Another week in 2022, another new Garmin.
This time it is the D2 Air X10, which is virtually identical to the Garmin Venu 2 Plus in just about every respect but with an aviation twist and a bump in the price tag. There are a couple of interesting angles to this release which I’ll touch on further below.
Who would buy this?
As Garmin says,
You’re a pilot. You need aviation capabilities in your GPS smartwatch. You also want to monitor your health plus take calls and send texts from your wrist when connected with a compatible smartphone.
Must Read: Garmin Venu 2 Plus
For the $100 bump in the price tag compared to the Venu, you get the following additional aviation-specific features:
- Worldwide airport database(s)
- Altimeter with adjustable baro setting
- 3-axis compass with HSI (horizontal situation indicator)
- Multiple time zones with Zulu/UTC
- Wirelessly receive flight plans from Garmin Pilot
- Waypoint information page
- Worldwide NAVAID and Intersection database(s)
- In-flight Pulse Ox
Thoughts
Clearly, Garmin’s strategy is to create relatively-standard watch hardware and then tinker with it for different customer groups. Thus pilots/aviation gets Marq Aviator, D2 Delta (Fenix 6), and now D2 Air X10 (Venu 2 Plus). It will be a brave person that bets against a D2 Echo version of the Fenix 7 at some point in the next year or so! The Air X10 has since been replaced by the D2 Air X15.
I would imagine that the super-premium Marq series will also be iterated at some point still covering Captain (Marine), Commander (Tactix), Driver, Athlete (Fenix/Forerunner), Aviator (D2), Adventurer (Fenix), Golfer (Approach) but with the dive watches limited by unique safety considerations.
I hadn’t thought of the use of Pulse Ox (blood oxygen) for pilots. However, I guess it’s obvious that smaller planes at altitude could present the pilot with potentially catastrophic risks of reduced oxygen.
If you’re a pilot you will certainly know about the aviation-specific features WAY more than me. However I do know about the rest of what the watch can do and its features represent much of the cream of what Garmin offer in the sports, wellness and connected technology arenas…it’s a great smartwatch…one of the very best. And, with that pretty AMOLED screen, you’ll also look good and the battery will still last much longer than the equally as pretty Apple Watch 7.
Last Updated on 4 November 2026 by the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Ravemen FR1000: The light and the computer mount in one unit, so nothing else goes on the bars. Better than mine.
- Ravemen FR1500SE: 1,500 lumens hanging under your Garmin, for proper night rides.
- Ravemen FR1100SE: 1,100 lumens under your Garmin, and up to 46 hours on slow flash.
- Ravemen FR500: A brighter FR300 with the same mount.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red and infrared light for sore knees, Achilles and other joints after hard training. I use it.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
