FTC: Affiliate Disclosure: All links pay commission
The new Garmin Fenix 6 comes only 14 months after the significantly updated Fenix 5 PLUS range. The updates to the 5 PLUS were mostly software+hardware fixes and, this time round the updates we see in the Fenix 6 DO include some new smart & sport features but, most crucially, we are seeing the Fenix play catch-up with decently powered hardware to match the MARQ and the Forerunner 945.
BLACK FRIDAY-CYBER MONDAY PRICING – HERE
Return the Garmin Fenix 7 Review
Now that you can get your hands on the Fenix 6, here we look at
- Is it worth the upgrade? ie What is new compared to the Fenix 5 Plus
- What are the differences in specs between Fenix 6 models?
Let’s start off with the differences between the new models
Table of Contents | Jump To
Garmin Fenix 6 Model Comparison
Here we have the 3 new models (6s, 6, 6X) with their Base, PRO, Sapphire and SOLAR variants.
Fenix 6s | Fenix 6s Pro (Optional Sapphire) | No solar model |
Fenix 6 | Fenix 6 Pro (Optional Sapphire) | No solar model |
No base model |
Fenix 6x Pro (Optional Sapphire) | Fenix 6x Solar (Sapphire) |
Here are the headline differences, simplified slightly for readability
- Pro Version – Each ‘Pro’ version has STREAMING MUSIC and to make streaming work it needs WiFi. You only get the maps on the Pro version too as well as up to 4g of added weight.
- Pro Version Sapphire – This just adds in a more scratch-resistant Sapphire Screen over the lower model’s Gorilla Glass
- Solar – You guessed it, this adds solar charging which is claimed to increase all battery life in all modes by about 10%. This requires a new type of solar screen construction.
- The 6S is the small version, 6 the medium and 6X the large and yes bigger can be better
- Screen Resolution – 6s is 240x240px, 6 is 260x260px, 6X is 280x280px. Larger screens are the same pixel density BUT support readability with more data fields per screen – 6 on the F6 and 8 on the F6X)
- Case Size – 6s is 42 x 42 x 13.8 mm, 6 is 47 x 47 x 14.7 mm, 6X is 51 x 51 x 14.9 mm
- Weight – 6s is 62g, 6 is 83g, 6X is 93g (individual models vary)
- Battery Life – 6s 25 hours GPS and 6 hours GPS+Music and 60 UltraTrac, 6 36 hours GPS 10 hours GPS+Music 72 hours Ultratrac, 6X 60 hours GPS, 15 hours GPS+Music, 120 hours UltraTrac (+10% with Solar)
- Price – Fenix 6X ($749.99 – $1,149.99), Fenix 6 (599.99 – $999.99), Garmin Fenix 6s ($599.99 – $899.99) Eu/£ similar
The more you spend, the bigger and more durable watch you will get and the longer the battery life will be. Screens on the larger models will NOT look better per se…just bigger with more screen real estate.
The decision between models is simple. If you have small wrists you go for the small one. Everyone else gets the regular Fenix 6 whose battery life and physical size is great. If you want maps or music or bang your screen around a lot you get the PRO and Sapphire options respectively. However, I can only see the 6X Pro model and the 6X Solar model being suitable for people with very specific size and battery needs – having said that you guys are probably just going to get the most expensive one…because you can.
The detailed hardware specs and detailed comparisons are further below
Garmin Fenix 6 vs Garmin Fenix 5 Plus Comparison
Last year, I wholeheartedly recommended everyone to skip the Fenix 5 series and go to the more superior 5 Plus series. I will still recommend the now mostly bug-free 5 Plus series to most people. But if you are on the Fenix 3 or are just itching to upgrade your 5 Plus then Q: what will the Fenix 6 give you over and above the current Fenix 5 Plus?
A: Quite a lot
I have slightly generalised this Fenix 6 to Fenix 5 Plus comparison due to the complexity of the number of variants (further below the comparison to the Fenix 5 is also added in the detailed comparison).
There are new features for all key sports as well as new smart, physiological and hardware features.
- PacePro – This is only available on courses/routes and conceptually you might think it’s like graded pace. I guess it sort of is, but it’s more like a tweaked pace tool to account for yoru planned changes in effort over gradients and also to account for whether you want a positive or negative split.
