Garmin has been one of the best choices when it comes to health and fitness. Whether it’s a Forerunner, Fenix, or Epix series, they are continuously improving their devices for accuracy and features. So we decided to take a quick ride by comparing the Garmin Forerunner 955, Fenix 7, and Epix 2 to find out who reigns supreme and offers the best features overall.
Quick Verdict
At first glance, these watches look quite identical. All three have five buttons set up, with three on the left and two on the right. They all offer touch-screen support, with one of the major differences being their price (we’ll talk in later sections). They all come with a silicone band, but you can switch between metal, fabric, and suede bands. We’ll brief this in later sections, so without further ado, let’s hop on the comparison.
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Fenix 7 vs Epix 2: Price
The Forerunner 955 comes with a price tag of $499 for the standard version. The solar version costs $100 more, or $599. Plus, with the solar model, you can buy a chest strap too for more accurate heart rate readings, which increases the cost to $730.
The Fenix 7, on the other hand, is available in three models: $649 (42mm), $649 (47mm), and $899 (51mm). The highest model, which is the 51mm Pro Sapphire Solar edition, costs $999.
The Epix 2, meanwhile, also has three available options: 42mm ($899), 47mm ($799), and 51mm ($999). The highest model of this watch costs $1,099, which is a 51mm pro sapphire edition that is $100 more than the Fenix 7 and double the amount of the Forerunner 955.
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Fenix 7 vs Epix 2: Comparison
| Specifications | Garmin Forerunner 955 | Garmin Fenix 7 | Garmin Epix 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | |||
| Brand | Garmin | Garmin | Garmin |
| Model Name | Forerunner 955 | Fenix 7 | Epix 2 |
| Design and Body | |||
| Weight | 52 grams | 79 grams | 76 grams |
| Material | Fiber-reinforced Polymer | Stainless Steel Bezel | Stainless Steel Bezel |
| Lens Material | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass |
| Shape | Round | Round | Round |
| Display | |||
| Type | transflective memory-in-pixel | transflective memory-in-pixel | AMOLED |
| Touch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Size | 1.3 inch | 1.2 inch (42mm), 1.3 inch (47mm), and 1.4 inch (51mm) | 1.2 inch (42mm), 1.3 inch (47mm), and 1.4 inch (51mm) |
| Resolution | 260 x 260 pixels | 280 x 280 pixels | 416 x 416 pixels |
| Features | Always-on Display | Always-on Display | Always-on Display |
| Connectivity | |||
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Multi-band GPS | Multi-band GPS |
| Extra | |||
| Sensors | Pedometer, Heart Rate Monitor, SpO2 (Blood Oxygen) Monitor, Calorie Count, Step Count, Sleep Monitor | Pedometer, Heart Rate Monitor, SpO2 (Blood Oxygen) Monitor, Calorie Count, Step Count, Sleep Monitor | Pedometer, Heart Rate Monitor, SpO2 (Blood Oxygen) Monitor, Calorie Count, Step Count, Sleep Monitor |
| NFC | Garmin Pay | Garmin Pay | Garmin Pay |
| Camera | |||
| Camera | No | No | No |
| Technical | |||
| Compatibility | Android, iOS | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Multimedia | |||
| Music | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | |||
| Backup | Up to 15 days | Up to 18 days | Up to 16 days |
| Fast Charging | No | No | No |
| Features | |||
| Water Resistant | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Water Rating | 5 ATM | 10 ATM | 10 ATM |
| Water Depth | 50m | 100m | 100m |
| Extra Features | Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Timer, Reminder | Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Timer, Reminder | Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Timer, Reminder |
| Price | $499 | $649 (42mm), $649 (47mm), and $899 (51mm) | 42mm ($899), 47mm ($799), and 51mm ($999) |
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Fenix 7 vs Epix 2: Design and build
All three watches boast a sporty look, and they are not the slimmer watch either, but the features these devices packed inside make up for it.
The Garmin Forerunner 955 features a 1.3-inch, 260 x 260 pixels, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display, surrounded by a fiber-reinforced polymer, and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
Measuring at 46.5 x 46.5 x 14.4 mm and weighing 52 grams, the Forerunner 955 comes in black and whitestone colorways. The watch offers interchangeable bands and comes with a silicone band inside. But you can choose between fabric, suede, and metal bands.
The Garmin Fenix 7, meanwhile, has three available sizes: 42mm (1.2-inch), 47mm (1.3-inch), and 51mm (1.4-inch) and comes in Standard, Sapphire, and Pro editions. All three models have a transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display surrounded by a stainless steel bezel and fiber-reinforced polymer with a metal rear cover. The lens is protected with corning gorilla glass.
At 47 x 47 x 14.5 mm and weighing 79 grams, the Fenix 7 comes in multiple colorways, depending on the model you choose. It also comes with a 22mm interchangeable silicone strap, but you can choose between the Leather, Fabric, and Metal straps.
