Garmin Fenix 8 review: Rugged, expensive perfection

Garmin
Fenix
8:
One-minute
review

The

Garmin
Fenix
8
was
perhaps
the
most
anticipated
watch
from
Garmin
in
a
very
long
time,
and
the
reveal
didn’t
disappoint.
The
Garmin
Fenix
7
series
has
been
consistently
rated
among
the
best
Garmin
watches
ever,
and
the
Garmin
Fenix
8
is
packing
most
of
Garmin’s
best
hardware
features
that
were
introduced
in
the
years
since
the
Fenix
7
was
released. 

Features
like
an
AMOLED
display,
a
microphone
and
speaker
for
calls,
and
an
LED
torch
for
attracting
attention
or
running
safely
at
night
(and,
er,
for
seeing
in
the
dark)
have
been
folded
into
the
Fenix
8. 

It
now
has
new
waterproofing
and
an

Apple
Watch
Ultra-style
dive
watch
capability,
cribbed
from
the
Garmin
Descent
series.
The
watch
can
act
as
a
working
dive
computer
for
scuba
activities
down
to
40
meters,
although
in
our
exclusive
chat
with
Garmin
product
lead
Jon
Hosler
he
revealed
that
the
watch
can
actually
go
beyond
that
depth. 

New,
improved
GPS
means
new
software
features:
with
a
“dynamic
routing”
ability
automatically
generates
back-to-start
directions
during
running
and
cycling
workouts,
and
if
you’re
running
on
a
pre-prescribed
route
your
Fenix
8
will
intelligently
compensate
if
you

stray
from
the
path.
Purchasers
get
to
choose
between
three
different
sizes,
with
an
additional
choice
of
a
solar-powered
memory-in-pixel
display
(a
duller,
more
power-efficient
smartwatch
screen)
or
a
brighter,
more
smartwatch-y
AMOLED
one.

Unsurprisingly,
it’s
a
fantastic
watch.
It’s
built
like
a
tank
without
being
too
obnoxious,
although
it
doesn’t
deviate
much
from
older
Garmins
(in
fact,
it
looks
almost
the
same
as
my
Garmin
Epix
Pro
at
first
glance).
You
know
what
you’re
getting,
and
if
you
like
Garmin’s
existing
stable
of
adventure
watches,
this
is
the
best
one
yet. 

However,
that
performance
excellence
comes
with
an
eye-watering
price
tag,
which
is
almost
too
much
in
comparison
to
its
contemporaries.
Almost,
but
not
quite:
I
considered
knocking
off
half
a
star,
but
this
may
well
be
the
best-performing
Garmin
watch
I’ve
ever
tried 

Garmin
Fenix
8:
Specifications

Garmin
Fenix
8:
Price
and
availability

• 
  Starts
  at
  $799.99
  /
  £689.99
  /
  AU$1,349
  for
  cheaper
  47mm
  Fenix
  E
• 
  Prices
  for
  43mm
  Fenix
  8
  start
  at
  $999
  /
  £949
  /
  AU$1,699
• 
  Reaches
  up
  to
  $1,199
  /
  £1,119
  /
  $2,199

The
Garmin
Fenix
8
starts
at
$799.99
/
£689.99
/
AU$1,349
for
the
cheapest
model,
a
47mm
model
christened
the
Garmin
Fenix
E.
The
Fenix
E
is
a
version
of
the
AMOLED
display
Fenix
8
with
no
solar
charging
option,
16
days
of
battery
life,
no
torch,
no
advanced
leak-proof
buttons
for
dive
watch
activities
(although
it’ll
still
stand
up
to
water
exposure,
with
10ATM
waterproofing)
and
a
stainless
steel
case,
with
no
titanium
option.
In
essence,
it’s
an
AMOLED
Fenix
7. 

The
full-price
Fenix
8
starts
at
$999
/
£949
/
AU$1,699
for
the
43mm
AMOLED
watch,
which
is
a
significant
jump
from
the
E,
rising
to
the
considerable
sum
of
$1,199
/
£1,119
/
$2,199
for
the
51mm
solar-powered
version.
What
you
get
for
this
is
a
big
increase
in
battery
life
of
up
to
28
days,
the
advanced
waterproofing
leak-proof
buttons,
dive
watch
functionality,
the
torch,
a
more
advanced
heart
rate
sensor,
and
the
option
of
an
AMOLED
screen
or
a
memory-in-pixel,
solar-charging
screen. 

The
full-price
Fenix
8
is
incredibly
expensive.
Its
performance
is
phenomenal,
and
the
engineering
behind
it
is
equal
to
many
an
analog
timepiece;
but
such
a
price
is
very
hard
to
justify
for
all
but
the
wealthiest
sportspeople. 

