Until now, Garmin Epix has been the company's high-end, high-spec adventure smartwatch With a bright AMOLED display, a large 13-inch screen and impressive battery life, it has topped the list of the best Garmin watches since it was released in 2022/1 Now, Garmin has a new and improved version with the Epix Pro series: available in 3 sizes to suit any wrist size

To read more, I strapped the Garmin Epix Pro to my wrist on a number of hikes, runs, and workouts I've seen how it compares to some of the best running watches and the best smartwatches on the market, and read my Garmin Epix Pro review below for more information about other Garmin watches in the brand line-up

Garmin Epix Pro is available from 2023/5/31 The watch series comes in different specifications and sizes, with the cheapest Epix Pro watches starting at cheapest899/£829 The finest model with a sapphire crystal lens and a titanium case costsド1,099 Sapphire glass is much harder to wear and therefore a more premium watch

Here is a breakdown of price information for the entire Garmin Epix Pro line:

All of the watches are compatible with Garmin Quick Release bands, which come in silicone, leather, and metal

This is about the same price as the Garmin Epix series, but with the launch of the Pro series, you may be able to find your old watch at a discounted price The cheapest Epix Pro is about the same price as the Apple Watch Ultra, priced atド799/£849

If you were trying to upgrade your running watch and found quite a deal with the Garmin Epix2, then you put the Garmin Epix2vs Garmin Epix Pro here

The Garmin Epix Pro is very similar to the Garmin Epix2 — both have a bright, AMOLED touchscreen display, and it's a dream to move around the clock The touchscreen display is automatically disabled in workout mode, but you can start, stop, pause, and wrap your workout with 3 buttons on the left and 2 on the right, 5 buttons on the right However, unlike the Garmin Epix Gen2, the Epix Pro comes in three different sizes: 42mm/16in, 47mm/18 in, and 51mm/2 in

The Epix2 was only offered in 1 47mm size That's why there's a smaller option for adventurers with petite wrists and a larger option for those who prefer chunky watches

Another important design change is the built-in flashlight - a feature we saw when the Garmin Fenix1X was launched on May 7 last year The flashlight can be used in situations where you may use your phone's flashlight, but the flashlight can also be used in certain sports modes as it can flash or pulse on your bike The watch flashes white as your wrist goes forward and red as your arm moves back, to help keep you safe and looking, running Special

I am a big fan of the built-in flashlight and can be activated by pressing the light button on the left side of the watch 2 times Of course, I have been testing the watch in the summer, in one of the warmest months of the year in London But I like the idea of using a flashlight as an extra safety feature when running in the dark — there's also a built-in SOS beacon flashlight mode

Similar to Led flashlights, the Epix Pro series also has a red shift mode, which changes the display color to a shade of red and reduces sleep cycle disturbances when checking your smartwatch at night

Garmin also updated the Epix Pro's heart rate monitor — Garmin said "enhanced optical sensors and sport-specific algorithms provide performance tracking for a wider range of activities" It's not clear if this is Garmin's Elevate V5 sensor, but it's not clear if the Epix2's 2x Leds are spread over a wider area I know that According to Garmin, "more spatially diverse" sensors and updated algorithms will give you more accurate data

During testing, the Epix Pro's wrist-based heart rate monitor is getting similar readings to my chest heart rate monitor, so I never had a problem with Garmin's older sensors

While testing the Epix Pro, I've been impressed by the bright screen and the small bezel, especially on my petite wrist The 42mm Epix Pro is not specifically designed for women, but I appreciated how well the watch fits

From a fitness perspective, Garmin has added several new activity profiles, including football, basketball, racket sports, and horse riding

There are two new running features — Garmin will show you how easy it is to run uphill without looking at your phone or map by measuring your continuous strength at steep altitudes, and endurance of long climbs, as well as progress over time, based on your vo2max and training history Looking at data such as vo2max and short- and long-term training loads is an indicator of how easy it is to maintain long-term efforts These new training features will also be available on Garmin Epix2 and all Garmin high-end watches in a later firmware update

Of course, the battery life varies slightly depending on the size of the watch you buy, and here are all the important facts:

You can see that during the week of testing with the Epix Pro42mm, running and walking most of the day, it's now at 52% — I think it's a huge problem Suppose I had a 51mm watch tied to my wrist, the Epix Pro watch doesn't have a solar charging feature because of the AMOLED screen If you are looking for a longer battery life, it is worth checking out the new Fenix7Pro series

One of the areas where Garmin falls frequently compared to the likes of Apple and Samsung is the smartwatch feature1 The Apple Watch Ultra is like wearing an iPhone on your wrist, while the Garmin Epix Pro is still a sports watch, but this is by no means a bad thing It claims not to buy such an adventure watch to check WhatsApp notifications on the move, but if you're comparing this to Ultra, there's no voice assistant on Apple's watch and you can't make calls from your watch You have the option to mirror your phone's notifications, but you can't reply to messages from your wrist

Both watches have Garmin Pay, which allows you to use your watch to make contactless payments on the move It also has the ability to download and play music from Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music This means you can install the Connect IQ app from your watch instead of syncing from your phone

If you already have a Garmin Epix2, you probably won't be so excited about the Epix Pro — in fact, you can save money and buy a flashlight That said, if not, or if you're thinking of upgrading from an old trailblazer, this is an excellent smartwatch and comes in 3 different sizes to suit different wrists But if you can't afford it, I'll take a look at the Garmin Forerunner 900, which is cheaper365 about, and has a lot of the same features

Garmin's new heart rate sensor is an update worth mentioning and we look forward to doing further testing But I still hope Garmin has 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 new advanced training features, this is one of Garmin's most impressive smart watches 1 It looks beautiful and it has excellent battery life It's still a stunning wearable, and now it comes in a size that would make it even more attractive if you could afford the price tag that is