Do smart watches last

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated December 20, 2024

Contributions sourced from

How Long Do Garmin Watch Last?: Decoding Lifespan and Durability

Investing in a Garmin watch prompts the inevitable question: How long do Garmin watches last?

H having used Garmin watches for several years, primarily for tracking my running endeavors, Ill share my insights and experiences in this comprehensive guide.

Before making a purchase, its crucial to understand these devices longevity, durability, and battery life.

Garmin Watches Overview

Garmin offers various watches, from high-end models to more budget-friendly options. While none can be considered cheap, the investment in a Garmin watch, ranging from $150 to $1500, sparks questions about its lifespan, support, and potential issues.

My journey with Garmin watches began in 2020 with the Forerunner 225. Over the years, Ive expanded my collection to include the impressive Fenix 7 and the entry-level Forerunner 55.

The longevity of Garmin watches is a notable feature, with most models quickly remaining functional for Five years or more. Some users report reliable use for close to a decade.

Also see How to Restart Garmin Forerunner 235: Step-by-Step Guide

How Long Do Garmin Watches Last?

Its difficult to give a one-size-fits-all answer to how long Garmin watches last, as it depends on several factors:

Model: Different Garmin models have varying lifespans. High-end models like the Fenix series are built tougher and may last longer than budget-friendly options.

Usage: How you use your watch will impact its longevity. Frequent GPS use, continuous heart rate monitoring, and other demanding features will drain the battery and potentially wear down components quickly.

Care: Taking good care of your watch, including protecting it from scratches, bumps, and water damage, can significantly extend its lifespan.

Battery: Rechargeable batteries naturally degrade over time, and the number of charge cycles can affect how long they last.

Individual experiences: User experiences vary. Some people report their Garmin watches lasting several years without issue, while others encounter problems sooner.

Garmins official stance:Garmin doesnt provide an official lifespan for its watches, but some users report a3-6 yearrange as typical.

Here is my personal experience with the Garmin Watch.

Durability in Real-world Scenarios

Garmin watches are renowned for their durability. Having tested multiple models over the years, my first Forerunner 225 from 2020 is still fully functional despite acquiring a few dings and scuffs.

These watches are designed to withstand various environments, including exposure to water during activities such as surfing, canoeing, and showering.

However, extreme activities like trail running, mountain biking, or white water rafting pose potential risks.

Accidental impact, especially on the display, can lead to internal water damage. Nevertheless, if used cautiously, Garmin watches are tough and hard-wearing.

Also See When Will Garmin Fenix 8 Come Out?: Exploring Release Date and Features

Battery Life and Cycles

The internal components of Garmin watches, including the battery, are built for durability.

On average, these components can last around seven years or more. However, the rechargeable battery may start losing its charge faster after approximately 500 charging cycles.

Premium Garmin watches often boast superior battery technology, offering an extended lifespan.

The concern arises after 5000 cycles, where the batterys unique characteristics make it challenging to predict its usability.

In my experience, using a Garmin watch daily for 90% of its six-year lifespan, the device still charges up and holds its charge well.

For those who opt for Garmin, more expensive fitness watches are recommended.

These are for those seeking the best battery lifeatches and utilize top-notch components and powerful battery units, ensuring longer runtimes than their cheaper counterparts.

Read How to Set up Garmin Pay on Your Garmin Watch

Replaceable Batteries

While most Garmin smartwatches and fitness watches do not feature user-replaceable batteries, exceptions exist. The Garmin Forerunner 50, for instance, comes with a replaceable battery.

However, this model is now discontinued, and purchasing it through official channels is impossible.

If you own a Forerunner 50, replacing its battery can be done by following Garmins guidelines.

This involves backing up all activity data with Garmin Connect, removing the back cover plate, replacing the storm, and ensuring all components are returned to their original positions.

Despite this capability, for the majority of Garmin watches, once the battery reaches its end of life, replacing it becomes impractical.

However, this may not be a concern for most users, as the lifespan of a Garmin watch battery can range from 10 to 15 years, depending on usage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Garmin watches are built to last, featuring incredible sports tracking features and robust durability.

