The Garmin Epix Professional 2 is, properly, epic

I’ve written a few times (or 100 occasions) about how I’m now not in reality a smartwatch man. I don’t like having to rate yet one more software on a daily basis, and I will’t be to kind out a textual content message from the confines of my wrist. Give me a competent GPS watch or tracker, alternatively, with weeks of battery lifestyles and correct monitoring to stay alongside of my weekly operating mileage, and I’ll feel free for a protracted, very long time. Now, I feel I’ve discovered my best possible fit — an eye fixed that tests the entire packing containers after which makes up extra packing containers in order that it will probably test them too. Merely put, the Garmin Epix Professional 2 has ruined all different GPS watches for me.

Garmin isn’t shy about giving its best possible GPS watches all that and the kitchen sink — it’s precisely what I really like about wearables just like the Enduro 2 and Forerunner 965. They each and every have their strengths, with the previous providing a integrated flashlight and a monster battery, whilst the latter packs a crisp OLED panel and a slimmed-down, trendy design. Garmin’s Epix Professional 2 combines the most productive of each worlds.

In some ways, the Epix Professional 2 is a Garmin Enduro that’s been slimmed down and polished up. It packs an outstanding 16 days of battery lifestyles in smartwatch mode or as much as 30 hours in GPS mode, which is lengthy sufficient for an ultramarathon just like the Western States Staying power Run — a lot additional than the Apple Watch Extremely can trek on a unmarried rate. The Epix Professional 2 additionally is available in 3 case sizes starting from 42mm as much as 51mm as a result of now not all adventurers have large wrists, proper? Anyway, the 16 days of battery lifestyles is Garmin’s estimate for the median 47mm case, with the 42mm arising a little bit shorter and the 51mm stretching even longer. If there’s something lacking, alternatively, it’s the truth that the Epix Professional 2 nonetheless depends on Garmin’s proprietary charging cable reasonably than adopting wi-fi charging.

On best of getting the juice to move the gap, the Epix Professional 2 is constructed tricky, like, in reality tricky. It pairs a rugged fiber-reinforced polymer case with a titanium bezel and again duvet however best weighs 70g when strapped in your wrist. I’ve by accident banged it into doorways and cupboards (I’m clumsy, it occurs), and my condominium has taken extra of a beating than the watch. Garmin’s sapphire crystal lens polishes off the sturdy package deal — pun meant — and shines with the crisp AMOLED touchscreen, which the Epix Professional 2 picked up from its Forerunner 965 cousin.

As though the very good battery lifestyles and sturdy construct high quality weren’t sufficient, the Epix Professional 2 is loaded with extras. It’s water-proof down to ten ATM of force, the highest edge doubles as an LED flashlight (it’s vibrant, but it surely gained’t exchange a trusty headlamp), and it carries an NFC chip for wi-fi bills — one thing I gained’t compromise on when my run nearly all the time ends at a espresso store.

In fact, you’ll get bits and items of the Epix Professional 2 in different smartwatches, together with some from Garmin itself. The Enduro 2, as an example, is the place I first found out Garmin’s wrist-mounted flashlight. The Apple Watch Extremely is crafted from carbon-neutral titanium, too, in its singular, large case. Coros gives weeks upon weeks of battery lifestyles from its Vertix 2 and titanium to compare. On the other hand, none rather turns out to nail the top class mixture of design options just like the Epix Professional 2 — aside from for possibly the Garmin Fenix 7 Professional.

Via now, it’s beautiful transparent that I’m in love with the design of the Epix Professional 2. The Carbon Grey case and black silicone band are simply the icing on best — they’re understated and simple to put on nearly anyplace. And but, what helps to keep the Garmin Epix Professional 2 on my wrist month after month is the remainder of the revel in. It pairs a simple setup procedure with extra health-tracking metrics than I may ever use, and I’ve but to discover a game that the Epix Professional 2 doesn’t strengthen.

First, the setup — because it’s the very first thing you’ll do. I really like putting in place a Garmin GPS watch as it takes nearly no idea on both Android or iOS. So long as you have already got Garmin Attach put in, it’s as simple as striking your watch into pairing mode (which it mechanically enters the primary time you flip it on). From there, Garmin will stay all of your current settings and personal tastes, like stored cost playing cards, saved tune, and watch faces, and port them in your new GPS watch. I’ve moved my Epix Professional 2 from the Galaxy S23 Extremely to the iPhone 15 to the Pixel 8 Professional over the last few months and had no problems.

As discussed, there’s no scarcity of sports activities to take a look at out, both. I’ve put the Epix Professional 2 thru its paces within the fundamentals like operating and bicycling, however the watch additionally has classes stuffed with different workout routines corresponding to water sports activities like paddleboarding, workforce sports activities like soccer (American or differently), or even motorsports like snowmobiling. I don’t understand how many energy you’ll burn whilst snowmobiling, as I are living in a town, however merely having the choice is spectacular, if a bit of foolish. I’ve additionally downloaded a couple of native golfing classes to my watch to trace hollow layouts and shot distances, regardless that it hasn’t advanced my scoring in any respect.

The general feather in Garmin’s flexibility cap is its mountain of health-tracking information. The Epix Professional 2 has extra efficiency predictors packed in its titanium and sapphire casing than I — or another non-elite athlete — most probably is aware of what to do with. You get the necessities like middle price and the facility to document an ECG out of your wrist, however the Epix Professional 2 takes efficiency a step additional with a day by day Coaching Readiness ranking and a brand new Staying power ranking. The previous is a attempted and true Garmin staple, however the Epix Professional 2’s Staying power metric is a dynamic information level that depends on your long-term coaching load and VO2 Max to gauge how properly you’ll maintain lengthy efforts.

I may stay going — it’s tricky to understand when to prevent speaking in regards to the Garmin Epix Professional 2. It’s a well-built GPS watch that simply doesn’t appear to expire, whether or not you’re searching for actions to trace or information issues to gather. Bring to mind it just like the Dalai Lama of GPS watches; it’s one with the whole thing.