Garmin Fenix 8 Pro review: only true outdoor explorers will get the most from this fantastic fitness watch

Introduction

Having already set the wearable benchmark with the regular Fenix 8, Garmin has turned things up another notch for the Pro version. The top-tier version of this model has a MicroLED screen that’s the brightest on any smartwatch, sports-focused or otherwise, while the AMOLED alternative isn’t far behind.

It follows the familiar Pro formula, taking everything that made the Fenix 8 such a success like comprehensive fitness tracking, adventure-ready navigation and class-leading battery life – but adds some big additions to connectivity. LTE cellular and satellite messaging now let you leave your phone behind while working out or staying in touch when off in the wilderness with no mobile coverage. So long as you sign up for the pricey service plan, that is.

Given prices start at a considerable $1200/£1030 – and climb to a heady $2000/£1730 for the MicroLED model – is this a watch that only off-grid explorers need consider?

Design & build: the though stuff

Rugged looks have always been a Fenix hallmark, and the 8 Pro duly delivers. The titanium bezel and sapphire crystal screen ensures there’s no trip this toughened watch can’t take. It’s also 10ATM water resistant, and dive rated down to 40M.

The only obvious visual difference between the Pro and the regular Fenix 8 is the red accent on the top right multifunction button; otherwise the two are nigh on identical. You’ll only notice that the Pro has a case that’s ever-so-slightly thicker if you wore both on the same wrist. They weigh about the same.

Style-wise there’s a choice of natural titanium and carbon grey bezels, with the latter paired with either a silicone sports band or leather strap. The natural version exclusively ships with the silicone band. You can swap them out if you fancy, but need a tool to do it – there are no quick release lugs here.

Both 47mm and 51mm sizes sit large on the wrist, but personally I think that’s part of the appeal – only go for the smaller variant if you have properly dainty wrists. I had no issues sleeping while wearing the chunky timepiece.

Anyone that’s owned an older Fenix will notice the five physical buttons have a different, slightly squidgier press, but the haptic feedback ensured I knew my inputs always registered. The touchscreen is also very responsive.

Screen: bright and brighter

Unlike the regular Fenix 8, there’s no solar version of the Pro with a MIP display. It’s a choice of AMOLED or MicroLED here, though as I was sent the former for testing, I can’t say whether the latter’s “brightest of any smartwatch” claim holds water.

While the MicroLED model only comes in 51mm size and the AMOLED can also be had in 47mm form, both versions get a 1.4in screen. The 454×454 resolution is perfectly crisp, though with the onscreen interface being so text-heavy that clarity only really stands out when looking at maps. The regular Fenix 8 is on par here.

I found the AMOLED panel bright enough for outdoor viewing at its medium setting, with very good viewing angles. I can understand why you’d want to spend the extra on the MicroLED if regularly out in the sunniest of conditions, but there’s still enough shine here to give your retinas a blast at bedtime.

Red Shift, a feature that feels partly inspired by Garmin’s Tactix line of military-inspired watches comes to the rescue by dimming the screen and giving it a gentler scarlet hue for evening excursions. I set it to kick in automatically in the evenings, and switch off again at sunrise.

Features: the total package

The main reason for splurging on a Fenix 8 Pro over the regular Fenix 8 is to stay contactable at all times. Garmin has added LTE connectivity for making calls, sending messages, and using the firm’s LiveTrack to sharing your location; InReach satellite support then lets you send text or voice messages when you’re out of cellular range.

You won’t be syncing Spotify playlists from the jungle or halfway up a mountain, as it’s for communication only, and means signing up for a Garmin InReach subscription. This’ll set you back between $8/£8 to $50/£50 per month, depending on how many messages, voice recordings and location tracking sessions you plan on making. Even SOS messages require a subscription, something Apple and Google’s satellite-enabled smartwatches let you do for free.

I’m betting a significant number of prospective purchasers don’t actually need these features, so would be better served by the Fenix 8. The two watches have otherwise similar feature sets – and extensive ones at that. Both have the trademark Fenix flashlight, with four levels of brightness and an extra red LED for emergencies, and both have a speaker and microphone for answering calls (in respectable quality and at decent volume) or giving voice commands through a paired phone.

