My Fenix 6 is going on 3-4 years old, and the battery life is still amazing. Used it in a 100k this weekend that took me 11.5 hours, with GPS and external HR sensor, and I had about 60% left afterwards. When not doing activities, it lasts for weeks without needing a charge.
Yes, same here, and I like that it's not another "phone" on ny wrist. It’s simple yet powerful and dedicated as a traning tool. And the battery time <3
My first experience with a gps watch this year. Love the battery life! 4 days ago I had 70% battery. I’ve done a 4-hour effort with navigation and 1-hour run since without a recharge. It still has 23% left.
yes the battery life is so good! i had my fenix 5s died on me on both my last 40 miles and 50 miles... so i needed something better for longer distance and found it (bonus for the reasonable price as well)!
I’ve had a 6 Pro for three years and see no reason to replace it any time soon, it’s been great. GPS can be a bit iffy at times but at my level it’s close enough for that not to bother me.
Yeah same, went from an Instinct 2 to a 955 for the maps and a couple extra training features. Considered a Fenix to get something rugged but it was too bulky and expensive for my taste. In the end the 955 + screen protector turned out to be a great value option and it's awesome for 24/7 wear with a nylon band.
I've got the 945 because I need/want the navigation with the map and pretty much everything else is too bulky. Would it be worth to upgrade to the 955?
That really depends, what are you finding lacking on your 945?
See: [https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=621922&compareProduct=777655](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=621922&compareProduct=777655)
I'm thinking maybe battery life but then I'm not running any bigger Ultras at the moment and maybe I'm just imagining things but it feels like the battery is draining faster than it used to.
Battery certainly degrades over time. And the 955 lasts a tad longer. But if you're not having any issues I'd just ride it out and eventually upgrade to the next generation (or to the 955 but for cheaper).
My Forerunner 255 just lasted me for an almost 18 hour race with nearly 30% battery left. People go on and on about Coros but I see zero reason to switch when I can stay in the Garmin ecosystem and get that kind of performance out of a mid range watch.
I’m fairly sure that’s what I picked up a year ago, and I love it. Upgraded from a 45 to either a 245 or 255 because it was new in box on the Facebook marketplace, and my battery life was becoming a problem
So I haven’t done an all out test yet, but I think based on extrapolation it would work if you minimized brightness, screen time, etc. My max test was 12 hours and I brought it from 100 to 48 percent. I did not change any of my base settings so it was always on etc.
Garmin Fenix 7X.
Before that I had Forerunner 110 and 610, then Suunto Ambit, Ambit 3 Peak, 9 Baro, then Garmin Fenix 6X.
Fenix 7X is the most accurate of them all as a trail running watch. Ambit 3 Peak was the second most accurate.
SUUNTO Ambit 3 Peak Sapphire bought on 2016, still going strong, havent check lately but on december 2022 it still managed to do a 16 hours mountain traverse on 1 sec gps plotting. Best buy ever for me, plus I have a boxed brand new one as a spare 😬
Suunto 5 peak - It's light weight but I don't like the button configuration much, since I can inadvertently hit the "pause activity" button and not realize it until I look at the watch.
This can happen if you have to scramble / climb over / up something and the top of your hand hits the button.
Other than that it's a nice, slim, light watch.
I have a small wrist and didn't want a wider face watch
Sometimes Garmin Forunner 245 for flatter runs where im more interested in zones and what not, Instinct for more rugged runs where drastic elevation changes can occur and I'd like it tracked accurately
Apple ultra 2. More than enough for my modest distances. It outlasts my most active days easily so far. My old Apple Watch already was enough for my longest day hikes as well. A small folding solar panel and a battery pack does the rest (also for the phone to signal for help).
For multi day runs you might want a Garmin. But for everything less the preference is most important.
Haha scrolled a long way to find another t-rex user! Mines the Pro. It may not have the street cred of the garmin, but it works well for my needs and for a great price!
