The Garmin Epix Pro (2nd Gen) is the follow-up to Garmin’s first outdoor watch with an AMOLED display – the Epix (Gen 2) – that launched in 2022.
The Pro model sees Garmin mirror its growing Fenix range, with new case sizes, added flashlights and new metrics and mapping features to show off on the more vibrant display.
Adding an AMOLED display does make it a more expensive buy than grabbing a Fenix 7 Pro though, so is the Epix Pro worth the extra spend and is it a big upgrade on the standard Epix?
Garmin Epix Pro (2nd Gen)
The Garmin Epix Pro is another great sports watch built for the outdoors. Now available more sizes with improved heart monitoring, it still manages to deliver bigger battery life than most AMOLED-packing smartwatches, even if upgrades are minimal.
Pros
- Available in three case sizes
- Good always-on battery life
- Bright LED flashlight
Cons
- A lot of features the same as cheaper Fenix 7 Pro
- Many software features coming to original Epix
Price and options
The Epix Pro (Gen 2) is available in a choice of 42mm, 47mm and 51mm sizes, and costs $899.99/£829.99 for either the 42mm or 47mm version and $999.99/£929.99 for 51mm – though you can add an extra $100/£100 or so to both prices if you want the more premium sapphire crystal lens and titanium bezel.
As for how that compares with the price of the standard Epix (Gen 2) – you’ll save a little by going for the non-Pro version, losing out on the flashlight, sizing options (it’s available in 47mm only) and improved mapping, but costing $799.99/£709.99 for the standard design and $899.99/from £769.99 for the sapphire finish.
By comparison, the Fenix 7 Pro in its 47mm variant will cost $799.99/£749.99 for the standard solar model, and $899.99/£829.99 for the sapphire edition. That means you’ll save around $100/£100 if you’re happy to drop the AMOLED display in exchange for more flexible battery options.
Design and display
- Now available in three case sizes
- LED flashlight
- Upgraded heart rate sensor
When you consider that the original Epix is essentially a Fenix with an AMOLED, it was a little surprising when it wasn’t made available in the same range of case sizes – it was only available in 47mm.
That’s now changed for the Epix Pro (Gen 2), meaning now you can pick it up in 42mm, 47mm and 51mm case sizes. The 42mm Epix Pro offers something better for smaller wrists, while the 51mm version now adds a bigger screen and matches the stature of Garmin’s Fenix 7X and 7X Pro watches – not to mention adds extra battery life too.
I had the 47mm version of the Pro to wear and so didn’t notice a much difference in design from the Epix (Gen 2). Weight, screen and buttons all remain the same, so if you liked the feel of the 47mm Epix, it’s more of the same here – but the greater choice of sizing is very much welcomed.
Along with the new case sizes, Garmin is adding an LED flashlight to all models, which sits at the top of the watch case. It offers the same modes as the one on the Fenix 7 Pro and can be turned on during tracking. For what it’s worth, I compared the flashlights on the Epix Pro and the Fenix 7 Pro and found the one on the Epix Pro was brighter.
Around the back is the new optical heart rate sensor that was also added to the Fenix 7 Pro, which, along with new algorithms, is designed to improve accuracy during activity tracking.
There are standard and sapphire edition versions, with the latter adding a sapphire crystal lens and titanium bezel as opposed to a stainless steel one on the standard model. Going sapphire also gets you the preloaded Topo maps to make it a better watch for exploring.
The Epix Pro (Gen 2) has the same 10 ATM water rating as the Epix (Gen 2), making it safe to keep on in the shower and can be submerged in water up to 100 metres depth.
Health and fitness
- New Hill and Endurance scores
- Added mapping features and modes
- New heart rate sensor built for exercise
As mentioned, the Epix is essentially a Fenix with an AMOLED screen and Garmin seeks to offer the same features here as on the new Fenix 7 Pro. This is still a watch that can track a multitude of indoor and outdoor activities, will work as a fitness tracker, and offers some general wellness monitoring as opposed to serious health-tracking features.
The main reason you’re going to want one is for what it offers on the outdoor tracking front and from that point of view, the Epix Pro offers plenty. There are more outdoor profiles than you’ll probably ever need to use, including new ones for things like motocross here now too.
It still has Garmin’s great multi-band mode to improve outdoor tracking accuracy near tall buildings and deeply forested areas and it works as well as it does on the regular Epix. it will demand more of the watch’s battery life though, so if you’re planning to use the Epix Pro over multiple days of tracking, you’ll likely want to switch to one of the more battery-friendly GPS tracking modes.
Viewing maps on the Epix Pro’s screen is so much nicer to do than on a Fenix. You can get a better sense of the detail in maps and that added screen brightness and better colours just makes it a nicer experience all-round. You can also enjoy a new split screen view mode, see relief shading for more detailed mapping and there’s a new weather overlay mode, which is accessible outside of the main workout tracking screen.
