Garmin fenix 7 Pro vs epix Pro vs Forerunner 965 | Which One Should You Buy?

The Garmin fēnix 7 Pro, epix Pro, and Forerunner 965 premium multisport watches have over 90% of Garmin’s best features in common. 

So what sets them apart and who are these watches for? 

Here are the areas that we think you must consider when it comes down to how you will make a choice between the three top Garmin watches:

• Battery life
• Durability
• Size and wearability
• Display
• PRICE!
• Golf and other outdoor features

First, we’ll give you the quick specs for each watch. Then we’ll talk about the bulk of glorious Garmin features these watches have in common. Then we’ll get to how these watches differ in these separate categories, so that when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, you can figure out which Garmin watch is right for you.

Remember, when you buy a Garmin watch on PlayBetter, you’ve got 60 days to return it—for free. If for ANY REASON, you don’t feel like it was the right choice, we make it super easy for you to exchange it right up online for a different one.

So let’s get down to it!

Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Quick Specs

What kind of watch is this? Outdoor GPS watch, running watch, ultra running watch, trail running smartwatch, triathlon watch, premium GPS multisport watch.  

Who is it for? Built for relentless athletes, outdoor enthusiasts, adventurers, backcountry hikers, ultra runners, and triathletes. 

Case Size/Weight:

The new 2023 Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Series is available 3 sizes:

• 42 mm x 42 mm x 14.1 mm / 58-65 g
• 47 mm x 47 mm x 14.5 mm / 73-79 g
• 51 mm x 51 mm x 14.9 mm / 89-96 g

Display Size/Type: 1.2”, 1.3”, and 1.4" sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) touchscreen

Lens/Bezel: Power Glass™ (Solar edition) / Power Sapphire™ (Sapphire Solar edition)

Battery Life:

Garmin fēnix 7S Pro (42 mm):

• Smartwatch: Up to 11 days/14 days with solar
• Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 38 days/87 days with solar
• GPS Only: Up to 37 hours/46 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems: Up to 26 hours/30 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 15 hours/16 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 7 hours
• Max Battery GPS: Up to 90 hours/162 hours with solar
• Expedition GPS: Up to 26 days/43 days with solar

Garmin fēnix 7 Pro (47 mm):

• Smartwatch: Up to 18 days/22 days with solar
• Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 57 days/173 days with solar
• GPS Only: Up to 57 hours/73 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems: Up to 40 hours/48 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 23 hours/26 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 10 hours
• Max Battery GPS: Up to 136 hours/289 hours with solar
• Expedition GPS: Up to 40 days/74 days with solar

Garmin fēnix 7X Pro (51 mm):

• Smartwatch: Up to 28 days/37 days with solar
• Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 90 days/1+ year with solar
• GPS Only: Up to 89 hours/122 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems: Up to 63 hours/77 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 36 hours/41 hours with solar
• All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 16 hours
• Max Battery GPS: Up to 213 hours/578 hours with solar
• Expedition GPS: Up to 62 days/ 139 days with solar

GPS: Built-in multi-GNSS positioning with SatIQ™ technology

Maps & Navigation: Preloaded topo maps, preloaded road and trail maps, real-time bread crumb trail, point to point navigation, back to start, TracBack®, up ahead

Available Colors:

Available models and colors include:

• Garmin fēnix 7S Pro – Solar Edition Silver with Graphite Band – 63 g
• Garmin fēnix 7S Pro – Sapphire Solar Carbon Gray DLC Titanium/ Black Band – 58 g
• Garmin fēnix 7 Pro – Solar Edition Slate Gray with Black Band – 65 g

 

• fēnix 7 Pro – Solar Edition Slate Gray with Black Band – 79 g
• fēnix 7 Pro – Sapphire Solar Edition Carbon Gray DLC Titanium with Black Band – 73 g
• fēnix 7 Pro – Sapphire Solar Edition Titanium with Fog Gray/Ember Orange Band – 73 g

 

• fēnix 7X Pro – Solar Edition Slate Gray with Black Band – 96 g
• fēnix 7X Pro – Sapphire Solar Edition Titanium with Fog Gray/Ember Orange Band – 89 g
• fēnix 7X Pro – Sapphire Solar Edition Carbon Gray DLC Titanium with Black Band – 89 g

Safety features: Livetrack, Group Livetrack, Live Event Sharing, Incident Detection during select activities, Incident Detection alert on phone for wearables, Assistance

Water Resistant: Yes

Price: $799.99 – $999.99

Garmin Forerunner 965 Quick Specs

What kind of watch is this? Running watch, triathlon watch, premium multisport GPS watch.