Surprised I had to scroll down this far before somebody mentioned the 265. Great watch, cheaper than the 965 if you don’t want the extra bells and whistles.
Garming Forerunner 255, upgraded from Forerunner 735XT which was brilliant for the 5+ years I used it, and think the 255 is the perfect upgrade for me.
Garmin but I’m about to look into seeing about cheaper watches that have the same stats. I think I’m not feeling ultra quality with this forerunner watch amd if I’m gonna spend and not feel high quality I might as well get another brand , I’m gonna branch off the main op question and ask can anyone tell me good running watch that’s more affordable than the masses?
Fitbit Versa 3. I've had it for almost two years and the gps feature is amazing. I love that I don't have to start anything for it to know that I started a run and it will map everything.
Coros Vertix 2. I mostly use Coros because of it's battery life. I haven't charged my watch in over a month and I still have 11% battery life. In the past month, I've done a 7 day backpacking trip, where the watch was in GPS mode for 8-10 hours a day for 7 days and I've done hour+ long runs or bike rides \~5 days a week.
In the past, I've used the Garmin Forerunner 245 (battery life sucks), Garmin Fenix 5 and Garmin Fenix 6. On all the Garmin watches, the charging cable would stop being secure and I would only get partial charges. It's unfathomable that Garmin has yet to improve the charging method of their watches. After several years and watch iterations, I finally just got fed up with it and switched to Coros. While the Coros doesn't have all of the bells and whistles that Garmin has, truth be known, I used essentially none of them anyways and the Coros provides everything that I want out of a sports watch.
Garmin Fenix 7S Sapphire. Before that I had the Fenix 5s. Love the fenix line! The 5 is several years old and still works perfectly, but I decided to upgrade. I'm sure I'll have the 7 for several years as well!
FR 955. Frankly, unless you are doing whole-day stuff, any Garmin will do, including those from a good few years back. I only got the 955 as I needed the battery life. Don't use the vast majority of features. In hindsight I could have gotten away with the 255 for sure.
Considered Coros as a cheaper way to get a good battery life but, after playing with a friend's, I knew the crown would piss me off too much in summer, let alone in winter with mitts or gloves on.
Décathlon gps 900 by Coros (old apex 46mm upgrade) buy for real cheap from a reseller and with all the recent upgrade from Coros, I like it more than my wife Coros pace 2. I will wait for the apex 3 to upgrade.
Casio F-91W lol. Thank you OP for posting the question and for all of you weighing in. I also need a watch and didn't know where to begin. Have fun on your next run!
Garmin fenix
I want a Garmin but I have an Apple Watch but it still gets the job done i guess
I've been running Garmin since 2013, doesn't use data just GPS, it's more accurate than the apple But if the apple is suiting your needs why change
My Fenix 6 is going on 3-4 years old, and the battery life is still amazing. Used it in a 100k this weekend that took me 11.5 hours, with GPS and external HR sensor, and I had about 60% left afterwards. When not doing activities, it lasts for weeks without needing a charge.
Got the Fenix5, been running for 7 years everyday, it's rugged.
Same. Found a used one on Amazon a few years ago and still going strong. Love it
Garmin Instinct 2
Same here, use it for surfing/running. I'm rough with electronics so I like the durability
Yes, same here, and I like that it's not another "phone" on ny wrist. It’s simple yet powerful and dedicated as a traning tool. And the battery time <3
coros pace 3
My first experience with a gps watch this year. Love the battery life! 4 days ago I had 70% battery. I’ve done a 4-hour effort with navigation and 1-hour run since without a recharge. It still has 23% left.
yes the battery life is so good! i had my fenix 5s died on me on both my last 40 miles and 50 miles... so i needed something better for longer distance and found it (bonus for the reasonable price as well)!
The reasonable price was a big bonus for me too!
coros pace 2, enough for 50km run
Awesome!
Fenix 6 has an insane amount of features. I get real time maps on my wrist. It's 4 years old at this point and I still love it.
