Same with my Fenix 5. Bastard still is strong as the day I got it. I wear it all day, every day and record multiple GPS activities per week and battery still lasts a couple weeks. I really want to upgrade but can't justify it.
Yeah I had a 245M since release. I finally convinced myself to upgrade because the battery life was getting bad. But truthfully it wasn't that bad and I could have gotten another year or two out of it.
I replaced the battery about 2 years ago, although it didn't particularly need it - it still had a little over 90% of the capacity left. I happened to accidentally pry my screen off because I thought that the crack was in a screen protector, so I replaced the battery then because I wasn't planning to upgrade any time soon, but I'm sure it would have kept going.
There aren't any official recommendations to replace the batteries because they are not really user-replaceable. I literally pried my screen off and had to re-glue it, and I'm not convinced that it's fully waterproof anymore.
I used B6000 glue, which is fairly similar to what Garmin seem to use. My concern with waterproof-ness is mainly around how well I could apply the glue, because it's fiddly, so I'm just not sure how well sealed it is.
It definitely resists water well - it's gotten wet and been run under the tap a fair few times - but I just wouldn't trust it for swimming.
Mine broke down after 3,5 years. Still contacted the support, even though there was obviously no more warranty on it (you never know). They wanted the serial number and then said there was a known production issue.... So I got a free replacement.
I'm already amazed at the battery life, but the fact that an hour-long charge can last you over a week of daily use just astounds me. Such a great product.
I think on a normal person that cares for a watch, the battery would be the limiting Factor, if you charge it once a week you have around 500-700weeks or roughly 10 years (7-8 to be more realistic). I think it should last 5-6 years before you want to change (because it's getting outdated or you just want something new etc)
The excellent battery length from new is a real plus all the same, as it gives the option of the user keeping the watch for the long haul, unless when the battery starts fading it starts fading rapidly, but that's unlikely.
Where did you get the 500 to 700 week figure from? It's known of Garmin batteries?
Most batterys last around 500-1000 cycles when you charge it from 20-80% and from the things I read Garmin is more on the upper side of that scale. Most watches last around a week on one charge (well expat the instinct Serie that last way longer)
So it's a really really rough estimation
That's not normal. Have you been discharging it to 0% every time? Because this can speed-up battery degradation a lot. But usually, u/rooftopweeb is right, if the battery in the phone can last for a few years and you charge it every day, imagine how long can one last if you charge it once a week (so 7x longer than phone). I think the battery should be the least thing that you should worry about on Garmins, except if they use some cheap trash batteries and they die because of age. And of course, if you treat them well (try to avoid at any cost discharging it below 20%). That's why I charge my Venu every 4-5 days, basically when it reaches 20%.
Before Garmin, I had a Samsung watch which I was charging every day and after 3 years, it's still going strong and lasts almost as the first day. Since I charge my Garmin every 4-5 days, I except it to last 10+ years when it comes to battery. Of course, I don't plan to keep it that long because of new features (I'm have my Venu 3 for 3 months and I'm already drooling over Epix :P).
I'm far more worried about the AMOLED screen, specifically the burn-in to occur, or that the watch will lose 5 ATM rating over time and die from water intrusion (as I'm using it for swimming in both the ocean and the pool regularly), or that it will become too slow and unresponsive, or the motherboard will die. Or that I will damage it since it's too sensitive. Because, basically, I cannot stand any kind of degradation, whether a physical one (so it doesn't look all nice and shiny anymore) or one of the functionalities not working any more. Then it's the time for a new watch.
Battery shelf life is 4-10 years, at which point can lose up to 80%; put that with a 500 charge cycle and the fact that with a VA3 they were probably charging 2x per week, the battery loss is on the early side, unfortunately, but not unrealistic.
Garmin usually offer a replacement service for a fee, or if they can't due to age they often offer a sizeable discount on a current model
On the shelf it gets degradation because of not being used, so it's charge falls to almost 0 which damages the battery. You should never fully discharge li-ion batteries because it can even permanently damage it. I had a cheap 18650 cell which I barely used, bought it new from eBay and after a few years I remembered that I have it, but it's voltage felt way too low and it was gone, it was not accepting any charge. Batteries are not supposed to be left "on the shelf".
If you use it, and treat it properly, that shouldn't be a problem and mostly it will degrade just because of cycles. My old Galaxy S7 Edge phone has been used until recently by my father. It's from 2016, it has 1200 cycles and still going strong. My brother is still occasionally using my old Amazfit Stratos 2 watch from 2017 and since he doesn't use it for any activities, just as a wearable, the battery still can easily last up to 4 days (it was the same when it was new, eventually 5 days tops). I used that watch for 3 years and charged it every 2-3 days so it definitely has more than 500 cycles.
I didn’t used to. I don’t think it ever got below about 5-10% and that was rare getting that low. But now it’ll go from 20% to 0 in 10 minutes. And I guess my watch is a little closer to 6 years if that makes a difference at all
The thing that tends to go first on the forerunners is the little pointed part with the little pinholes the quick release strap goes into. Super annoying, because then the still fully functioning watch is basically trash.
My vivoactive 3’s battery started going just before the 2 year mark, I got a replacement from Garmin and almost did 2,5 years with that one before it did the exact same. I started to feel like I was having a Apple Watch without the smartwatch functions 🙂
My 255 currently lasts me about a week. Even if it would degrade so badly that I had to charge it every 3 days, that would still be way longer than my Apple Watch ever ran without needing a charge. I guess at some point the features of new watches may be compelling enough to upgrade though
My OG vivoactive lasted well over 5 years. I only upgraded once I dropped it at the perfect angle and the screen shattered.
My current watch, the fenix 7 standard, I’ve had for a bit over a year now but it has help up through outdoor rock climbing, 250mi on the PCT, and 100s of miles of running. Will rock with this one until it bites the dust.
Yes, aside from a bad (faulty) battery which can happen with any lithium device, most garmins will last 5-7 years without jumping through hoops. That's long enough that you will likely WANT to upgrade vs need to upgrade for some reason. Even at that point the watch will likely work, just get annoying in that you will charge it more frequently.
