Garmin Fenix 5X Sapphire Premium & Rugged Smart Sports Watch
Built for athletes and outdoor adventurers, the Fenix 5 Plus multisport GPS watch from Garmin is the high-performance way to beat yesterday and bring your maps and music along. This rugged, premium-crafted watch features rotatable color mapping, estimated heart rate at the wrist, storage for up to 500 songs and much more.
- Ultimate multisport GPS watch with full color Topo U.S. mapping, rotatable cycling maps and other outdoor navigation features
- Fit for adventure with rugged design that features stainless steel bezel, buttons and rear case: Physical size 5.1 x 5.1 x 1.8 centimeter; Weight silicone band: 98 grams ; Metal band: 196 grams
- Built in navigation sensors include GPS and Glonass capability to track in more challenging environments than GPS alone as well as 3 axis compass, gyroscope and barometric altimeter
- Preloaded run profiles: Running, treadmill running, trail running. Put key stats at your fingertips with the performance widget that shows your training status, training load and more
- Connected features include smart notifications, automatic uploads to Garmin connect online fitness community and personalization through free watch faces and apps from our connect IQ store
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viz10312 –
This is by far the best activity watch out there. The battery life is awesome. The Bluetooth connectivity needs some major work. And reading forums online that seems to be a common issue. This is an expensive watch. You are getting some of the best things when you buy the premium sapphire edition such as the sapphire glass and wifi connectivity. But for this much money the smart watch functions need to work all the time. My Fitbit handles smart notifications way better at 1/6 the price. I really like the Garmin Connect app. It is very detailed and offers a very in depth view of your activities. I hope this helps.
castle888 –
I’ve been on the fence waiting for a gps watch for a year now. I am an apple person and originally was interested in an Apple Watch but didn’t want to deal with the everyday charging. I charge my phone everyday. I don’t need more things to charge daily. Fenix 5x has longer battery life. This watch has some heft to it, its built like a tank, I’m a bigger than average person and I don’t mind the watch, but I do notice the weight of it some. The price from seller was best deal on eBay, plus with my 8% ebay bucks back, this should cost me about 535.00 range which is a steal!!! Item arrived brand new and sealed, I had to cut a sticker to open it. In the original sale, it stated US mapping, I received a U.K. Version. That’s why I posted a neutral rating. I didn’t post a negative rating because of the cheap cheap price I paid for it. After researching, u can actually download free OSM maps from openmaps or gpsfiledepot. That is where I got my us maps. I originally was very upset that I got a U.K. Version but with the low price I paid and finally figuring out how to download free OSM maps of US. I was ok. I plugged it into my Mac and dropped the US map into the garmin folder. Then selected map on watch to be on and walah! It works!!! If u have to have gps mapping on your wrist, then get this 5x. If u don’t need gps, the smaller 5 should be fine. The reason I got this watch was to help me be more active. The price of fenix 5x vs an Apple Watch was pretty close for me. So I opted for the fenix 5x. The few cons I read about was it’s high retail price 699, big and heavy to some, heart monitor not as accurate. Then u should use a chest strap if u more accurate results. These are really not cons for me. The display is average and can’t compare to an Apple Watch display. But I’m fine with that. It has wifi. But I don’t really need to use it yet. I just plug it in my laptop and do what I need to do. I threw a screen protector on it by skinomi, but that might be overkill because its sapphire glass. Lol. Members that get an out of region watch. U still have hope. U can download free maps from openmaps or gpsfiledepot and drop onto your 5x. I’m glad I found out that they have free map sites available! I hope this helps in deciding into buying this watch.
mmarcus-br –
Amazing product!
tr_off01 –
A little expensive but a remarkable tool. I have exercised with it for ~8 hours over the course of the first week including using the GPS features and the battery is remarkable … 9 days in and still a 15% charge. IMO it is stylish and comfortable.
dmitrifedi_0 –
Thank you.
markovitch2006 –
If you run, hike, or adventure, this is for you! A hair big on my 7.25 wrists. Fits longer than say a GShock. If Garmin made the strap bars a bit closer to the case or angled them down a bit it would be perfect. But I still love it! I think all watch makers will start using these quick release straps. What an awesome idea!
