Garmin Heart Strap Always Reading Super High
Our Verdict
The Fenix 7 is Garmin's well-nigh avant-garde multi-sports watch to date, only its new grooming tools accept been advisedly designed to make them attainable to a wider range of athletes. Stats such as stamina and training load are presented in a way that's simple to interpret, and conspicuously show the effects of this week's workouts on your longer term fitness. The new touchscreen is a bonus for browsing through menus, though fans of the Fenix series' v-button navigation tin choose to disable information technology and stick with what they know. Battery life has received a big boost with no added weight, and mapping tools are greatly enhanced. The but conspicuous absenteeism is a microphone for using your telephone'due south voice assistant and taking calls, but hopefully that volition come in a hereafter Fenix vii Plus edition.
For
- Accessible new preparation tools
- Superb navigation apps
- Extra-tough design
Against
- Low-contrast display
- No mic for hands-free calls
- Costs more than than Fenix 6
TechRadar Verdict
The Fenix 7 is Garmin'due south most advanced multi-sports watch to date, simply its new training tools have been carefully designed to brand them accessible to a wider range of athletes. Stats such every bit stamina and grooming load are presented in a way that'due south elementary to interpret, and clearly show the effects of this week's workouts on your longer term fitness. The new touchscreen is a bonus for browsing through menus, though fans of the Fenix series' five-button navigation can choose to disable it and stick with what they know. Battery life has received a big boost with no added weight, and mapping tools are greatly enhanced. The only conspicuous absence is a microphone for using your phone's voice banana and taking calls, only hopefully that will come in a futurity Fenix seven Plus edition.
Pros
- +
Accessible new training tools
- +
Superb navigation apps
- +
Extra-tough design
- +
Cons
- -
Low-contrast display
- -
No mic for easily-complimentary calls
- -
Costs more than than Fenix six
2-minute review
The Garmin Fenix seven is designed for anyone who gets a thrill from competition and wants to push button themselves to hitting a new loftier – whether it'southward a cycling sportive, a half marathon, an Ironman, or the gruelling sweat of a CrossFit competition. The Fenix 7 doesn't assume that you lot've already nailed down a full grooming plan and know exactly how to residual work and recovery though – it gives you tools that will assist you sympathise your electric current fitness level, gear up a realistic goal, and train in a way that will help you achieve it.
It packs the same avant-garde workout tracking and training tools that fabricated the Fenix half-dozen the all-time multi-sports watch around dorsum in 2019, but likewise introduces some new features that make information technology all more than attainable to new users.
The most obvious upgrade here is the introduction of a touchscreen. The watch all the same has the five physical buttons of previous Fenix watches (including a newly reinforced outset button), but information technology'due south a huge help for panning across maps. It's been advisedly implemented, though; the screen is locked past default during workouts to prevent accidental push presses, and Fenix purists can opt to deactivate touch entirely if they prefer.
The display is still retention-in-pixel rather than AMOLED like the Garmin Epix or Venu two. Information technology's readily legible in nigh lights, but lacks contrast, and the use of a blue rather than white backlight ways its colors are sometimes dingy. All the same, it's part of what makes the Fenix vii and so frugal with its power usage. This is a sentry that tin can go along running for weeks in the correct conditions, and fifty-fifty the non-solar versions offer impressive longevity.
On the software side, there's a new real-time stamina meter that shows how your energy declines during a workout and then yous can accommodate your attempt accordingly. This is the beginning time it's been possible to encounter changes in stamina in a chart that you can read at a glance.
In that location's also a new on-screen race predictor that estimates how your current preparation regime will affect your 5k, 10k, and half marathon race times. This information was already available in the Garmin Connect app, but the new nautical chart on your wrist allows you to run into how your times are trending – and hopefully dropping – thanks to your efforts.
If yous're already happy with your Fenix half dozen then we wouldn't recommend rushing out to upgrade right away, but the Fenix 7 is packed with thoughtfully crafted new features and refinements that make a real departure in everyday training.
Price and release date
- Available to order now
- Costs more than Fenix half-dozen
The Garmin Fenix vii series launched on January 18, 2022 and is available to buy direct from Garmin. Prices get-go at $699.99 / £599.99 / AU$1,049 for the standard version. The elevation-tier Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar is $999.99 / £859.99 / AU$ane,499.
That's a significant increase from the Fenix half dozen, which started at $599.99 / £529.99 / AU$949 when it launched in 2019. However, information technology's much less than the Garmin Epix premium everyday watch, which launched the same day starting at $899.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,399.
