Garmin Epix Pro hands-on — Garmin’s high-spec smartwatch gets a flashlight
Until now, the Garmin Epix has been the company’s high-end, high-spec adventure smartwatch. With a bright, AMOLED display, a large 1.3-inch screen, and an impressive battery life, it’s topped the list of best Garmin watches since being released in January 2022. Now, Garmin has a new and improved version with the Epix Pro series: available in three different sizes, to suit every wrist size.
To find out more, I strapped the Garmin Epix Pro to my wrist a week before it launched, on a number of hikes, runs, and workouts. Of course, a week isn’t long enough to make any solid conclusions, but I’ve looked at how it compares to some of the best running watches and best smartwatches on the market. Read my Garmin Epix Pro hands-on below to find out more.
Garmin Epix Pro hands-on: Price and availability
The Garmin Epix Pro is available from 31 May, 2023. The series of watches come in different specs and sizes, with the cheapest Epix Pro watch starting at $899/￡829. The highest-end model, with a sapphire-crystal lens and titanium case, will cost $1,099. The sapphire glass is much harder wearing, and therefore a more premium watch.
Here’s a breakdown of the pricing information for the entire Garmin Epix Pro line:
All of the watches are compatible with Garmin's Quick Release bands, which come in silicone, leather, and metal.
This is around the same price as the Garmin Epix series, although you might be able to find the older watches at a discounted price, now that the Pro series has launched. The cheapest Epix Pro is around the same price as the Apple Watch Ultra, which costs $799/￡849.
Garmin Epix Pro hands-on: What’s new?
Three different size options: 42mm/47mm/51mm
Built-in LED flashlight
Garmin’s new Red Shift Mode
New sports modes
New hill score and endurance score training metrics
Optimized heart rate sensor
New weather map overlays to view upcoming weather conditions
So what’s new? Unlike the Garmin Epix Gen 2, the Epix Pro is available in three different sizes — 42mm/1.6 inches, 47mm/1.8 inches, and 51mm/2 inches. The Epix 2 only came in one, 47mm size. So there is now a smaller option, for adventurers with petite wrists, and a larger option for those who prefer a chunkier watch.
Each of the watches also has a built-in flashlight — a feature we saw with the launch of the Garmin Fenix 7X last January. The flashlight can be used in situations where you might use your phone’s flashlight, but can also be used in certain sports modes, as the flashlight can blink or pulse on a bike ride. There is also a running-specific cadence visibility flashlight, where the watch will flash white as your wrist goes forward, and red as your arm moves back, in order to help keep you safe and seen.
As well as the LED flashlight, the Epix Pro series also has Red Shift Mode, which changes display colors to shades of red, reducing sleep cycle disturbance if checking your smartwatch at night.
From a fitness perspective, Garmin has added some new activity profiles, including football, basketball, racquet sports, and horseback riding.
There are two new running features — hill score, which shows you how easy it is to run uphill, without the need to look at your phone or a map. Garmin does this by measuring your running strength on steep elevations, and endurance on long ascents, as well as progress over time, based on your VO2 max, and training history. There’s also a new endurance score, which is a measure of how easy it is for you to sustain prolonged efforts, looking at data like VO2 max, and your short and long-term training loads. These new training features will also be available on the Garmin Epix 2 at a later date.
Garmin has also updated the heart rate monitor in the Epix Pro — Garmin says the “enhanced optical sensors and sport-specific algorithms offer improved performance tracking for a wider variety of activities.”
During testing, the wrist-based heart rate monitor on the Epix Pro has taken similar measurements to my chest heart rate monitor, but whether it’s worth the upgrade remains to be seen.
Garmin Epix Pro hands-on: Performance
After a week of testing the Epix Pro, I’ve been impressed with the bright screen, and the smaller bezel, especially on my petite wrist. While the 42mm Epix Pro isn’t designed for women specifically, I appreciated how well the watch fit.
Design-wise, the Epix Pro is similar to most of the popular Garmin watches on the market, with a responsive touchscreen, as well as five buttons that allow you to navigate around the watch — three on the left, and two on the right. It also has the same bright, beautiful AMOLED touchscreen as the Epix 2, the Garmin Forerunner 965, and Forerunner 265, and it really does elevate the watch from a smartwatch perspective.
Of course, the battery life changes slightly depending on the size of the watch you buy, here are all the key facts:
As you can see, the battery life jumps massively with the larger version of the Epix Pro. I’ve been testing the Epix Pro 42mm for a week, doing a run or walk most days, and am currently on 52% — not as impressive as it would be if I had the huge 51mm watch strapped to my wrist, but still far better than the likes of the Apple Watch Ultra. None of the Epix Pro watches have solar charging capabilities, due to the AMOLED screen. If you’re looking for a longer battery life, it’s worth checking out the new Fenix 7 Pro series.
I’m a huge fan of the built-in flashlight, which you can activate by pressing twice on the light button on the left-hand side of the watch. Of course, I’ve been testing the watch in the summertime, on one of the warmest weeks of the year in London. But I like the idea of using the flashlight as an extra safety feature when running in the dark — there’s even an SOS beacon flashlight mode built-in.
The watch needs two weeks of data for both of the new running metrics, so I’m yet to see my new hill score or endurance score — I’ll be updating this review once I have tested these features. Garmin has also confirmed the new features will roll back to Fenix 7 and Epix 2 watches. If you already own an older model, you’ll be able to install these in a future update.
I’ll also need to do some more testing with Garmin’s newest heart rate monitor, but so far, I’m impressed with the accuracy.
Garmin Epix Pro hands-on: Early verdict
If you already have a Garmin Epix 2, you probably won’t be that excited by the Epix Pro — in fact, you can probably save your money and just buy a flashlight. That said, if you don’t, or you’re thinking about upgrading from an older Forerunner, this is an excellent smartwatch, which now comes in three different sizes to suit different wrists.
Garmin’s new heart rate sensor is an update worth mentioning, and I’m looking forward to doing some more testing with it. But I still wish Garmin had added a skin temperature sensor, for more accurate health and menstrual cycle tracking (here’s how to use the menstrual tracking feature on your Garmin watch).
With the new advanced training features, this is still one of the most impressive smartwatches from Garmin. It looks beautiful, and it’s got an excellent battery life. It’s still a stunning wearable, and now it comes in sizes that’ll make it even more appealing if you can afford the price tag that is.