jpianohk –
I use it mostly for MTB navigation replace many of the heavy GPS I own to generally saving weights any find new trails. Good battery life ,last whole day for navigation . the map US ver.that comes with is good indeed without needing any look around.The app isn’t so easy to navigate .Funny Itself (app) needs an navigation to get in & out something very frustration to be tie with WIFI and shopping of garmin sites!!and u need wifi to change face & update activities .Also resolution & limited color are below now most of the average smart watch standard .However ,since it is always on ,does save good battery life ,that makes up . Nevertheless the only app that allow for face change is FACE IT by garmin .which I wish has more option to change hands or 2 time zone & color. There is no other app out there ,like the the WATCH maker in android app .That is so so good ..I order a metal band which add some weight but still use to light strap for biking since it is very flexible . Wish lists for future Fenix . ps bought a plug for the battery terminal because sweat will cause the connection fail someday) larger screen ,higher resolution ,more color and better app (garmin connect) need not use WIFI for any basic connection . better connection (USB c) and water proof the terminal .The plug should be included in the 1st place ..see what sony does right to their phones. For the $ they should need a better or color screen . so 600$ is not a value 400$ will be acceptable However , 100$ for street maps I guess they will be 500$ range .Compare to Casio 20 which I also own and disappoint with the useless navigation (very limited) without wifi since getting the map in it is almost impossible and frustration .And the price 500$ is over .However , does have a better screen (bad why they include a flat tire like the Motorola 360) .Battery life is less a day& if navigation used less than few hours!!
jeffrecroo-0 –
Great watch, if you want the mapping features it’s definitely worth the extra money. I debated between the 5 and the 5x and I’m completely satisfied with going for the 5x. I get bored doing the same routes for running and biking, and with the route creator it gives you three different options for the distance you plug in, and it’s super easy to set up. The only thing negative I can say about it is that the heart rate monitor lags a bit….on some runs it reads low for up to 10 minutes until it catches up and then jumps up to the correct reading. Still better than wearing a chest strap imo. The battery life is great, I wear it all day and use it to track activities almost daily and I only have to charge it once a week. It looks slick and I like health stats, and it tracks everything imaginable.
ctu_2 –
Coming from fenix 3 hr, this watch shows good improvement in response time and battery life. The new features such as music storage, contactless payments and blood oxygen level detection are a plus but I’m not sure how often I will use them. This is a pricey gadget but I hope it will hold up and prove its worth over time.
Tim –
I must say I am rather disappointed. I upgraded from a 920xt, but a couple of basic features that worked well on my old device are completely broken. The two most annoying things for me are that 1) the open water tracking is completely not working. The device literally tracks between 5 and 20% of the total distance. It is completely not usable. 2) My Mac does not recognize the mounted Garmin device and I cannot download the *.fit files. Hence my recommendation: if you want to use it for triathlons and open water swimming: better get an older cheaper device that is proven to be working.
4_00257 –
Many thanks for the clock! I am very glad!
kradong –
Surprised
kovk_ru_xydsic –
Very good, very quickly and with high quality!
A. Barnat –
The watch itself is great. I’m honestly hard-pressed to fault Garmin for anything; it’s entirely configurable on-device out of the box (short of downloading custom watch faces or fields), does just about anything you could possibly want for any sort of physical training, has detailed maps, and is much more responsive than the Fenix 3 HR it replaced for me. Oh, also everything is controlled via physical buttons; no fiddly touchscreens in sight, and the battery will easily last through the most intense of training sessions on a full charge or will last through literally weeks of constant light use (with the screen on and visible 100% of the time, no less).What’s the problem, then? Garmin Connect.Search for issues connecting Fenix watches to the iPhone, and you’ll find threads full of people with watches that refuse to connect reliably despite repeated resets, reinstalls, etc. Add to this that the watch does not allow things such as activity screens to be customized in the app or backed up online, and you’re potentially looking at a lot of work just to keep the thing connected and in sync. This is an $850 watch, and part of the deal here is the phone and online connectivity.Garmin, your app needs to be 100% reliable, not constantly failing to connect or sync with no tools provided to even diagnose let alone fix the sorts of issues people are having. It’s great that your app just automatically, magically connects when everything is working, but just maybe you’d have been better off at least leaving the management of the Bluetooth connection itself to the usual OS UI, and working on top of that rather than trying to roll your own, apparently quite broken solution.
art.pr0w1er –
Garmin is the best!