Blueprint
- Touchscreen and physical buttons
- No increase in weight
- Premium materials
The Fenix 7 comes in three sizes (42mm, 47mm, and 51mm), with standard, Solar, and Sapphire Solar variants:
| 42mm example | 47mm case | 52mm example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fenix 7S | Fenix 7 | Fenix 7X | |
| Fenix 7S Solar | Fenix vii Solar | Fenix 7X Solar | |
| Fenix 7S Solar Sapphire | Fenix seven Solar Sapphire | Fenix 7S Solar Sapphire |
We tested the standard 47mm Sapphire Solar edition, which is the starting time watch that combines the advantages of its sunlight-harvesting Power Glass with tough crystal.
Our review watch had a graphite gray titanium case and a black silicone strap, merely various other colorways are available. The silicone band is a good choice for sport and is easy to clean, merely you can also choose a watch bundled with an boosted leather or woven strap for everyday use.
The spotter uses Garmin's QuickFit bands, which are released from the case housing by pushing downwardly on a plastic clip. They're extremely easy to bandy, but aren't interchangeable with the quondam-style quick release bands, which are removed by pushing a pin to the side.
The Fenix vii Sapphire Solar weighs 73g with the silicone strap attached, and 50g without. That'south almost exactly the same as the Fenix 6 Solar, which comes in at 72g with its strap, and 49g without. Information technology'due south impressive that Garmin has managed to proceed the weight consistent while increasing battery life substantially, and improving the screen technology.
The Fenix 7'due south interface volition be immediately familiar to Fenix 6 users, and consists of five physical buttons together with a touchscreen that locks automatically during activity tracking to avert accidental pausing or cancelling of activities. If you'd prefer to stick with just the buttons, you can choose to disable the touchscreen completely. It's besides possible to switch it off during sleep to avoid adventitious touches at nighttime, simply we didn't detect this to be a problem.
Rather than equipping the Fenix 7 with an AMOLED screen like that of the Venu 2 and Epix watches, Garmin has stuck with a transflective memory-in-pixel display. It's a sensible choice that helps conserve battery life, though it's not as vivid nosotros might have liked.
It's easy to read in well-nigh lighting conditions, but we constitute information technology a niggling lacking in contrast compared to watches like the Garmin Instinct Solar (shown below)_ and often needed to use the backlight. The fact that this light is blue rather than white ways that the screen colors can sometimes wait muddy; peculiarly ruby and purple shades.
When it comes to charging, the Fenix 7 uses the same proprietary USB cable as all other Garmin watches released during the last couple of years. This may come as a thwarting to anyone hoping for contactless charging this fourth dimension around, simply the cable is easy to use and plugs securely into the back of the watch.
The Fenix 7 is water resistant to depths of 100m, making information technology suitable for puddle and open h2o swimming, plus activities similar kayaking, windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding (all of which have their own profiles), merely for diving y'all'll desire a specialized pond watch similar the Garmin Descent Mk2.
Battery life
- Largest model lasts up to five weeks
- Customizable battery saving settings
- Solar and Sapphire Solar versions available
Battery life has always been i of the selling points of Garmin's sports watches, and the Fenix 7 range really delivers. First, though, information technology's of import to note that the life of each watch in the range volition depend on the size of its bombardment, whether it has a solar cell, and the size of that cell.
The Fenix seven Sapphire Solar we tested is equipped with the Garmin's Ability Glass, which harvests energy throughout the day to go along the watch'due south battery topped upward. You'll however need to plug the sentry in occasionally, but the solar jail cell extends its bombardment life significantly.
Exactly how frequently you'll need to recharge it volition depend on how you lot use it, and which sensors you lot choose to enable. These are the figures given by Garmin itself for this particular model:
| Mode | Battery life (with solar) | |
| Smartwatch | Up to 22 days | |
| Battery saver watch mode | Up to 173 days | |
| All satellite systems | Upwardly to 48 hours | |
| All satellite systems and multi-ring | Upwards to 26 hours | |
| All satellite systems and music | Up to 10 hours | |
| Max bombardment GPS | Upwardly to 289 hours | |
| Expedition GPS | Up to 74 days |
All of those figures are a huge upgrade on the equivalent Fenix half dozen Solar, and existent-globe performance proved fifty-fifty ameliorate. Despite u.s.a. making regular use of the backlight, tracking an average of one conditioning per 24-hour interval using GPS, and keeping nocturnal SpO2 monitoring enabled, the scout kept running for 3 weeks before needing a top-up from its charging cable.
Nosotros were likewise able to try the not-solar Garmin Fenix 7S, and despite having the smallest bombardment capacity in the range, it retained 56% of its charge after a calendar week of use. That far exceeds Garmin's suggested battery life of 11 days in smartwatch manner lonely.
