Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) GPS Watch Review
A long-term review of one of our favorite GPS watches for outdoor activities
June 28th, 2024
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Our Verdict
I love the Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) watch. I've used the Garmin Instinct 2S, Garmin fenix 6X, and Garmin Enduro extensively, and the epix is my favorite. The easy-to-read AMOLED screen is stunning – especially when you compare it side-by-side with the other watches (see below for more discussion about AMOLED). It's crisp and clear with bright colors, yet still visible in the glare of the sun.
It has more functions and capabilities than one person will probably ever use, but that makes its appeal broad and deep.
And while it takes time to learn how to use it, it's not really that bad. It's definitely worth the time it takes to learn.
Compare prices of the Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2)
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Specs
Display: AMOLED (always on)
Touchscreen: Yes
Solar: No
Battery life: Varies by model (the larger sizes have significantly longer battery life)
GPS: Yes
Altimeter: Yes
Compass: Yes
Barometer: Yes
Navigation: Yes
Mapping: Yes
Water resistance: 10 ATM
Charging cable: Garmin proprietary
Smartphone compatibility: iPhone, Android
Warranty: One year from purchase
What we liked
Beautiful, easy-to-read AMOLED touchscreen display
Built-in maps and the ability to easily load GPX tracks make navigation a breeze
The battery will last 14+ hours in GPS-only mode (in the smallest 42 mm version); larger versions have significantly better battery life
What could be better
Garmin needs to add a backpacking activity!
I'd love to see a solar version (is that even possible with an AMOLED display?)
I wish it integrated with Peloton equipment
I wish it had a housework activity. Housework counts!
What's new with the Epix Pro (Gen 2)
With the epix Pro (Gen 2), Garmin added the following features:
Multi-band GPS
Garmin's SatIQ technology
Small (42 mm) and large (51 mm) watch sizes
Garmin ECG app
Flashlight
Improved interval training
Golf swing tempo
Golf tempo training
Upgraded wrist-based heart monitor
The upgraded wrist based heart monitor in the center of the epix Pro (Gen 2) on the left, versus the older wrist based monitor of the Garmin fenix 7X. Photo courtesy Naomi Hudetz
Which Garmin epix (Gen 2) should I get?
Deciding among the different epix watches is confusing. Here's my best advice:
If you want a small or large watch face, then you have to get a Pro model (the non-Pro model only comes in the medium 47 mm size).
If any of the above "what's new" features are important to you, such as the upgraded wrist-based heart monitor, then you should get a Pro model.
If you're hard on your gear, you should consider the Sapphire models. They really are hard to scratch.
If you want the most battery life, get the 51 mm (large) model.
Epix (Gen 2) Battery Comparison Table
| Watch | Smartwatch Mode | Battery Saver Mode | GPS Only | All Satellite Systems | All Satellite Systems + Multiband | All Satellite Systems + Music | Max Battery GPS | Expedition GPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin epix (Gen 2) 42 mm* | 10 days | 14 days | 28 hours | 21 hours | 13 hours | 6 hours | 49 hours | 9 days |
| Garmin epix (Gen 2) 47 mm | 16 days | 21 days | 42 hours | 32 hours | 20 hours* | 10 hours | 75 hours | 14 days |
| Garmin epix (Gen 2) 51 mm* | 31 days | 41 days | 82 hours | 62 hours | 38 hours | 17 hours | 145 hours | 27 days |
*Pro models only
Epix (gen 2) Pro vs Non-Pro
| Feature | epix (Gen 2) – Standard Edition | epix (Gen 2) – Sapphire Edition | epix Pro (Gen 2) – Standard Edition | epix Pro (Gen 2) – Sapphire Edition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-loaded road and trail maps | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Garmin ECG app | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| LED flashlight | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-band GPS | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SatIQ Technology | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Should I get the Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) or Garmin fenix 7 Pro?
The Garmin fenix 7X Sapphire Solar 51 mm (left), the largest watch size, versus the Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition 42 mm, the smallest watch size. As much as I’d like the extra battery life, the 51 mm large watch is too big for my arm. Photo courtesy Mike Unger.
Do you need multi-day GPS capability between charges? If so, you want the fenix 7 Pro.