galvin900 –
Even though the watch is a little big it is my all time favorite. The watch does so many things that my Garmin VivoActive did not.One of the main features I like is the ease of swapping the watch bands out. Wear leather for going out or wear the silicone for working out. Plus I love the ease of seeing sunrise and sunset times since I hunt deer a lot.
ftate1zmx –
I upgraded f on a Vivoactive HR and I definitely like this watch. It’s got tons of features and is extremely durable with it’s Sapphire crystal (I still bought a hardened glass screen protector just because). It is definitely expensive, and the button operation feels a little less smooth that you might want in a watch at this price. But the screen is huge and easy to read, you get tons of information on the Garmin Connect app, and the GarminIQ Store has tons of great watch faces and apps to let you customize as much as you want.
ekozmo –
Upgraded from a 310xt, wasn’t sure how I would like wearing a massive watch around all day…it hasn’t left my wrist the smartwatch features are handy, the activity tracker features are awesome, the heart rate monitor seems accurate and is nice to have 24×7 and tracking actual workouts whether indoor or outdoor with GPS is simple. Great battery life.
mkugele –
Great experience. Exceeded expectations. Watch was like new and all items were included with original box.
jah6861 –
Upgraded from a fenix 3HR that I’ve had for over two years. Garmin makes excellent fitness/lifestyle products. I hardly ever take it off, just to charge. Longer battery life is one of the improvements I’ve noticed so far.
C.T. –
To be clear, the features on this watch are awesome. I have had it since December (2018) loved it until over the past week it started shutting down on its own over and over and over again. Performed soft resets, hard resets, lost my music and at least two full days worth of data due to it. Now I’m in the middle of my second chat with Garmin customer service. On both chats, as soon as I mentioned the software version it’s on, the chat went from trying to fix the problem to them wanting me to exchange the watch for a new one. Herein lies the problem… they want you to exchange it one of two ways: send it in and wait 10-14 days for them to send you a new one OR pay a $360 deposit for them to ship you a replacement immediately that they will refund you at a yet-to-be-determined time…. So you either don’t have use of it for a half month or you have to pay them again to fix the watch and hope they get you your money back in a reasonable amount of time. Based on the interactions I’ve had over the past 5 days, i wouldn’t expect it any time soon.If you’re considering buying this watch, do yourself the courtesy of Googling Fenix 5x+ reboot issues. There had been a few mentions of minor issues in December when I bought mine but it looks like there’s been an uptick in these types of issues in the past few days. Knowing how their CS reacted and seeing a bigger population of people running into issues the past few days, I have to wonder what happened.Update: after spending probably 1.5 collective hours in a chat window with Garmin Customer service, they offered to do a prepaid shipping where they’ll ship the new watch as soon as they see that the old one is in transit. Will still take 3-5 days (according to the rep) but it’s a lot better than their “ONLY TWO” exchange options that they insisted they had.Long story short, I really love this watch when it works but seeing the lack of support Garmin provides on a $800 product, I probably wouldn’t buy it again and I’d look for another option priced much, much cheaper. Even if it has issues, you won’t kick yourself nearly as hard for the lack of utility or support.******************************10 Day Update (4/12/19):******************************Still don’t have a replacement. Garmin used DHL who, in turn, apparently uses USPS to deliver. Received a notification that my replacement was on the way on April 5th. Immediately clicked the tracking number link and was greeted with a notification that there was already a delay in the delivery process and would result in an additional 24-48 hour delay. Since checking on the 5th, I noticed an update at 3:37 AM on 4/8 on DHL’s site that it had been turned over to USPS. Check the USPS tracking number and their last update was still 4/6 stating that they were waiting for it. At 1:43 AM on 4/12, neither has updated since the 8th. When I’ve contacted DHL and USPS (multiple times now… including one call to DHL were the automated system told me the package with my tracking number was delivered to Egg Harbor Township – not on any of the updates or anywhere near it’s supposed to be… brought that up to both DHL and Garmin and they glossed over it completely), I was advised to check with the shipper (Garmin) to find out where it is. When I contacted Garmin after that, I was told:”I’m not sure why you can’t get a definitive answer from DHL or USPS, but it could be the result of poor communication between the carriers. It does appear the package is in the process of being handed off to USPS since DHL has provided the USPS tracking number.”and that’s been it. Garmin’s not backing up their product, making zero effort to help in any way, shape, or form, or even to try and provide any kind of answer.I’ve bought quite a bit from Garmin in the past and present – other trackers, satellite communication devices, GPS units, etc… – but it’s going to be very difficult to buy anything from them again after this experience and I’d advise other potential customers to seek alternatives as well. At the very least, have your eyes wide open if you’re set on one of their products. Even if it’s under warranty they’re not going to support it.