- FIRSTBEAT – The Fenix 6 catches up with all the features on the Forerunner 945 namely
- Training Load Focus – the ability to look below the surface of your training load to understand the degree to which high-intensity aerobic efforts, low-intensity aerobic efforts, and anaerobic efforts contributed to your total training load.
- An updated Activity Summary screen that includes a label that describes the primary benefit of your workout (recovery, endurance base, VO2max, lactate threshold, tempo, anaerobic threshold, and speed) and also reveals the specific number that corresponds to the Training Load contribution of your finished workout.
- Race Time Predictions were updated to incorporate insight from trends in your Training Load, weekly mileage, and the presence of long runs in your training history. These elements combine to improve on the more traditional, less personalized predictions that relied solely on your current fitness level (VO2max) and general references regarding the sustainability of various intensity levels over time.
- Body Battery is a popular addition that combines All-day Stress data, physical activity, and the restorative power of sleep into a single easily understood metaphor. Among other things you can instantly see when a bad night’s sleep or an unusually stressful day at work will make a hard workout less beneficial than normal.
- The impact of environmental factors is brought into focus with the addition of acclimatization tracking. You will be able to watch as your physiology adapts to help you perform better in higher elevations or in ways that help you manage the effects of hotter, more humid climates. This information is also factored into your performance analytics so that a decrease in performance capability attributable to your environment isn’t mistakenly attributed to unproductive training activities or poor recovery.
- Recovery Time estimates have been updated based on the “latest sports science”. This means adjustments are made based on your acute/chronic training load ratios and additional care is given to ensure adequate recovery after workouts that produced Training Effect scores that significantly exceed those of your normal training efforts.
- Storage is doubled to 32Gb for Music + Maps + Activities and this includes double the amount of space for music (approx 2000 songs). You can get extra free maps and there is now support for Spotify and AmazonMusic.
- Weight – broadly similar
- Battery Life – Generally about double the time for GPS usage, about 2 hours more for Music+GPS and at least 50% more in UltraTrac mode. Expedition Battery Mode takes you even further between charges by further compromising on the GPS points recorded.
- Power Management – The Suunto 9 stole a march on this many months ago and now Garmin has caught up and arguably overtaken them. There are pre-canned battery modes and you can also customise and view changes on-the-fly but the bottom line of this is that battery life is mostly about managing GPS and the screen. However, the normal battery life on the Fenix 6 is SO GOOD that I can’t see these extra modes being useful except for highly specific athlete use-cases and those occasional times where you’ve just simply forgotten to charge it up properly.
- ClimbPro is not new to the Fenix but the new 2019 styling that was introduced on the Edge 530/830 is included.
- Topo maps, golf courses and ski runs are added and updated. Are you on La Face at Val d’Isere?…the F6 knows that. Tip: Skiing dynamics will be introduced with the HRM-PRO soon (probably in time for winter 😉 )
- Screen – The 5S and 6S have the same screen size but you get a bigger screen for the new Fenix 6 and for the new Fenix 6X.
- Incident detection and alerting – or just simply alerting someone that you have a problem
- PulseOx – Mostly useless, except for acclimation, but now you have it. This is NOTHING to do with MOXY/Humon‘s SmO2.
- Body Battery – this is a nice feature on the 945 and you will love it on the Fenix 6. HRV-enabled readings give you a steer towards understanding your 24×7 energy reserves.
- Swimming sees the implementation of oHR (finally!) and of CSS (critical swim speed – sweet…#later).
- Sensors – The ELEVATE oHR sensor is updated as well as the now-ubiquitous Sony GNSS chip, there are probably many other sensors and component updates inside, including the faster processor. In some ways, sensors are one of the most important aspects for athletes considering an upgrade. All the reviewers tend to say how wonderful the latest greatest Garmin oHR and GPS tend to be but, after LONG and detailed looks I tend to agree with the experiences of MANY USERS and have a ‘meh’ moment. I then usually say “accuracy is about the same as before” and recommend the athlete back to their old chest strap and running pod. Nevertheless, I’m going to torture myself and do months of testing all over again but honestly folks, the end recommendation WILL be the same. Although to be fair to Garmin the new Elevate sensor IS more accurate than the previous one but I’ll need to wait until the reduced circulation experienced in my COLD WINTER runs to see REALLY how much better it is.
