after 3 years with a Garmin Vivoactive HR, then 4 years with a basic Instinct, I got myself a 47mm Epix 2 Sapphire black Titanium on sale at -35%. I'm blown away by the clarity of the screen, all the features and adjustability, yet eases of use with touch screen and buttons. It is lightweight, fits just right on my 7 inch (180mm) wrist, battery lasts for days and charges in minutes. Map and navigation is my primary need for camping, fishing, hunting, ATV riding, etc.
Garmin is the only GPS watch worth having nowadays. I got an Apple Watch Ultra 2 three months ago, after having all Garmin Fenix since the 5. After trying my best to like the AWU2, I sold it yesterday and got an Epix Pro 2 Sapphire. Once you have a flagship Garmin, it's impossible to forget it. Apple did a great job with smart features, mainly on the cellular connection. But they are decades behind Garmin regarding what to do with all the data collected. People used to say AWU2 is a smartwatch and Garmin is a sports watch, but I totally disagree. The way Apple deals with data is not smart AT ALL. So, if I don't have a Garmin, I prefer to use an analog watch than wear any other 'smartwatch' on the market.
Garmin truly is the best! They've been at it for so long and there are no shortcuts to great hardware / software development. AWU seems like a great option for those that want the "phone extension" feeling and cellular connectivity, but for anyone else that is serious about their tracking Garmin is tops in my books. If I HAD to get something that wasn't Garmin as a tracker I may look at Coros who seems to be coming up and providing competitive products at a good price.
Yep, many people I know have jumped ship to other brands. I've heard ALL of them say "Man I miss my Garmin". You don't know until you've tried a Garmin. I was able to convince one friend to ditch his Apple Watch. He was amazed with the features of the Garmin. Multiple times he would come up to me and say something like "Hey, did you know that Garmin can do this???". My response was always "Yep, I've been trying to tell you for three years!"
OMG, this was THE video to watch and for me, after weeks upon weeks of me dithering, umming and aaahhhing about which watch to buy (I’m very much in the unfit, novice person on my, umm, middle-late life), this is the clearest most logical and really helpful video I’ve seen. There are just so many Garmin watches to chose from and I WAS going to go for the standard Epix but when you said about the GPS aspect of it, i.e. if you’re running/walking in cities for example, then the pro version would be better - so so helpful, i can’t thank you enough :-)
I bought both the 965 and the Epix Gen 2 as an upgrade from the 265. The 965 felt too plasticky and the screen borderline too big for me. I decided on the Epix in the end and I'm very happy with my choice!
Epix Titanium gen 2 has what i need and i bought it half the price. ECG is not worse because the majority of people dont know how to read it. The light? Well bying a frontal head light is cheapier. Well done
Thanks for the review/tip👍 I got the sapphire one for ~$450 early 2024 on a sale; seems worth it, sespeially here in Sweden (even though I haven't started using it yet - still too content with my old F5+ 😉). Too bad about the LED/flashligt, but you cannot have it all - the next upgrade will probably include that, and more...
It will likely drop in price slowly, but I do think that *right now* there is a price to value disparity between the Pro and the normal Gen 2. I've just seen the Gen 2 at $349! It will be a long time before the Pro could ever see prices that low
Great video thanks! Wanting to move to Garmin from AW6. Have option to buy FR265 or Epix Gen 2 for about the same low price. FR is newer but Epix more capable. Any reason to go for the FR over the Epix?
Thank you for the kind words. The 265 is an enticing offer with the price point and features it comes with. The main differences would be: Weight - FR is definitely lighter Build Materials - FR is all plastic for housing and bezel Maps - Only Epix has them, but FR does have some basic navigation Outdoor activities - Epix will have a lot more, notable ones would be golf, skiing, but there are quite a lot. Bands - Epix has quickfit if you want to swap bands often Storage - Epix has double at 16GB although since FR doesn't have maps the 8GB should be plenty Here is a page to compare the two: www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=886785&compareProduct=1285545
Thanks Dave for such a helpful reply and for the link to the comparison page, much appreciated. Do you consider there’s much between them on their heart rate and sleep tracking accuracy given what you have said about the weight (and size)?
@@commonmadeholy I think the only difference between HR could be if the Epix isn't put on tight enough during runs it could be more prone to moving and being less accurate due to the extra weight. Assuming both watches are put on properly I doubt there is any discernable difference for HR or sleep.
I have a Garmin 55 since last July 2023, I would buy an Epix Pro because I like it a lot aesthetically and I think that ECG is useful but I don't need all the features it has. I'm thinking about 265 and 965 as well.
965 is basically an Epix in a Forerunner body. So it will have nearly identical features with a lighter, if a bit less rugged, frame. The 265 is a great value option and a nice upgrade from a 55. Thanks for watching and keep running! 🏃
I use the on screen "flashlight" feature quite a bit which is decent for not killing nightsight at home if you get up at night, but definitely not a real flashlight. I really hope that when I do eventually upgrade that a flashlight is included!
This is the one I have. Applies easy and you get more than one in a pack HATALKIN Tempered Glass Screen... www.amazon.com/dp/B09QSSM14Z?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
But I did my hair and worked on the lighting for hours! Just kidding. Thanks for watching and giving some feedback. I'll keep working to make future videos better 👍