• 
  Value
  score:
  4/5

Garmin
Fenix
8:
Design

• 
  AMOLED
  or
  MIP
  screen
• 
  New
  leak-proofing
• 
  Sapphire
  glass/titanium
  options

Structurally,
the
Garmin
Fenix
8
looks
almost
identical
to
the
Fenix
and
Epix
watches
that
came
before
it.
The
Epix
line
was
a
version
of
the
Fenix
with
that
gorgeous,
smartwatch-like
AMOLED
screen,
but
Epix
doesn’t
exist
anymore
–
Garmin
has
axed
the
name
and
folded
it
in
with
the
main
Fenix
line.
The
Fenix
8
inherits
that
AMOLED
screen
as
an
option,
while
the
memory-in-pixel
(MIP)
screen
is
Garmin’s
traditional
duller,
battery-efficient
screen
with
Power
Glass
solar
technology,
which
extends
the
watch’s
battery
life
if
you
spend
around
three
hours
or
more
outdoors. 

The
screen
is
made
of
Corning
Gorilla
Glass
as
standard,
but
an
upgrade
to
the
harder
category
of
Sapphire
glass
is
available.
Likewise,
the
Fenix
8’s
case
is
a
mix
of
tough
polymer
and
stainless
steel,
but
you
can
upgrade
the
metal
components
to
titanium
for
an
additional
cost.
These
upgrades
are
on
top
of
the
already-steep
price,
but
the
base
model
should
be
more
than
sufficient
for
all
but
the
most
adventurous
outdoorspeople.
The
thick,
wipe-clean
silicone
Garmin
band
will
be
familiar
to
most,
but
it
can
be
swapped
with
a
trail-specific
fabric
loop
like
the
Enduro.

Garmin’s
standard
combination
of
a
five-button
setup
–
Up,
Down
and
Options
buttons
on
one
side,
and
a
Start/Stop
and
a
Back
button
on
the
other
–
and
touchscreens
work
well
as
they
have
always
done,
while
a
new
raised
section
on
the
right-hand
side
makes
it
look
a
little
like
an
Apple
Watch
Ultra
in
practice. 

Garmin’s
widget-based
screen
layout
is
fast
and
intuitive
to
use.
It’s
easy
to
navigate
through
the
watch’s
options
and
add
new
apps,
such
as
Spotify
for
offline
music
playback
without
a
phone.
You
can
add
widgets
through
your
phone’s
Wi-Fi
connection,
making
it
easy
to
customize
at
home
before
you
step
out
the
door. 

Garmin
Connect,
the
watch’s
companion
app,
is
stellar,
and
as
comprehensive
as
ever.
It’s
very
granular,
showing
you
lots
of
data
points
and
workout-creation
options
–
almost
too
granular
for
beginners.
Then
again,
beginners
are
unlikely
to
be
spending
this
much
on
a
sports
watch,
and
it’s
all
well-organized.
There’s
not
much
that’s
new
to
speak
about,
but
it
remains
best-in-class. 

•  Design
  score:
  5/5 

Garmin
Fenix
8:
Features

• 
  New
  GPS
  functionalities
• 
  Dive
  mode
• 
  LED
  torch

Let’s
start
off
with
the
new
stuff.
Dynamic
routing
offers
a
small
quality-of-life
improvement
to
GPS-tracked
running,
walking
or
cycling
workouts,
as
you
now
have
the
option
to
enable
Back
to
Start
before
you
even
head
out
the
door.
Simply
set
a
distance
goal
for
your
run,
then
enable
Back
to
Start
and
the
Fenix
8
will
generate
an
out-and-back
route
once
you’ve
hit
around
40%
of
your
distance
goal.
There’s
no
need
to
follow
a
pre-prescribed
route
until
then,
which
is
great.
Dynamic
routing
also
allows
you
to
deviate
from
a
route
you’ve
already
created,
rerouting
you
automatically
while
keeping
your
target
goal
in
mind.
Very
handy. 

I’ve
not
had
the
opportunity
to
test
the
new
Dive
Mode
yet,
unfortunately:
after
this
review
has
been
published
I’ll
be
handing
the
device
off
to
a
writer
who’s
also
a
recreational
diver
for
a
more
thorough
breakdown
of
that
particular
mode.
But
like
Garmin’s
Descent
series,
you
get
a
fully-functioning
dive
computer
with
gauge,
nitrox,
air
and
apnoea
modes
for
recreational
scuba
diving
and
free-diving
activities.
It’s
enough
for
casual
adventure
enthusiasts
who
may
scuba
or
snorkel
once
or
twice
a
year,
and
who
spend
the
rest
of
their
time
running,
cycling,
or
swimming. 

The
LED
torch
is
the
same
torch
as
on
the
Garmin
Fenix
7
Pro
and
Epix
Pro
models,
and
works
just
as
well.
I’ve
already
used
it
to
find
my
way
twice
in
the
dark
at
full
power
(admittedly,
only
to
the
bathroom)
and
I
stick
the
red
mode
on
at
night
to
alert
cars
that
I’m
jogging
on
the
sidewalk
in
the
dark.
It’s
surprisingly
powerful,
creating
a
moving
spotlight
of
red
that
illuminates
the
ground
in
front
of
me
as
I
run. 

