8,101
edits
Changes
From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
no edit summary
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Garmin Fenix 5X Review}}
The Garmin Fenix 5X is the top of the range of Garmin's running/outdoor watches. It has an impressive array of features, and it uses high quality materials to achieve a high-end look. It's only real weakness is its rather mediocre GPS accuracy, though this can be easily remediated by combining it with the [[Stryd]]. Of course, all this comes at a fairly hefty price, as the Fenix 5X retails for $700 (plus $200 for the Stryd.) '''Note: I've seen credible reports that the Fenix 5 and 5S models (but not the 5X or 935) have problems with their sensor support and I'd recommend avoiding those models until the issue is resolved.''' The Fenix 5X is also available as the [[Garmin Fenix 5X Plus]].
{{BuyAmazon|AZID=B01MQX3306|AZN=Garmin Fenix 5X}}
=Which Version?=
|-
| Price
| <jfs id="B01MQX3306" nonl="true" n="Fenix 5X"/>| <jfs id="B01N7J9APR" nonl="true" n="Fenix 5"/>| <jfs id="B01NBL9XGP" nonl="true" n="Fenix 5S"/>| <jfs id="B01N7J9APRB06XGD6CS4" nonl="true" n="935"/>
|}
Within each model, there are choices of wristband type, with a metal wristband adding $150 and sapphire glass adding $100. There are also a number of color choices, though the 5X is only available in gray. So, which to buy? I'd recommend getting the [[Garmin 935]] as it's cheapest. The only reasons to buy the Fenix version are if you need the full color maps of the 5X. Of course, with the release of the Fenix 5, you can get the [[Garmin Fenix 3]] at a lower cost. The [[Garmin Epix]] is also worth considering as it has the maps of the 5X and most of the other functionality.
'''<br/>There are credible reports that the smaller Fenix 5 and 5S models are having issues with sensor support. The reports suggest that Ant+ connectivity is poor, as well as some suggestions that the Bluetooth range is more limited than it should be. (These problems do not seem to be in the related "plus" models, the Fenix 5+ or 5S+.)'''
=The Big Questions=
For a [[Best Running Watch| simple evaluation of a GPS watch]], I look at how well it can answer some basic questions. There are many things a runner might look for in a running watch, but I feel these four questions are critical.
Here's my Moxy incorrectly placed; I'd put the Moxy on my right leg with my Fenix 5X on my left wrist, which puts them too far apart and I didn't get a reading.
[[File:Fenix 5X and Moxy.jpg|center|thumb|300px|]]
While the Fenix 5X will record Muscle Oxygen Saturation data, neither the Garmin app nor the web site will display it. You have to download the .FIT file and import it into a tool like Golden Cheetah.
[[File:GC From Fenix5X SmO2.jpg|center|thumb|500px|An example workout from a [[High Intensity Interval Training]] session, showing both power and SmO2. This is the Golden Cheetah App, which is powerful, but not very user-friendly.]]
=GPS Accuracy=
I've tested the [[GPS Accuracy]] of the Fenix 5X with the latest GPS firmware, and it's possible that its accuracy will improve as the firmware matures. Based on my testing, the Fenix 5X certainly has plenty of room for improvement. At best, the GPS accuracy could be described as mediocre, and I think it's bad enough that it could significantly mess up your training. If you look at the middle, curved section, you can see that the Fenix 5X is doing particularly badly here. This is a challenging section, and reveals any weakness in a GPS watch. The right most segment with the right-angle turn is a section of the most watches do reasonably well on, but the Fenix 5X is struggling here as well. The tracks don't look too bad, you can see that the Fenix 5X is not able to calculate the distance correctly. The Fenix 5X doesn't get too badly confused going under the bridge, actually looks a little better in that area than the two Suunto watches shown for comparison. The blue lap markers are rather widely spread, again giving more evidence of poor GPS accuracy. It's possible that other versions of the Fenix 5 might have different GPS accuracy. It's possible that the plastic 935 might do a little better, but without testing it's impossible to know. (I buy all my test gear through retail channels. This allows me to be brutally honest in my reviews, as I don't need to keep the manufacturer happy in order to continue getting free samples or early access. The downside is that I'm more limited in the array of watches I can test. Therefore, it's unlikely that I will test other versions of the Fenix 5 at this point.) I've tested both the 4.20 and the 4.30 version of the GPS firmware (see below for details.)
|[[File:BridgeFenix 5X 4.30.jpg|none|thumb|x300px|Here's the tracks from testing with GLONASS disabled for comparison.]]
|}
==GPS Problems==
As I note in my main article on [[GPS Accuracy]], most watches have "bad days" but I've found that both the F5X and the [[Garmin Fenix 5X Plus| F5X+]] have a disproportionate number of these problems. These "bad days" are not a general degradation of accuracy, but represent the watch either completely losing the GPS signal and recording a straight line, or zigzagging wildly, resulting in a massive error. I exclude these "bad days" from my results to ensure they don't skew things. However, I had a disconcerting cluster of these "bad days" and I really thought I had a hardware issue with my F5X, something that's remarkably improbable. (Hardware issues don't typically result in degraded accuracy but complete failure to acquire a signal.) When I started testing the F5X+ alongside my original F5X and saw similar issues with both units (though not at the same time) that I realized this is a more systemic issue. To see if this is a general GPS issue, I verified the accuracy of the Fenix 3 and the 920XT alongside the F5X/F5X+ and both the F3 and 920XT were fine. Then for no reason I can ascertain, these "bad days" went away.
=Optical Heart Rate Monitoring=
I've not found any [[Optical Heart Rate Monitoring]] (OHRM) implementation that's good enough to be useful, and the Fenix 5X is no exception. I believe that you're better off having no heart rate data than bad heart rate data. While a chest strap based heart rate monitor can have accuracy issues, these are generally dramatic and obvious, whereas OHRM can be quite misleading. (The issues with a chest strap heart rate monitor are also usually fairly easy to remediate, either with some electrode gel or a new battery.) The accuracy of [[Optical Heart Rate Monitoring]] (OHRM) will depend on a number of factors:
