Epix (Gen 2)
Best premium wearable for serious athletes and tech enthusiasts.
The Garmin epix (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition is a premium smartwatch designed for an active lifestyle. It features a vibrant 1.3-inch AMOLED display that's easily visible in sunlight and offers both touchscreen and button controls for intuitive navigation. Built with durable materials like sapphire and titanium, it's ready for any adventure. Enjoy comprehensive health monitoring, built-in sports apps, and advanced GPS for accurate tracking. With up to 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, it keeps up with your demands.
$999.99
Owner Satisfaction
4.5
/ 5
Category Rank
79
/ 695
#79 in Smartwatches
Price vs Category Average
+169%
Above average
Who it's for
- Active individuals who value a premium, highly readable visual experience.
- Outdoor adventurers and urban professionals seeking a robust, stylish daily companion.
- Serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts optimizing their training and well-being.
Who should skip it
- Ultrarunners and multi-day adventurers prioritizing maximum battery longevity.
- Budget-conscious buyers or those seeking value in a fitness tracker.
- Individuals with smaller wrists or those preferring a minimalist, lightweight wearable.
Performance breakdown
Display vibrancy
The AMOLED screen delivers stunning clarity and deep blacks in any light.
Battery endurance
Outlasts most competitors even with the high-resolution display running constantly.
GPS precision
Multi-band satellite tracking locks onto your location with incredible accuracy.
Health tracking
Comprehensive biometric sensors provide deep insights into your daily recovery needs.
Build durability
Rugged construction handles extreme outdoor conditions without showing a single scratch.
Interface navigation
Button controls are intuitive, though the menu depth requires some learning.
What customers say
Customers consistently praise the Epix Sapphire Black Titanium (Gen 2) for its exceptional design and premium build quality. The vibrant AMOLED display is a standout feature, offering superb readability in all conditions. Users frequently highlight its robust reliability, particularly for accurate GPS tracking and comprehensive health metrics, making it a dependable companion for various activities. While a significant investment, many feel the advanced features and durable construction justify the cost, offering excellent long term value. The overall sentiment reflects high satisfaction with its performance and sophisticated aesthetic.
Know before you buy
The AMOLED display offers significantly higher resolution and vibrant colors, making maps and data fields much easier to read at a glance. While it is brighter and more vivid, it does consume more battery than the transflective screens found on the Fenix series.
Yes, you can, but it depends on your settings. In smartwatch mode, it can last up to 16 days, but using the 'always-on' display or frequent GPS tracking will drain the battery much faster. For long treks, you may want to use the gesture-based display mode to extend your runtime.
The sapphire lens is highly recommended if you plan on wearing the watch during rugged activities like rock climbing or trail running, as it is significantly more scratch-resistant than the standard Corning Gorilla Glass. If you primarily use the watch for gym workouts or daily office wear, the standard glass is likely sufficient.
The watch uses Garmin’s Elevate optical sensor, which is generally reliable for steady-state cardio. However, like all wrist-based monitors, it can struggle with rapid spikes in heart rate during HIIT; for maximum precision during intense intervals, pairing it with a chest strap is the best approach.
The Epix (Gen 2) features full-color, preloaded TopoActive maps that allow for turn-by-turn navigation directly on your wrist. You can view terrain contours, trails, and points of interest, making it a powerful tool for backcountry navigation without needing to pull out your phone.
At 47mm, the Epix (Gen 2) has a noticeable presence on the wrist. While it is lightweight enough for most people to wear overnight for sleep tracking, those with smaller wrists may find it slightly bulky compared to Garmin’s dedicated fitness bands or smaller models.
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$1000