The Garmin Fenix 7X is the biggest option in Garmin’s new Fenix 7 series range. It’s also the one to get if you want all the features. It’s no spoiler to say it so early in this review but the Fenix 7 is the best sports wearable you can buy right now: it’s streets ahead of the competition. So, then out of curiosity, I equipped my (much smaller wristed) wife with the same setup again just a few hours later for a workout she was doing later that night. This included the Fenix 7S on her left wrist, a Polar H10 chest strap, and then the Fenix 7X on her right wrist. Keeping in mind, the Fenix 7X is hilariously too big for her tiny wrists. She normally wears a blend of a Fenix 5S (yes, 5S, non-Plus) and a FR945. Here’s that data set: It uses this sensor to drive a slew of data points, for example stress and breathing rate. In general, I actually find the stress estimates reasonably accurate. And it’s an easy way to glance at how the day might have gone, or how it might contribute to my Body Battery. Body Battery is basically your energy level. You recharge it every night, and then decrease it during the day, or during periods of relaxation (like sitting on the couch watching TV).

In the case of the microphone/speaker, Garmin says that the higher waterproofing standard of the Fenix series (100 meters) versus the Venu 2 series (50 meters), makes this challenging at this time. On the LTE front, I asked Garmin why there was no LTE option given it’s been a while since they launched the theoretically inferior FR945. It was the singular item they provided a ‘no comment’ on, out of the arguably 50-70 questions/details I’ve asked over the past two months. Got all that? Good. Here’s some charts to help you make sense of it. First up is the battery comparison chart:Here is a screen-cap of walking in the Highlands of Scotland yesterday. The straight line is where the 6X stopped recording to the .GPX file when going up a steep boggy slope up to a ridge line and our summit for the day. If you tap the up button you can add a course (or other routing, more on that later), structured training, or change the power profiles. I mean, frankly, you can change anything from this point. For example, you can see how many hours of GPS life you’ll get with your current settings, and then there’s some pre-canned options which show higher GPS levels if you realize you’ll need them. Or, you can go rogue and create your own battery profile: As you can see, it was very solid, and virtually spot on. As was, also surprising to me, the 7X given her tiny wrists. All Systems: This confusingly named option is dealers choice between GLONASS and GALILEO, and Garmin is the dealer. As a user you can’t choose which one to use, but instead, Garmin is now switching between GPS< GLONASS, GALILEO, BeiDou, and QZSS based on the quality of the satellites from each, determining “which to prioritize”

There’s a Pulse Ox sensor to measure blood oxygen during the night for an additional hit of sleep data, though sleeping with this watch is a challenge. It’s going to prove more useful for assessing your acclimation to altitude, though using this sensor continuously will have a noticeable impact on battery life.

Pro Version with Exclusive Outdoor Functions

Battery Life: Up to 28 days/37 days with Solar (Smartwatch Mode), up to 90 days/1+ year with Solar (Batter Saver Water Mode), up to 89 hours/122 hours with Solar (GPS Only), up to 63 hours/77 hours with Solar (All Satellite Systems), up to 36 hours/41 hours (All Satellite Systems and Multi-band), up to 16 hours (All Satellite Systems and Music), up to 213 hours/578 hours with Solar (Max Battery GPS), up to 62 days/139 days with solar (Expedition GPS) Waterproofing is rarely something you need to worry massively about on a Garmin wearable these days. Pretty much every watch it launches is fit for swimming and showering and that doesn’t change with the 7X. You’re getting a 10 ATM water rating, which means it’s safe to be submerged in water up to 100 metres depth. Meanwhile, for HR accuracy testing I’m typically wearing a chest strap (either the Polar H10 or the Garmin HRM-PRO), as well as another optical HR sensor watch on the bicep (mostly the Polar Verity Sense, as well as the Whoop 4.0 band). Note that the numbers you see in the upper right corner of the charts below are *not* the averages, but rather just the exact point my mouse is sitting over. Note all this data is analyzed using the DCR Analyzer, details here.

And then you can also see this in Garmin Connect Mobile afterwards, which is where you can spit out a PDF copy if you like: About this point, you’re probably trying to decide which watch might make the most sense for you (if either). I’ve got an entire dedicated video on that above, but an even more crazy-detailed post that’s constantly updated with all the silly differences that might be discovered down the road.

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The sports available on the Fenix 7 series are (some are technically not sports, but fall under the apps list, like Map Manager):

It must have been hard for Garmin’s development team to dream up enough new features, but somehow it has and there’s a host of new and improved capabilities to mull over here.Finally, here’s a long hike/trail run, which had some larger sustained efforts that more easily show up on the charts: The Fenix 7 excels for everyday navigation as well, removing the need to have your phone out and clearly visible in an unfamiliar place where it could be easily stolen. The Fenix 7 can even highlight points of interest for you, such as stores and cafes. It’s well thought through and really enhances the Fenix 7 as a watch for everyday use rather than just sports.