Just recently I purchased my first ever Garmin, the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus!
After doing plenty of research, I decided on this particular watch as it is a “[r]ugged multisport GPS watch with routable topo maps and music,” per the box description. Fenix 5 Plus more than meets my needs for a fitness watch: with wrist-based heart rate monitor and advanced mapping, this watch is perfect for running, and many other activities. Select which activity you’ll be doing—cycling, trail running, swimming, etc.,—and this watch will record your workouts. Check out my unboxing video below. 🙂
Specs
Garmin Fenix 5 Plus has a 47 mm case, the middle sized watch between the smaller Fenix 5S (42 mm case size) and the larger Fenix 5X (51 mm case size). Before purchasing I was able to try on both the 5S and the 5. The 5S is perfect if you have smaller wrists (like me; my wrist is 5 in. in circumference), but I found that the larger 5 sat well on my wrist. The larger the watch, the longer the battery life, so I opted for the 5. The 5X is just way too big for my wrist. Note I went for the Plus edition, which has pre-loaded routable topo maps, Wi-Fi connectivity, Garmin Pay, and music storage (up to 500 songs).
Regarding the battery:
Smartwatch mode: Up to 12 days
GPS: Up to 18 hours
GPS and Music: Up to 8 hours
UltraTracâ„¢ mode: Up to 42 hours
As you can see, battery life varies depending on which/ how many settings you are using. This watch is the Glass edition, or that it has a chemically strengthened glass lens. The other edition, Sapphire, is scratch resistant, and runs at a higher price point. You can buy screen protectors for the glass lens.
This watch comes with a 22 mm QuickFit silicone wristband: you can change it out for others colors available online. I’m thinking a navy blue band would look great with the stainless steel bezel. 🙂
This watch syncs up using Bluetooth, to the Garmin Connect App on your phone. Here you can view and analyze your stats, and with the Garmin Connect IQ App, change/ customize your watch face/ display.
This watch is water rated at 10 ATM, perfect for swimming laps. The watch also features safety and tracking features, such as Live Track, so you can let others know of your location.
My Thoughts So Far…
So far I’ve logged 220 miles running on this watch, and I love it. 5 Plus is non-touch screen; instead there are five buttons on the outside edge of the stainless steel bezel. It takes some practice knowing how to use these to move between settings and displays, but I’m getting better. 🙂 I’ll admit I’m not the most “tech-y” person, so I’m still taking some time to fully know and utilize this watch…but so far I’m extremely impressed. 🙂 For a few years I used a Fitbit Charge 2, which has the basics: calories burned, steps climbed, several activity settings, etc. The one disadvantage of this particular FitBit is the small display screen. With my Garmin however, I now get to enjoy a full watch display! I’ve also used apps on my phone to record my running, but no longer. When running or recording an activity with my Garmin, if I stop or pause for a moment, all I have to do is hit the upper right button on the bezel to pause; this was a hassle when using apps on my phone. With my Garmin, recording exercise is much easier, so it was fun to wear this watch at last November’s Rim Rock Marathon in Grand Junction, CO. 🙂
I don’t swim much, but my Garmin survived just fine while I waded around in the pool at Glenwood Hot Springs, post Rim Rock 2019. I shower with it no problem, as it’s good practice to clean the underside of the watch, due to sweat. Once you record several dozen workouts over a sustained period, this Garmin can calculate your VO2 Max! According to my watch, my VO2 Max is at 51, or superior. Humblebrag, yes…but it is nice to see the cumulative effects of my marathon training. 🙂
So yes, I absolutely LOVE this watch; I wear it everyday. As I carry my phone with me when I run, I haven’t really utilized the music settings on my watch, but I can listen to music from my Garmin whenever I choose to. As for the wristband, I usually secure it on the last notch; there are shorter band lengths online for those with even tinier wrists. I usually charge my watch every 2-3 days, as there’s nothing more irritating when your watch dies as you exercise. Throughout the day I’ll review my stats on the Garmin Connect App on my phone, so I can see mileage, calories burned, heart rate, sleep, etc., by day or over a set period of time. As for tracking/ distance, I find this watch to be quite accurate.
Final Thoughts
I heartily approve of the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus! This device exceeds my requirements for a fitness watch. Aesthetically appealing, durable, and with countless capabilities, I am still learning, and very much enjoying, getting to fully know and utilize this watch. 🙂 Garmin just recently released the Fenix 6 Series, so now would be a good time to invest in the 5 series as these are on sale at certain retailers. If you’re looking to make the leap to a high quality and accurate fitness watch, you can’t beat a Garmin! 🙂
~LMC