If you don't need multi-day GPS battery life, do you want to spend an extra $100 for the AMOLED screen? The epix screen is very pretty. If you can afford an extra $100, I recommend the epix Pro.
| fenix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar Edition | epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $1,000 | $1,100 | |
| Display | Sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | AMOLED | |
| Lens Material | Power Sapphire | Sapphire crystal | |
| Bezel Material | Titanium | Titanium | |
| Strap Material | Silicone | Silicone |
*Solar charging, assuming all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions. Outdoor light varies from 1,500 lux on a cloudy day to 100,000 lux on a sunny day.*
**Always-on screen mode significantly reduces battery life.
The AMOLED screen on the epix Pro (Gen 2) on the left versus the Garmin fenix 7X Sapphire Solar on the right. Photo courtesy Naomi Hudetz.
Understanding the satellite options
The Earth has multiple satellite networks; if the network's coverage is global, it's called a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Most people think of this as "GPS" when in fact GPS is just one of many GNSS networks in the world. The epix (Gen 2) watches can communicate with the following networks:
Global Positioning System (GPS), owned by the U.S. government
GLONASS, which is Russian
Galileo, created by the European Union
To some extent, you can choose which network(s) that your epix watch communicates with, which greatly affects battery life.
GPS only
In "GPS only" mode, the epix will only communicate with the U.S.'s GPS network. Positional accuracy is slightly reduced, but battery life is maximized in GPS-only mode. This is the mode I use on a thru-hike when I'm using navigation for 14+ hours per day because battery life is my main concern. I have not had any navigation issues using the GPS-only mode.
All satellite systems
As you'd expect, in "all satellite systems" mode, the watch will communicate with all three GNSS networks discussed above. This mode uses multiple satellite networks simultaneously to determine your location. Because the different satellites are in different locations, environmental interference errors are reduced, resulting in higher positional accuracy.
You'll also get faster positional acquisition using this mode, but it uses more battery than GPS-only mode. For example, Garmin claims the epix 47 mm watch battery life is 42 hours in GPS-only mode, but drops to 32 hours in all satellite systems mode – a 24% decrease.
All satellite systems + Multi-band
The most battery intensive mode is all satellite systems plus multi-band. Dual-frequency or multi-band systems not only use all satellite systems, but also use more than one signal from each satellite on different frequencies. In situations where the view of the sky is limited, such as in canyons or heavily forested areas, multi-band GPS proves especially useful. Positional accuracy can be improved from +/- 10 feet to +/-6 feet. If positional accuracy is important, this is the mode you should use.
However, multi-band GPS comes with a serious battery penalty. According to Garmin, using multi-band mode drops the battery life of the 47 mm watch from 42 hours in GPS-only or 32 hours in all satellite systems mode to 20 hours.
Garmin SatIQ
The epix Pro (Gen 2) models also are equipped with Garmin's SatIQ technology. SatIQ automatically selects which satellite mode to use. For example, it will choose all satellite systems + multi-band if you're in a thick forest or urban canyon, but GPS-only if you're in an open area. This will theoretically preserve battery life while maintaining positional accuracy.
The epix watch shows how battery life is affected by changing modes. Photo courtesy Mike Unger.
Functions and Features
AMOLED touchscreen with ‘always on’
The AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) touchscreen is the stand-out feature of the epix (Gen 2) watches. It's gorgeous. It's easy to read – even in the intense Arizona full sun. It's crisp and clear. The colors are bright.
The optional "always on" feature shows the time of day on the watch face at all times. However, always on uses significantly more battery life. Therefore, I've turned it off. The watch face automatically turns on when you raise your wrist to look at it so I've found the always on isn't really necessary.
According to Samsung, AMOLED technology uses less battery and produces a better-quality display than other display technologies, such as LCD.
Pre-loaded road and trail maps
The epix (Gen 2) Sapphire Editions come with pre-loaded road and trail maps. If you want to use your watch for navigation, I highly recommend getting the Sapphire Edition for the maps.
ClimbPro
One feature I use most often on my hikes and rides is ClimbPro. You'll need to load a course (see navigation section below), and then the watch provides an elevation profile for the upcoming climbs on the course. It shows the distance and gradient for each section of the climb. I find it helpful to know how long I'll be climbing and how to manage my effort (I try to follow the 80% rule – I don't go above 80% exertion so that I never completely bonk).
An upcoming climb shown with Garmin’s ClimbPro feature. Photo courtesy Mike Unger.
