Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX)

Jun 10, 23 4:38

Post #1 of 37 (2345 views)

For those of you that use Garmin- how many use the watch pretty much 24/7 (daily to work, swims, running / biking, mowing the lawn, and so on)?

Does it seem to withstand the beating and keep on functioning?

I’ve got a few buddies who use theirs only for bike/run and have another for swim, mowing the lawn, etc for fear that the “nicer” Garmin will get gummed up from water, dirt / dust and whatnot.

Seems silly to have a really nice (expensive) watch and not use it 24/7 for fear it will die early.

What have your experiences been? I’m not investing in something that I’ll need to tip toe around.

Thoughts?

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 4:59

Post #2 of 37 (2325 views)

YMMV - I have been consistently using the same Garmin watch (935) for approximately five years, wearing it daily and occasionally even while sleeping. I have a screen protector as a precautionary measure against damage to the face of the watch. The watch has been a extremely reliable, with nearly no change in both battery performance and overall appearance. Strongly recommend.

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 5:08

Post #3 of 37 (2319 views)

Been wearing my Fenix 5 sapphire every day for 5 years.

Last edited by: m@tty: Jun 10, 23 5:09

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 5:12

Post #4 of 37 (2311 views)

Wear my Vivoactive 4 as an every day watch. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking (wait, that was my old Ironman watch)

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 5:35

Post #5 of 37 (2294 views)

Thanks guys!
Appreciate the feedback.

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 5:42

Post #6 of 37 (2293 views)

I wore my Fenix daily and do the same with my Epix. I charge it once a week in about 45 minutes.

They do what they are marketed to do plus tracking stress and sleep on boring days and nights. The bezel does show more wear than I’d expect but it’s purely cosmetic and a result of my clumsiness but the screen remains looking new.

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 5:48

Post #7 of 37 (2288 views)

I'm a 7x24 wearer, except for showering. The only meaningful damage sustained is a solid scratch on the glass of my 935 from a fall while hiking. Its still going strong as a hand-me-down with a family member. Have an Epix now and it does everything I do without a second thought.

They are designed to be used hard.

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 5:51

Post #8 of 37 (2285 views)

I wear my epix sapphire 24/7. The altimeter gave out after about 14 months. Outside of the warranty but Garmin still replaced it with a refurbished. They said the chlorine from swimming can damage the sensor and should be washed out after every swim.

No other issues.

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [mynameiskory] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 7:38

Post #9 of 37 (2242 views)

mynameiskory wrote:

They said the chlorine from swimming can damage the sensor and should be washed out after every swim.

I wear mine in the shower after my swim, does that count? 😀

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [m@tty] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 7:39

Post #10 of 37 (2240 views)

m@tty wrote:

Been wearing my Fenix 5 sapphire every day for 5 years.

ditto - wearing a 'regular' fenix 5 daily (and nightly) for a few years now.

____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [mynameiskory] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 10:28

Post #11 of 37 (2192 views)

mynameiskory wrote:

I wear my epix sapphire 24/7. The altimeter gave out after about 14 months. Outside of the warranty but Garmin still replaced it with a refurbished. They said the chlorine from swimming can damage the sensor and should be washed out after every swim.

No other issues.

I’ve had mine (Fenix 5) replaced twice. I rinse it well after every swim and the sensor still eventually dies…known design flaw.

To the OP, they are great as an everyday watch. No reason to constrain them to workouts only. Also, get a screen protector off Amazon. I was in a major bike crash that shattered the protector, but the actual Garmin screen underneath survived without so much as a scratch.

ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 15:55

Post #12 of 37 (2119 views)

I wear my 955 24X7
Before that I wore me 945LTE 24X7
Before that it was the 945, then the 935, then the 920.

My GF now wears the 945LTS 24X7, I sold my 945 to a person that wears it 24X7.

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Lehrn2Lose] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 16:30

Post #13 of 37 (2107 views)

So I guess that would be my next question …………. does showering afterwards not clean the sensor?
What does one do to properly clean the sensor?
Thx!!

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 19:59

Post #14 of 37 (2064 views)

I've worn by fenix3,5,6 and now epix gen2 - all the time. 24 hours, 7 days a week.

No problems at all.