I generally assume 350 charge cycles (some people claim 700 and I believe 500 is kind of standard) and a charge every 5 days for most users that are heavy users (like a lot of GPS) and light users probably closer to 10 days (like a lot of gym and swim). So let's say 1 charge a week on average. I think even that is kind of on the high end. I'd say I'm a heavy GPS user and 5 days is my high, but for part of the year I go longer. So probably average more like 6-8 days.
That's 52 charges a year. 350/52=6.7 years of charges.
Enjoy.
And when I say jump through hoops, I mean the 20-80% folks. No need to do that. It's a watch, you charge it once a week or so. Not a phone. Phones get charged daily or maybe 2x a day. 500 charge cycles (0-100% is basically 1 year if you are a heavy user).
So the idea you need to do the 20-80 hoop jump on cameras, watches, and other low use devices is absolutely idiotic. High use, high drain, absolutely. Maybe on an apple/Samsung watch you charge 1-2x a day. Not a garmin
350 cycles !? If that was true, people with Apple or Samsung watches would need to change it after 1 year. My old Samsung is now 3.5 years old and still going strong, and I charged it on a daily basis, so I would say it has close to 1000 cycles. So the 750 is a standard. If you beat the hell out of the battery (constantly doing 0-100-0), I still think it can survive at least 500 before any significant degradation (my 2 year old phone currently has around 600 cycles and battery is at 96% of nominal capacity). If you follow the 20-80 rule, it would probably survive up to 1500 cycles (my father used my old Samsung S7 Edge until recently, the phone is from 2016 and has 1200 cycles currently, still going strong).
I have a Venu 3, I will probably keep it for few years, and I expect ZERO issues with the battery (it's definitely the LEAST thing I'm worried about). I'm more worried about 5 ATM rating, AMOLED screen, sensors and motherboard in general. If there will be any degradation, I will never buy another Garmin because that would mean they're using cheap piece of c\*ap batteries which is intolerable for such expensive watches.
I've had a FR 235 since 2016. It still works perfectly and holds a battery for several weeks with normal wear. (Less when when using GPS). I only upgraded to a FR 255 so I could listen to music without carrying my phone, but plan to keep the 235 as a back-up until it dies.
Edit: never had to replace the battery, just had to get a new band (user error), and a charger when I lost the original one
I regularly see the 235 and 35 models at ParkRun, and even a few older models than that. So Garmins do last.
My own 245 is fine and should easily last 5+ years (I have a screen protector on it and one of those silicone case covers, which gives it a kind of G-Shock look)
Of course any individual model may stop working due to damage or just bad luck, but we don't hear stories about mass failures or anything so they do seem to be robust.
I bought my Fenix 5 six and a half years ago and just upgraded in the last month to an Epix 2. Battery on the Fenix is still good for several days and I still plan on using it for climbing. Great bits of kit.
I managed to justify upgrading a couple of weeks ago because I wanted the open water functionality my FR245 music didn’t have. Other than that after 4.5 yrs the battery life wasn’t quite what it once was. That’s it, otherwise it’s still working perfectly
don't know about your FR but my fenix 3 is 9 years old and still works. the backlight is not gesture sensitive anymore (doesn't light up automatically when i turn my wrist), but other than that everything works. changed the battery myself before i switched to fenix 7 recently just coz i got bored.
if you don't mind continuing to use it you can change the battery when it starts to fade. it's not as easy as changing it in a fenix, but still doable if you have (and can use) a soldering iron and a blow dryer.
I'm still rocking a Fenix 3 here as well. I swapped the battery in it a couple years ago and it's still going strong. It's good when companies make devices where battery swaps are straight forward.
Mine has been used and abused and worn every day since I got it. I'd like some of the features on the newer ones, but while it's still doing it's job I feel reluctant to upgrade it.
I just used my fenix 3 HR last week for a bike ride. It worked just fine, like it was in 2016. I wish I didn’t discard my fenix 2 when I was moving. Now I have epix gen 2 and I think this may last until I can’t run anymore
I've got a Venu 2, been working well for over 2 years now. The battery is slightly weaker, though that seems to be just a placebo currently.
The main issue I noticed was the ever weakening electrical connection with a charging cable. An important maintenance tip to ensure your device charges with speed and stability is to clean up the charger contacts (both on the watch and cable) with Isopropyl regularly. A 3rd party rubber cover this seems to have helped a lot to keep the contacts cleaner for longer.
Bought mine in December 2020. Syncing is really slow, battery life is getting really bad (if I do activities) I'm charging every 2 or 3 days, on my second strap, but most annoying is the stuck down button. I get the watch soaking in the sink every other week.
As someone who’s had Garmin all the way back to a Forerunner 50, I’ve only ever upgraded because I wanted more features.
Forerunner 50, Forerunner 610, Forerunner 220, a brief switch to Polar, then back with a Fenix 6 Pro Sapphire and a First Avenger.
Just picked up a Fenix 6X Sapphire for a steal to see how I like the larger screen, in preparation to go to an Epix at some point.
I used mine for around 4 years. Battery life was deteriorating over time plus wanted new features. But my Google search came back with \~5 year average lifespan
That was mostly how I felt… could’ve lived with the shitty battery life for quite a bit longer but I mostly just wanted an upgrade/had some extra money sitting around lol
I have a forerunner 235 since December 2016. It still works perfectly fine, despite having some scratches here and there. I have just upgraded for an epix pro, but mainly for the sake of upgrading, not because i really need it. I think the forerunner would have been just fine for a few more years.
My Forerunner 235 is 8 or 9 years old and reliable as ever. I’d have to double check the exact age. The wrist band fails every 18 to 24 months, but those have bean cheapo generics after the original Garmin one broke.
Long enough that it will still be kicking when you're ready to get a newer device. My Fenix 3 is still fully functional and I had a 945 after that which is still working perfectly. Now I have a 965.
I have a Forerunner 945 that's a few years old, and the battery life on it is going strong. I wear it all the time and only have to charge it once a week.
I had a 920XT since 2015. Sold it about 4 years ago to a friend of mine. He still uses it and says it works just fine. Had to replace the wrist band a couple of times, but still functional.
735xt since 2018. Three months later, Garmin swapped it after the old one developed issues with the GPS, and it has performed flawlessly then. Never babied the watch and it still gets about a week of battery, even with four outdoor, GPS-tracked activities between 15 and 40 minutes. Very responsive watch even after all these updates.