Even the more budget-friendly models, like the Garmin Forerunner 55, offer impressive longevity. With an average battery life of a week to two, these watches cater to various users and activities.

Concerns about battery degradation after 500 charging cycles are mitigated by the lasting performance observed in real-world usage. Premium Garmin watches are a worthy investment for those requiring extended battery life.

Explore Garmin Watch Features

The features extend beyond essential timekeeping for those new to smartwatches and Garmin devices.

Notable functionalities include Garmin Body Battery, Stress Measurement, Garmin Sleep Score, Garmin Connect, and Training Status.

These features contribute to a holistic health and fitness tracking experience, making Garmin watches an invaluable tool for health-conscious individuals.

GPS Smartwatch, AMOLED Display, Up to 11 Days of Battery

GPS Smartwatch, Music, Body Energy Monitoring, Animated Workouts, Pulse Ox Sensors

How Long Do Garmin Watches Last? My Personal Experience

If youre thinking about investing in a Garmin watch, you might be wondering how long a Garmin watch actually lasts? Heres everything you need to know before you buy one

Key Takeaways:

Longevity: Garmin watches are built to last. Most can easily remain functional for five years or more. Some users have experienced close to a decade of reliable use.
Durability: While these watches are designed to withstand tough conditions and water exposure, extreme activities could lead to potential damage, such as screen breakage or internal water damage.
Battery Life: The internal components, including the battery, are built for durability, often lasting around seven years or more. However, the rechargeable battery may start to lose charge faster after about 500 charging cycles. Premium Garmin watches tend to have superior battery technology.
Non-Replaceable Batteries: Most Garmin watches do not feature user-replaceable batteries. When the battery reaches its end of life, youll likely need to purchase a new watch. However, some older or specialized models, like the Forerunner 50, do have replaceable batteries.
Consistent Battery Life: Most Garmin watches offer a week to two weeks of battery life, depending on usage. This applies even to some of the less expensive models in the range.

Heres our current picks for the best Garmin watches right now across all potential budgets.

Garmin watches come in all shapes, sizes, and formats. You have high-end Garmin watches and more affordable options. None of them are what youd consider cheap, however, even at the lower end of Garmins product selection.

And if youre planning on dropping anywhere from $200 to $800 on a Garmin watch, you probably want to know how long the watch will last, how long it will be supported, and how long before problems start showing up, right?

Ive been using Garmin watches for years. I use them for tracking my running. I got my first Garmin watch back in 2015 a Forerunner 225 and that watch is still working fine today. Since then, Ive added a few more to my collection, including the excellent Fenix 7 and the entry-level Forerunner 55.

How Long Do Garmin Watches Last?

**Check Out The Best Garmin Watches Right Now**

Garmin watches are exceptionally durable. Most will easily remain functional for five years or more. Some users have experienced close to a decade of reliable use. I got my first watch back in 2015 and it still works fine today. Yes, it has a few dinks and scuffs but all the internal components are 100% functional. Basically, a Garmin watch will last you years and years at a time may be close to a decade.

Of course, the more you use your watch, and the more dangerous your activity, the more likely you are to cause damage to it. If youre running trails, mountain biking, white water rafting, or something similar, you do run the risk of smashing up the display which could lead to internal water damage but thats kind of a given.

All of Garmins watches are designed to be used in all kinds of environments, including water. You can wear a Garmin while surfing, canoeing, showering, and when youre in the bath and/or pool. Theyre designed to be tough and hard-wearing, which they are, but if you smash it into a rock, the screen can break. If you can avoid doing that, you wont run into any problems.

How Long Do Garmin Batteries Last?

The components inside your Garmin watch are good for seven years easily maybe more. But ALL wearable devices, including Garmin watches, run on internal batteries, and these do have a finite shelf life, just like your phone, tablet, and wireless headphones.

Like phones, your Garmin watch runs a rechargeable battery, and that battery only has a certain amount of charging cycles before it starts to dwindle and lose capacity. Normally, this is around 500 cycles. Your Garmin will still work fine after 500 charging cycles, but it might start losing charge faster after this number has been passed.

How long does it last after 5000 cycles? Its hard to say, every battery is unique it could do another 5000 cycles before it becomes unusable or it could be 500. Theres no hard and fast rule here. In my experience, this isnt something you need to worry about. My six-year-old Garmin, and keep in mind I used it every day for 90% of its life, still charges up and holds its charge fine.

If you do want the most bang for your buck with respect to battery life, youll have to go with one of Garmins more expensive fitness watches. These use the best possible components and the most powerful battery units. These units will run longer and last longer than the companys cheaper devices which run inferior battery tech.

Are Garmin Watch Batteries Replaceable?

Most of Garmins smartwatches and fitness watches do not feature user-replaceable batteries. This means once the battery reaches its end of life, its last cycle, you will need to get a new fitness tracker. Again, though, this could take anywhere from 10 to 15 years depending on how often you use the watch. Most casual users will never have to worry about this.

However, there are certain Garmin watches that come with replaceable batteries. The Garmin Forerunner 50, for instance, runs on a user-replaceable battery although it is now discontinued.

If you have a Forerunner 50, however, you can swap out its battery for a fresh one by yourself, or, if you dont fancy doing that, you can take it to a watch technician to do it for you. Either way, the Forerunner 50s battery is replaceable.

But you cannot buy this model anymore. At least, not through the official channels anyway.

Garmin even provides advice on how to remove and replace the battery inside the Garmin Forerunner 50. Heres how you do it, according to Garmin:

If desired, backup all activity data with Garmin Connect
Remove back cover plate from watch
Remove battery from the watch module
Wait one minute to ensure all residual energy has been discharged
Insert a new CR2032 battery
Ensure all contacts and insulators are put back in their original positions
Replace back cover plate to watch

You Dont Need To Worry About This Though

As Ive said throughout this post, Garmin watches are built to last. They have incredible sports tracking features, and theyre durable as heck even the cheaper models like the Garmin Forerunner 55 which Im currently road-testing right now.

With battery life, youll get a week or two from nearly all of Garmins watches. Again, this depends on how much/often youre using its GPS. I run four to five times a week, around 10-12 hours in total, and all of the watches I have used in my time tended to last around 7 10 days between charges.

Check out our best Garmin watches for runners guide, its a fairly detailed guide to the top 3 Garmin watches you can buy right now. Ive included just three options to keep it simple and focussed: you have an expensive option, a mid-range option, and a cheap option. Basically, one for every kind of user and budget.

Explore Garmin Watch Features

If youre new to smartwatches and Garmin watches in general, theres a whole world of health and fitness tracking that youve been missing out on. Heres just some of the awesome things your smartwatch can do:

Garmin Body Battery: This feature calculates your energy levels throughout the day by analyzing factors like heart rate, stress, and physical activity. Think of it as a fuel gauge for your body, helping you know when to push hard or take a break.
Stress Measurement: Garmin watches measure stress levels based on heart rate variability. This metric can help you understand how your body is responding to various pressures, both physical and emotional, so you can manage your day better.
Garmin Sleep Score: Garmins sleep tracking offers a Sleep Score based on the quality and duration of your sleep. This score considers factors like REM cycles and restfulness, providing insights to help you improve your sleep patterns.
Garmin Connect: This is Garmins mobile app and online platform where you can sync, analyze, and share your fitness and wellness data. It serves as the central hub for tracking and understanding your health metrics.
Training Status: This feature assesses your recent exercise history and performance metrics to provide insights into your training progress, including whether youre undertraining, peaking, or overdoing it.

For more details on all of these and much, much more check out our Ultimate Beginners Guide To Garmin Watch

Richard Goodwin

Richard Goodwin is a leading UK technology journalist with a focus on consumer tech trends and data security. Renowned for his insightful analysis, Richard has contributed to Sky News, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 2, and CNBC, making complex tech issues accessible to a broad audience.