It'due south at present easier to meet the remaining charge level; one of our chief complaints with the Fenix 6 Solar was that you could just encounter power remaining measured in days, but the Fenix 7 gives you the option of checking the percentage equally well. It's a minor just welcome bear upon.
You lot tin can toggle the general Battery Saver mode on and off through the watch itself, or make more specific tweaks through the Garmin Connect smartphone app past disabling certain tracking metrics.
Smartwatch features
- First-class GPS navigation tools
- On-board music storage and Garmin Pay
- No microphone for easily-free calls
The Garmin Fenix 7 features all the sensors you'd expect from a top-end smartwatch, including the visitor's latest Elevate 4 optical center rate monitor, altimeter, compass, SpO2 sensor, and temperature sensor.
SpO2 monitoring tin run continuously, overnight, or only on demand during spot-checks. The Garmin Fenix 6 recently received a firmware update that alerts you if y'all motion your wrist too much while the sentinel is taking an SpO2 reading, and that's a characteristic you'll also run across here with the Fenix 7.
On the subject of travel, the Fenix 7'south GPS tracking and mapping are first-class. The watch recorded our pre-measured 5km examination route to within 50 meters, making information technology the most accurate running watch nosotros've tested to date.
The Fenix 7 excels for everyday navigation besides, removing the need to have your telephone out and conspicuously visible in an an unfamiliar identify where it could exist easily stolen. The Fenix 7 tin can fifty-fifty highlight points of interest for you, such every bit stores and cafes. It's well thought through, and really enhances the Fenix seven as a watch for everyday use rather than just sports.
Until now, if you wanted a ready of maps for your Garmin watch, y'all'd have to pay for and download them through the Garmin Connect app, but no longer. The Fenix seven Sapphire editions come with a total set up preinstalled, which is extremely useful, and users of the standard models can download their preferred packs direct through the watch using its new Map Manager.
The touchscreen makes panning beyond maps far easier than using buttons alone, though the MiP display doesn't refresh as quickly as an AMOLED screen, resulting in less polish scrolling, and the blue-tinted backlight means things aren't ever equally piece of cake to distinguish equally we might like.
If you're tired of your usual running, cycling or walking routes, you can utilise the course creation tool in Garmin Connect to create a new i; just select a starting point, a distance, and an overall bearing (n, south, east, or west) and the app will generate a suitable road in a couple of seconds. You tin can then sync this to your Fenix 7, which will requite yous plow-by-turn directions as you get.
There'southward as well Garmin's extremely useful TracBack feature, which lets y'all tag your starting point and and then directs you back at that place one time y'all're gear up to terminate your walk, bike ride or run. It'southward platonic for occasions when you want to go along a little adventure, though if you're out hiking or orienteering and then yous should always have a paper map and compass to exist safe; the Fenix 7's multi-band GPS is excellent, but no device is infallible.
Sleep monitoring is also impressive, accurately detecting changes between sleep and wakefulness that sports watches often neglect to differentiate. Each morning you'll receive a sleep score, together with some tips on how to go a amend night's balance, merely this data will also be factored into stats such as your trunk bombardment, which shows how y'all're balancing work and recovery.
There's storage for music as well (the Sapphire editions of the sentry give you lot more than infinite for saving maps and tracks), and you tin use the Fenix 7 to listen to songs, podcasts and audiobooks through your phone's default media role player.
When you're on the move, you can employ Garmin Pay to make contactless payments in stores and pay for public transport in many locations. Sadly our UK-based bank isn't i of those supported, but information technology's likewise valid for a range of public transport services including Ship For London.
One feature that's conspicuously lacking from the Fenix vii is the microphone featured in the recently released Garmin Venu ii Plus, which allows you to receive phone calls and utilise your phone'due south voice assistant directly from your wrist. Information technology's an extremely useful feature to have at your disposal mid-workout, and nosotros've got our fingers crossed that Garmin might introduce it at a future appointment in a Garmin Fenix 7 Plus.
Fettle tracking
- One of the most accurate GPS watches nosotros've tested
- Existent-time stamina tracking to help with pacing
- Grooming load guidance for balancing remainder and work
The Fenix 7's upgraded preparation tools help you balance work and recovery, and make the abstract concept of training load piece of cake to understand. It'southward still a watch tailored to serious athletes, merely Garmin's advanced features are now more accessible for those taking their training to the next level.
Perhaps the most best example of this real-time stamina tool, which shows how much fuel yous have in the tank during your workout. This helps yous avert bottoming out, and lets you more than accurately gauge when to plow around during an out-and-back run.