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 20:47

Post #15 of 37 (2051 views)

I just use a separate Garmin for chlorine pool swims

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 10, 23 23:22

Post #16 of 37 (2028 views)

I've been wearing my 920XT 24/7 for about 7 1/2 years, the only issue I've had was the stock Garmin straps would break after about 10-12 months. Switched to a cheap strap from Amazon, no problems for the last 4 years...

"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and I don't know why!"

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 11, 23 4:56

Post #17 of 37 (1971 views)

I’ve got a dinosaur Fenix3 that’s been going at least 9 years, between a friend and myself. I wear it 24/7, including R/B/S, pool, hot tub, steam room, sleep, shower, and gym workouts. Still going strong. It’s been through 4 stock bands, one neoprene band, and currently on its 3rd fabric webbing band. The battery still lasts about 4 days, and made it through my last 14 hour IM. And, the altimeter still works.

Athlinks / Strava

Last edited by: Dean T: Jun 11, 23 10:57

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Dean T] [ In reply to ]

Jun 11, 23 5:59

Post #18 of 37 (1931 views)

My Fenix 3 just hit its 8th birthday. Goes through a strap a year and sometimes has issues with connecting to the charger (I am on my second charger). One large scratch on the face from the corner of a granite countertop. Otherwise still going strong. Battery holding up much better than my 305 or Edge 520.

If I was shopping now and I was going to buy just for biking and running I would get a 965 over the Epix. Epix is meant to be a 24/7 watch.

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Math Drifter] [ In reply to ]

Jun 11, 23 6:38

Post #19 of 37 (1912 views)

To you and all 24/7 wearers - is there anything you do to avoid contact dermatitis, or are you just luckier than me?

I tend to get a patch of irritation after days/weeks/months continuous that then takes quite a while to heal. Lately I’ve reduced the amount I wear the watch to hopefully avoid it - but I would like to find a better solution as it is my primary activity tracker since my (OG, non subscription) Oura ring went missing :(

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 11, 23 6:55

Post #20 of 37 (1905 views)

Wear my 945 24/7. Only take it off to weigh every morning or to charge. Sauna, steam room, cold plunge, yard work, etc stays on. Got screen protector from Amazon. Still on original band going on 5 years. Only thing I had to replace is the ring on band that holds the excess band x2.

Let food be thy medicine...

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Y-Tri] [ In reply to ]

Jun 11, 23 6:57

Post #21 of 37 (1904 views)

Been wearing my 945 daily for 2 years now, before that was wearing a vivoactive 3 daily for years.
The main thing is to get a screen protector. I had almost cracked the screen of my 945 working under the house.
I also take it off when I shower. Otherwise, no complaints.

Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Ing.] [ In reply to ]

Jun 11, 23 8:22

Post #22 of 37 (1890 views)

I've switched to a fabric strap

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Ing.] [ In reply to ]

Jun 11, 23 11:02

Post #23 of 37 (1862 views)

I take it off to shower, dry my wrist well and wipe the watch down each time.

I also make sure I don't wear it too tight so it doesn't dig into my skin.

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Ing.] [ In reply to ]

Jun 11, 23 12:58

Post #24 of 37 (1833 views)

Perhaps just lucky. Minor bits of irritation have happened but it's been very rare and has never persisted.

Similar to another response, I do rinse it in the shower after each swim session (~3x/week), and tend to dry my wrist and the watch reasonably well before putting it back on. I'm also on the bandwagon of nylon bands. Never had an issue with the silicone and irritation, I just find the nylon more comfortable and get a better fit.

Re: Daily use of a watch- (specifically Garmin EPIX) [Ing.] [ In reply to ]

Jun 11, 23 23:58

Post #25 of 37 (1748 views)

Ing. wrote:

To you and all 24/7 wearers - is there anything you do to avoid contact dermatitis, or are you just luckier than me?

I wear my 955 24/7 and before that the 945. I swapped to a fabric loop strap as I too found I had some irritation with it - I think for some, the plastic straps don't allow the wrist to breath so you end up with a humid area around the wrist all the time causing rashes etc.

Strap - https://www.amazon.com/...stinct/dp/B09BG4ZPMR

I clean my watch while I shower, by leaving it in the sink soaking with some warm water and liquid hand soap - I press the buttons and rub the sensor area and then just rinse it off with fresh water.

My only problem now is a massive tan line :)

Regards, Richard

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