In a nutshell, any Garmin fēnix GPS adventure watch out there is loaded with sport-specific smarts. Not a lot in the way of training, tracking, and analysis has changed. So what puts the fēnix 6 family on top?

In this article, we show you how various fēnix 6 watches measure up to the best of the last generation of fēnix outdoor fitness watches: the fēnix 5X Plus. For a considerable amount less, you can get the fēnix 6 Pro sport watch, which has more battery life and added features ... and it just gets better from there with the fēnix 6 Sapphire, the fēnix 6 Pro Solar, the fēnix 6X Pro and Sapphire, and the fēnix 6X Pro Solar!

fēnix 5X Plus Training and Analysis Features

• Gym activity profiles: strength, cardio and elliptical training, stair stepping, floor climbing, indoor rowing, pilates and yoga
• Workouts: cardio and strength
• Auto rep counting
• Heart rate zones, alerts, calories, % HR max, % HRR, recovery time, auto max HR
• Heart rate variability (HRV) stress test (with compatible accessory)
• GPS speed and distance
• Auto pause
• Interval training
• Advanced workouts and downloadable training plans
• Auto lap, manual lap, and configurable lap alerts
• Heat and altitude acclimation
• VO2 Max (run)
• Training Status (lets you see if you’re training effectively by tracking your training history and fitness level trend.)
• Training Load (your total training load for the last 7 days calculated from estimated EPOC)
• Training Effect
• Finish time
• Virtual partner
• Trendline™ popularity routing
• Course guidance
• Round-trip course creator
• Garmin Live and Strava Live segments
• Activity history on watch

fēnix 5X Plus Health-Monitoring Features

• Wrist-based heart rate metrics
• Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation (spot-check, and optional all-day acclimation and in sleep)
• Fitness age, which reinterprets your VO2 Max score to make it more relatable by estimating the body’s age using chronological age, activity, resting heart rate, and either body fat % or BMI.
• Stress and relaxation features
• Hydration
• Women's Health for tracking pregnancy and menstrual cycles.

fenix 5X Plus Sensors

• Multi-GNSS, including GPS, Galileo, GLONASS
• Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor
• Pulse Ox monitor
• Accelerometer, barometric altimeter, compass, and gyroscope
• Thermometer

fēnix 5X Plus Smart Features

• Bluetooth® Smart, ANT+® connectivity
• Connect IQ™ for downloadable watch faces, data fields, widgets and apps
• Smart notifications
• Calendar and weather
• Battery saver gives you customizable low power watch
• Controls smartphone music
• Find My Phone, Find My Watch
• Garmin Pay™

Safety and Activity Tracking Features

• Step counter
• Move bar
• Calories burned
• Floors climbed
• Distance traveled
• Intensity minutes
• LiveTrack, a safety and connectivity feature that creates a real-time view of your location during an activity, so friends and family can follow along.
• Group LiveTrack
• Incident Detection (during select activities), a safety feature that enables, if an incident occurs, the Garmin Connect app on your paired smartphone to send an automated text message and email with your name and GPS location to up to three of your emergency contacts.
• Assistance discreetly sends a message with your real-time location to your preloaded chosen contacts, making it easier for help to find you.

Sport-Specific Smarts

• Running features
• Golfing features
• Outdoor recreation features
• Cycling features
• Swimming features

Garmin fēnix 5X Plus Battery Life

• Smartwatch: Up to 20 days
• GPS: Up to 32 hours
• GPS and Music: Up to 13 hours
• UltraTrac™ mode: Up to 70 hours

The fēnix 6X Pro Solar GPS adventure watch offers everything the fēnix 5X Plus does—and then some!

For $200 more, here's what you get with the rugged yet sophisticated fēnix 6X Pro Solar vs the 5X Plus:

Starting with solar charging technology, let's look at the superior battery life that will let you spend more time exploring and extending your workouts, instead of charging:

• +1 day in smartwatch mode/+3 days with solar
• +28 hours in GPS mode/+34 hours with solar
• +2 hours for GPS and Music/+3 hours with solar

Additionally, the fēnix 6X Pro Solar GPS watch offers Battery Saver Watch Mode with up to 80 days/120 days with solar AND Max Battery GPS Mode with up to 120 hours/148 hours with solar AND Expedition GPS Activity with up to 46 days/56 days with solar. This is indeed the Garmin fēnix watch for the outdoor adventurer!

The fēnix 6X Pro Solar features a large 1.4” display that’s 16.7% bigger than the fēnix 5X Plus. Yet, it weighs 11 g less (82 g vs 93 g). And it's sleeker design is 2.6mm thinner at 14.9mm thick versus the 17.5 mm of the fēnix 5X Plus.