Altimeter, barometer, and compass (ABC)
All epix watches come with an altimeter, barometer, and compass – what's referred to as ABC. These are the basic tools required for navigation. The altimeter is driven by barometric pressure or GPS. If you turn off GPS (perhaps to save battery life) and rely on barometric pressure to determine altitude, you will need to calibrate the elevation regularly. You can find your current elevation using the GPS on the watch itself or by finding your location on a topographic map.
Accelerometer
An accelerometer measures speed and distance, even indoors when there is no GPS signal. The more you use your watch, the more accurate the accelerometer's calibration will be.
Thermometer
All epix watches have a thermometer. However, the temperature measurements will be affected by body heat, long sleeves, direct sunlight, etc. If you're looking for more accurate measurements, Garmin makes a separate temperature sensor, the Tempe, that can be attached to your shoe, backpack, or jacket, and connects wirelessly with your watch (or other Garmin devices).
Heart rate variability (HRV)
All epix watches can calculate your heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is the time between heartbeats; low variability is less desirable than high variability. Because HRV decreases naturally with age, there is no one number metric that applies to everyone. Therefore, monitoring your HRV over time, as the epix watch does, is a good way notice changes in your HRV that may indicate a new or underlying medical condition.
Pulse ox blood oxygen saturation monitor
All epix watches have a wrist-based pulse oximeter which measures the saturation of oxygen in your blood. You can use it to take a spontaneous reading, or you can set it to check automatically during deep sleep or throughout the day. The watch uses these measurements to determine your acclimation to higher altitudes with less oxygen.
The accuracy of the readings is affected by various factors, including:
Skin tone (darker skin decreases the accuracy)
Where the watch is on your arm (it should be above the wrist bone)
How snug the wristband is (it should be comfortable but not loose)
Whether you have sunscreen or lotion under the watch (your arm should be clean and dry)
Whether the optical sensor on the back is clean and unscratched
Wrist-based heart rate monitor
All epix watches have a wrist-based heart rate monitor. The watch monitors your heart rate at all times you're wearing it. It's also compatible with chest heart rate monitors; if you're wearing a chest monitor, the watch will use that data rather than the wrist-based data.
The wrist-based monitors have come a long way in accuracy. I use a chest monitor when I do my Peloton bike rides, without pairing the chest monitor with my watch, and the chest and wrist monitors give similar results.
All epix Pro models have an improved wrist-based heart rate monitor. It's much better at keeping ambient light out of the sensor, which improves the accuracy.
In addition, the watch can broadcast your heart rate to other Garmin devices, such as the Garmin Edge 1040 bike computer, so you can monitor your heart rate during a bike ride.
Health Snapshot
Garmin's Health Snapshot is an on-demand feature that measures the following:
Average heart rate
Stress level
Respiration rate
Blood oxygen saturation
You simply sit still for 2 minutes while the watch takes these measurements. I've put a calendar reminder to take a Health Snapshot every Sunday to monitor changes over time. I have a friend who's Garmin Enduro watch told her that her blood oxygen levels had dropped quickly; the next day she had Covid-19.
VO2 max
VO2 max measures the maximum rate or volume (the "V") of oxygen (the "O2") that your body can consume during exercise. It's widely used as a measure of fitness, and can be improved through exercise.
The most accurate way to measure your VO2 max is at a clinic with readings of your ventilation and O2 concentrations.
You can get a VO2 max estimate from the epix watch by running outdoors for at least 10 minutes or cycling for at least 20 minutes.
Sleep tracking
All epix watches can track your sleep statistics, including:
Hours of sleep
Length of each sleep stage, such as REM and deep sleep
Heart rate variability (HRV) status
Sleep score
As part of the daily "Morning Report, the epix gives you a sleep score from 0 to 100. Your sleep score is based on:
Sleep duration
Deep sleep duration
Light sleep duration
REM sleep duration
Awake duration
Average stress score during sleep
Restlessness
I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it's certainly interesting. The only time I've ever gotten a perfect sleep score of 100 is on a thru-hike – never at home. I take that to mean that I should thru-hike more!
A perfect sleep score while on a thru hike! Photo courtesy Mike Unger.
Body battery
Garmin's "Body Battery" score combines many of the features described above, such as Sleep Score and activity tracking, to estimate your personal energy resources. My Body Battery is always highest in the morning (somewhat obvious). Strenuous physical activity, such as an hour-long Power Zone Peloton ride, depletes my body battery much faster than a light 3-mile walk. Again, this is pretty obvious. As your fitness improves, high-intensity exercise has less of an impact on your body battery.
But where you may not realize it as easily, stress also depletes your body battery. The higher the stress level, the faster it depletes your battery.
