Garmin’s New Heart Rate Sensor // Epix Pro Gen 2 & Fenix 7 Pro Review

Summary

In this detailed review, the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro and Apex 2 Pro are tested for heart rate and sleep stage accuracy. While both devices show improvements over earlier models, they still struggle with heart rate detection during upper body exercises, and their sleep tracking, especially for REM sleep, could be more accurate. The Fenix 7 Pro performs slightly worse than the Apex 2 Pro, but both devices generally perform well in deep sleep and awake time detection. Despite minor improvements, the reviewer suggests waiting for further software updates before upgrading from older Garmin models, emphasizing that both watches are reliable but not groundbreaking.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Garmin Fenix 7 Pro and Apex 2 Pro show improvements in heart rate tracking compared to previous models, but still struggle with upper body exercises.
• 😀 The heart rate tracking on both watches is accurate during leg workouts, but inconsistent during upper body workouts, especially for back and biceps exercises.
• 😀 Both watches detect some heart rate peaks but miss others, especially during sets, and can only register a peak when the heart rate decreases after exercise.
• 😀 In comparison to other Garmin devices, the Fenix 7 Pro and Apex 2 Pro perform relatively well, though they're not among the best in terms of heart rate tracking accuracy for weightlifting.
• 😀 The new sensor in these watches seems to be a minor improvement over older models, but the difference is not significant enough to warrant an immediate upgrade for existing Garmin users.
• 😀 The heart rate accuracy is good for low heart rate ranges (50-90 BPM) but deviates more in higher ranges, with the Apex 2 Pro slightly outperforming the Fenix 7 Pro.
• 😀 Both watches performed reasonably well during sleep stage tracking, with the Apex 2 Pro showing a 93% agreement with EEG data for deep sleep, but struggling with REM sleep detection.
• 😀 The Phoenix 7 Pro and Apex 2 Pro struggle to track REM sleep accurately, which limits their ability to measure complete sleep cycles.
• 😀 Both watches show a high level of agreement with awake time detection, with 90% accuracy or better in detecting when the wearer is awake.
• 😀 While both watches perform decently for health and sports tracking, they are not yet at the top tier when compared to other brands like Apple, which excel in sleep stage tracking and overall health monitoring.

Q & A

How do the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro perform in heart rate tracking during different types of exercise?

The Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro perform well during leg exercises, accurately tracking heart rate. However, they struggle during upper body exercises, particularly when doing back and biceps workouts, often missing peaks in heart rate data.

What is the overall accuracy of heart rate tracking in the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro compared to chest straps?

Both watches perform reasonably well, ranking in the upper middle class for heart rate tracking. However, for weightlifting and more intense workouts, the performance is not as reliable as a chest strap, which is recommended for better accuracy.

Are there any watches that outperform the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro in heart rate tracking during weightlifting?

Yes, the Apple Watch and some specific Huawei watches have a higher correlation (0.9 or greater), making them more accurate for weightlifting and heart rate tracking than the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro.

How do the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro compare in sleep stage tracking against an EEG device?

In initial testing, both watches show good performance in tracking deep sleep (around 93% agreement) and awake time (around 90% agreement). However, they struggle with REM sleep, showing poor agreement (44%), which makes it difficult to track sleep cycles accurately.

Which sleep stage did the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro struggle with the most in the EEG comparison?

Both watches struggled the most with REM sleep, detecting only 44% of the REM sleep detected by the EEG device, often confusing it with light sleep.

What is the performance of the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro in detecting light sleep?

The Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro have decent performance in detecting light sleep, with an agreement rate of about 72%. There was a small percentage of disagreement, mostly with deep sleep.

What is the general consensus about the new heart rate sensor in the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro?

The new heart rate sensor shows slight improvements over previous Garmin models but doesn't warrant upgrading from older Garmin devices yet. Future software updates could potentially improve its accuracy further.

How do the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro compare to other watches in terms of sleep stage tracking accuracy?

Compared to other devices, such as Apple Watches and Whoop straps, the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro perform decently but are not among the top performers for sleep stage tracking. They have shown improvement in recent years but still lag behind some other premium brands.

What did the reviewer suggest as the best way to get accurate heart rate data for weightlifting?

The reviewer recommended using an ECG chest strap for the most accurate heart rate data during weightlifting. While the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro are good for general fitness, they struggle with precise tracking in weightlifting.

How did the reviewer feel about the potential for improvements in the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro sensors?

The reviewer sees potential for minor improvements in the sensors but doesn't think the difference is significant enough to warrant upgrading from an older Garmin model at the moment. They are hopeful that future software updates could bring better performance.