Other additional features include:

• On-screen workout animations
• PacePro™ pacing strategies
• Store 2,000 songs compared to 1,000 on the 5X Plus
• Abnormal heart rate alerts
• Body Battery™ energy monitor
• 24/7 respiration rate
• Sleep scores and insights
• Better resolution: 280 x 280 pixels vs 240 x 240 pixels
• Adds yoga and pilates workouts on-watch
• Adds PlaysLike Distance for golf

So with the fēnix 6X Pro Solar, Garmin gives you more battery life (with and without solar charging), more music storage, a larger screen with better resolution, threw in a couple of more health features—and put it all in a lighter case. For the hardcore outdoor junkie—worth it!

Garmin fēnix 6X pricing vs fēnix 5X Plus

Garmin fēnix 5X Plus: $749.99

Garmin fēnix 6X Pro: $699.99 (Everything the 6X Pro Solar offers, minus solar charging)

Garmin fēnix 6X Sapphire: $749.99 (Everything the 6X Pro Solar offers, minus solar charging, plus a sapphire crystal lens)

Garmin fēnix 6X Pro Solar: $949.99

Unlike the fēnix 6 and 6S, the fēnix 6X does not have a standard option, only Pro, Sapphire, and Pro Solar.

For $200 cheaper, the fēnix 6 standard GPS watch offers some upgrades from the fēnix 5X Plus, but it is minus some features. Here's what it adds:

• +28 days in battery saver watch mode; +4 hours in GPS mode; Plus, it gets up to 72 hours in max battery GPS mode
• 8.33% bigger screen size (1.3" vs 1.2")
• 16 g lighter (80 g vs 93 g)
• 2.8 mm thinner (14.7 vs 17.5)
• Abnormal heart rate alerts
• Body Battery™ energy monitor
• 24/7 respiration rate
• Sleep scores and insights
• Better resolution: 260 x 260 pixels vs 240 x 240 pixels

And here's where the 5X Plus wins compared to the fēnix 6 sport watch:

• Longer battery life in smartwatch mode: 20 days vs 14 days
• Music storage on watch; the fēnix 6 can only control music on your phone
• Maps
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Round-trip course creator for running and cycling
• Trendline™ popularity routing,

Garmin fēnix 6 pricing vs fēnix 5X Plus

Garmin fēnix 5X Plus: $749.99

Garmin fēnix 6: $549.99

And, of course, the Pro and Sapphire add everything the standard fēnix 6 does, plus they have Wi-Fi, better battery life, more music storage, and on-screen animations.

Garmin fēnix 6 Pro: $649.99

Garmin fēnix 6 Sapphire: $749.99 (adds a sapphire crystal lens)

Garmin fēnix 6 Pro Solar: $799.99 (adds solar charging technology)

The fēnix 6X Pro outdoor fitness watch offers everything the fēnix 5X Plus does—and more—for $50 less!

Check out what else you get with the ultra durable, gorgeous fēnix 6X Pro Solar vs the 5X Plus:

Let's look at the superior battery life, where you already get more for $50 less!

• +1 day in smartwatch mode
• +28 hours in GPS mode
• +2 hours for GPS and Music

Additionally, the fēnix 6X Pro GPS smartwatch offers Battery Saver Watch Mode with up to 80 days AND Max Battery GPS Mode with up to 120 hours AND Expedition GPS Activity with up to 46 days. Feel free to go to extremes with this adventure watch!

The fēnix 6X Pro features a large 1.4” display that’s 16.7% bigger than the fēnix 5X Plus. Its sleeker design won't bulk up your wrist, and it is 2.6mm thinner at 14.9mm thick versus the 17.5 mm of the fēnix 5X Plus.

Other additional features include:

• On-screen workout animations
• PacePro™ pacing strategies
• Store 2,000 songs compared to 1,000 on the 5X Plus
• Abnormal heart rate alerts
• Body Battery™ energy monitor
• 24/7 respiration rate
• Sleep scores and insights
• Better resolution: 280 x 280 pixels vs 240 x 240 pixels
• Adds yoga and pilates workouts on-watch
• Adds PlaysLike Distance for golf

So with the fēnix 6X Pro, Garmin gives you more battery life, more music storage, a larger screen with better resolution, threw in a couple of more health features—and put it all in a slimmer case.

For $50 less—nailed it!

Garmin fēnix 6X pricing vs fēnix 5X Plus

Garmin fēnix 5X Plus: $749.99

Best Buy!!! Garmin fēnix 6X Pro: $699.99 (Everything the 6X Pro Solar offers, minus solar charging)

Garmin fēnix 6X Sapphire: $749.99 (Everything the 6X Pro Solar offers, minus solar charging, plus a sapphire crystal lens)

Garmin fēnix 6X Pro Solar: $799.99 (Adds solar charging technology)

Unlike the fēnix 6 and 6S, the fēnix 6X does not have a standard option, only Pro, Sapphire, and Pro Solar.