I've found that this helps me choose what workouts to do each day. If my battery is low, I'll choose something much more low impact and vice versa. Doing a hard workout when your battery is low is actually counterproductive and you won't reap the full benefits of the workout.
The epix watch says my body battery is fully charged and I’m ready for action! Photo courtesy Mike Unger.
Calories burned
In the Garmin Connect app, you can see your total calories burned each day, including both base and active calories burned.
You can also connect your MyFitnessPal and Garmin accounts together and your calories burned is automatically transferred to MyFitnessPal.
Intensity minutes
The World Health Organization recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity or 75 to 100 minutes of vigorous activity per week. The epix keeps track of the time you spend in moderate to intense physical activity by monitoring your heart rate. When it calculates your "intensity minutes" vigorous activity counts as double.
Screenshots from the Garmin Connect app showing intensity minutes, sleep score, and more.
Activities
When you're working out, you can tell Garmin what you're doing by starting the appropriate activity on your watch. Garmin has many, many activities to choose from, and they continue to offer more:
Gym activities (e.g., strength training, HIIT)
Triathlon
Walking
Yoga
Running (e.g., indoor, outdoor, track, trail, ultra)
Hiking
Climbing (indoor and outdoor)
Cycling (e.g., road, gravel, mountain biking)
Winter sports (e.g., backcountry skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing)
Swimming
Golfing
Water sports (e.g., kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, snorkeling)
Racket sports (e.g., tennis, pickleball)
Team sports (e.g., basketball, ultimate disc)
Boxing
This isn't an exhaustive list. However, one activity that we're really missing: backpacking.
Other power modes
Garmin has three other power modes that are fully customizable:
Extended power mode
Max battery mode
Max accuracy mode
Jacket mode (more on what this means below)
You can adjust the following settings, and the watch will give you an estimated battery lifetime based on those settings. It will show how changing each setting will affect battery life as you scroll through the options:
Satellites (off, GPS only, all systems, all + multi-band, auto select, UltraTrac)
Music
Phone
Wrist heart rate
Pulse oximeter
Map
Always on display
Brightness
Accessories
The default Jacket Mode only turns off the wrist heart rate monitor for times when you aren't wearing the watch directly on your wrist.
How to increase battery life
In addition to the power modes discussed above, there are other ways to maximize the battery life of your epix watch:
Set satellites to "GPS only"
Reduce screen timeout
Turn off the always-on display
Reduce brightness
Turn off Bluetooth
Use the "Resume Later" option when you've paused an activity, such as a lunch break on a thru hike
Use a watch face that is not updated every second
Limit phone notifications
Stop broadcasting your heart rate (such as to your Garmin Edge 840 bike computer)
Turn off the wrist-based heart monitor
Set pulse oximeter readings to manual
Garmin Connect App
To get the most out of your epix watch’s health and fitness tracking, you'll want to download and use the free Garmin Connect app on your smartphone. Some features can only be set in the app (and vice versa). Here are some of the features I use most frequently:
Gear tracking
The Garmin Connect app can track the number of miles you've used your gear, which is great for gear such as running shoes, hiking boots, and bikes. It has default categories for shoes, bike, and other. I use other to track my backpacks (I find it really interesting to know how many miles I can get out of a backpack).
You can enter the date of first use and max distance for each gear item. When you're done with a pair of shoes, you can retire them in the app.
You can also set the app to automatically add a gear item to an activity. For example, right now I have the app set to add my Topo Pursuit trail running shoes to my hiking activity. They have 586.12 miles and are still in decent shape!
Hydration
One thing I've long struggled with is hydration. I rarely actually feel thirsty, and when I do finally feel thirsty, it's way too late. I'm really dehydrated at that point.
You can track your hydration in the Connect app, and they make it easy with a quick add button.
On thru-hikes or other long endurance activities, I also set up hydration reminders on the epix watch itself. Every hour I get a reminder to drink water, and I actually drink water!
Bicycling activity screenshots from the Garmin Connect app. That was a brutal climb.
Training
The Connect app has fully customizable training plans to help you work toward a fitness goal, such as a century ride or half marathon. You can change things such as your starting point (e.g., "I don't currently run"), plan duration, and weekly workouts.
The training section also has a "jet lag adviser" to help manage the effects of jet lag.