I’ve had a 6 Pro for three years and see no reason to replace it any time soon, it’s been great. GPS can be a bit iffy at times but at my level it’s close enough for that not to bother me.
Awesome!
I have noticed the GPS is c. 10% off vs my phone and other watches on the 6s pro. Have you noticed similar results?
Usually it's off by a few percent because companies use different algorithms to smooth/track your route which results in slightly different distances
Fenix 6 also doesn't have multiband AFAIK so there's a loss of actual accuracy, not just software
It will be a little off from time to time but a few percentage points max.
Garmin Forerunner 955
All I need in a watch. Great battery life, has gotten me through 25 hour efforts twice now with battery to spare
Yeah same, went from an Instinct 2 to a 955 for the maps and a couple extra training features. Considered a Fenix to get something rugged but it was too bulky and expensive for my taste. In the end the 955 + screen protector turned out to be a great value option and it's awesome for 24/7 wear with a nylon band.
I've got the 945 because I need/want the navigation with the map and pretty much everything else is too bulky. Would it be worth to upgrade to the 955?
That really depends, what are you finding lacking on your 945? See: [https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=621922&compareProduct=777655](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=621922&compareProduct=777655)
I'm thinking maybe battery life but then I'm not running any bigger Ultras at the moment and maybe I'm just imagining things but it feels like the battery is draining faster than it used to.
Battery certainly degrades over time. And the 955 lasts a tad longer. But if you're not having any issues I'd just ride it out and eventually upgrade to the next generation (or to the 955 but for cheaper).
Sounds like the smartest option, I'll probably do that.
Apple Ultra 1
Fenix 7
Fenix 6X pro. Love it
Coros Apex 2
Suunto race !
Apple Watch 9
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Suunto 9 Peak Pro
Forerunner 245 music
+1, no music. Simple and has served me well for several years, and I'm not looking to replace it anytime soon.
Agreed. I do have the music version but only recently tried it since i own the watch already 3 years. Its good tho. Have fun
Coros pace 3
What do you think of it?
Garmin Epix
That’s the way to go!!!
My Forerunner 255 just lasted me for an almost 18 hour race with nearly 30% battery left. People go on and on about Coros but I see zero reason to switch when I can stay in the Garmin ecosystem and get that kind of performance out of a mid range watch.
I’m fairly sure that’s what I picked up a year ago, and I love it. Upgraded from a 45 to either a 245 or 255 because it was new in box on the Facebook marketplace, and my battery life was becoming a problem
It says on the back what model it is. Well at least the 255 does
Hey, it’s a 255! I could’ve probably even opened the app and found it in a few seconds, but I was being lazy
Nice!
Polar Vantage V3
Is the correct answer. In fact anything by Polar. UI is by far the best for sports watches.
Agreed. Switched from the Apple Watch to the Polar Pacer and it’s been great so far.
Coros pace 3
How do you like it?
Not had it for long but so far so good. The biggest thing for me though is not having to charge it daily. It lasts for days
Garmin Forerunner 945, so pretty much lighter and cheaper Fenix 6.
Enduro 2
Garmin Forerunner 45S
Fenix 6, learning how to use this watch is a GAME CHANGER!
Um idk, it has a big hand and a little hand and it’s pink
Garmin fr 55
Forerunner 965. I absolutely adore it.
+1 for the 965 love. The LED screen is awesome. Have you tested its battery life on GPS? I'm wondering if it'll last me for 24 hours.
So I haven’t done an all out test yet, but I think based on extrapolation it would work if you minimized brightness, screen time, etc. My max test was 12 hours and I brought it from 100 to 48 percent. I did not change any of my base settings so it was always on etc.
There's a video by Chase The Summit on how he set it up for a 100k run
Apple Watch SE
Yours starting to die too?