There’s also Garmin’s new Outdoor Maps+ service, which brings photorealistic satellite imagery and enhanced topographical maps to the watch for an additional cost of $49.99 a year. There’s no doubt the Epix Pro screen will make the most of these, making finding waypoints and land features easier, but be aware it is US only for now – expanding to other territories over time.
All of the same training features from the standard Epix are here too. It works with Garmin’s Coach run training platform, there’s daily suggested workouts and recommended recovery times with a race widget and visual race predictor on board for runners. Now Garmin is adding new metrics in the shape of Hill and Endurance scores.
The Hill score wants to tell you if you’re in good shape for tackling a hilly event or course, while Endurance scores want to tell you whether you’ve got enough training in the tank to take on endurance-style events. Those scores look at historical workout data and in the case of hill scores, focus on activities with a gradient that’s higher than 2 per cent. The Endurance scores also hone in on your VO2 Max estimates to generate those scores. They’re well presented metrics and while not definitive advice, can offer some useful insight and guidance.
Garmin has also sought to improve the accuracy of its heart tracking here too, particularly during exercise. I used it for a host of activities, including a 10k race against Garmin’s own heart rate monitor chest strap and it actually delivered near identical average and maximum heart rate readings along with similar heart rate graphs. No wrist-based heart rate sensor is faultless, but the one on the Epix Pro performed well in my tests.
Smartwatch features
- Works with Android and iOS
- Garmin Pay and Connect IQ access
- Red Shift mode
The AMOLED alone on the Epix Pro makes it feel more smartwatch than something like the Fenix. In terms of what you get from it as a smartwatch, it’s just about everything Garmin offers on that front.
You don’t get the voice assistant access or ability to take calls like you do on the Garmin Venu 2 Plus, but it is somewhere you can view your phone notifications, make contactless payments, access Garmin’s Connect IQ Store for apps, data fields and watch faces and there’s a built-in music player that does work with Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music for offline playlist syncing.
The touchscreen on the Epix Pro makes using those features feel a lot nicer than previous non-touchscreen Garmin watches. It’s a good place to view notifications and you can respond to some messages if you’ve got it paired to an Android phone. The music controls and player are well implemented too, though it’s not quite well executed as similar support on dedicated smartwatches.
Garmin has added a new Red Shift mode, which turns the display all red, making it more useful to use at night or less of a distraction when you take it to bed. Features like Garmin’s Morning Report and its Jet Lag advisor feature are nice extras here too and while the Epix Pro isn’t an Apple Watch or Wear OS watch-level smartwatch, it’s still great to use outside of tracking on most fronts.
Battery life
- 16 days in smartwatch mode
- 6 days in always-on mode
- Up to 14 days in Expedition mode
Unlike a lot of smartwatches, Garmin has managed to put AMOLED screens on its watches and muster up more than a couple of days of battery life. Whether you use the Epix Pro with the screen set to always-on or you use the raise to wake option, this is a watch that can offer a really pleasing level of battery power.
If you keep the screen on, you can expect up to six days, though if you factor in using features like the top GPS accuracy mode and regularly using smartwatch features, that’s going to drop to 4-5 days. Outside of watches like Huawei’s, that’s a very good showing.
Opt for raise to wake and you’ll comfortably get a week of battery life from the Epix Pro, even with regular tracking time.
The Epix Pro 42mm unsurprisingly offers the smaller battery numbers, while the 47mm version offers pretty much the same as the standard Epix. The 51mm Epix Pro however does offer significantly bigger battery numbers both in always-on and raise to wake modes compared to the original. It gets you 31 days with raise to wake and 11 days in always-on mode.
If you’re looking for the Epix Pro with the best battery life, it’s the 51mm version you want. If that’s not enough, then you’ll need to look to the Fenix range instead.
Verdict
The Garmin Epix Pro takes all of the good features from the Fenix 7 Pro and wraps it up with a great AMOLED screen and battery life to make it well built for long outdoor pursuits.
The improved heart rate sensor proves a solid success, and that AMOLED screen makes the absolute best of the additional mapping and metrics features too.
However it’s worth bearing in mind that those software features will be coming to the standard Epix 2 shortly, making the upgrades here relatively minor for the extra outlay. The flashlight will be a welcome feature for those who need it, but while heart rate monitoring is more accurate here, the original performs pretty well too – making the improvements nice to have, but not essential for many.
It’ll likely be the added sizes that are biggest pull, for anyone wanting the AMOLED screen but needing smaller or larger sizing than the original offers. If that’s you, then the Epix Pro (Gen 2) is well worth your consideration.