Challenges and badges
Here's the super fun stuff. Initially, I was reluctant to "gamify" yet another aspect of my life, but the Garmin Challenges are simple, fun, and effective. For example, they have weekly step challenges that automatically adjust to your average steps. They also have "expeditions," such as the Appalachian Trail, where your daily hiking and walking count toward completing the challenge.
The badges have varying points, and your points add up to your "Garmin Level" which ranges from 0 to 10. Each successive Garmin Level is harder to get than the previous level – you'll need 10,000 points to reach level 10. I find these badges and levels to be surprisingly motivating!
Navigation
A closeup of an overview map for a course loaded onto the epix Pro (Gen 2) watch. Photo courtesy Mike Unger.
Navigation is what I really use my epix watch for. When I first heard about watches with mapping capabilities, I thought – why would anyone ever want that? But I've done a complete 180 and now use it for navigation on all my thru-hikes and backpacking trips. To use your watch to navigate, you'll need some time to practice and set everything up. Here's the process I use to navigate with my watch:
1. Create or download the GPX tracks for your route
I use Gaia GPS desktop to create my own route or look for public GPX tracks for established routes (pro tip: the Fastest Known Time website has GPX tracks for all of the routes on their website)
2. Load the GPX tracks into the Garmin Connect app
There are multiple ways to do this on an iPhone. You can save the GPX tracks to Dropbox (or similar cloud service), open the file, then click the forward icon in the lower left corner. Choose "Garmin Connect." The app will open in the "Course Setup" section, and you choose the type of course you're loading (e.g., mountain biking, hiking). The course will load, then click "save." You can then change the name and choose to make it public or private.
3. Load the course onto your watch
Still in the Garmin Connect app, select the course you want to load on your watch, and click the "Send to" icon on the lower right. All of your Garmin devices will show up here (e.g., epix watch, Edge 840 bike computer). Choose the device(s) you want to use.
4. Start an activity on your watch
Once you're ready to start navigating, follow the following steps:
Open the appropriate activity (e.g., hiking)
Before you start the activity, long press the Menu button (middle left)
Scroll down to Navigation
Scroll down to Courses
Select the course
Click "Do Course"
Press the start button (upper right)
I find this feature is a fantastic way to make sure I stay on course. It's so much easier to glance at my watch to confirm that I'm still on the right track, rather than pulling out my phone or maps. If I am off track, I can zoom in (if needed) to figure out where I should be and how to get there. If I'm WAY off track, then I'll pull out my phone or maps. It saves a TON of phone battery life.
The elevation profile of a course I loaded onto my epix Pro (Gen 2) watch. Photo courtesy Mike Unger.
Garmin Pay
Another feature that I was reluctant to use, but now I use it all the time, is Garmin Pay. It's a contactless payment system that works almost everywhere you can tap to pay. You have to use a passcode on your watch to pay and your credit card number is not stored on your watch.
It's perfect if you're out for a run and don't want to carry a wallet, but the mixed berry galette at the bakery beckons at the end of your run!
Other watches to consider
Garmin fenix 7 Pro
If you need more battery life than the epix can offer, I'd recommend the fenix 7 Pro series of watches. The functionality is nearly identical to the epix, but the fenix has much better battery life because it doesn't have the AMOLED screen.
You can read our in-depth review of the fenix 7 here.
Compare prices of the Garmin fenix 7 Pro
Garmin Enduro 2
If you need maximum battery life, the Garmin Enduro 2 is your watch. It has an incredible 110 hours of battery life in GPS mode, or 150 hours with solar.
However, the Enduro 2 doesn't have the AMOLED screen like the epix, and it doesn't have the ECG app compatibility.
Also, it only comes in the largest watch face size, 51 mm. For most people with smaller wrists, like me, this is a deal breaker.
Compare prices of the Garmin Enduro 2
About the author / why you should trust us
Naomi Hudetz is a thru-hiker and co-founder of Treeline Review. Naomi left her corporate career to pursue her passion for the outdoors. She received the Triple Crown award for completing the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trail and has hiked numerous other distance routes, including the Great Divide Trail across the Canadian Rockies (twice), Grand Enchantment Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, the Arizona Trail, the Oregon Desert Trail, the Ouachita Trail, (most of) the Idaho Centennial Trail, and the first known thru-hike of the Blue Mountains Trail.. She's hitchhiked on most of those trails.
She is the former Treasurer of the American Long Distance Hiking Association-West and is based in White Salmon, Washington.
You can read Naomi’s Treeline Review stories on her author page.
