When we started then Garmin Fenix 5 Plus Multisport Watch Review process, we didn’t know what to expect. Garmin is a vetted smartwatch manufacturer at this point, but having them create a multisport watch is quite an interesting thing. Which is why we were quite excited to see what they are coming up with.
Design
The Garmin Fenix 5 Plus Multisport Watch design is simple, but elegant. This is a sports watch, it has a silicone band, but it’s easy to wear and super easy to enjoy. As for the watch itself, it’s not that heavy. At 30.4 mm in diameter, it’s way smaller than many watches on the market. But despite that it packs a punch and that’s what you really want from a device like this.
Features
The rugged design which features a diamond like carbon titanium bezel as well as stainless steel. All of this adds up to bring in front amazing results, and you will be quite amazed with the process and the entire experience on its own. they added a 10 ATM water resistant and a full color screen. Not all Garmin watches have this, so you do get a better experience here. The unit is also scratch resistant, so it’s clear during the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus Multisport Watch Review that they made this to last and to work really well.
However, there’s no touchscreen. Some people will dislike that, but on the other hand it does feel great to use buttons. And the reality is that when you run or perform activities you end up sweaty and the touchscreen doesn’t always work. So using buttons is the way to go here.
We like the fact that they added 16 GB of space for your workout history and music. But you can also sync via Wi-Fi with your phone and not use that space a whole lot to be honest. While testing the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus in a pool we liked that it didn’t end up not working, so the water resistance does work very well.
As for the sports features, everything from the gyroscope, 3 axis compass or the barometric altimeter work really well. They even added a thermometer to check on the body temperature, which is always a plus. Moreover, the product has customizable sports modes, power isn’t tracked from the wrist and it can be used for cycling or swimming without a problem.
Battery life
Based on our experience during the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus Multisport Watch Review, the battery life is around 18 hours with the GPS on. it will drop to 8 hours or even less if you listen to music. Ideally you want to refrain from that if you want to have a better battery life.
Conclusion
The Garmin Fenix 5 Plus has NFC payment support too, but it’s not the best implementation. However the overall feature set related to sports is very solid. Having a dedicated program for the most important sports activities is a plus. And you have lots of amazing customization options for the watch itself. Yes, the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus Multisport is expensive, but then again it comes from a reputable brand and it has a stellar feature set. If you’re willing to shell out more than $500 on a smartwatch, then this is definitely one of the best models for you!