Advice
These are nice watches and a notable set of upgrades even over the Fenix 5 Plus series. You’ll get some bugs but the earlier MARQ and Forerunners from 2019 share much of the same firmware and so will have mostly ironed the obvious bugs out by now.
For sports usage, the 935 is awesome and for outdoors usage, the Fenix 3 is cool enough. If like me, you want to get a few more features then the 5 Plus, Forerunner 945 and Fenix 6 series all deliver those. It all comes down to how much money and inclination you have for the latest, truly-greatest gadget. Although, of course, the MARQ range are EVEN better, so maybe that is the truly greatest gadget
If you have a small wrist or want music playback, then your intended watch choice becomes more obvious. Very, very few of you will need the uber-battery of the Fenix 6X…and you’re just getting what is perhaps a too-big watch for your normal-sized wrists.
At these prices, it’s worth spending a bit more either on an insurance policy or the sapphire glass. Otherwise get the Fenix 6 base model or Pro.
Price, Availability & Discounts
Fenix 6X ($749.99 – $1,149.99), Fenix 6 (599.99 – $999.99), Fenix 6s ($599.99 – $899.99) Eu/£ similar
One of the problems now is that there are just too many Feinx 6 options for retailers to stock all of them.
Immediate Availability: For the 945 they took orders and effectively were less than truthful about the delivery dates. Another “well-known retailer” in the UK also had significant issues with credit card payments for the recent Edge/Forerunner releases, also not having stock. Wiggle in the UK have an exclusive on the Fenix 6X Pro.
I’ll do my best to steer you once again towards PowerMeterCity in the USA (super-high Trust Pilot Rating) and Wiggle in the UK and EU
Garmin Fenix 5 Comparison: Garmin Fenix 5 Specifications vs Garmin Fenix 5 Plus specifications vs Garmin Fenix 6 Specifications
This is worth a close look at. It’s sourced from Garmin and thus may contain errors. However, it might also give an insight into some mini-features that are not YET in the device but which soon will be through later announcements. (Comparisons between the Fenix 6 models are further below)
fēnix® 5 | fēnix® 5 Plus | fēnix® 6 – Pro and Sapphire Editions | |
$499.99 USD and Up | $599.99 USD and Up | $699.99 USD and Up | |
Premium multisport GPS watch with wrist-based heart rate | Premium multisport GPS smartwatch with wrist-based heart rate, maps, music and Garmin Pay™ contactless payments | Premium multisport GPS watches with wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox, pace guidance, routable maps, music and more | |
General | |||
Lens Material | chemically strengthened glass or sapphire crystal | domed chemically strengthened glass or sapphire crystal | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 or Sapphire Crystal |
Bezel Material | stainless steel | stainless steel or titanium | stainless steel or Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coated steel |
Case material | fibre-reinforced polymer with stainless steel rear cover | fibre-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover | fibre-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover |
QuickFit™ watch band compatible | included (22 mm) | included (22 mm) | included (22 mm) |
Strap material | silicone or steel | silicone, leather or titanium | silicone, leather, titanium or nylon |
Physical size | 47 x 47 x 15.5 mm | 47 x 47 x 15.8 mm | 47 x 47 x 14.7 mm |
Fits wrists with the following circumference: | Fits wrists with the following circumference: | ||
Silicone band: 163-249 mm | Silicone band: 125-208 mm | ||
Leather band: 166-229 mm | Leather band: 132-210 mm | ||
Metal band: 166-242 mm | Fabric band: 132-210 mm | ||
Metal band: 132-215 mm | |||
Display size | 1.2” (30.4 mm) diameter | 1.2” (30.4 mm) diameter | 1.3” (33.02 mm) diameter |
Display resolution | 240 x 240 pixels | 240 x 240 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
Display type | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
Weight | 85 g | 86 g | Steel: 83 g (case only: 60 g) |
Titanium version: 76 g | Titanium: 72 g (case only: 49 g) | ||
Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 2 weeks | Smartwatch: Up to 12 days | Smartwatch: Up to 14 days |
GPS/HR mode: Up to 24 hours | GPS: Up to 18 hours | GPS: Up to 36 hours | |
GPS and Music: Up to 8 hours | GPS and Music: Up to 10 hours | ||
UltraTrac™ mode: Up to 60 hours without wrist heart rate | UltraTrac™ mode: Up to 42 hours | Max Battery GPS Mode: 72 hours | |
Expedition GPS Activity: 28 days | |||
Battery Saver Watch Mode: 48 days | |||
Water rating | 10 ATM | 10 ATM | 10 ATM |
Colour display | |||
Memory/History | 64 MB | 16 GB | 32 GB |
Clock Features | |||
Time/date | Yes | Yes | Yes |
GPS Time Sync | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Alarm clock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Timer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Stopwatch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Sensors | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
GLONASS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Galileo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Barometric altimeter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compass | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Gyroscope | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Thermometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pulse Ox | No | No | yes (with Acclimation) |
Connectivity | |||
Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields, widgets and apps) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Smart notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Connectivity | Bluetooth® Smart, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® with sapphire editions | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
Calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Weather | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Battery Saver – customizable low power watch | No | No | Yes |