It's a practical add-on that'southward extremely simple to use, and accurately reflects your energy levels based on your training load. During runs on tired legs, our reported stamina drained much faster than when nosotros were fresh, and we were able to adjust our grooming on the fly accordingly.
The watch's heart rate monitor is extremely responsive, making this an splendid watch for high intensity interval training (which is at present available as an activity profile). A colored bar at the top of the scout screen allows y'all to see your current heart rate training zone at any time, so you can increase the effort when you lot desire to push to the adjacent level, and see the effects immediately.
Once your activeness is finished, the Garmin Connect app volition reveal how your stamina decreased – and whether your effort matched your potential. It'due south another useful insight that lets you know whether you're pushing yourself hard enough, or property dorsum every bit you start to tire.
Another new motivational tool is the race predictor, which uses your current operation to estimate how long it will accept to complete a 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon based on your current fitness. It's only an estimate, but a graph showing how your predicted time changes based on your grooming can really galvanize your efforts. Information technology's all available right on your wrist, so there'southward no need to delve into Garmin Connect to detect it.
In our tests, Garmin'due south predicted race times were roughly authentic – erring on the optimistic side – and modify rapidly in response to your most contempo performance. Nosotros set up out to beat our predicted 5k time, and although we didn't quite manage it, the watch set us a tougher goal in response.
You tin see your 7-day training load at a glance on the picket face, with communication on whether you need to punch up the intensity, have your human foot off the gas, or stay where yous are for optimal results.
The Fenix 7 isn't just a runner's sentinel, though – information technology besides has an impressive set of tools for cyclists, and can be connected with the company's line of bike computers and lights. Garmin has recently expanded its range of cycling modes, and takes factors like incline and terrain into account when calculating your exerted effort.
Mapping for cyclists is peculiarly impressive. The watch won't just map a road for you, it also gives you the choice to avoid toll roads, narrow trails, unpaved roads, and major highways, letting yous customize your ride to suit your bike, your preferences, and your level of confidence. Touches like this really bear witness that this was a lookout developed by people with a genuine passion for their sport, and who desire to arrive accessible to a wider range of people.
The picket can detect climbs automatically likewise; its ClimbPro characteristic identifies when you lot've begun an ascension, and presents you with info on the gradient, distance, and elevation gain of the entire hill so yous tin can manage your effort and avert setting out too difficult or keeping besides much in reserve.
Companion app
- All information presented clearly and explained
- Lots of extra tools including gear tracker
- Personalized workouts and training plans
Similar all Garmin watches, the Fenix 7 syncs with the Garmin Connect app for iOS and Android. Connecting the watch is a breeze, and the watch syncs data automatically whenever you consummate a workout, or open the app.
If you're upgrading from an older Garmin device, all the data volition be pooled together seamlessly, though selecting a training session will let yous to see which device recorded it.
Garmin Connect is one of the best developed fettle apps, and puts much more data at your fingertips than the likes of Huawei Wellness, or even the official Coros app. All your most recent stats (such as center rate, workouts, sleep, and menstrual cycle) are shown on a primal dashboard that you tin can rearrange and customize at will. Don't desire to see your step count? But slide it to the right and information technology'south gone.
Tapping on whatever of these stats will allow yous to drill down through the data in more than detail, and every graph and tabular array is accompanied by an info panel that explains exactly what the data means, and how y'all can utilize it. The app also provides suggestions where appropriate and then you can improve your training habits.
Open up the app's main menu and y'all'll discover a huge array of extra tools, all specifically designed with sportspeople in mind. For instance, in that location'due south a gear tracker and then you tin can keep track of how long you've been using your various pairs of running shoes and work out when it'south time to supercede them, and you can set up emergency contacts who should be alerted if the Fenix seven detects an accident.
You can connect with other Garmin users as well, though about users are more likely to make use of the app's Strava compatibility instead.
There are customizable training plans for runners and cyclists, which gear up yous certain sessions to complete during the week and adjust based on your functioning, plus various Peloton-way instructor-led workouts. It's all gratuitous of charge, and there'due south no indication that Garmin plans to implement a Fitbit Premium fashion subscription to access information technology.
You can download third-party apps, new watch faces, and actress data fields (which are presented on screen during workouts) through a second app called Garmin Connect IQ.
There isn't a huge array of apps to download, but many of those bachelor have been created past passionate Garmin users and solve a real need – such as the unofficial Parkrun apps, which display your personal barcode so you don't have to comport it on a keychain or wristband. There are as well apps for popular services such as mapping tool Komoot, which are favored by runners and cyclists.
Offset reviewed January 2022
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Garmin Heart Strap Always Reading Super High
Source: https://www.techradar.com/reviews/garmin-fenix-7
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