patutmikha_eazsp –
Excellent. Very very happy with this watches. 1. More than week with 1 hour exercises every day(bike, pool, walk). 2. Garmin Pay – biggest plus. Not need plastic every time. 3. No touch screen – one more biggest plus. Not need to worry about dirt, water, sweat. 4. For riding bike can replace your bike computer + get heart rate in realtime. 5. Whole time heart rate monitoring.
gerdani –
Really great sport watch with smart settings. It has so many things and applications that I was not able to check everything yet and maybe I won`t be able to check everything that this watch is capable. Really good sport stats, even the strength app recognizes some of the exercise in the gym automatically. It has everything that I personal need even more – thousands of different applications and watch faces. Really happy with the watch but for me the battery last only 6-7 days not even close to the 20 says stated from Garmin. Maybe is cause I have the heart rate on, the Oxi sensor on and I work out like 5-6 times per week for about a hour and for sure the gps is on for that time and the music also but still 6-7 days… I would be happier if it was at least 10 days. The other thing that I am not so happy about are the colors and the performance of the display and also that there is option to accept the incoming call but there is no possibility to speak directly through the watch. I think for the price of 600$ the display can be much better. And finally the design – All in All it looks great but I think it will be much better if there is better protection for the bezel and the glass. I use the watch for about 15 days and I don`t have single scratch on it but I am pretty sure that if I bump it accidentally on something it will get scratch or dent.
bamboozledguy –
The screen didnt have the vibrant colors of a Galaxy Watch.
mattcpi_5 –
Garmin Fenex 5x is the best smartwatche at value today. The Fenex 6 is the newer model so the Fenex 5 has recently gone down in price. It covers all the basic smartwatche functions needed in today’s world and has additional features that active users can take advantage of. Pros: -Sapphire watch screen is pretty indestructible as watch faces go. Even refurbished watches have god screens and beet up everything else. -Easily replaceable bands. -Good heart monitor -Waterproof enough to swim or shower with -Good GPS system that uses multiple constellations of satellites. -Health tracking easy to use and accurate -Good interface back and forth with smartphone, I can reply to texts and receive updates. -Good market with custom watchfaces and apps. -Easy to find a watch face I like that meets my display needs. -Widgets and apps easy to use on watch. -the 5x comes preloaded with topo maps of the US that show run routes, hikes, bike rides, etc. If this does not matter to you get the 5 and save money. Cons -Not the best GPS, If you run in a dense city or forest look at Fenex 6 with more powerful GPS. -Maps are hard to interface with. Little disappointed in comparison to my fortrex. Does great tracking of where I am and where I was, hard to route plan. -No call feature on watch, can only pickup phone calls. This feature is traded for waterproofing and I agree with the feature trade. -GPS mode drains battery to 12 ish hours, longer races are a no with this watch. Overall very pleased with this watch. It meets all my basic needs and being the older model it’s currently very affordable. The Fenex 6 only improves things this watch does and does not add very many new features.
craighu –
Watch is feature-packed, without anything I really didn’t need. And it looks sharp, to boot. Pros: – Accurate GPS & HR. – Very usable interface & button layout. – Highly, higlhly customizable layouts for clock, activities, widgets, apps, etc. – Very rugged watch….will be difficult to stress or damage this thing, even with all the outdoor activities I do. – Battery life. 1-2 weeks of daily use between charges?….Yes, please! Cons: – Heavy; I’m getting used to it, but would love to shave some weight from it. If you don’t have it cinched to the right spot on your arm with the right pressure, it’s going to flop around. – Wide & tall. It’s a good thing it’s rugged, as I do bump it into things more than my old (smaller) watch. – Display. I’m whining here, but it could be a bit brighter or have more contrast without backlight (the backlight strength is adjustable, but not the standard display brightness). – Font size: For some secondary data fields, the aplhanumerics can require squnting….wish these were bigger or adjustable.