Controls smartphone music | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Plays and controls watch music | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Music Storage | No | Up to 1000 songs | up to 2,000 songs |
Find My Phone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Find My Watch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
VIRB® Camera Remote | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ |
Compatible with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Garmin Pay™ | No | Yes | Yes |
Safety and Tracking Features | |||
Incident Detection during select activities | No | Yes | Yes |
Assistance | No | Yes | Yes |
LiveTrack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Group LiveTrack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Live Event Sharing | No | No | Yes |
Tactical Features | |||
Dual grid coordinates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Activity Tracking Features | |||
Step counter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Move bar (displays on device after a period of inactivity; walk for a couple of minutes to reset it) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sleep monitoring (monitors total sleep and periods of movement or restful sleep) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Calories burned | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Floors climbed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Distance traveled | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Intensity minutes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
TrueUp™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Move IQ™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fitness Age | yes (in app) | yes (in app) | yes (in app) |
Body Battery™ Energy Monitor | No | No | Yes |
All-day Stress Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Gym & Fitness Equipment | |||
Available gym activity profiles | Indoor Rowing, Strength Training and Cardio Training | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga |
Cardio workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Strength workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Automatic rep counting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Training, Planning and Analysis Features | |||
GPS speed and distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Customizable data pages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Customizable activity profiles | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto Pause® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Interval training | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Advanced workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Downloadable training plans | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Power Modes – customizable in-activity battery settings | No | No | Yes |
Auto Lap® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Manual lap | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Configurable lap alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Heat and altitude acclimation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
V02 max | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Training Status (lets you see if you’re training effectively by tracking your training history and fitness level trend.) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Training Load (your total training load for the last 7 days calculated from estimated EPOC) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Training load focus | No | No | Yes |
Training Effect (aerobic) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Training Effect (anaerobic) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Primary benefit (Training Effect labels) | No | No | Yes |
Custom alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Audio prompts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Finish time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Virtual Partner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Race an Activity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto multisport activities | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Manual multisport activities | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Course guidance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Garmin Live Segments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Strava Live Segments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Round-trip course creator (running/cycling) | No | Yes | Yes |
Trendline™ Popularity Routing | No | Yes | yes (available as a wearable map theme) |
Touch and/or button lock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Hot keys | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto-scroll | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Activity history on watch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Physio TrueUp | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Heart Rate Features | |||
HR zones | Yes | Yes | Yes |
HR alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
HR calories | Yes | Yes | Yes |
% HR max | Yes | Yes | Yes |
% HRR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Recovery time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto max HR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
HRV stress test (measures your heart rate variability while standing still, for 3 minutes, to provide you with an estimated stress level; the scale of this is 1 to 100; low scores indicate lower stress levels) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
HR Broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+™ to paired devices) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Running Features | |||
Available run profiles | Running, Treadmill Running, Trail Running | Running, Treadmill Running, Trail Running | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running |
GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Running dynamics | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
Vertical oscillation and ratio (the degree of ‘bounce’ in your running motion and the cost-benefit ratio with stride length) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
Ground contact time and balance (shows how much time, in the running motion, your foot is on the ground rather than in flight and lets you check your running symmetry) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
Stride length (real time) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
Cadence (provides a real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Performance condition (after running 6–20 minutes, compares your real-time condition to your average fitness level) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Lactate threshold (through analysis of your pace and heart rate, estimates the point where your muscles start to rapidly fatigue) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | No | No | Yes |
Run workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Race predictor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Foot pod capable | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Golfing Features | |||
Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide | No | Yes | Yes |
Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
Digital scorecard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Custom targets | No | No | Yes |
Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Garmin AutoShot™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Full vector map | No | No | Yes |
Auto CourseView updates | No | Yes | Yes |
Green View with manual pin position | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Hazards and course targets | Yes | Yes | Yes |
PinPointer | No | No | Yes |
PlaysLike distance | No | No | Yes |
Handicap scoring | No | No | Yes |
TruSwing™ compatible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Round timer/odometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Outdoor Recreation Features | |||
Available outdoor recreation profiles | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Jumpmaster, Tactical | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Jumpmaster, Tactical | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Jumpmaster, Tactical |
Point-to-point navigation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bread crumb trail in real time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Back to start | Yes | Yes | Yes |
TracBack® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
UltraTrac mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Around Me mode | No | Yes | Yes |
Elevation profile | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Distance to destination | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Barometric trend indicator with Storm Alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
ClimbPro™ Ascent Planner | No | Yes | Yes |
Trail run auto climb | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Vertical speed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Total ascent/descent | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Future elevation plot | No | Yes | Yes |
Preloaded topographical maps | No | Yes | Yes |
Preloaded ski resort maps | No | No | Yes |
Downloadable cartography support | No | Yes | Yes |
Compatible with BaseCamp™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
GPS coordinates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Projected waypoint | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sight ‘N Go | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Area calculation | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
Hunt/fish calendar | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
Sun and moon information | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
XERO™ Locations | No | Yes | Yes |
Expedition GPS Activity | No | No | Yes |
Cycling Features | |||
Available cycling profiles | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon |
Courses | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Race an activity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Time/distance alerts (triggers an alarm when you reach goal) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
FTP (Functional Threshold Power) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
Cycle Map (routable cycling-specific street map) | No | Yes | Yes |
Compatible with Vector™ (power meter) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Power meter compatible (displays power data from compatible third-party ANT+™-enabled power meters) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compatible with Varia Vision™ (head-mounted display) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compatible with Varia™ lights | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Speed and cadence sensor support (with sensor) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) |
Swimming Features | |||
Available swim profiles | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running |
Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (Pool Swim Only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Drill logging (Pool Swim Only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Basic rest timer (up from 0) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
“Repeat on” rest timer | Yes | Yes | No ?? |
Pacing Alerts (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Countdown start | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pool swim workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Critical swim speed | No | No | Yes |
Underwater wrist-based heart rate | No | No | Yes |
Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) |
Garmin Fenix 6s Specifications vs Garmin Fenix 6 Specifications vs Garmin Fenix 6x Specifications
This has to be the most boring features comparison table ever….play “spot the difference”.
