Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch Review
Wear The Best Watch Everyday for Adventure: Hiking, Golfing, Sleeping, Working Out, Etc.
I’ve been converted to wearing a watch everyday by the Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch. This watch is the best watch I’ve every tried and fits all the lifestyle needs I’m looking for in a smartwatch. The combination of features, durability, battery life and comfort make it a watch I want to wear.
I love how it tracks all my activities whether I’m awake or sleeping and helps me stay focused on better health as well as better golf. If you want to wear the best watch, I believe the Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch is it.
This is my definitive Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch Review.
Everyday Watch?
I was not a watch guy 1 month ago. While I like the Garmin Approach S70 watch and wore it while I was golfing, I still found reasons to take it off. However the Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch has not come off my wrist except 1 time for charging. It is incredibly comfortable to wear 24/7. But it wasn’t just the comfort that won me over; it was the tracking and features that I’ve made use of constantly throughout the day. The connection to the Garmin app helps you manage everything on the dashboard so you know how you’ve been doing over the span of a month.
Features
The Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch has more features than I can probably list in this review. It is packed with something for everyone doing just about anything. I’m going to talk about my favorite and most used features here…The Golf activity usage is virtually the same as the Garmin S70 GPS Watch. It offers yardages, hole views, green zoom in, club suggestion, wind, temperature, score, tracking (if you buy the sensors) and connection to the Garmin Z30 laser. Beyond golf it offers detailed sleep tracking which I found incredibly insightful and helpful for better health. I tracked my yoga workout everyday. It gave me insight into my energy levels, it tracked my steps, and it kept me up to date on the weather too. It also does all the smart watch thinks like notifications about texts and emails. The additional speaker for music on your wrist was actually nice and the flashlight feature was used way more than I expected. Many of the extra features as accessed by holding down a button to reach additional menus.
Z30 + fēnix® 8
When using the Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch on the golf course, one of the coolest features is pairing this watch with the Garmin Z30 laser rangefinder. While I’ve used laser/GPS combos before, this is the best integration of the two technologies that I’ve used. If you use BLUETOOTH to pair the Z30 laser with the Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch, you get GPS on the laser and laser on the watch. They talk to each other and display each others information other their display. The Z30 included front and back yardages next to the pin yardage. The Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch displays the pin yardage and placement on the green from the laser. I’ve been incredibly impressed with how seamlessly they work together. Using both technologies provided even greater detail for making wise club selections on every shot. What impressed me even more was the fact that the BLUETOOTH connection turns off between shots so that neither the Z30 laser nor Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch battery were drained significantly while working simultaneously.
28 Days > 28 Hours
Battery life might be the biggest and best feature of the Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch. It is rated for 28 days; however with intense use I got less than that. I think with GPS usage and Bluetooth connection to the Garmin Approach Z30 Golf Laser Range Finder it drained the battery down a little faster, but still lasted well past 14 days. I think if I spent more time in the sun (if I didn’t work an office job) I could have made use of the solar charging more. Comparing that to my wife’s Apple Watch which needs to be charged almost every day, the Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch is available to wear nonstop. Also if you do need to charge it, you can plug it in and in about an hour it will go from 0% to 100%. The battery life is AMAZING!!
Solar vs. AMOLED
If I haven’t convinced you yet how awesome the Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch is, there is one issue: Do you want battery life (solar) or brighter display (AMOLED)? I think it comes down to your lifestyle and needs. The AMOLED display is very vibrant and bright but maxes out battery life around 16 days. If you are outdoors regularly I’d go Solar. If you are more of a weekend warrior and most of you week is spent indoors, I think I might go AMOLED. I don’t think you can go wrong with either choice, it is all about fitting your needs and lifestyle. If you golf regularly the Solar is going to boost that battery life so that you’d never miss a shot even if you forget to charge the watch.
Summary
I didn’t think I would ever wear a watch everyday. This is a huge win for Garmin. They convinced me to wear the Garmin fenix 8 Solar Watch 24/7. It is the combination of comfort and function that has won me over. I love all the tracking features for adventures, all the maps that are available for GPS, all the golf courses that are ready for my swings, and the connectivity to both the Garmin Approach Z30 Golf Laser Range Finder and iPhone. I realize the cost is around $1k+, but think of it as an investment not only in your golf game, but your daily health and well-being. They converted me to love wearing this watch everyday. Now you’ll just need to decide on the size, color and features that are most important to you.
For More Information: Garmin Website
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