Changes

The Garmin Epix was released as the [[Best Running Watch| top of Garmin's GPS watch line]], though it's been superseded by the [[Garmin Fenix 5X]]. The Epix has nearly all of the functionality of the Fenix 5X, but now costs far less. It's full color map display is great for both urban and wilderness runners when they're in unfamiliar surroundings. The Epix includes [[Connect IQ]] that allows it run applications, much like a smartphone. The , but Garmin's support of Epix is rather poor and the Epix has doesn't support the best level latest version of Connect IQ. This means you can use the [[Stryd]] supportapp, which is or a number of others. You can still get the only way of getting really extremely accurate pace & distance and pace informationof Stryd while recording a GPS track, but you don't get running power so easily. Its The Epix has a clear display, real buttons, touchscreen, map display and rich functionality make , which makes it one of the best watches if you combine it with a [[Stryd]] footpod, and you can afford it. One caveat The big concern I have is that Garmin seems to be forgetting about the Epix, with fewer firmware updates than other devices, though they did issue one in Feb 2017. On the other hand, the price of the Epix has dropped dramatically, making it a rather more attractive option. For a simple evaluation of a GPS watch, I look at how well it can answer some basic questions:* '''How far did I run?''' This is the most basic question, and sadly, the Epix has rather poor [[GPS Accuracy]], and while firmware updates might improve this slightly, I doubt it will get close to the accuracy of the [[Polar V800]]. It looks like activating WAAS might improve accuracy, it's still not great. The good news is that the Epix had outstanding has good support for the [[Stryd]] footpod which allows you to get extremely accurate pace and distance while retaining all GPS navigation features.

While the Epix has poor GPS accuracy, even the best GPS watch is still not good enough for accurate pacing. The answer currently lies with [[Stryd]] and extremely accurate Footpod that can measure distance and pace far better than GPS. The Epix has the best level of Stryd support, and will allow you to have all the accuracy of Stryd for pace and distance while having GPS active. This allows you to maintain all of the navigation features of the Epix, including the full color maps, which is probably why you want an Epix anyway. You can even get an estimate of your [[Running Power Meters| Running Power]] from Stryd via a , but only if you set Stryd to send the power information as if it were the Cadence field. This feature might get removed, so if Power is important to you, then be cautious about getting an Epix. It's possible Garmin will update the Epix to the latest version of [[Connect IQ]] data fieldwhich will allow you to run the Stryd app. I'd strongly recommend getting a [[Stryd]] Footpod to go with your Epix. If that's too expensive, I'd argue that you're much better off getting the Stryd and saving money by getting a cheaper watch like the [[Garmin Vivoactive]].