Product Comparison: | |||
fēnix® 6S – Pro and Sapphire Editions | fēnix® 6 – Pro and Sapphire Editions | fēnix® 6X – Pro and Solar Editions | |
$699.99 USD and Up | $699.99 USD and Up | $749.99 USD and Up | |
Smaller-sized multisport GPS watches with wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox, pace guidance, routable maps, music and more | Premium multisport GPS watches with wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox, pace guidance, routable maps, music and more | Premium multisport GPS watches with wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox, pace guidance, routable maps, music and more | |
General | |||
Lens Material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 or Sapphire Crystal | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 or Sapphire Crystal | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 or Sapphire Crystal |
Bezel Material | stainless steel or Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coated steel | stainless steel or Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coated steel | stainless steel or Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coated steel |
Case material | fibre-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover | fibre-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover | fibre-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover |
QuickFit™ watch band compatible | included (20 mm) | included (22 mm) | included (26 mm) |
Strap material | silicone, suede or nylon | silicone, leather, titanium or nylon | silicone, leather, titanium or nylon |
Physical size | 42 x 42 x 13.8 mm | 47 x 47 x 14.7 mm | 51 x 51 x 14.9 mm |
Fits wrists with the following circumference: | Fits wrists with the following circumference: | Fits wrists with the following circumference: | |
Silicone band: 108-182 mm | Silicone band: 125-208 mm | Silicone band: 127-210 mm | |
Suede band: 108-175 mm | Leather band: 132-210 mm | Leather band: 135-213 mm | |
Fabric band: 108-189 mm | Fabric band: 132-210 mm | Fabric band: 135-213 mm | |
Metal band: 108-180 mm | Metal band: 132-215 mm | Metal band: 135-225 mm | |
Display size | 1.2” (30.4 mm) diameter | 1.3” (33.02 mm) diameter | 1.4” (35.56 mm) diameter |
Display resolution | 240 x 240 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels | 280 x 280 pixels |
Display type | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
Weight | Steel: 61 g (case only: 44 g) | Steel: 83 g (case only: 60 g) | Steel: 93 g (case only: 66 g) |
Titanium: 72 g (case only: 49 g) | |||
Battery life | Smartwatch: Up to 9 days | Smartwatch: Up to 14 days | Smartwatch: Up to 21 days |
GPS: Up to 25 hours | GPS: Up to 36 hours | GPS: Up to 60 hours | |
GPS and Music: Up to 6 hours | GPS and Music: Up to 10 hours | GPS and Music: Up to 15 hours | |
Max Battery GPS Mode: 50 hours | Max Battery GPS Mode: 72 hours | Max Battery GPS Mode: 120 hours | |
Expedition GPS Activity: 20 days | Expedition GPS Activity: 28 days | Expedition GPS Activity: 46 days | |
Battery Saver Watch Mode: 34 days | Battery Saver Watch Mode: 48 days | Battery Saver Watch Mode: 80 days | |
Water rating | 10 ATM | 10 ATM | 10 ATM |
Color display | |||
Memory/History | 32 GB | 32 GB | 32 GB |
Clock Features | |||
Time/date | Yes | Yes | Yes |
GPS Time Sync | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Alarm clock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Timer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Stopwatch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sensors | |||
GPS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
GLONASS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Galileo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Barometric altimeter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compass | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Gyroscope | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Thermometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pulse Ox | yes (with Acclimation) | yes (with Acclimation) | yes (with Acclimation) |
Connectivity | |||
Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields, widgets and apps) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Smart notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
Calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Weather | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Battery Saver – customizable low power watch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Controls smartphone music | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Plays and controls watch music | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Music Storage | Up to 2,000 songs | up to 2,000 songs | up to 2,000 songs |
Find My Phone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Find My Watch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
VIRB® Camera Remote | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ |
Compatible with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Garmin Pay™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Safety and Tracking Features | |||
Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Assistance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
LiveTrack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Group LiveTrack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Live Event Sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Tactical Features | |||
Dual grid coordinates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Activity Tracking Features | |||
Step counter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Move bar (displays on device after a period of inactivity; walk for a couple of minutes to reset it) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sleep monitoring (monitors total sleep and periods of movement or restful sleep) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Calories burned | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Floors climbed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Distance travelled | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Intensity minutes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
TrueUp™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Move IQ™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fitness Age | yes (in app) | yes (in app) | yes (in app) |
Body Battery™ Energy Monitor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
All-day Stress Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Gym & Fitness Equipment | |||
Available gym activity profiles | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga |
Cardio workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Strength workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Automatic rep counting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Training, Planning and Analysis Features | |||
GPS speed and distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Customizable data pages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Customizable activity profiles | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto Pause® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Interval training | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Advanced workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Downloadable training plans | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Power Modes – customizable in-activity battery settings | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto Lap® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Manual lap | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Configurable lap alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Heat and altitude acclimation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