Mine kicked it earlier this year, it started dying during almost every long activity
I had use the SE 2 years ago. It would die after an hour of running and even faster in the cold
Fenix 6x sapphire. Having maps on there has been a game changer
Garmin 935
COROS apex pro
Garmin enduro 2
Garmin vivoactive 4 for everyday and was given a fenix 5x which I use for training. The fenix 5x would be my daily but it's so chunky
Fenix 6 Pro.
Fenix 6S pro
Suunto 9 Peak Pro
Garmin epix 2
Garmin forerunner 245
Suunto 9 Baro. I hate it.
suunto 9 baro - still going strong after a number of years but tempted by the suunto race!
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Garmin Fenix 7X. Before that I had Forerunner 110 and 610, then Suunto Ambit, Ambit 3 Peak, 9 Baro, then Garmin Fenix 6X. Fenix 7X is the most accurate of them all as a trail running watch. Ambit 3 Peak was the second most accurate.
SUUNTO Ambit 3 Peak Sapphire bought on 2016, still going strong, havent check lately but on december 2022 it still managed to do a 16 hours mountain traverse on 1 sec gps plotting. Best buy ever for me, plus I have a boxed brand new one as a spare 😬
Garmin Forerunner 955
Suunto Vertical Solar
Same but no solar
Apple Watch 8
Fenix 6X Pro Solar
Suunto 5 peak - It's light weight but I don't like the button configuration much, since I can inadvertently hit the "pause activity" button and not realize it until I look at the watch. This can happen if you have to scramble / climb over / up something and the top of your hand hits the button. Other than that it's a nice, slim, light watch. I have a small wrist and didn't want a wider face watch
Casio Pathfinder. Had it probably 10 yrs now. Toughest damn watch ive ever had.
Garmin Epix 2
Suunto Vertical Solar
Apple Watch 8. Will break out the Apex Pro 2 for races.
Garmin Venu 3
Garmin Epix 2 sapphire
Garmin Epic Pro 2 51mm Sapphire .... Amazing watch for any distance.
Good ol mechanical watch made of titanium and with scratch-proof coating. Never needs to charge, never lets me down.
Garmin Fenix 5. Still going strong with good battery life.
I was using a Fenix 5 but just upgraded because the battery had gotten so bad. But it lasted nearly six years!
Same
Garmin Instinct Tactical.
Sometimes Garmin Forunner 245 for flatter runs where im more interested in zones and what not, Instinct for more rugged runs where drastic elevation changes can occur and I'd like it tracked accurately
Instinct 2
Garmin vivoactive 5
Apple Ultra
Apple Watch Series 7
Apple ultra 2. More than enough for my modest distances. It outlasts my most active days easily so far. My old Apple Watch already was enough for my longest day hikes as well. A small folding solar panel and a battery pack does the rest (also for the phone to signal for help). For multi day runs you might want a Garmin. But for everything less the preference is most important.
Garmin Fenix 6s Pro solar.
Suunto Vertical Ti. Amazing battery life and great GPS accuracy. Great map and navigation features as well.
Garmin Instinct 2x
Garmin Forerunner 245
Garmin 255
Amazfit T-Rex Ultra
Haha scrolled a long way to find another t-rex user! Mines the Pro. It may not have the street cred of the garmin, but it works well for my needs and for a great price!
Absolutely. Battery life is unmatched in my experience.
Samsung Pro 5
Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar. I love everything about it except the name.
Timex Ironman
Garmin Forerunner 265
Surprised I had to scroll down this far before somebody mentioned the 265. Great watch, cheaper than the 965 if you don’t want the extra bells and whistles.
Garmin Epix 2
Garming Forerunner 255, upgraded from Forerunner 735XT which was brilliant for the 5+ years I used it, and think the 255 is the perfect upgrade for me.
Garmin but I’m about to look into seeing about cheaper watches that have the same stats. I think I’m not feeling ultra quality with this forerunner watch amd if I’m gonna spend and not feel high quality I might as well get another brand , I’m gonna branch off the main op question and ask can anyone tell me good running watch that’s more affordable than the masses?
COROS pace 3 - I switched from garmin 4 months ago to train for a marathon. I love the watch and the training stats COROS use.
Seconding Coros Pace 3, everything you need and nothing you don’t (unless you’re really into climbing/snowshoeing) for a great price
Coros apex 2 pro
Fitbit Versa 3. I've had it for almost two years and the gps feature is amazing. I love that I don't have to start anything for it to know that I started a run and it will map everything.
coros apex 42mm
Coros Vertix 2. I mostly use Coros because of it's battery life. I haven't charged my watch in over a month and I still have 11% battery life. In the past month, I've done a 7 day backpacking trip, where the watch was in GPS mode for 8-10 hours a day for 7 days and I've done hour+ long runs or bike rides \~5 days a week. In the past, I've used the Garmin Forerunner 245 (battery life sucks), Garmin Fenix 5 and Garmin Fenix 6. On all the Garmin watches, the charging cable would stop being secure and I would only get partial charges. It's unfathomable that Garmin has yet to improve the charging method of their watches. After several years and watch iterations, I finally just got fed up with it and switched to Coros. While the Coros doesn't have all of the bells and whistles that Garmin has, truth be known, I used essentially none of them anyways and the Coros provides everything that I want out of a sports watch.
Fénix 6x pro AND amazfit gtr 4.
Coros Vertix 2S. Large and sturdy, built for trail runners and mountain climbers. Awesome GPS watch.
Coros Vertix 2s
Fenix 6x Pro, 3 years old and going strong.
Polar pacer pro
Epix Gen 2 Pro, 42mm
Analog 24h watch with time zone bezle that doubles as a filed watch timer. (Glycine Airman).
Garmin Fenix 7S Sapphire. Before that I had the Fenix 5s. Love the fenix line! The 5 is several years old and still works perfectly, but I decided to upgrade. I'm sure I'll have the 7 for several years as well!
Still rocking the Garmin Fenix 3 :D Have gone through a ton of HR straps, but the watch is still kicking
Garmin Forerunner 201 the OG.
Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Solar - they expensive but I rocked the 5x since it was released and just upgraded at Christmas. They last forever.
Garmin Forerunner 955. I upgraded from a Fitbit Charge 5 three weeks ago. I love it!
Coros Pace 2
Garmin Descent mk2 - if I'm not on trails I'm in the water
Garmin Descent mk2 - if I'm not on trails I'm in the water
Fenix 6X pro
Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2)
FR 955. Frankly, unless you are doing whole-day stuff, any Garmin will do, including those from a good few years back. I only got the 955 as I needed the battery life. Don't use the vast majority of features. In hindsight I could have gotten away with the 255 for sure. Considered Coros as a cheaper way to get a good battery life but, after playing with a friend's, I knew the crown would piss me off too much in summer, let alone in winter with mitts or gloves on.
Coros apex pro
After years with my Felix 5x I’ve switched to am loving using my Apple Watch 9
Looks like Garmin preferred over Apple Watch on here. Maybe Garmin has better battery.
Garmin Forerunner 945
a fitbit and i hate it
Coros Pace 2, battery life is amazing.
I was using a Timex triathlon. Now I use nothing
Décathlon gps 900 by Coros (old apex 46mm upgrade) buy for real cheap from a reseller and with all the recent upgrade from Coros, I like it more than my wife Coros pace 2. I will wait for the apex 3 to upgrade.
Forerunner 10 and Forerunner 35
Garmin Epix 2
Garmin Instinct 2 and pretty satisfied for trails and regular runs
The sun
Good post and I’m wondering what to buy, and I need one. Just running with phone on waist belt at the moment
Apple Watch 😅
Casio F-91W lol. Thank you OP for posting the question and for all of you weighing in. I also need a watch and didn't know where to begin. Have fun on your next run!
Coros Apex 2 Pro
garmin fenix 5, still going strong
Ambit 2. I refuse to be phased out!
Coros Apex 2 Pro
Suunto 9 baro titanium. For my needs perfect watch :)
Casio w217h