The marathon is a legendary event. Its 42.195 kilometers frighten millions of people, while others, by the hundreds, set out to tackle this distance. For some it’s a habit, for others it’s the race of a lifetime.
So before facing such a colossus, you need to equip yourself. If the training of the body is obvious, the equipment to take with you is just as obvious. Within the runner’s range, we find in particular connected watches. It is precisely the latest from Garmin that interests us today.
With its Garmin Fenix 8presented on the occasion of the UTMB (another legendary race), the American firm simply wanted to do the best possible. A reference in the world of running, Garmin must stay one step ahead of its main competitors (Suunto, Coros or Polar to name a few). She therefore decided to pull out all the stops with her Fenix 8.
A colossus
With a starting price above 1000 euros, expectations are very high when you open the box for the first time. The watch must respond to all consumer demands, even the most exotic. So we end up with a real monster.
Physically first, the watch is available in three sizes, ranging from 43 mm (for the thinnest wrists) to 51 mm, including an intermediate 47 mm model (the one we received for this test). Surprisingly, such a size does not impact the weight of the object that much. On the scale it only shows 59 grams without the bracelet (80 g with it).
It would be wrong to say that it is easily forgotten, but the difference compared to other sports watches is not huge. Finally, this XXL template is only the first element of a technical sheet as long as your arm. With in particular, an armada of sensors.
Also discover the review of the Garmin Forerunner 165
Do everything, all the time
The Garmin Fenix 8 can do it all. In addition to the functionalities (which have become mandatory) for monitoring heart rate, sleep and even intelligent notifications, the watch offers several data, designed for the most athletic.
Thus the Garmin Fenix 8 has a sensor to calculate resting heart rate variation. This data makes it possible to monitor the level of recovery, ideal after training. The watch can also calculate heart load. Here again this data allows you to know your level of physical fatigue.
For competitors, the watch offers a so-called “race prediction” calculation. It gives “attainable” times for different distances, ranging from 5 kilometers to marathons. It also offers an endurance score, or a calculation of “training readiness” in other words your ability to endure a new sports session.
Features galore
Among the other features (which we don’t necessarily expect on a watch) we can’t miss the “torch light” option. It is very useful for people who do ultra-trails or hiking to have a light point to light up in the middle of the night.
For others, the uses are more limited. The watch, however, lights up very well, we even had fun reading a book with it. It’s not very practical, but it’s possible. After all, “it is useless therefore essential” goes the adage.
Interface and customization
If you’ve ever had a Garmin watch on your wrist, you know that the American brand’s ecosystem is not the easiest to get to grips with. Although things have improved in recent years, the firm has come a long way and still has a lot of progress to make.
So the first days of use are always a little complicated (especially when switching from one watch to another), but you quickly get the hang of it. Ultimately the Garmin ecosystem is like fine wine, it only gets better with time.
As we used this Fenix 8, we became accustomed to its operation and a few reflex actions appeared in our daily lives.
Companion app
The same goes for the app. It’s still not the most aesthetically pleasing on your smartphone, but Garmin Connect is a large and very useful toolbox. The objective is not to be beautiful, but to be efficient. Especially, with a watch that provides access to such a quantity of data.
By diving into its parameters, we always learn a little more about our state of form and training. For data lovers, this is a real pleasure, although at first this influx of information can be a little confusing.
Screen
The screen of this Fenix 8 has also been the subject of the greatest attention. During this test, we had in our hands a “Solar” version of the watch, but another construction with an AMOLED panel exists.
If we cannot give you feedback on this watch, our colleagues from 01net.com have tested it in depth. You can find their full test right here. On our side, the screen of this Fenix 8 “Solar” was a great help. Very bright, it has the advantage of being huge (like the rest of the watch), so it is very easy to read information on it. Even in direct sunlight, notifications appear without problem.
Autonomy and recharging
Finally, when it comes to connected watches (and tech products in general) it is always important to talk about charging and battery life capabilities. On this point, Garmin has accustomed us to great things, so we expected to keep our standards very high.
No doubt they were a little too much, but we were not particularly surprised by this Fenix 8. If it holds the charge beautifully, the data displayed did not seem exceptional to us. As an example is worth a thousand words, let’s highlight this famous marathon day.
The watch was charged the day before, around 7 p.m. She was at 98% autonomy when she left at 7:30 a.m. the next morning. All race tracking was taken by the watch, which also transmitted live position with the “LiveTrack” functionality (very useful for your racing days).
Finally the watch reached the end of its life on Tuesday noon (48 hours after the finish of the marathon), it will therefore have lasted 4 days with very high use. For people with more moderate use, it can easily work for a week before having to go through the recharge box.
Precisely, regarding charging, Garmin still retains a proprietary charging port (officially for waterproofing reasons). No wireless charging here, and you won’t want to lose your charger, since the system is a proprietary solution from Garmin. Recharging takes place quickly, it takes around 2 hours to reach 100%.
Price and availability of the Garmin Fenix 8
Finally, if this test has convinced you, there is only one piece of information left to take into account before going (or not) to checkout: the price of this watch. Available in 3 different versions and as many case sizes, the Garmin Fenix 8 is available from €799.99 (this is the Fenix 8 E version in 47 mm).
For other models, here are the prices:
- Garmin Fenix 8 Solar 47 mm: €1,099.99
- Garmin Fenix 8 Solar 51 mm: €1,199.99
- Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED 43 mm: €1,099.99
- Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED 47 mm: €1,099.99
- Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED 51 mm: €1,299.99
Our opinion on the Garmin Fenix 8
During this test, all the faults of the Garmin Fenix 8 were gradually erased by its many qualities. The watch works perfectly, it has all possible and unimaginable options. The sports tracking is undoubtedly the best on the market, with lots of data on the user’s training and sporting potential.
Autonomy is always a real plus for a sports watch, you can go running 42 kilometers (and even much more) without having to worry about this parameter. The screen is very bright, which still allows natural use. The information is well placed and the many customization possibilities allow us to transform the watch into the perfect tool for our practice.
Ultimately its only faults are to be found in the interface and the application which can still be slightly optimized. Particularly for beginner athletes who quickly find themselves lost in the face of so much data. But after all, the Fenix 8 is not built for them and in this sense, its main fault is precisely this positioning. The Fenix 8 is clearly not made for beginners. Even in a marathon, we don’t use it to its full potential.
If the Garmin Fenix 8 doesn’t suit you, a more mainstream model will probably make you happy. Garmin also offers a whole range at all prices.
Garmin Fenix 8
1099.99
We love
- Screen
- Autonomy
- Sensors
- Personalization
- height and weight
We like less
- Interface
- Companion app
