Garmin fenix 6 Pro

The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is a fantastic data tracker for the person who needs immediate information at the click of a button. Great for hiking and backpacking if you have the time to figure out how to work it.

I received my Garmin Fenix 6 Pro as a gift from my wife the week it was released (what's it been, 2 years?) to replace my 1st Gen Apple Watch. As a person who likes to spend a great deal of time outdoors, the purchase just made sense. Maps, Altimeter reading, Barometric Pressure, steps, etc...all things I wanted in a compact package, which also allowed me to leave my handheld Garmin E-trek at home.

I spent the first two days trying to get it all set up and calibrated, while learning where to find certain pages on the fly. Maybe it's just that I am not "tech" enough or maybe I gave up on trying to figure it all out too quickly, but for me, it takes too long to find what I am looking for (ie maps) for it to be as useful as I had hoped. With that said, once you get it all figured out, this watch is awesome. Plot your points, check your map and go!

Aside from struggling to figure out where everything is located in a timely manner (which is 99% on me), the only real issue that I have had is the altimeter and barometer readings. I have calibrated both more times than I care to mention, but it just will not read accurately. With my former job, I have access to exact readings, and have not only auto calibrated, but also manually put in the data. Return the next day and it's not even close to accurate. Not real sure what the issue is with this. 

Battery life on the watch is fantastic. I get about 10 days with my current setup. Ability to recharge is fantastic (and fast), but I could see where this could be an issue vs a normal watch when in the backcountry and limited charging options are available. 

Overall, I rated the watch at 4 Stars, mainly because of the difficulty that I have had with navigating the options. Again, that is mostly on me, so I cannot really take too much away from Garmin on that. Honestly, had I not had the inaccuracy issues that I have with the Altimeter and Barometer, it would be a 5 star review. I love the size of the face. It's easy to read and the backlighting feature is plenty bright. I will continue to wear it until it dies, and then probably buy a new one. 

Background

My watch is only removed for showers, other than that, it is a mainstay on my wrist. It's seen many trail miles in addition to my daily usage and is still going strong. This is my first Garmin watch (but not my first Garmin product) and overall I love it. I don't really need an altimeter or barometer (my knees tell me when the weather is changing), but it would be a nice feature if it worked a bit better. I'm sure there are folks out there who need both more than I do. Overall, great watch, regardless if you're using it as an everyday time piece or a backcountry staple.