Who is the Forerunner 965 for? Runners, triathletes, marathoners, and ultra runners.

Case Size/Weight: 47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2 mm / 53 g

Display Size/Type: 1.4" AMOLED optional always-on mode touchscreen

Lens/Bezel: Corning® Gorilla® Glass DX / Titanium

Battery Life:

• Smartwatch mode: Up to 23 days
• GPS-only mode without music: Up to 31 hours
• SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode: Up to 22 hours
• All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band: Up to 19 hours
• GPS-Only GNSS mode with music: Up to 10.5 hours
• SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode with music: Up to 9.5 hours
• All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band with music: Up to 8.5 hours

GPS: Built-in multi-frequency positioning (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS)

Maps & Navigation: Preloaded topo maps, preloaded road and trail maps, real-time bread crumb trail, point to point navigation, back to start, TracBack®, up ahead

Available Colors:

• Carbon Gray DLC Titanium Bezel with Black Case and Black/Powder Gray Silicone Band
• Titanium Bezel with Whitestone Case and Whitestone/Powder Gray Silicone Band
• Carbon Gray DLC Titanium Bezel with Black Case and Amp Yellow/Black Silicone Band

Safety features: Livetrack, Group Livetrack, Spectator Messaging, Live Event Sharing, Incident Detection during select activities, Incident Detection alert on phone for wearables, Assistance

Water Resistant: Yes

Price: $599.99

Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Quick Specs

What kind of watch is this? Stylish multisport smartwatch, running GPS watch, triathlon watch. 

Who is it for? Active lifestyles, athletes, triathletes, and serious runners.

Case Size/Weight:

The new 2023 Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) series now offers 3 sizes:

• 42 mm x 42 mm x 14.1 mm / 58-63 g
• 47 mm x 47 mm x 14.5 mm / 70-78 g
• 51 mm x 51 mm x 14.9 mm / 88-98 g 

Display Size/Type: 1.2”, 1.3”, and 1.4" AMOLED touchscreen

Lens/Bezel: Corning® Gorilla® Glass (Standard edition) / Sapphire Crystal (Sapphire edition)

Battery Life:

42 mm Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2)

• Smartwatch: Up to 10 days (4 days always-on)
• Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 14 days 
• GPS Only: Up to 28 hrs (20 hrs always-on )
• All Satellite Systems: Up to 21 hrs (16 hrs always-on)
• All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 13 hrs (10 hrs always-on)
• All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 6 hrs
• Max Battery GPS: Up to 49 hrs
• Expedition GPS: Up to 9 days

47 mm Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2)

• Smartwatch: Up to 16 days (6 days always-on)
• Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 21 days 
• GPS Only: Up to 42 hrs (30 hrs always-on )
• All Satellite Systems: Up to 32 hrs (24 hrs always-on)
• All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 20 hrs (15 hrs always-on)
• All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 10 hrs 
• Max Battery GPS: Up to 75 hrs
• Expedition GPS: Up to 14 days

51 mm Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2)

• Smartwatch: Up to 31 days (11 days always-on)
• Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 41 days 
• GPS Only: Up to 82 hrs (58 hrs always-on )
• All Satellite Systems: Up to 62 hrs (48 hrs always-on)
• All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 38 hrs (30 hrs always-on)
• All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 17 hrs 
• Max Battery GPS: Up to 145 hrs
• Expedition GPS: Up to 27 days

GPS: Built-in multi-GNSS positioning with SatIQ™ technology

Maps & Navigation: Preloaded topo maps (Sapphire edition; can download onto Standard edition), preloaded road and trail maps, real-time bread crumb trail, point to point navigation, back to start, TracBack®, up ahead

