Garmin Fenix 5 Plus review: The champion smart sports watch is better than ever

Garmin has refreshed its Fenix range for 2018, adding more features into the 5 Plus and making it more powerful than ever. Despite its significant price tag, is this the best smart sports watch to buy

Great build quality and durability; GPS locks location quickly; Accurate heart rate sensor; Music makes carrying a phone unnecessary; 10 day battery life; 100m water proofing

Sleep tracking is inconsistent; Battery life not quite as good as previous Fenix 5 or Forerunner 945; Loading music is cumbersome; It's undeniably expensive

Garmin Fenix 5S Plus

It may not look like it on the surface, but Garmin's new Fenix 5 Plus fitness watches are quite different from last year's models. Yes, they still have a design that tries to mesh sport and style as seamlessly as possible, but inside the 5S, 5, and 5X Plus models have much-needed new features.

Attractive design with case size options for all wrists; Long battery life; Plethora of activities to track that monitor just as many fitness metrics; New onboard maps let you navigate without your phone; Newly added Garmin Pay and music storage; Optional pulse oximeter will appeal to hikers and...

Automatic exercise recognition needs improvement; Pulse Ox sensor only available on 5X Plus; Connect IQ store doesn't have many non-fitness apps; No LTE option; Can be incredibly expensive

Garmin Fenix 5S Plus review

It was a year ago that Garmin launched the Fenix 5 range, and for the first time included a smaller watch in its ranks, the Fenix 5S . For 2018, Garmin is giving that trio of sports watches a refresh, with the Garmin Fenix 5S Plus still providing an option for people who find the 5S Plus and 5X Plus...

Full-color topographic maps; Music and Garmin Pay; More compact design

Expensive; No pulse oximeter (only 5X Plus; Sapphire version costs more