The Garmin Epix 2 also comes in three sizes: 42mm, 47mm, and 51mm, and Standard, Sapphire, and Pro editions. This watch features an AMOLED display surrounded by a passivated stainless steel bezel and fiber-reinforced polymer casing. The lens is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass.
At 47 x 47 x 14.5 mm and weighing 76g, the Epix 2 comes in 12 colorways to choose from to personalise your watch experience. It also comes with 22mm interchangeable bands with options to choose between Leather, Fabric, and Metal straps.
All three watches support touch-screen but also offer five buttons, with two on the right and three on the left. Only the Forerunner 955 has a 5 ATM water resistance, but the other two have a 10 ATM water rating and can be submerged underwater up to 100 metres.
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Fenix 7 vs Epix 2: Health and Fitness Features
All three watches excelled in the health and fitness section with their extensive list of features. They all offer basic features like a wrist-based heart rate sensor, heart rate alert, 24 x 7 respiration rate, pulse OX blood oxygen saturation, body battery, stress management, sleep tracking, nap detection, breathwork, hydration, and a health snapshot.
The Fenix 7 and the Epix 2 offer two additional features: a skin temperature sensor, which can help you detect any illness, infection, or menstrual cycle. The jet lag advisor helps you deal with jet lag by providing insights and suggestions to help you feel better. Both devices also have an ECG capability, but for that, you need Pro models to use this feature. Neither of these features is available in the Forerunner 955.
When it comes to fitness tracking, all three smartwatches can track strength, yoga, pilates, swimming, biking, cycling, and so much more. Plus, you can track ring sports like boxing and mixed martial arts as well. But the Forerunner 955 offers less activity tracking than the other two watches, so if you are an adventure seeker who loves to explore multiple sports, then you might find the Fenix 7 and the Epix 2 more appealing.
On top of that, these watches can also offer VO2, on-screen workout animation, downloadable training plans, recovery time, real stamina, endurance score, training load, and many more features. Additionally, they also feature basic activities like steps counter, calories burned, distance travelled, floor climbed, true up, and move IQ. They also offer niche-specific features for running, golfing, cycling, and swimming.
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Fenix 7 vs Epix 2: Smartwatch Features
When it comes to smartwatch features, all three watches are identical. They all have smart notifications, the ability to view images from notifications, a morning report, a calendar, weather forecasts, and many more. Plus, there’s also Garmin Pay for contactless payments and music storage to download and store music for offline listening. With Pro models, you get additional storage (32GB) to download music and maps. But the Forerunner 955 only has one model but still offers 32GB of storage.
Additionally, pro models also offer multi-band GPS, which is far more accurate than standard GPS. Plus, use a flashlight if you run or workout at night.
These smartwatches come with some safety features like incident detection, incident alert, assistance, live tracking, and live event sharing. In terms of compatibility, all three can connect to a wide range of Android and iOS devices, plus they offer Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ANT+ connectivity as well.
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Fenix 7 vs Epix 2: Battery Life
In terms of battery life, all three watches excel. The bigger the model you choose, the better the battery gets (I’ll tell you in a minute).
In smartwatch mode, the Forerunner 955 can last for around 15 days on a single charge. In GPS mode, the watch has enough juice to survive for over one day, or 42 hours, to be precise. With all-systems GNSS mode plus multi-band with music, it lasts for up to 8.5 hours, and with all systems in GNSS mode plus multi-band without music, it lasts for up to 20 hours. With Ultratrac mode, it lasted for around 80 hours.
The Fenix 7, meanwhile, only offers 11 days of battery life with the 42mm model, but with the Pro model, it increases to 18 days. In battery-saving mode, the watch lasts for around 57 days and 57 hours in GPS mode. With maximum battery life, you can use GPS for more than 5 days, or 137 hours.
The Epix 2, on the other hand, offers 10 days of battery life on the 42mm model and 16 days on the 47mm model. In always-on display mode, it still lasts for around 6 days, which is pretty good. It also has battery saver mode, which increases the battery life to 21 days and 42 hours in GPS mode (30 hours always on).
All three devices come with a Garmin Propetiety plug charger that takes 1.5–2 hours to fully charge the device.
Which should you choose?
The device you choose comes down to your personal preference and the features you want in your smartwatch. If you are on a budget but still want an awesome display, bigger battery life, more storage for music and maps, and excellent health tracking capabilities, then the Forerunner 955 might be the way to go.
But if you want an AMOLED display with multiple size options, awesome GPS tracking, ECG capability, bigger battery life, and the price doesn’t bother you, then the Epix 2 can be a good choice for you.
If you are in between both of these and don’t want to put a bigger hole in your pocket but still want a watch with all the features of these two watches, then the Fenix 7 is the best choice for you.
Decide on the features you want in your watch and choose the one that fits your budget, needs, and style. All three watches have excellent capabilities; whether you are an athlete or a simple health enthusiast, these watches will definitely help you reach your goal.