Available Colors:

Each epix Pro model offers 3 color palettes:

• 42 mm: Silver/Whitestone Band, Soft Golf/Light Sand Band, Carbon Gray DLC Titanium/Black Band
• 47 mm: Slate Gray/Black Band, Carbon Gray DLC Titanium/Black Band, Titanium/Whitestone Band
• 51 mm: Slate Gray/Black Band, Carbon Gray DLC Titanium/Black Band, Titanium/Whitestone Band

Safety features: Livetrack, Group Livetrack, Live Event Sharing, Incident Detection during select activities, Incident Detection alert on phone for wearables, Assistance

Water Resistant: Yes

Price: $899.99 – $1,099.99

Features in Common on These Top Garmin Watches

The Garmin fēnix 7 Pro, epix Pro, and Forerunner 965 all share nearly all of Garmin robust features regarding activities, sports, health, smart features, and navigation. 

Each one offers all the same health monitoring like advanced wrist-based heart rate, Pulse Ox, and sleep score and insights. 

These premium Garmin multisport watches are loaded with unparalleled training tools such as morning report, training readiness, realtime stamina, training status, training load, VO2 Max for run and trail run—and so much more.

As far as navigation goes, you can get full topographical maps on every one, plus point-to-point, back to start, up ahead—so much more than competing brands offer.

Smart features on these Garmin watches include Bluetooth, ANT+, and Wi-Fi connectivity, smart notifications, calendar, weather widget, music controls and storage for phone-free listening, and more!

The Few Exceptions …

The differences in sport, activity, smart, health, navigation, and safety features between these Garmin smartwatches are so slight, we can list them all here:

• The new fēnix 7 Pro and epix Pro do not have relaxation reminders while the FR965 does.
• The Forerunner does not have a jet lag adviser while the Garmin fēnix 7 Pro and epix Pro do.
• Only the FR 965 in this bunch offers spectator messaging (allows your followers in the LiveTrack feature to send audio and text messages during your LiveTrack activities; must have a connected smartphone).
• The fēnix 7 Pro and epix Pro (Gen 2) offer move alerts; FR 965 does not.
• The Forerunner 965 does not have the HRV Stress Test; the other two do with a compatible accessory.
• Both the epix Pro and fēnix 7 Pro series have customizable in-activity battery settings, which can extend battery life greatly; the FR 965 does not.
• The Forerunner 965 does not offer the Hill Score or Endurance score features.
• The epix Pro and fēnix 7 Pro lineups do not have the course- and weather-specific race predictor feature; the FR 965 does.
• The Forerunner does not have ski resort maps, reference point, tides, tide glance, or Expedition GPS activity navigation features.

Based on history, it is possible that the FR 965 might get some of the newer training features like Hill Score, in a later firmware update. But there is no indication of it currently. 

Forerunner 965 vs fēnix 7 Pro vs epix Pro — Best Battery Life

If battery life is important, then one of the Garmin fēnix 7/7S/7X Pro Solar or Solar Sapphire editions is the way to go, no question. If you use your watch to train daily—that is, you are using GPS a lot, perhaps along with your training tune, and let’s say you run when it’s dark out sometimes—you are going to want a watch that doesn’t have to be charged every few days.

Remember, you want these watches on your wrist 24/7 because Garmin watches give you a picture of your overall health, rest and recovery status. And a lot of this analysis happens during your sleep.  

With a solar GPS watch like the fēnix 7 Pro on your wrist, you can go weeks without charging. 

That being said, if you aren’t that hardcore about battery life and charging your GPS multisport watch, the Garmin epix Pro does give you some wiggle room over the Forerunner 965. 

For example, the Forerunner 965 gives you up to 23 days in smartwatch mode and up to 31 hours in GPS mode. And that’s it. When you factor in advanced GPS positioning plus music, that 31 hours decreases, but otherwise, those numbers are the best you are going to get, because there is no power manager on this watch.