You can also reply to incoming messages using canned responses or an onscreen keyboard, link to music streaming services and download tracks to the 32GB of onboard storage for offline playback, make contactless payments with NFC, and download third-party apps through Garmin’s ConnectIQ app store. It may not have quite as many smarts as something like an Apple Watch Ultra 3 or Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, I never felt like there was anything I was truly missing out on.

It helps that the interface is very easy to get around using either the physical buttons or touchscreen. Notifications appear with a downward swipe, while going the other way reveals a list of deceptively simple widgets covering things calendar appointments, weather and sunset times as well as health and training overviews.

Health & fitness: sweat it out

Simply put, no rival I’ve tried comes close to matching the Fenix 8 Pro for training, tracking or health data. Beyond basic health tracking, the extensive sensor suite can record scores of sports and activity types in great detail, give daily workout recommendations (largely focused on running and cycling), measure your overall training load and accurately estimate recovery times. The Body Battery score is spookily good at visualising energy levels.

Runners are especially well catered for, with race time predictions, hill climbing ability ratings and VO2 max estimates. A lot of this is presented on the watch post-workout, while the Garmin Connect app has even more fine-grained metrics, allowing you to monitor every aspect of your fitness regime. Naturally it all plays nicely with other Garmin kit, so cyclists with bike computers, power meter pedals or smart trainers will be in good stead. The Fenix 8 Pro can also use ANT+ to broadcast your heart rate to other fitness gadgets, which can be very handy for gym-goers.

Outdoors, Garmin’s navigation features are second to none, with colour maps available offline for creating routes on the watch rather than via your phone. It supports turn-by-turn directions, shows ascent and descent data, and can dynamically re-route round trips. Multi-band GPS is reliable pretty much everywhere, including while surrounded by tall buildings or trees, and heart-rate accuracy is superb for a wrist-worn device. It can also provide ECG readings after a brief setup through the companion app.

All of this was also true of the Fenix 8, though. You’re only really getting some new dive modes in addition here (and with no dive experience I wasn’t able to test them). If you stick to dry land, the cheaper model makes more sense.

I’d also be more interested in Garmin’s Connect+ subscription if there was some kind of bundle deal that includes some level of InReach connectivity, as paying for both will add up quickly, in addition to the cost of a top-shelf wearable. The AI-powered activity analysis, an extensive trail library, more in-depth coaching and a training dashboard it includes to really dig into the minutiae of your progress won’t be for everyone.

Battery life: gold standard

On paper, the Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED lasts one day less per charge than the regular Fenix 8 – but in 51mm form at least, you’re unlikely to notice. In smartwatch mode it can clock up an astounding 27 days at a time, dipping to 15 if using the always-on display option. That absolutely embarrasses the likes of the Apple Watch Ultra 3. In battery saver mode you can go over a month before needing to refuel.

Actually using the Fenix for activity tracking is obviously going to sap the battery a lot faster. With GPS and heart rate recording, it’ll run out of puff just short of 80 hours – or three full days of exercise. About the only way to drain it in a single session is with satellite, LTE LiveTrack, Bluetooth music streaming and multi-band GPS all active at once, and even then it’ll manage 14 hours.

The 47mm version delivers roughly half as much lifespan across the board, but that’s still epic levels of endurance. That makes it ideal for long excursions without having to bring the proprietary charging cable along for the journey.

For me, a typical week included between five and seven hours of exercise either outdoors with GPS tracking or inside with ANT+ heart rate broadcasting and a connection to a smart bike trainer. With the screen in raise-to-wake mode, I was only having to charge it once every fortnight. No other fitness watch I’ve tested this year comes close.

Garmin Fenix 8 Pro verdict

Unless you spend the majority of your time outdoors away from cell towers and can justify spending the extra for the Fenix 8 Pro’s connectivity, it’ll likely be more watch than you’ll ever need. The regular Fenix 8 is just as capable when it comes to fitness, has marginally better battery life, and costs a little less to boot.

For a certain kind of wearable shopper though, the Fenix 8 Pro has undeniable appeal. No smartwatch can match it for navigation smarts, training analysis or battery, while mountain climbers, hikers and trail runners could find the satellite messaging and LTE location sharing are literal lifesavers.

Garmin Fenix 8 Pro technical specifications