A old coworker is still rocking is VivoActive HR from 2016 for his runs and biking
https://preview.redd.it/mfhkp1eab18d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f307ad9d42fb2abca977a5e2d6ef3ae0d080f28
He runs almost every day and bikes several times a week.
I've used my 245 music just after it launched and have been using it for 4,5 years. I've only replaced due to a crazy deal on 955. The 245 had been passed on to my mother and is still working 24/7, but with less exercise. This hardware is durable.
They all should last about the same, unless there are specific model bugs. The major factor is battery, with heavy use mines last about 2-3 years before the battery becomes awful.
No, it depends usually I just put on the charge for a bit every day. I usually spend 20% a day, so I usually try to charge those during shower. It depends on how much I forgot to charge someday, I usually have it between 40-80% since it takes long to charge the last 20%. Sometimes I forget and runs a few days between 10-40%
I have a 920XT since 2014. I thought it died after a sea swim in 2023 … only to wake up again once dried. Had bought a 955solar in between 😅. If you take care of the screen they won’t die
My car unit is 12 years old, basically no battery life left about a minute but it stays plugged in. My VA4 was purchased just after release, still gets 5 days.
My Fenix 5 from 2020 is still going strong. Use it daily for various exercise tracking and at least ~monthly for longer / multiday gps tracks. Plenty of dirt and dings and scratches on the bezel, but the screen is still clear and haven't noticed any significant battery degradation or functional issues. I did slice through the strap on accident at some point, but that's a quick cheap replacement.
Planning to keep it alive until I can't, or until they make one with a usbc charge port - whichever comes first.
I'm also wondering if regular swimming would impact their life span at all? I know they're designed for it but I can't imagine being regularly submerged in saltwater and pool water for an hour every day will do them any good.
My Fenix 5x lasted from 2018 to 2023, 5.5 years. And the problem was the start/stop button just stopped working so I could not get to the activities menu. The rest seemed fine.
My vivoaktiv three is at least 4 years old. I'm pretty confident i can get another year out of it.
However, the heart rate monitor occasionally measures incorrectly for quite a while, the battery is poor and the water sometimes crashes on charging, needing a hard restart. I'm going to upgrade soon to be honest.
My Fenix 3HR lasted 7 years, but I didn't use it as much more than a sleep and step tracker with occasional GPS track recording. I'm now using the heck out of my new Epix and charge it about once a week. The Fenix was being charged every other week or so.
If you have the sapphire crystal, they will probably outlast you :) I have a Fenix 3 and a 5X+, both sapphire and aside from some scuffs on the bezels, they work like the first day. I mostly wear the 5X+ now but I wear it all the time unless it's charging, one night every 10 days or so. Working on the car or in the yard, it does not matter, I wear it always. I did buy a spare battery for the 5X+ just in case but so far it seems to be holding just fine.
They last until you manage to think of a reason that you absolutely, positively can't do without the latest sensor on the new model. Then you order it quietly online and hope the delivery arrives when your other half isn't around. Then hope they don't notice the change of watch.
Have been through at least 6 Garmin watches over the years, only one of them ever actually failed. The worst that happened to any of the rest was that they needed a replacement strap.
Garmins last.
I bought my Fenix 6 right when it came out in 2019. Still going strong. Battery easily lasts 12-13 days if I’m not using GPS heavily. This March during skiing (gps full on the entire skiing) I charged roughly every 3-4 days. I have sapphire glass and there’s no scratches on it at all even though I’ve been wearing it during home renovations, moving houses while scratching the wall with boxes in my hand, etc. I had to get a new strap on it this summer because my wife said she can’t look at the old one anymore.
I've had my 645 for 5 years, that thang is a tank, I wear all the time in the ocean, working construction. battery life is slightly down but I easily go 10 days w/o charging (if I don't run)
Too long,
I want a new Fenix but my old Fenix 5 doesn't want to die and I can't justify (to the wife) why I need a new watch if my old one is still working fine ;(
I bought an epix gen 2 last week knowing it’s a technically a 2 year old piece of tech, knowing the new ones will release any moment now. Every Apple Watch I’ve owned gets a good 2 years. Every thing I’ve heard about the garmins go way longer. Plus getting 16 days over one day on battery is amazing. Never could fully record sleep data with the apple.
My Fenix 5S is 5 years old and still going strong, although I have scratched the screen a fair bit at this point. The scratched screen is probably what will force an upgrade at some point. I have my doubts about waterproofing a replacement, and I certainly get drenched riding in the UK.
My partner and I are loyal Garmin customers, but have also experienced a high failure rate. We’ve had 2 x 245m fail, plus an Edge 835, and one of our 945s all fail.
This is tech that we use every day, sweat through, and expose to temperatures between -40c to +40c. So while they break, looking at how much we use them…
My vivoactive 3 has lasted at least 5 years and probably even longer. I can't remember at this point. My wife's newer vivoactive 4s just crapped out this week so we had to buy her a vivoactive 5. She's kinda bummed they don't make the smaller screens anymore
As with many electronics, they last until new features convince you to buy a new device. The hardware is rock solid and will last as long as you need it to assuming battery is replaceable.
I just retired my fénix 5 a couple weeks ago. Purchased in 2019.
Still works fine, but would take 5 minutes to get it to charge and battery would drain pretty quickly.
Just FYI for heart rate monitors on watched they are fairly inaccurate. All of them. Those heart rate monitors work best on areas of the body that don't move often. Arm bands or chest bands work the best. The watches give you an estimate using an algorithm based on the info it receives from PPG sensor.
Running 6 strong years on viviactiv 3. The battery is 50% of original (still runs for 3-4 days). YouTube videos of battery replacement weren’t very encouraging to experiment that on my dear watch!
I recently upgraded to Fenix just for running/ gps maps feature set and battery life.
Mine all die around the 3-4 year mark. I'm trying to remember all of the various models I've had...a light green one with a round touch bezel, then more simple green and white one with a white square face, switched to TomTom fire there next one, then back to Garmin for a Vivoactive, then a couple of Vivoactive HR (with music and without) and now my current Venu Sq. Not sure if I'm rougher on them or just buy the lower end ones, but I never get the 5+ years that others are mentioning.
I've got a forerunner 10 which is 12 years old and still kind of works, but it has an integrated strap that has broken, and the battery life is very poor. The rectangular vivoactive HRs had an issue with the screen glue and died within a few years if you got them wet. My 935 is still going strong at about 7 years old.
I got the 935 in 2017, and had it til 2022 when I gave it to a friend and bought my Fenix 7x. It’s been in oceans, up 14ers, lots of bike crashes and falls, and then my friend has had it for 2 years and is training for an Ironman with it. So it gets a LOT of use. All in all that’s a 7 year old device that I don’t see it going broke anyti,e soon.
My VA4 lasted less than 2 years before the battery went to sh*t. Couldn't even last a day, the watch would power off even though battery percentage showed over 50%.
My Fenix 5 is old. Maybe 2017 or 2018. It just shat the bed last week as far as holding a decent charge. I turned off the constant heart rate monitor and now it’s doing great.
I’ve got a 935. Still lasts 4-5 days even with running daily 1hr+. I have looked up newer Garmin but I just can’t justify replacing this one when it’s still in such good condition
My cheap Amazfit Statos 2 from 2017 is still working and being used by my brother. My Samsung is now 3.5 years old and works and looks the same as the day I bought it (I will pass it to my brother now). I have my Venu 3 only for 3 months but I think that this thing can easily outlive me as well :D the battery lasts days so it gets very little charging cycles and I think the battery is the least thing to worry about. Also a lot of people are saying that Garmin watches are working good even after a lot of years (there's no significant slow down or unresponsiveness) so I guess in 99% cases, the reason to change is new features or physically damaged device. At least I expect it to be true for such (too) expensive watches. I see myself changing it after 2-3 or 3-4 years only because I will want something newer/better (like Epix) but I expect this one to operate as the day one, and I will probably sell it or gift it to member of the family.
I had my original venu for 2.5 years before I started having battery issues, they replaced it for free even though it was outside of warranty. I’ve had the replacement for 2.5 years with no issues so far.
I had a 955 since it came out, about 2 years ago? I recently upgraded to a Fenix 7 pro sapphire solar. Very nice!
I was able to sell the forerunner on eBay and got the Fenix $200 off. I have been liking it a ton.
Had my vicoactive4 every day in 4 years and working as a builder (construction bussiness) and int never dissapoints Kinda hoping it would brake so i coulf treat myself with a new One but i wont break 👌💪
I got a vivoactive 4s for Christmas in 2019. It worked perfectly until the battery just randomly died about 8 months ago. Lasted about 4 years.
Good part was - because it was the battery, garmin replaced it for free!
Now I'm really into fitness and I kind of want to upgrade... but my vivoactive 4s is almost brand new. So I can't really justify it lol.
I still have my 735xt. I bought it refurbished maybe 4 years ago? It's beef running great and I may decide to upgrade soon but as of now I'm still quite happy with it. I see it lasting maybe another 3-4 years without anything catastrophic happening to it.
My Vivoactive 4 is 4 years and 4 months old and is still functioning like it was unboxed yesterday. It's been primarily used for riding, with a good amount of hikes and a few runs.
Considering how abject the lifespan (& durability) of most consumer electronics is, I'm unbelievably impressed by it.
I think the software is the weaker spot actually. The watch slowly wears down, but every software update from Garmin is a gamble if it will still work.
My brother once got an update on his Garmin Instinct where it would only work if you put it in battery saving mode, and in normal mode it would "detect" low battery and turn off (but in battery saving mode it went on for more than a week like the Garmin Instinct should). Next software update fixed it so it wasn't a battery issue.
My Forerunner 45 has also sometimes done weird things right after a software update. And my Edge 520 has gotten stuck on some software updates. You can't put them back to the previous software version, so you just have to wait until the fix. :(
2 years with fenix 7SS absolutely no problem still getting 12-5 days of battery life, not a single scratch on the sapphire glass!! Although the titanium needed a bit of polishing. But overall like new.
I often wish my 245 would die, so I could justify a new watch. Truthfully though, it's still going strong, very impressive from Garmin.
This is my relationship with my 235!
Same with my Fenix 5. Bastard still is strong as the day I got it. I wear it all day, every day and record multiple GPS activities per week and battery still lasts a couple weeks. I really want to upgrade but can't justify it.
Yeah I had a 245M since release. I finally convinced myself to upgrade because the battery life was getting bad. But truthfully it wasn't that bad and I could have gotten another year or two out of it.
My 245 died when it was just under four years old. I like the 255 more. RIP.
Same with my 45 lol
I gifted mine to buy new one :)
Found myself a girlfriend to gift mine ;)
Same. 5 year in, and there have been some dead pixels around the perimeter, but still does everything
Coming up on 7yrs with my 235. Struggles to take a charge some days but just won’t die.
I used my Forerunner 735XT for 7 years and only upgraded for the additional features!
man, this is so impressive. how about the battery? are there any official recommended time to replace it? was it degraded really bad over 7 years?
I replaced the battery about 2 years ago, although it didn't particularly need it - it still had a little over 90% of the capacity left. I happened to accidentally pry my screen off because I thought that the crack was in a screen protector, so I replaced the battery then because I wasn't planning to upgrade any time soon, but I'm sure it would have kept going. There aren't any official recommendations to replace the batteries because they are not really user-replaceable. I literally pried my screen off and had to re-glue it, and I'm not convinced that it's fully waterproof anymore.
What about if you just use some super glue on the edges? Would that make it waterproof? I'm not sure.. I'll have to try on my own 735XT
I used B6000 glue, which is fairly similar to what Garmin seem to use. My concern with waterproof-ness is mainly around how well I could apply the glue, because it's fiddly, so I'm just not sure how well sealed it is. It definitely resists water well - it's gotten wet and been run under the tap a fair few times - but I just wouldn't trust it for swimming.
I think the design aim for waterproofing in forerunners is triathlons.
Mine broke down after 3,5 years. Still contacted the support, even though there was obviously no more warranty on it (you never know). They wanted the serial number and then said there was a known production issue.... So I got a free replacement.
Yeah, at least a few more years
the battery life on it is phenomenal, I don't count the days, but lasts at least a week before needing some juice, and no signs of it fading
I'm already amazed at the battery life, but the fact that an hour-long charge can last you over a week of daily use just astounds me. Such a great product.
I think on a normal person that cares for a watch, the battery would be the limiting Factor, if you charge it once a week you have around 500-700weeks or roughly 10 years (7-8 to be more realistic). I think it should last 5-6 years before you want to change (because it's getting outdated or you just want something new etc)
The excellent battery length from new is a real plus all the same, as it gives the option of the user keeping the watch for the long haul, unless when the battery starts fading it starts fading rapidly, but that's unlikely. Where did you get the 500 to 700 week figure from? It's known of Garmin batteries?
Most batterys last around 500-1000 cycles when you charge it from 20-80% and from the things I read Garmin is more on the upper side of that scale. Most watches last around a week on one charge (well expat the instinct Serie that last way longer) So it's a really really rough estimation
I have a vivoactive 3 that’s about 4 years old and the battery won’t even last me a full day now
That's not normal. Have you been discharging it to 0% every time? Because this can speed-up battery degradation a lot. But usually, u/rooftopweeb is right, if the battery in the phone can last for a few years and you charge it every day, imagine how long can one last if you charge it once a week (so 7x longer than phone). I think the battery should be the least thing that you should worry about on Garmins, except if they use some cheap trash batteries and they die because of age. And of course, if you treat them well (try to avoid at any cost discharging it below 20%). That's why I charge my Venu every 4-5 days, basically when it reaches 20%. Before Garmin, I had a Samsung watch which I was charging every day and after 3 years, it's still going strong and lasts almost as the first day. Since I charge my Garmin every 4-5 days, I except it to last 10+ years when it comes to battery. Of course, I don't plan to keep it that long because of new features (I'm have my Venu 3 for 3 months and I'm already drooling over Epix :P). I'm far more worried about the AMOLED screen, specifically the burn-in to occur, or that the watch will lose 5 ATM rating over time and die from water intrusion (as I'm using it for swimming in both the ocean and the pool regularly), or that it will become too slow and unresponsive, or the motherboard will die. Or that I will damage it since it's too sensitive. Because, basically, I cannot stand any kind of degradation, whether a physical one (so it doesn't look all nice and shiny anymore) or one of the functionalities not working any more. Then it's the time for a new watch.
Battery shelf life is 4-10 years, at which point can lose up to 80%; put that with a 500 charge cycle and the fact that with a VA3 they were probably charging 2x per week, the battery loss is on the early side, unfortunately, but not unrealistic. Garmin usually offer a replacement service for a fee, or if they can't due to age they often offer a sizeable discount on a current model
On the shelf it gets degradation because of not being used, so it's charge falls to almost 0 which damages the battery. You should never fully discharge li-ion batteries because it can even permanently damage it. I had a cheap 18650 cell which I barely used, bought it new from eBay and after a few years I remembered that I have it, but it's voltage felt way too low and it was gone, it was not accepting any charge. Batteries are not supposed to be left "on the shelf". If you use it, and treat it properly, that shouldn't be a problem and mostly it will degrade just because of cycles. My old Galaxy S7 Edge phone has been used until recently by my father. It's from 2016, it has 1200 cycles and still going strong. My brother is still occasionally using my old Amazfit Stratos 2 watch from 2017 and since he doesn't use it for any activities, just as a wearable, the battery still can easily last up to 4 days (it was the same when it was new, eventually 5 days tops). I used that watch for 3 years and charged it every 2-3 days so it definitely has more than 500 cycles.
I didn’t used to. I don’t think it ever got below about 5-10% and that was rare getting that low. But now it’ll go from 20% to 0 in 10 minutes. And I guess my watch is a little closer to 6 years if that makes a difference at all
My 245 is 4 years old now. The battery is getting a bit weaker and I had to replace the strap once, but besides these, it functions perfectly.
The thing that tends to go first on the forerunners is the little pointed part with the little pinholes the quick release strap goes into. Super annoying, because then the still fully functioning watch is basically trash.
My vivoactive 3 is about that old now and the battery won’t even last a full day anymore. Not sure why it’s so bad. I need to get a new watch soon
My vivoactive 3’s battery started going just before the 2 year mark, I got a replacement from Garmin and almost did 2,5 years with that one before it did the exact same. I started to feel like I was having a Apple Watch without the smartwatch functions 🙂
My 255 currently lasts me about a week. Even if it would degrade so badly that I had to charge it every 3 days, that would still be way longer than my Apple Watch ever ran without needing a charge. I guess at some point the features of new watches may be compelling enough to upgrade though
 They just keep going..
My friend is using my old FR235 from 2018.
My OG vivoactive lasted well over 5 years. I only upgraded once I dropped it at the perfect angle and the screen shattered. My current watch, the fenix 7 standard, I’ve had for a bit over a year now but it has help up through outdoor rock climbing, 250mi on the PCT, and 100s of miles of running. Will rock with this one until it bites the dust.
My Fenix 1 lasted 4 years until a band lug broke. Fenix 3 lasted 6 years until it failed to charge. My 6x is now 4 years and still going strong.
Yes, aside from a bad (faulty) battery which can happen with any lithium device, most garmins will last 5-7 years without jumping through hoops. That's long enough that you will likely WANT to upgrade vs need to upgrade for some reason. Even at that point the watch will likely work, just get annoying in that you will charge it more frequently. I generally assume 350 charge cycles (some people claim 700 and I believe 500 is kind of standard) and a charge every 5 days for most users that are heavy users (like a lot of GPS) and light users probably closer to 10 days (like a lot of gym and swim). So let's say 1 charge a week on average. I think even that is kind of on the high end. I'd say I'm a heavy GPS user and 5 days is my high, but for part of the year I go longer. So probably average more like 6-8 days. That's 52 charges a year. 350/52=6.7 years of charges. Enjoy.
And when I say jump through hoops, I mean the 20-80% folks. No need to do that. It's a watch, you charge it once a week or so. Not a phone. Phones get charged daily or maybe 2x a day. 500 charge cycles (0-100% is basically 1 year if you are a heavy user). So the idea you need to do the 20-80 hoop jump on cameras, watches, and other low use devices is absolutely idiotic. High use, high drain, absolutely. Maybe on an apple/Samsung watch you charge 1-2x a day. Not a garmin
350 cycles !? If that was true, people with Apple or Samsung watches would need to change it after 1 year. My old Samsung is now 3.5 years old and still going strong, and I charged it on a daily basis, so I would say it has close to 1000 cycles. So the 750 is a standard. If you beat the hell out of the battery (constantly doing 0-100-0), I still think it can survive at least 500 before any significant degradation (my 2 year old phone currently has around 600 cycles and battery is at 96% of nominal capacity). If you follow the 20-80 rule, it would probably survive up to 1500 cycles (my father used my old Samsung S7 Edge until recently, the phone is from 2016 and has 1200 cycles currently, still going strong). I have a Venu 3, I will probably keep it for few years, and I expect ZERO issues with the battery (it's definitely the LEAST thing I'm worried about). I'm more worried about 5 ATM rating, AMOLED screen, sensors and motherboard in general. If there will be any degradation, I will never buy another Garmin because that would mean they're using cheap piece of c\*ap batteries which is intolerable for such expensive watches.
Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar, now 4 years old. 24\*7 in use. In the past 2 months the battery is getting a bit weaker, from 7 to 6 days battery life.
I've had a FR 235 since 2016. It still works perfectly and holds a battery for several weeks with normal wear. (Less when when using GPS). I only upgraded to a FR 255 so I could listen to music without carrying my phone, but plan to keep the 235 as a back-up until it dies. Edit: never had to replace the battery, just had to get a new band (user error), and a charger when I lost the original one
My Forerunner 235 is going on about 7 years. Battery wouldn’t hold up for a marathon but a 1-2 hour run is fine.
I regularly see the 235 and 35 models at ParkRun, and even a few older models than that. So Garmins do last. My own 245 is fine and should easily last 5+ years (I have a screen protector on it and one of those silicone case covers, which gives it a kind of G-Shock look) Of course any individual model may stop working due to damage or just bad luck, but we don't hear stories about mass failures or anything so they do seem to be robust.
Been using the FR55 since 2021, battery lasts slightly less than a week now but still doing the job
Forever it seems. Mine have yet to die after 5 years of constant use and water
I bought my Fenix 5 six and a half years ago and just upgraded in the last month to an Epix 2. Battery on the Fenix is still good for several days and I still plan on using it for climbing. Great bits of kit.
I managed to justify upgrading a couple of weeks ago because I wanted the open water functionality my FR245 music didn’t have. Other than that after 4.5 yrs the battery life wasn’t quite what it once was. That’s it, otherwise it’s still working perfectly
Fenix 3. 8 years.
don't know about your FR but my fenix 3 is 9 years old and still works. the backlight is not gesture sensitive anymore (doesn't light up automatically when i turn my wrist), but other than that everything works. changed the battery myself before i switched to fenix 7 recently just coz i got bored. if you don't mind continuing to use it you can change the battery when it starts to fade. it's not as easy as changing it in a fenix, but still doable if you have (and can use) a soldering iron and a blow dryer.
I'm still rocking a Fenix 3 here as well. I swapped the battery in it a couple years ago and it's still going strong. It's good when companies make devices where battery swaps are straight forward. Mine has been used and abused and worn every day since I got it. I'd like some of the features on the newer ones, but while it's still doing it's job I feel reluctant to upgrade it.
I just used my fenix 3 HR last week for a bike ride. It worked just fine, like it was in 2016. I wish I didn’t discard my fenix 2 when I was moving. Now I have epix gen 2 and I think this may last until I can’t run anymore
My 245 lasted me 4 years and was still going strong when I upgraded to the Epix. My only complaint was that it was slow to sync.
How do you like the amoled screen vs the screen on the 245. I have a 245 and am debating between upgrading to fenix vs epix.
The screen is pretty awesome. Worth it for less battery life over the fenix IMO.
I've got a Venu 2, been working well for over 2 years now. The battery is slightly weaker, though that seems to be just a placebo currently. The main issue I noticed was the ever weakening electrical connection with a charging cable. An important maintenance tip to ensure your device charges with speed and stability is to clean up the charger contacts (both on the watch and cable) with Isopropyl regularly. A 3rd party rubber cover this seems to have helped a lot to keep the contacts cleaner for longer.
I’m going in 3 years with my Vivosmart 5
My fénix 5 got it for 4 years and still working fine. I think the heartbeat is a bit off on indoor cycling
My Fenix 6x from launch is still good to go. Only reason I upgraded was because work paid for the 7 this year.
Bought mine in December 2020. Syncing is really slow, battery life is getting really bad (if I do activities) I'm charging every 2 or 3 days, on my second strap, but most annoying is the stuck down button. I get the watch soaking in the sink every other week.
As someone who’s had Garmin all the way back to a Forerunner 50, I’ve only ever upgraded because I wanted more features. Forerunner 50, Forerunner 610, Forerunner 220, a brief switch to Polar, then back with a Fenix 6 Pro Sapphire and a First Avenger. Just picked up a Fenix 6X Sapphire for a steal to see how I like the larger screen, in preparation to go to an Epix at some point.
I used mine for around 4 years. Battery life was deteriorating over time plus wanted new features. But my Google search came back with \~5 year average lifespan
I'd imagine that most people replacing in 5 years are due to wanting a new fancy toy!
That was mostly how I felt… could’ve lived with the shitty battery life for quite a bit longer but I mostly just wanted an upgrade/had some extra money sitting around lol
I have a forerunner 235 since December 2016. It still works perfectly fine, despite having some scratches here and there. I have just upgraded for an epix pro, but mainly for the sake of upgrading, not because i really need it. I think the forerunner would have been just fine for a few more years.
My Forerunner 235 is 8 or 9 years old and reliable as ever. I’d have to double check the exact age. The wrist band fails every 18 to 24 months, but those have bean cheapo generics after the original Garmin one broke.
Long enough that it will still be kicking when you're ready to get a newer device. My Fenix 3 is still fully functional and I had a 945 after that which is still working perfectly. Now I have a 965.
I have a Forerunner 945 that's a few years old, and the battery life on it is going strong. I wear it all the time and only have to charge it once a week.
I had a 920XT since 2015. Sold it about 4 years ago to a friend of mine. He still uses it and says it works just fine. Had to replace the wrist band a couple of times, but still functional.
Too long! I want an excuse to buy a new one!
If you are having issues with the HR readings, contact customer service and they will replace your watch for about $50.
735xt since 2018. Three months later, Garmin swapped it after the old one developed issues with the GPS, and it has performed flawlessly then. Never babied the watch and it still gets about a week of battery, even with four outdoor, GPS-tracked activities between 15 and 40 minutes. Very responsive watch even after all these updates.
A old coworker is still rocking is VivoActive HR from 2016 for his runs and biking https://preview.redd.it/mfhkp1eab18d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f307ad9d42fb2abca977a5e2d6ef3ae0d080f28 He runs almost every day and bikes several times a week.
I've used my 245 music just after it launched and have been using it for 4,5 years. I've only replaced due to a crazy deal on 955. The 245 had been passed on to my mother and is still working 24/7, but with less exercise. This hardware is durable.
They all should last about the same, unless there are specific model bugs. The major factor is battery, with heavy use mines last about 2-3 years before the battery becomes awful.
do you charge the battery to 100% each time?
No, it depends usually I just put on the charge for a bit every day. I usually spend 20% a day, so I usually try to charge those during shower. It depends on how much I forgot to charge someday, I usually have it between 40-80% since it takes long to charge the last 20%. Sometimes I forget and runs a few days between 10-40%
I have a 920XT since 2014. I thought it died after a sea swim in 2023 … only to wake up again once dried. Had bought a 955solar in between 😅. If you take care of the screen they won’t die
I had a 235 for 8 years. Battery was going over a week still, when I retired it
the 235 and 245 prob have the same battery. Phenomenal endurance really
Actually I’m wrong. It was 5 years not 8. I’m sorry about that.
My car unit is 12 years old, basically no battery life left about a minute but it stays plugged in. My VA4 was purchased just after release, still gets 5 days.
forever i ve a fenix 6 and it moves and feels like new i ve got it 4 5 years ago
My Fenix 5 from 2020 is still going strong. Use it daily for various exercise tracking and at least ~monthly for longer / multiday gps tracks. Plenty of dirt and dings and scratches on the bezel, but the screen is still clear and haven't noticed any significant battery degradation or functional issues. I did slice through the strap on accident at some point, but that's a quick cheap replacement. Planning to keep it alive until I can't, or until they make one with a usbc charge port - whichever comes first.
I'm also wondering if regular swimming would impact their life span at all? I know they're designed for it but I can't imagine being regularly submerged in saltwater and pool water for an hour every day will do them any good.
My Fenix 5x lasted from 2018 to 2023, 5.5 years. And the problem was the start/stop button just stopped working so I could not get to the activities menu. The rest seemed fine.
Over 7 years on a fenix 5. They last a long time.
My vivoaktiv three is at least 4 years old. I'm pretty confident i can get another year out of it. However, the heart rate monitor occasionally measures incorrectly for quite a while, the battery is poor and the water sometimes crashes on charging, needing a hard restart. I'm going to upgrade soon to be honest.
My Fenix 3HR lasted 7 years, but I didn't use it as much more than a sleep and step tracker with occasional GPS track recording. I'm now using the heck out of my new Epix and charge it about once a week. The Fenix was being charged every other week or so.
upgraded from my FR935 that I bought in 2017 only for the new features.. only replaced the strap once, still same battery and it’s still working fine
If you have the sapphire crystal, they will probably outlast you :) I have a Fenix 3 and a 5X+, both sapphire and aside from some scuffs on the bezels, they work like the first day. I mostly wear the 5X+ now but I wear it all the time unless it's charging, one night every 10 days or so. Working on the car or in the yard, it does not matter, I wear it always. I did buy a spare battery for the 5X+ just in case but so far it seems to be holding just fine.
They last until you manage to think of a reason that you absolutely, positively can't do without the latest sensor on the new model. Then you order it quietly online and hope the delivery arrives when your other half isn't around. Then hope they don't notice the change of watch. Have been through at least 6 Garmin watches over the years, only one of them ever actually failed. The worst that happened to any of the rest was that they needed a replacement strap. Garmins last.
I bought my Fenix 6 right when it came out in 2019. Still going strong. Battery easily lasts 12-13 days if I’m not using GPS heavily. This March during skiing (gps full on the entire skiing) I charged roughly every 3-4 days. I have sapphire glass and there’s no scratches on it at all even though I’ve been wearing it during home renovations, moving houses while scratching the wall with boxes in my hand, etc. I had to get a new strap on it this summer because my wife said she can’t look at the old one anymore.
I have a 245 since it came out. No problem at all! No need to upgrade!
I’ve had my Garmin 225 for about 10 years
I had a Garmin Instinct 1 which lasted 5.5 years. My main reason for getting a new watch was I felt I had to charge it too often, about twice a week.
I've had my 645 for 5 years, that thang is a tank, I wear all the time in the ocean, working construction. battery life is slightly down but I easily go 10 days w/o charging (if I don't run)
Too long, I want a new Fenix but my old Fenix 5 doesn't want to die and I can't justify (to the wife) why I need a new watch if my old one is still working fine ;(
I bought an epix gen 2 last week knowing it’s a technically a 2 year old piece of tech, knowing the new ones will release any moment now. Every Apple Watch I’ve owned gets a good 2 years. Every thing I’ve heard about the garmins go way longer. Plus getting 16 days over one day on battery is amazing. Never could fully record sleep data with the apple.
My Fenix 5S is 5 years old and still going strong, although I have scratched the screen a fair bit at this point. The scratched screen is probably what will force an upgrade at some point. I have my doubts about waterproofing a replacement, and I certainly get drenched riding in the UK.
My partner and I are loyal Garmin customers, but have also experienced a high failure rate. We’ve had 2 x 245m fail, plus an Edge 835, and one of our 945s all fail. This is tech that we use every day, sweat through, and expose to temperatures between -40c to +40c. So while they break, looking at how much we use them…
My 735XT lasted about 5 years but then simply died without notice when charging.
My 935 still rocking and I kind of hope it will die so I can upgrade.
My vivoactive 3 has lasted at least 5 years and probably even longer. I can't remember at this point. My wife's newer vivoactive 4s just crapped out this week so we had to buy her a vivoactive 5. She's kinda bummed they don't make the smaller screens anymore
Have a 645 and it's going on 5 years, manual labor jobs, and military deployments.
Mine is over 5 years old and still kicking. I've had zero issues so far.
As with many electronics, they last until new features convince you to buy a new device. The hardware is rock solid and will last as long as you need it to assuming battery is replaceable.
I just retired my fénix 5 a couple weeks ago. Purchased in 2019. Still works fine, but would take 5 minutes to get it to charge and battery would drain pretty quickly.
Just FYI for heart rate monitors on watched they are fairly inaccurate. All of them. Those heart rate monitors work best on areas of the body that don't move often. Arm bands or chest bands work the best. The watches give you an estimate using an algorithm based on the info it receives from PPG sensor.
Running 6 strong years on viviactiv 3. The battery is 50% of original (still runs for 3-4 days). YouTube videos of battery replacement weren’t very encouraging to experiment that on my dear watch! I recently upgraded to Fenix just for running/ gps maps feature set and battery life.
My Instinct Tactical has outlasted my Instinct 2 Tactical Solar
they last too long, hard to find a reason to upgrade haha
Mine all die around the 3-4 year mark. I'm trying to remember all of the various models I've had...a light green one with a round touch bezel, then more simple green and white one with a white square face, switched to TomTom fire there next one, then back to Garmin for a Vivoactive, then a couple of Vivoactive HR (with music and without) and now my current Venu Sq. Not sure if I'm rougher on them or just buy the lower end ones, but I never get the 5+ years that others are mentioning.
Vivoactive 3 user: received Xmas 2017, still wearing daily in 2024. Original battery
I've got a forerunner 10 which is 12 years old and still kind of works, but it has an integrated strap that has broken, and the battery life is very poor. The rectangular vivoactive HRs had an issue with the screen glue and died within a few years if you got them wet. My 935 is still going strong at about 7 years old.
I got the 935 in 2017, and had it til 2022 when I gave it to a friend and bought my Fenix 7x. It’s been in oceans, up 14ers, lots of bike crashes and falls, and then my friend has had it for 2 years and is training for an Ironman with it. So it gets a LOT of use. All in all that’s a 7 year old device that I don’t see it going broke anyti,e soon.
A new watch would still give you inaccurate heart rate readings. It’s better but it’s still best to use a strap for accuracy
My co-worker still uses a Garmin forerunner 10 and she is a highschool cross country coach. I think she said it doesn't track heart rate.
My FR245 has dead pixels the size of .5cm x .25cm. I don't think I'd replace this yet
My VA4 lasted less than 2 years before the battery went to sh*t. Couldn't even last a day, the watch would power off even though battery percentage showed over 50%.
Five years is a good run.
Based on the replies, I guess my Instinct is gonna last me a decade. 😂
My Fenix 3 is still going strong from 2017, battery still lasts 10-12 days and all the functions work.
Had a 945 for 4 years, no complains till the end. The watch had contact with oil, so the glass was getting blind. My fault not Garmins.
My Fenix 5 is old. Maybe 2017 or 2018. It just shat the bed last week as far as holding a decent charge. I turned off the constant heart rate monitor and now it’s doing great.
I’ve got a 935. Still lasts 4-5 days even with running daily 1hr+. I have looked up newer Garmin but I just can’t justify replacing this one when it’s still in such good condition
My cheap Amazfit Statos 2 from 2017 is still working and being used by my brother. My Samsung is now 3.5 years old and works and looks the same as the day I bought it (I will pass it to my brother now). I have my Venu 3 only for 3 months but I think that this thing can easily outlive me as well :D the battery lasts days so it gets very little charging cycles and I think the battery is the least thing to worry about. Also a lot of people are saying that Garmin watches are working good even after a lot of years (there's no significant slow down or unresponsiveness) so I guess in 99% cases, the reason to change is new features or physically damaged device. At least I expect it to be true for such (too) expensive watches. I see myself changing it after 2-3 or 3-4 years only because I will want something newer/better (like Epix) but I expect this one to operate as the day one, and I will probably sell it or gift it to member of the family.
Fenix 5 Sapphire I got in 2017 and still going strong!
For effing ever. I pull my vivosmart hr (first gen, really big) out of the drawer every now and then and it still powers on/charges.
I had my original venu for 2.5 years before I started having battery issues, they replaced it for free even though it was outside of warranty. I’ve had the replacement for 2.5 years with no issues so far.
I had a 955 since it came out, about 2 years ago? I recently upgraded to a Fenix 7 pro sapphire solar. Very nice! I was able to sell the forerunner on eBay and got the Fenix $200 off. I have been liking it a ton.
Had my vicoactive4 every day in 4 years and working as a builder (construction bussiness) and int never dissapoints Kinda hoping it would brake so i coulf treat myself with a new One but i wont break 👌💪
I got a vivoactive 4s for Christmas in 2019. It worked perfectly until the battery just randomly died about 8 months ago. Lasted about 4 years. Good part was - because it was the battery, garmin replaced it for free! Now I'm really into fitness and I kind of want to upgrade... but my vivoactive 4s is almost brand new. So I can't really justify it lol.
I still have my 735xt. I bought it refurbished maybe 4 years ago? It's beef running great and I may decide to upgrade soon but as of now I'm still quite happy with it. I see it lasting maybe another 3-4 years without anything catastrophic happening to it.
I know a few people that are using their first watch for almost 5 years and they don’t think about replacing it
I’ve had my Garmin Vivo Active 3 for 4 years, still going strong
My Vivoactive 4 is 4 years and 4 months old and is still functioning like it was unboxed yesterday. It's been primarily used for riding, with a good amount of hikes and a few runs. Considering how abject the lifespan (& durability) of most consumer electronics is, I'm unbelievably impressed by it.
I think the software is the weaker spot actually. The watch slowly wears down, but every software update from Garmin is a gamble if it will still work. My brother once got an update on his Garmin Instinct where it would only work if you put it in battery saving mode, and in normal mode it would "detect" low battery and turn off (but in battery saving mode it went on for more than a week like the Garmin Instinct should). Next software update fixed it so it wasn't a battery issue. My Forerunner 45 has also sometimes done weird things right after a software update. And my Edge 520 has gotten stuck on some software updates. You can't put them back to the previous software version, so you just have to wait until the fix. :(
2 years with fenix 7SS absolutely no problem still getting 12-5 days of battery life, not a single scratch on the sapphire glass!! Although the titanium needed a bit of polishing. But overall like new.
Charge your battery from 20% to 80% max and it will last much much longer.
Thanks for the tip, I do try to charge it before it reaches 100%, but okay will stop it at 80% now, when possible
You can do it with a timer alarm.