Garmin Fenix 5

A PERFECT TRAINING PARTNER FOR SERIOUS ATHLETES.

THE FENIX 5 supercedes the (still very good) Fenix 3, cutting down on the bulk and improving the screen resolution. You are, quite literally, looking at the biggest improvements, and these cosmetic changes alone are impressive. All three Fenix 5 revisions — the smaller 5s, the 5 tested here, and the 5X made for modern Edmund Hillarys — share the same underpinnings. Each has an optical heart-rate monitor with 24/7 monitoring and GPS functions.

So far, so Fenix 3, though once you’re done training, you’ll notice better feedback on your training load that gives some indication of how you’re performing in relation to past results, plus more recommendations on what to do during recovery, rather than simply ‘recover’. What’s fantastic about the Fenix is how adaptable it is to what you want to do. The list of sports available is broad enough to entice anyone who spends their time on land or in the water, skiing or snowboarding, running or adventuring thanks to its barometer, in-built compass and altimeter. Battery life is nothing short of sensational, too, especially when paired to a chest strap (for swimming or triathlon) — this tester completed a full Ironman in 11 hours and the Fenix 5 still had 50% battery left.

It’s not perfect, though: the optical heart-rate monitor often underreported what our ticker’s doing when active, but this is largely due to the HRM not being flush on this tester’s wrist. It does show resting heart rate perfectly, though. Garmin’s app offers more in-depth metrics, but the basics and more can be reviewed on the watch.