Part of the week: GPS smartwatch from Garmin

Garmin launched the first generation of the fenix watch back in 2013. Since the introduction of the GPS watch, Garmin has been targeting outdoor athletes. From trail runners and mountaineers to triathletes, ski tourers and runners - the super brain on the wrist should provide them all with up-to-date movement data, record their training and navigate. A lot has happened since the first generations: the initially poor battery life has been improved, navigation has been refined and a whole host of new functions have been packed into the watch. This also makes it interesting for mountain bikers who are not just sitting in the saddle and are looking for ONE electric gadget that they can use for every sport - whether on a high-altitude tour on the glacier, a leisurely after-work run in the park or a transalp on a mountain bike.

Garmin fenix 5: technical data

• Weight: 84 grammes
• Colour: grey with black strap
• Size: 47 x 47 x 15.5 mm
• Display size: 1.2 inch
• Stainless steel bezel
• 22 mm wide silicone strap
• internal memory: 64 MB
• Water resistance: 100 metres
• Sensors: GPS, Glonass, heart rate monitor, Bluetooth Smart, ANT+, accelerometer, gyroscope & compass, barometric altimeter, thermometer
• Scope of delivery: watch, data and charging cable

Price: 500 Euro >> e.g. available here

Garmin fenix 5 - Robust mastermind for the office and mountain

The fenix offers Garmin in a wide range of sizes, colours and designs. We tested the mid-range model with a 47 mm case and no extra features. The smaller version with a 42 mm case diameter is also available for petite wrists. If you want to splash out, go for the 51 mm version with scratch-resistant sapphire glass and pre-installed, routable maps for a hefty 900 euros. We think that the middle ground in terms of size is just right and that although you can clearly feel the 84 gram watch on your wrist, it is not too bulky or even distracting. The silicone strap can be adjusted finely enough and even if you wave your arms around wildly, the case doesn't hit the back of your hand - provided you wear it tightly enough.

The five buttons - three on the left and two on the right - are easy to operate. Apart from the red "Start" button, all buttons are labelled. This makes it easier to set up after the initial charging process and to find your way around the extensive menu. However, the fenix 5 is more convenient to use with the Garmin Connect App which is available from Google Play, the App Store (iPhone) and the Windows Store. In principle, you can also use the GPS watch without the app, but to create an account with Garmin Connect you won't be able to avoid it. However, the easiest way to use the fenix 5 is with the app, which also makes it easier to read out the watch and transfer the data to other platforms such as Strava later on.

Everyday life with the Garmin fenix 5

I have been wearing the fenix 5 every day for a good eight weeks, almost day and night. I put it on my wrist when I get up and only take it off in the evening before I go to bed. I'm impressed by the case and the glass, which look like new even after hard days on the building site, 700 kilometres on my bike through Bavaria and a few contacts with rocks and walls. An outdoor watch has to be this robust! I only switched off the warning tones on the second day. Otherwise, the watch's smartwatch functions would drive me crazy in everyday life, prompting me to get up in the evening, even though I have 120 kilometres in my legs. But fortunately, the fitness tracker functions - such as pedometer, heart rate and floors climbed - can also be switched off completely. If you don't need them, you'll be rewarded with longer battery life. I also didn't use the display of emails or notifications. It's enough for me when my smartphone is constantly flashing and beeping. I don't need the watch to inform me about every WhatsApp message. But of course the fenix 5 could do that with its smartwatch functions, provided it is constantly paired with the mobile phone.

If you use the GPS watch independently, the battery life has improved compared to the previous models. The battery lasts an astonishingly long time. If you don't record any training sessions and have the fitness tracker functions switched on, the fenix 5 will run for around two weeks. With 3-4 two-hour activities per week, it needs to be plugged in or connected to the computer about every 3-4 days. However, this reveals a weakness: the charging socket, which is recessed into the housing on the underside, does not use a common standard such as micro USB, but its own. This means that you have one more special charging cable lying around at home that you can't use for any other electronic device.

How the fenix 5 performs on the trail

Whether it's a run in the park or a bike tour in the Alps: Before starting, press the "Start" button once and then select the activity. Once you have selected "MTB", the fenix 5 starts searching for the GPS signal. Depending on the starting point, this can take up to a minute. Now press the start button again and the watch will start recording. Whether you want to display the current speed, the percentage of the maximum heart rate or a timer for intervals - or all together on one page - can be quickly adjusted in the activity settings. The figures and values on the display are easy to read, even if you are clutching the handlebars tensely at a heart rate of 190. However, the watch display is of course not as easy to see as a handlebar-mounted computer. But you can live with that. As there is no map pre-installed in the 600 euro version of the fenix, the navigation is very spartan. The track is shown as a line in colour, with a red arrow moving around the outside of the display to indicate the direction you should take. This works smoothly at simple T-junctions, but not really in a dense network of trails. If you want to navigate there accurately and without riding errors and forced stops, you absolutely need a topo map in the background.

The watch is easy to operate while travelling, even when wearing gloves. If you don't want to rely on the heart rate measurement on your wrist, you can also pair the watch with a chest strap. Via ANT+ or Bluetooth. Because the measurement on the wrist can quickly be interrupted when things get really bumpy on the trail. More precise values can still only be obtained with a chest strap, which but Garmin also admits. Coupling with a power meter also worked perfectly for us.

At the end of the bike tour, you are shown an analysis of your activity. In other words, how long you have been training aerobically and how long you have been subjecting your body to anaerobic-lactacid stress. A good indicator for bikers who follow a strict training plan. The fenix 5 also provides a recommended recovery time after an activity. This sometimes seemed excessively long to me. If you were to follow this, you would have to abandon a week-long stage race on the second day. However, for beginners who don't know what they should demand of their body, they are a good guideline.

Test summary of the Garmin fenix 5

Robust appearance, countless functions and possible uses: The fenix 5 is a compact mastermind for the wrist that can do it all - preferably outdoors. From winter ski tours in fridge weather to after-work laps on the home trails and business meetings under your shirt sleeve. She can also manage a long weekend without a power socket. Even without using the smartwatch and fitness tracker functions, the fenix 5 is a joy to use, but if you don't need them, you can ask yourself the legitimate question: Why not buy a cheaper GPS watch?

Pro

• Robust housing and display
• Reliable, fast pairing with smartphone, heart rate sensor or other sensors
• Extensive training and analysis functions
• "Track Back" function (takes you back to the starting point in an emergency)
• Can be used for an extremely wide range of sports (with special profiles/widgets)
• Electronic 3-axis compass that shows the direction even when stationary
• Daily statistics on steps, heart rate, calories burned (fitness tracker functions)

Contra

• expensive
• Special charging cable
• Navigation difficult without a map