Garmin fenix 6S Pro, Ultimate Multisport GPS Watch, Smaller-Sized, Features Mapping, Music, Grade-Adjusted Pace Monitoring and Pulse Ox Sensors, Black with Black Band

Product Information

Adds new PacePro feature: This replaces old-school paper race pace bands, creating pace targets for race based on grade/reverse splits/etc… The overall size of the watch is designed specifically for smaller wrists from 4.25 to 7.16 inches (10.8 to 18.2 cm). In addition, you can use Garmin’s Connect IQ app to create your own watch face with a picture of your kids, Ben & Jerry’s container, or whatever else is important to you. And then, off you go (once you press start). The watch will then show your target pace (7:00) on the top line, followed by your current pace for that split on the second line (6:35). You can see here I’m overachieving (hey, I’m still getting used to trusting a watch on pacing like this):

That’s a nice touch and similar to what is offered by the Suunto 9. However, besides ultramarathon runners and Ironman triathletes, the battery life in the watch’s regular mode is more than sufficient. Indeed, I found the Fenix 6 Pro needed a charge around every 10 days even when running every day, while the larger 6X Pro went two to three weeks between charges comfortably.Below that, you’ll notice the little mountain and sun icons along the bottom. We’ll get to that shortly. First though, hit down twice (once past VO2Max) and you’ll see the 7-day load listed. This is color-coded by the type of load that you’ve gathered, as well as the total load values:

All of this is of course synced to Garmin Connect via WiFi (on the Pro models) or via Garmin Connect Mobile (via Bluetooth Smart on your phone). Or, you can use USB and Garmin Express. Or, you can just go off the grid and ignore all that stuff. If you’ve set up synchronization to 3rd parties like Strava or TrainingPeaks, it’ll instantly send there as well. Here’s how it looks on Garmin Connect Mobile (aka GCM): The Garmin Fenix 7X has a flashlight that shines out of the top of the watch case. It contains both red and white LEDs, and can be used to help you see in dark conditions, or to make you more visible to others when you're running at night. Smaller Fenix 7 watches don't have a light. Display While you don’t absolutely have to use the app, I recommend it since you can see a ton more data there than you’ll see on your watch. One thing I love is having easy access to widgets so you can see tons of data — like race time predictions, training status, heart rate, and more — without ever having to open the Garmin Connect app. Battery life According to Garmin, the stress level is calculated based on your heart rate variability in a given day. I was a little skeptical at first, but looking through the data changed my mind. I found that on days that had felt particularly harried, my stress score was higher. And on days that felt pretty low-key, I ended up with a low stress score.While I could see this feature being useful if you were trying to work on more even splits, I actually found it kind of annoying when I tested it out. I usually base my runs off of a distance goal rather than time goal, and I don’t pay a ton of attention to my speed, so it was kind of obnoxious to have the watch alert me every time I was going faster or slower than it wanted me to. That data gets fed into the revamped Training Status functionality/widget, which shows the direction your fitness level and load levels are trending. If you’re shopping for a Fenix, you have options. But it’s also kind of confusing to figure out what you’re looking at if you don’t know the lingo. Next, you’ll be brought to this screen that shows the course profile with color coding on it. You can expand this and zoom in however you’d like:

Then down below you’ve got distance remaining (0.75) in that lap (either 1 kilometer or 1 mile depending on how you’ve set it up), and then below that you’ve got whether or not you’re ahead or behind for the entire race, and by how much (-0:07).Adds new ultra-low battery mode: Gets up to 80 days of battery life, but super basic watch functionality only

Knowing how far and how steep you have to push is critical, especially if you are reaching the limit of your endurance. I try not to look at it unless I absolutely need to as as it a constant reminder of how much further you have to toil to reach the top. Love it or hate it, Climb Pro works as advertised and is one the many extra features that sets the 6S Pro apart from its competition. Health and wellness for the win When you start your run, the watch will give you a suggested workout (time and speed), based on how it thinks you’re doing with your training load for the week. To protect the display, Garmin did away with the chemically-strengthened glass material and replaced it with Gorilla Glass 3, but you now can choose between Gorilla Glass 3 or the more expensive sapphire crystal for their display lens material. I have not been able to test the long-term scratch-resistance of the display material, but Gorilla Glass 3 is on low-end phones and should protect you from the occasional rustle and tumble, but it’s still glass. Sapphire is what’s on expensive watches and is a much more tougher material. If you frequently scuff up your watches while outdoors, the sapphire model is worth shelling out for. Obviously, at a high level things look clean – no drunk uncle moments. So let’s dig a wee bit deeper, starting at the beginning. I know it’s a bit tougher to see the lines in satellite mode, but it’s worth it.Data include pace, and distance time information. – but also lap data, cadence, heart rate, zones, and more. It’s a top-running experience, but no different from top-end Forerunners as we’ve already mentioned. Frankly, this may be one of my favorite features of the Fenix 6 series. Which sounds silly until you realize I hated scrolling endlessly through widgets trying to find the data I wanted. Now, I can scroll three times less (or faster). It’s brilliant. Here’s a small gallery of widgets currently on my watch. Note the solar widget is only applicable to the Fenix 6X Solar unit. All the other widgets are across all Fenix 6 units. However, it’s extremely power efficient and always-on and this sacrifice in aesthetics enables some of the Fenix’s best features.