I’m a big fan of the Garmin fēnix, I’ve worn the various models over the years and use it to track all my outdoor activities. I was excited when they released the new Garmin fēnix 6S Pro Solar Edition. An activity watch powered by the sun so it lasts much longer between charges–a total game changer in the smart watch world!

The Garmin fēnix 6s Pro Solar is a sleek watch! It comes in 3 sizes, 42mm, 47mm, and 51mm and multiple colors. I have the 42mm Women of Adventure edition. The smaller size suits me well in my day to day life as well as for all my outdoor activities. It does not have a touch screen, however it does have 5 buttons, each function clearly labeled. This watch comes packed with so many sensors that it can be overwhelming at first use but it becomes so much fun discovering all it’s capabilities. And if all the features weren’t enough, you can access thousands of widgets, apps and data fields through the Garmin Connect IQ Store.

I used the fēnix 6s Pro Solar watch on my latest road trip to Utah. I was lucky enough to score permits to hike The Wave. The Wave is a unique sandstone formation located on the Utah/Arizona border in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Navigating the desert wilderness can be intimidating to some as there is no formal trail and you have to cross through exposed desert in triple digit heat! I was grateful for the topographic maps loaded in the watch. The maps made the trail easy to locate The Wave as well as guide us back to our car after finishing the trek.

The solar powered battery lasted through the hike as well as through my entire trip–I didn’t have to charge by cord once during the 4 day trip! The solar power feature is perfect for backpacking trips, long day hikes, and camping trips in which you don’t always have access to power outlets. The battery life depends on usage:

• Smartwatch: up to 21 days +3 days
• GPS: up to 60 hours +6 hours
• GPS and music: up to 15 hours +1 hour
• Max battery GPS mode: up to 120 hours +28 hours
• Expedition GPS mode: up to 46 days +10 days
• Battery saver watch mode: up to 80 days +40 days

The Garmin fēnix 6s tracks just about everything you’d want in your physical activities as well as in the performance of your own body. Some of the best features include:

• Wrist-based heart rate and Pulse Ox² 
• Body Battery Energy Monitor tracks your body’s energy reserves, using heart rate variability, stress, sleep and other data to gauge when you’re ready to be active or when you may need to rest.
• Respiration Tracking, monitors your breathing throughout the day, as you sleep, or during a workout.
• Activity tracking that includes, trail running, walking, hiking, biking, paddle boarding, pool swim, open water, triathlon, indoor climb, ski, yoga, snowboard, row, kayak, golf, cardio, pilates, and newly added indoor climbing, bouldering, and surf sessions.
• Missing your gym workouts? No problem! The Fenix 6s includes easy to follow animated cardio, strength, yoga, and pilates workouts you can view straight from your watch screen.
• Advanced sleep monitoring that tracks light, deep, and REM sleep cycles as well as Pulse Ox2 score and stress levels.
• Pace Pro Technology feature helps keep you on pace with grade-adjusted guidance as you run a course.

The Garmin fēnix 6s Pro Solar also has all the features of a typical smart watch including:

• Smart notifications: text messages, emails and alerts
• Stores up to 2,000 songs and pairs with most music apps so you can have your tunes right on your wrist (no need to bring your phone with you on your run!)
• Garmin Pay contactless payment solution
• Safety and Tracking Features that sends your location to your contacts in case of an incident or emergency

The Garmin fēnix 6s Pro Solar is a top of the line multi-sport smartwatch. It’s pricy but totally worth the investment. It tracks just about everything you could possibly want and then some!