Otherwise,
a
lot
of
the
new
advancements
–
such
as
more
accurate
GPS,
topographical
maps,
the
new
heart
rate
monitor
which
promises
to
be
more
accurate,
improved
battery
life,
and
leakproof
buttons
to
enable
all
the
dive
stuff
–
is
under
the
hood.
At
its
heart,
the
Garmin
Fenix
8
is
an
iterative
update
of
an
older,
already-fantastic
watch,
and
the
smartwatch
category
as
a
whole
hasn’t
moved
on
very
far
since
then,
which
means
the
Garmin
Fenix
8
is
still
best
in
show. 

Heart
rate
alerts,
sleep
tracking,
nap
tracking,
stress
tracking,
respiration
tracking
and
other
holistic
tools
sit
alongside
Training
Readiness,
Endurance
and
Hill
scores
to
make
this
an
incredibly
comprehensive
health
and
fitness
watch.
Garmin
Messenger
allows
you
to
directly
communicate
between
devices
using
Garmin’s
satellite
network.
There’s
a
smorgasbord
of
available
widgets
and
functionalities
which
you
can
use
to
customize
your
watch,
from
shortcuts
to
services
like
Garmin
Coach
to
a
Tides
widget
for
open-water
swimmers
and
surfers.
You
can
download
music,
sync
to
Strava,
and
receive
(but
not
make)
calls
on-wrist.
It’s
practically
perfect,
with
every
performance
tool
you’ll
ever
need.

•  Features
  score:
  5/5 

Garmin
Fenix
8:
Performance

• 
  Accurate
  GPS
• 
  Long
  battery
  life
• 
  Advanced
  heart
  rate
  sensor

As
I’m
an
existing
Garmin
user,
the
watch
was
easy
to
set
up
and
use
with
my
pre-existing
Garmin
account,
syncing
to
Strava
and
Spotify
immediately.
We
won’t
labor
the
point
here:
the
watch
is
good,
and
it
works.
Tested
against
an
Apple
Watch
Ultra
2,
it
recorded
a
very
similar
performance
and
distance
while
on
a
5K,
and
I
found
the
differences
in
heart
rate
readings
to
be
minimal,
allowing
for
variations
in
algorithms
and
a
different
wrist.
You
can
read
more
about
how
the
Apple
Watch
Ultra
fares
against
premium
Garmins
in
my
account
of


wearing
the
Watch
Ultra
and
the
Garmin
Epix
Pro
during
a
marathon.

The
Fenix
8’s
display
was
bright
enough
for
me
to
see
clearly,
and
after
a
full
charge,
I
almost
drained
it
completely
after
13
days
of
regular
GPS
workouts:
a
combination
of
running,
strength
training,
and
stand-up
paddleboarding
(and
yes,
there’s
a
specialist
GPS-based
profile
for
that,
which
even
counts
the
strokes
you
make
as
you
glide
across
the
water). 

I
have
yet
to
test
its
new
cycling
features,
but
I
did
test
dynamic
routing
during
a
running
workout,
deliberately
going
off-piste
(to
borrow
a
skiing
term)
to
check
out
its
capabilities,
and
it
performed
fine.
I
departed
from
the
route
I
had
created
with
Garmin
Connect,
and
it
successfully
rerouted
me
by
the
closest
available
detour
within
about
two
minutes.
I
also
popped
in
my
distance
requirements
and
enabled
the
out-and-back
routing
on
a
5K
run,
and
it
successfully
kicked
in
just
after
the
40%
mark. 

Otherwise,
the
Fenix
8
tracked
my
sleep
with
good
accuracy,
successfully
logging
periods
when
I
woke
up
during
the
night,
and
delivering
a
Training
Readiness
score
during
the
day
which
tracked
well
with
my
previous
few
days’
energy
levels,
from
an
anecdotal
perspective.
The
torch
was
nice
and
bright
(as
is
the
lovely
screen),
and
I
haven’t
even
scratched
the
surface
in
terms
of
all
the
features
available
to
me
during
a
training
block.
 

•  Performance
  score:
  5/5 

Garmin
Fenix
8:
Scorecard

Garmin
Fenix
8:
Should
I
buy?

Buy
it
if…

Don’t
buy
it
if…

Also
consider…

How
I
tested

I
wore
the
Garmin
Fenix
8
for
three
weeks,
draining
the
battery
down,
sleeping
with
the
watch,
and
testing
it
over
several
different
kinds
of
workouts
including
running,
strength
training
and
stand-up
paddleboarding.
I
compared
it
to
an
Apple
Watch
Ultra
2
(my
litmus
test
for
GPS
and
HR
accuracy)
during
a
5K
run,
and
spent
time
with
the
watch
examining
the
settings
and
functionalities,
both
on-device
and
in
Garmin
Connect. 

First
reviewed:
September
2024