The 51 mm epix Pro offers better battery life than that, plus it has a battery saver watch mode that will get you up to 41 days and a max battery GPS mode that will get you up to 75 hours and an expedition GPS mode that will get you up to 14 days. But remember, when you are using power saving modes, you are often sacrificing other features or a bit of accuracy in the GPS readings. The point is, you can control when these modes are on and off—and you can customize them!

So, if battery life is at the top of your list, something from the fēnix 7 Pro series should be your first choice, followed by the Garmin epix Pro, then the Forerunner 965. 

And, by the way, even the Garmin watches that put out the lowest battery life still compete with other quality GPS watch brands. 

Most Durable Garmin Watch

Are you planning on putting your GPS watch through it? Maybe you are a trail runner or spend a lot of time in the backcountry. Perhaps you’re simply always-on physically and the likelihood that your watch might get whacked and scraped is more elevated than on the wrist of the average Joe or Jane. 

If this is you, your first choice will be a fēnix 7S/7/7X Pro Sapphire Solar. First of all, this outdoor GPS watch is tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock and water resistance. Secondly, the Sapphire editions have a scratch-resistant Power Sapphire lens, and titanium bezel and rear case cover. The Solar edition has a stainless steel bezel and rear case cover.

As with the battery life category, the Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) will be your second choice for durability, as it also offers two Sapphire models in each size that feature a scratch-resistant Sapphire Crystal lens and titanium bezel/rear cover.

The Garmin Forerunner 965 has a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 DX lens with a titanium bezel and plastic case. While it’s not quite as resistant to damage, these watches are still high-quality. 

Garmin fēnix 7 Pro vs epix Pro vs Forerunner 965 Size Comparison

Both the new Garmin fēnix and epix series offer three sizes: 42 mm, 47 mm, and 51 mm case sizes with 1.2”, 1.3”, and 1.4” displays, respectively. 

The Forerunner 965 comes in only a 47 mm case size with a 1.4” display. 

Because the FR 965 has a less bulky bezel and case there is more room for display real estate—which is awesome for the gorgeous AMOLED screen. This means that even though it has a bigger watch face, it is sleeker and lighter (53 g) on the wrist than the fēnix 7 Pro and epix Pro watches, both of which have a weight range, depending on size and model, of 58–96 g.

Between these top Garmin watches, there’s a size and wearability choice for everyone.   

Is an AMOLED Display a Must-Have?

If you can’t do without the vibrant AMOLED display that will put rich color and contrast onto your wrist real estate, you will want to choose between the epix Pro or the Forerunner 965.

The solar-charging fēnix 7 Pro series does not come with an AMOLED display.

Which Garmin Watch Fits Your Budget?

Of these premium Garmin watches, there’s quite a price range—and budget is a key factor when shopping for a new GPS smartwatch.

Garmin Forerunner 965: $599.99 

 

Garmin fēnix 7S Pro Solar: $799.99

Garmin fēnix 7S Pro Sapphire Solar: $899.99

Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Solar: $799.99

Garmin fēnix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar: $899.99

Garmin fēnix 7X Pro Solar: $899.99

Garmin fēnix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar: $999.99

 

42 mm epix Pro (Gen 2): $899.99

42 mm epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire: $999.99

47 mm epix Pro (Gen 2): $899.99

47 mm epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire: $999.99

51 mm epix Pro (Gen 2): $999.99

51 mm epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire: $1,099.99

Do You Want a Premium Golf Watch in Your Running Watch? 

The Forerunner 965 premium running GPS watch has about 75% of the Garmin Approach S70’s features. 

All of the fēnix 7 Pro and epix Pro multisport watches have ALL of this premium Golf watch’s features in it, including PlaysLike Distance, Virtual Caddie, Touch-Targeting, Wind Speed and Direction, and compatibility with Green Contours and Automatic Club Tracking.

Other Garmin Watch Choices

If we didn’t hit the sweet spot in this article, there are many other Garmin smartwatch choices. Want something more affordable but still advanced to be a running watch for a serious runner? Try the Garmin Forerunner 255. Want a sleeker watch with a lot of power? Take a look at the Forerunner 955 Solar. Want those mission-ready tactical features? You might love a Garmin tactix 7.