from occasional dings and tumbles, but it’s still glass. Sapphire is what is found on expensive watches and is a much tougher material. If you often wear your watches while out and about, the sapphire model is worth splurging on.
The Fenix 6S Pro is the smallest watch in Garmin’s Fenix line, with a case size of 42 mm and a weight of 61 grams. It’s thinner and lighter than previous Fenix watches, but it’s still a robust watch. When you first wear the Fenix 6S, you can feel the weight of the watch on your wrist, but it is not so heavy that it weighs you down; in fact, it’s quite comfortable. I wore it running, hiking and swimming and quickly adjusted to the weight. I didn’t feel slowed down by the clock at all.
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
The buttons also sit almost flush with the case and I had no problems with them digging into my wrist. It’s a nice change from previous Fenix models, where oversized buttons were a literal pain. Despite the smaller buttons, they are easy to locate without having to look at the watch.
Step like a pro
Garmin has not only added new fitness features, but also migrated existing features, such as body battery and training load focus, to the Series 6. What you end up with is a well-rounded watch that does just about everything.
New to the Fenix 6 series is a feature called PacePro, which is a digital version of the pace bands worn by marathoners and other long-distance runners. Instead of manually calculating split times and target pace for each mile or lap on the course, the Garmin Connect app does it for you. Best of all, the app doesn’t just look at distance, it also takes elevation into account when determining your pace and split times.
The PacePro was extremely helpful during my runs, keeping me focused on one lap at a time.
When you’re ready to run, you can load this PacePro data and use it to track your pace in real time. The display will show your goal split pace, your current split pace and how far you are from the overall goal. You can also see the remaining distance on the current share. The PacePro has been extremely helpful during my runs, keeping me focused on one lap at a time instead of the overall length of the run. It also helped me slow down on steep mountain trails allowing me to conserve energy on the climbs and make up time on the descents. For mountain runners looking to take the guesswork out of pacing, this feature is a godsend.
The Fenix 6S performed flawlessly throughout my testing. I compared it to the Forerunner 945 and the Coros Apex, and all the essential metrics — heart rate tracking, GPS distance and pace — were spot on in all respects. Like most Garmin watches, there are plenty of data screens, and you can customize them to show the metrics you need most.
Navigation worth following
Navigation is one of the strong points of Garmin watches and is one of the core features of the Fenix series. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that when your Garmin Fenix 6S Pro says you’re off course, you better listen.
During a test hike, my watch told me I was off course, but I ignored it and continued. Two miles later I came to the side of the road instead of the summit sign. Fortunately, Garmin watches not only track the route, but also have built-in topo maps. I turned on the maps, found my location, and used the navigation to find my way back to the trailhead.
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Garmin has more navigation features than most smartwatches, and one feature that stands out is Climb Pro. Climb Pro analyzes a preloaded trail and uses elevation data to break down the hike into individual climbs. It’s Garmin’s version of “Are we there yet?” for hiking. As you enter an uphill section, Climb Pro displays valuable information about the climb ahead.
Knowing how far and how steeply you have to push is critical, especially if you’re reaching the limit of your endurance. I try not to look at it unless I absolutely have to because it’s a constant reminder of how much you still have to struggle to reach the top. Love it or hate it, Climb Pro works as advertised and is one of the many additional features that set the 6S Pro apart from the competition.
Health and well-being to win
Although the Fenix 6S Pro is an adventure watch, this does not mean that the watch ignores the wellness side of being outdoors and being physically active. You have all the main metrics like sleep stage tracking, stress tracking and heart rate. In a surprise move, Garmin released an update shortly after launch that added new features like daily breathing tracking and tracking sweat loss during exercise. If these features sound familiar, they should. They first debuted last month in the Garmin Venu and Vivoactive 4.
The respiratory rate metric is probably the most interesting as it estimates your breaths per minute using heart rate data. Like many other indicators, breathing rate reflects your fitness – the lower your breathing rate, the better your fitness. Athletes often use breathing rate during training to gauge how hard they are working and how quickly they are recovering from the activity. Before you get too excited and throw the chest strap out the window, this metric is unfortunately disabled during exercise. You still need a chest strap to measure breathing during activity.
Hourly breathing rate is a new metric for Garmin, and it’s promising. I didn’t physically count my physical breaths per minute, but I found that my estimated breathing rate both awake and asleep accurately reflected my general fitness level. As Garmin collects breathing data and begins to analyze that data, it will be interesting to see how this metric evolves in future watches.
Battery life
Garmin packs a ton of power-hungry features into its Fenix series, but the company somehow manages to provide reasonable battery life in its watches. The Fenix 6S Pro lasted more than a week in smartwatch mode and a solid six days when exercising for an hour every day. To help users manage battery life more effectively, Garmin now displays the battery meter as days and hours remaining instead of a percentage. Instead of filling up every night just in case, I could plan to fill up around my training and racing schedule.
Garmin has also added battery modes that let you change power settings on the fly when you need more battery life. More than once I let my battery drain during testing and was able to run 10K with less than 5 percent battery left thanks to these reduced power modes.
Price and availability
Garmin’s Fenix 6S Pro is available now from Garmin’s website and other online retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon. The 6S Pro is one of the cheaper models in the Fenix 6 series, but it’s still expensive with a starting price of $700. Designed for outdoor adventurers, Fenix watches feature outdoor-focused features and a rugged design. As a result, they tend to be more expensive than the Forerunner and other similar fitness-focused smartwatches.
If you’re still in the mood for something discounted, you can also check out our picks for the best smartwatch deals.
Our example
Garmin’s new Fenix 6S Pro may be the smallest model in the Fenix series, but don’t let that dissuade you. It’s robust and almost as feature-packed as its older brother, the Fenix 6X Pro. The 6S Pro has a compact design, refined interface and useful new features that make it attractive to people looking for a fitness watch with a strong outdoor focus.
Is there a better alternative?
The Fenix 6S Pro may be one of the best outdoor adventure watches on the market, but it’s not without its flaws. When you start comparison shopping, the first thing you’ll notice about the 6S Pro is its $700 price tag. For $100 less, you can get the $600 Suunto 9 Baro. This outdoor endurance watch features a sleek touchscreen interface and power-saving battery modes that deliver outstanding battery life.
Another drawback of the Fenix 6S Pro is its weight. At 58 grams, it is noticeably heavier than GPS watches of a similar size. Runners may want to trade some of the Fenix’s outdoor-specific features for the lighter profile (38.5g) of the Forerunner 245, while triathletes who run, cycle and swim would be better suited to the slightly thinner (50g) Coros Apex.
How long will it last?
Garmin has a long-standing reputation for the longevity of its watches. Not only do these watches last seemingly forever, but Garmin continues to upgrade them even after their release. I expect the Fenix 6S Pro to last at least three to four years with normal use. You’ll probably want to upgrade to a shiny new watch before the Fenix 6S Pro fails.
Should you buy it?
If you want a small watch that’s packed with outdoor-focused features, look no further than Garmin’s Fenix 6S Pro. Worth every penny.
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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn