Garmin Epix 2 in the test: This is what sports fans have long been waiting for

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This is an article from our content partner "Nextpit". Here you can find the original article by Stefan Möllenhoff.

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Pro

• huge accessory ecosystem
• great tracking features
• great running analysis functions
• robust workmanship, sapphire crystal optional

Con

• missing smartwatch features
• only one size available

Garmin Epix 2: Price and availability

You attach more importance to the fitness features in a smartwatch than to the smart functions? Then the Garmin Epix 2 is the ultimate sports watch for you, provided that so many tracking features are worth at least 899 euros to you according to the MSRP. However, there is simply no smartwatch on the planet that offers more and more diverse sports features. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of smartwatch features.

The basic version of the Epix 2 with 16 GB of storage, Gorilla Glass CX and stainless steel costs 899 Euros. The mid-range Epix, which costs 999 Euros, offers 32 GB of storage, sapphire glass and titanium. The upgrade to "real" titanium then costs another 100 euros.

Design & display

The Garmin Epix 2 comes in the typically massive Fenix design, but offers the chic AMOLED display that Garmin also uses in the Venu 2 Plus, for example. Garmin fans have been waiting a long time for this mix.

What I like:

• high-resolution AMOLED display
• robust, chic design

What I don't like:

• no smaller S version available

"I'm a sports watch," the Garmin Epix 2 speaks with every fiber. The case, which is just under 1.5 centimeters thick and 4.7 centimeters long and wide, makes a statement even on wide wrists. The robust design with the - depending on the color variant - more or less colored contrasting bezel and the open screws underline the robust features from the spec sheet.

In the standard version, the bezel is made of stainless steel, the case of polymer and steel, and the display coating of Gorilla Glass DX. The Sapphire version, on the other hand, relies on - surprise - sapphire glass for the display and replaces the steel components with titanium ones. As a result, the Sapphire version is not only more robust, but also six grams lighter than the standard version at 70 grams. Both versions are water-resistant to a depth of 100 meters and rely on 22-millimeter standard straps.

There are a total of five buttons with excellent pressure points on the right and left of the case. In its 2022 flagships, Garmin has lightly bordered all buttons, which effectively protects against accidental activation in the test. In addition to the five buttons, the Epix 2 offers a touch-sensitive display, which is also the biggest differentiator from the Fenix 7.

The AMOLED panel of the Epix 2 is an old acquaintance: We already know the 1.3-inch display from the Garmin Venu 2 Plus. With 65,000 colors (Fenix 7: 16 colors) and 416 x 416 pixels (Fenix 7: 260 x 260 pixels), the screen is really fun to look at. I used the Epix 2 in always-on mode in the test: With the default settings, the display is then always on during the day. By tapping the display, pressing a button or raising the arm, the Epix 2 increases the brightness and shows the second hand.

The display is almost always perfectly legible in the "normal" always-on mode. Only in the blazing sun and when looking from the side did I sometimes have to press a button to push the brightness and read the time. Here, the transflective MIP display of the Fenix 7 has a slight advantage.

Operation and smart features

The Garmin Epix 2 is first a sports watch, then a smartwatch. Especially in direct comparison with the current watches from Apple, Samsung & Co. we miss some features. On the other hand, the features are simply unbeatable in the sports sector.

What I like:

• Operation also possible completely via buttons
• Incredibly flexible interface

What I do not like:

• Garmin Pay only supports a few banks
• Smartwatch functions partly poor
• No LTE version available

As previously mentioned, the Epix 2 has five buttons. On the right side, there is a "Start/Stop/Ok" button at the top and a "Back/New Lap" button at the bottom. Garmin has placed two buttons for "Menu/Up" and "Down" in the center and at the bottom on the left, and the button on the top right is used to activate the backlight and calls up the quick settings with a long keystroke. Shortcuts for a long keystroke can be defined for all buttons.

The Garmin Epix 2 can be operated completely via the buttons - that is practical when you wear gloves or move in water, for example. However, the touchscreen is more practical in many situations - for example, when navigating through maps. With the factory settings, the Epix 2 deactivates the touchscreen during workouts to avoid incorrect inputs. However, it is much faster to enter the weights and configure the repetition numbers of the sets via the touchscreen during weight training.

Basically, the Epix 2 is incredibly flexible to configure, and fortunately, most settings can now also be made on the smartphone in the Garmin Connect app. It is just a pity that you cannot yet migrate the settings from an old Garmin watch to a new one.

Whether by finger swipe or touchscreen: From the watch face up or down, you navigate through a number of widgets, whose selection and arrangement is also configurable. These widgets show you, for example, the weather forecast, sunrise and sunset times, compass, activity level, past workouts, pulse or your daily shape as a "Body Battery" index.

Garmin also offers widgets for calendar entries and notifications, but they are not as powerful as we are used to from current smartwatches. The notifications, for example, display generic message icons for many apps and are thus difficult to distinguish. Notification texts can be read, but even simple replies are currently not possible.

Unlike the Venu 2 Plus, the Garmin Epix 2 does not have a microphone or speakers. Thus, it does not allow phone calls via the wrist and does not support voice assistants. Unlike the Forerunner 945, there is also no LTE option for the Epix 2. NFC is at least on board, so you can pay via Garmin Pay. However, none of my three banks are supported - you can find a complete list of Garmin Pay partners here.

On the plus side, there is the Garmin Connect IQ Store with numerous apps and watchfaces. You can browse through the catalog either on the watch or - more conveniently - on the smartphone. The usual suspects like Komoot, AccuWeather or Spotify are found here. Thanks to Bluetooth, you can listen to music or podcasts on the go.

Tracking & Sensors

Garmin has more tracking and sports features than you could ever use. With one activity per day, you'd be busy for a good two months to work through the entire program once. And "cross-country skiing" is not just a copy of "alpine skiing" - you can find cross-country trails or slope maps including ski huts on the Epix 2's maps. You prefer running shoes or pedals instead of boards? Then Garmin also offers incredibly detailed options.

What I like:

• no one offers more sports features
• precise GPS tracking and great maps
• very diverse accessories

What I don't like:

• feature set overwhelming at first
• no native option for nutrition tracking

Like the Fenix 7 models, the Epix 2 brings a number of new workout features over the 2021 generation. Water enthusiasts can look forward to kiteboarding and windsurfing, plus new maps for alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and golf - and Garmin's formerly paid TopoActive maps are now free for the Epix 2.

Outdoor Sports & GPS

Like the Fenix models, the Epix 2 offers just about everything outdoor sports enthusiasts could want. Our Epix 2 test device offers multi-band GPS as a Sapphire version, although I can't see any significant improvement over the Venu 2 Plus here in everyday use and on my run through the forest. The positioning is almost instantaneous, there are no problems with abbreviated corners, and the watch tracks routes that have been run multiple times practically congruently.

There are also a number of interesting GPS features: For example, you can save certain coordinates or record routes - or navigate through recorded routes or routes from third-party sources like Komoot after starting any GPS sport as a workout.

The extensive accessory set is especially exciting for outdoor athletes: For cyclists, there are cadence sensors that measure the cadence on the bike. Garmin offers various heart rate belts for triathletes or runners. These are waterproof or offer advanced running analysis functions and record, for example, the vertical movement and ground contact time during running, so that you can optimize your running style.

During workouts, Garmin shows you detailed information, such as heart rate zones, current pace, etc. - you can now also customize the data views via your smartphone. I find the Stamina display exciting. Here, the Epix 2 tries to estimate how many kilometers you can still run - or how much time you have left at the current load. The idea behind it: You can estimate during runs on distance or time whether you will run flat before the finish at the current running load - or give away unused potential at the end.

Of course, like all data from fitness trackers and the like, these are only estimates that should not be blindly trusted. But with a little experience, the values can definitely be a help. Finally, Garmin offers comprehensive training plans with different goals for running fans, which follow the training philosophies of various running gurus. The plans are really well prepared.

Indoor sports & fitness

Even though outdoor sports are the great heritage of Garmin's sports watches, the Epix 2 also offers numerous feautures for indoor fitness applications. During HIIT or strength training, for example, the smartwatch not only tracks your heart rate, but also the exercises you perform, including the number of repetitions. You then get an evaluation of which muscle groups were used to what extent.

Garmin also offers predefined workouts, for example for HIIT training, and you can create your own workouts via the app. For the future, I would still like to see a load status including recovery time not only for the entire body, but also for individual muscle groups. This would make it possible to better estimate the training intensity for the next strength training session.

Whether outdoor or indoor sports: Garmin's Elevate Gen4 heart rate monitor offers a very decent heart rate measurement - and hopefully also in the long run thanks to the new glass coating. For sports with low wrist strain, the results are very precise and largely congruent with the results of a chest strap system.

For sports that involve the wrists, a tight fit of the watch on the wrist is important. But even then, the readings diverge somewhat compared to those of a chest strap system, especially at high heart rates. During a shoulder-arm workout, for example, the Garmin Epix 2 came up with a maximum pulse of 150 and an average pulse of 115. With a Sigma chest strap, the average pulse was only slightly higher at 117, but the maximum pulse measured here deviated significantly at 165.

Sleep & Recovery

Last but not least, the Epix 2 offers a lot of features to evaluate your general fitness. The most prominent feature is the Body Battery, which is your body's battery. Workouts and stressful days drain the battery, sleep fills it up again. Garmin wants to give you a measure of how hard you can work out.

Another feature for evaluating your fitness is "Health Snapshot". Here, you get a daily update of your fitness in a two-minute measurement based on pulse rate, heart rate variability, oxygen saturation (SpO2), respiration rate and stress. If you want to compare the values with each other, you should always perform this "screenshot of your health" at the same time of day. In addition, the Epix 2 also determines your VO2Max value.

The training load over time is also interesting. Here you can see what kind of training stimuli you are using to tickle your body: Anaerobic, High Aerobic and Low Aerobic. The bottom line is that I know, for example: I should do less strength training and more endurance training.

Last but not least, the Garmin Epix 2 records your sleep. This works reliably with regard to the times when you fall asleep and wake up. Unfortunately, I cannot check the determined distribution of the different sleep phases due to the lack of a sleep lab. However, I can confirm a correlation between puffy eyes in the morning and poor sleep assessment by the Epix 2 - for example, after a too late and lavish dinner.

Garmin Epix 2: Battery

In contrast to its sister model, the Fenix 7, the Epix 2 offers significantly less battery life, although "significantly less" is still a lot. With an always-on display, active sensor battery and an hour of exercise a day, the sports smartwatch still manages almost a week.

What I like:

• Great battery life

What I don't like:

• No wireless charging

The AMOLED display of the Epix 2 costs quite a bit in battery life. While the Fenix 7 (without solar) lasts 18 days in smartwatch mode according to the manufacturer, it is "only" six days for the Epix 2 according to Garmin. In the test, we usually achieved five to six days of battery runtime on five out of seven days with fully activated sensors, always-on display and activity tracking. That is an excellent value compared to most other smartwatches.

Unfortunately, we could not test the various power-saving features in detail during the test period. Garmin promises 16 days of battery life with the always-on display disabled, and even 21 days in power-saving mode. In maximum operation during a workout with GPS tracking, multi-band GPS and music playback, the Epix 2 is supposed to last 9 hours - which is probably enough for most ultramarathoners out there.

For charging, Garmin relies on its well-known proprietary four-pin charging cable, which has also been used by the Venu, Forerunner or Fenix models for years. Too bad: Garmin still does not support wireless charging in 2022. However, in view of the long battery runtimes, this is easier to get over than with an Apple Watch.

Final verdict

Garmin fans have been waiting for a watch like the Epix 2 for years: a Fenix with a chic display. Under the hood, the Epix 2 has the same enormously versatile and sophisticated hardware as the new Fenix 7 and is thus already probably the best sports smartwatch of the year - it is just a pity that there is no "smaller" Epix like the Fenix 7S. Probably the biggest weakness is the smartwatch features: The notifications, for example, are very rudimentary, Garmin Pay has too few cooperation partners, there is no LTE version, and the microphone and speakers are completely missing.