V02 max | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Training Status (lets you see if you’re training effectively by tracking your training history and fitness level trend.) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Training Load (your total training load for the last 7 days calculated from estimated EPOC) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Training load focus | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Training Effect (aerobic) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Training Effect (anaerobic) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Primary benefit (Training Effect labels) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Custom alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Audio prompts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Finish time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Virtual Partner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Race an Activity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto multisport activities | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Manual multisport activities | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Course guidance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Garmin Live Segments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Strava Live Segments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Round-trip course creator (running/cycling) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Trendline™ Popularity Routing | yes (available as a wearable map theme) | yes (available as a wearable map theme) | yes (available as a wearable map theme) |
Touch and/or button lock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Hot keys | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto scroll | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Activity history on watch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Physio TrueUp | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Heart Rate Features | |||
HR zones | Yes | Yes | Yes |
HR alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
HR calories | Yes | Yes | Yes |
% HR max | Yes | Yes | Yes |
% HRR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Recovery time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto max HR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
HRV stress test (measures your heart rate variability while standing still, for 3 minutes, to provide you with an estimated stress level; the scale of this is 1 to 100; low scores indicate lower stress levels) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
HR Broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+™ to paired devices) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Running Features | |||
Available run profiles | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running | Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running |
GPS-based distance, time and pace | |||
Running dynamics | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
Vertical oscillation and ratio (the degree of ‘bounce’ in your running motion and the cost-benefit ratio with stride length) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
Ground contact time and balance (shows how much time, in the running motion, your foot is on the ground rather than in flight and lets you check your running symmetry) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
Stride length (real-time) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Performance condition (after running 6–20 minutes, compares your real-time condition to your average fitness level) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Lactate threshold (through analysis of your pace and heart rate, estimates the point where your muscles start to rapidly fatigue) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Run workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Race predictor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Foot pod capable | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Golfing Features | |||
Preloaded with 41,000 courses worldwide | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
Digital scorecard | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Custom targets | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Garmin AutoShot™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Full vector map | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto CourseView updates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Green View with manual pin position | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Hazards and course targets | Yes | Yes | Yes |
PinPointer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
PlaysLike distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Handicap scoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
TruSwing™ compatible | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Round timer/odometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Outdoor Recreation Features | |||
Available outdoor recreation profiles | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Jumpmaster, Tactical | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Jumpmaster, Tactical | Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Jumpmaster, Tactical |
Point-to-point navigation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bread crumb trail in real-time | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Back to start | Yes | Yes | Yes |
TracBack® | Yes | Yes | Yes |
UltraTrac mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Around Me mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Elevation profile | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Distance to destination | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Barometric trend indicator with Storm Alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
ClimbPro™ Ascent Planner | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Trail run auto climb | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Vertical speed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Total ascent/descent | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Future elevation plot | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Preloaded topographical maps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Preloaded ski resort maps | Yes | No (?) | Yes |
Downloadable cartography support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compatible with BaseCamp™ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
GPS coordinates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Projected waypoint | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sight ‘N Go | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Area calculation | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
Hunt/fish calendar | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
Sun and moon information | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
XERO™ Locations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Expedition GPS Activity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Cycling Features | |||
Available cycling profiles | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon |
Courses | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Race an activity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Time/distance alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goal) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
FTP (Functional Threshold Power) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
Cycle Map (routable cycling-specific street map) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compatible with Vector™ (power meter) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Power meter compatible (displays power data from compatible third-party ANT+™-enabled power meters) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compatible with Varia Vision™ (head-mounted display) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compatible with Varia™ lights | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Speed and cadence sensor support (with sensor) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) | yes (ANT+® and Bluetooth® Smart sensors) |
Swimming Features | |||
Available swim profiles | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Swimming/Running |
Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (Pool Swim Only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Drill logging (Pool Swim Only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Basic rest timer (up from 0) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pacing Alerts (pool swim only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Countdown start | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pool swim workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Critical swim speed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Underwater wrist-based heart rate | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) | yes (with HRM-Tri™ and HRM-Swim™) |
Price, Availability & Discounts
BLACK FRIDAY-CYBER MONDAY PRICING – HERE
Fenix 6X ($749.99 – $1,149.99), Fenix 6 (599.99 – $999.99), Fenix 6s ($599.99 – $899.99) Eu/£ similar
Return back to the main Garmin Fenix 6 Review