Finding the perfect training watch for us among the wide range of the market is not a simple task. We must take into account what kind of sport we practice, how often we do it or we estimate that we will do it in the coming months, what is our level in that sport … In short, we need to know what are our needs as athletes to find the cover them effectively.
The Garmin Fénix 5X is one of the great bets of the American house for this season 2017. This is, without a doubt, a great sports watch. We have been able to prove it in first person and these are our first impressions.
The Garmin Fénix 5X is a multi-sport watch aimed at outdoor sportsmen. Among the different profiles of sports that we can find preloaded in the Fenix 5X we have, in addition to the recurring race, swimming and cycling, other more specific as paddle surfing, rowing, snowboarding, skiing or golf. In addition, it includes specific profiles for swim-run (combination of race and swimming) and triathlon, with which we will only need to press one of the buttons to change activity.
The maps is great bet of the Garmin Fénix 5X
Garmin’s most ambitious bet on this watch is that of its navigation system: The Fénix 5X combines the best technology of the Garmin navigators with the best of its sports watches. It includes, already preinstall, color maps and optimized to be able to use them from our wrist.
This is very interesting especially if we practice mountain sports like trail running, hiking or mountain biking: these pre-installed maps allow us to have an immediate idea of where we are, as well as tell us what we can find around us.
Also, if we are in a new place for us or of which we do not know the routes that we can carry out in the environment, we only have to enter the number of kilometers that we want to travel so that automatically the Garmin Fénix 5X offers us a series of routes in The neighborhoods adapted to what we have requested. Of course, with trackback included (round trips to return to starting point).
In spite of being a “small” screen (30.4 millimeters in diameter) the maps are seen in a clear and very good quality. If you miss the touch screen when interacting with the zoom of the maps, something that would be easier to do through the buttons of the clock.
Another strength of the Garmin Fénix 5X is its autonomy : according to the manufacturer, its rechargeable lithium-ion battery can last up to 20 hours using GPS and heart rate monitor, and up to 12 hours a day in smart clock mode. We used it for a full morning in career and swim-run mode, making the switch between activities, and fiddling with it enough to test it, and endured perfectly. Even so, we will not be able to evaluate this section well until we can prove it thoroughly.
Train in a group and do not miss anything
Another of the most interesting features of the Garmin Fénix 5X is the GroupTrack which is also included in other of its innovative devices such as the specific GPS for Edge 820 cycling. Through this functionality (for which we must link the clock to our smartphone) we can to know the exact position at all times of all the members of a group of up to 50 people; something more than interesting, for example, on cycling routes.
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Comprehensive performance analysis
Someone once said that what is not quantified can not be improved. The Garmin FX 5X gives us detailed information about our training in real time as well as a posterior, with some general metrics and other specific data that will help us improve for the future.
The Fénix 5X incorporates the Elevate sensor to measure heart rate at the wrist, which allows us to get a glimpse of our heart rate while we are training (in the case of training in the water we will need to pair it with a chest-band heart rate sensor) and throughout the day, since it performs a continuous measurement.
Among other interesting features, the Garmin Fénix 5X also allows us to know the maximum VO2 estimate (which gives us information about our performance and fitness), the load or intensity of training, what is our lactate threshold or how much time is necessary to recover from a specific activity.
Garmin Fénix 5X also works with Training Effect 2.0 : a technology own by Garmin Of Firstbeat that tells us immediately after finishing the training if it has had more aerobic or anaerobic benefits, allowing us to obtain important data when designing the following sessions.
Careful design throughout the Fénix line
The design of the Fénix 5X maintains the general lines of Garmin watches: round dial, navigation through buttons, full-color display and a quick change of straps that we can realize thanks to technology QuickFit. Besides, it allows us to configure to our liking the home screen with our own images and different styles of hour.
The Fénix 5X model is also available with a scratch-resistant sapphire lens with a stainless steel crimp and forged steel back, and can be purchased with a metal or silicone strap. It is available with a 55 mm sphere.
Who is the Fénix 5X for?
All the functionality, metrics and training possibilities of the Fénix 5X make this watch a perfect training device for those athletes who train outdoors and who really want to quantify step by step all their training exits. The availability of maps makes it very suitable especially for those who train in the mountains, offering the possibility to discover new routes every day and to always be connected.
If your sport profile is not this, it is very possible that at the end of the day you did not get all the possible party to this watch and that you prefer to opt for a device of a lower range. The price of the Fénix 5X is quite high so it is important that we know that we can take advantage of it before making the purchase.