Garmin Fenix 5S vs 5S Plus vs 6S Pro Compared

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The Garmin Fenix 6S is one of the units in the Fenix 6 series and it’s available in four models. It’s a sturdily built and well-equipped smartwatch that can help you stay fit and reach more fitness goals. The Fenix 6s succeeds the Fenix 5s Plus which succeeds the Fenix 5s, and in this comparison chart, we compare the Garmin Fenix 5S vs 5S Plus vs 6S Pro specs and features, so you know the differences.

The Fenix 6s is available in four models; Fenix 6s, Fenix 6s Pro, Fenix 6s Pro Sapphire, and Fenix 6s Pro Solar. The difference between the different models is that the Fenix 6s lacks music storage, maps, PacePro, and onscreen-animated workouts which are all available in the other three. Meanwhile, the Sapphire edition has a sapphire glass and diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coated bezel, while the Solar edition has a power glass that enables solar charging and a titanium bezel. The solar edition is the most expensive.

The Fenix 5s Plus comes in two models; a Standard edition with domed chemically strengthened glass and stainless steel bezel, and a Sapphire edition that comes with sapphire glass and DLC titanium bezel. Both editions have 16GB storage capacity, wifi, and preloaded TOPO U.S. mapping and routable cycling maps.

The Fenix 5s also comes in two models; Fenix 5 Standard and Sapphire editions. The difference between these two is that the Sapphire edition has a sapphire screen and wifi connectivity, while the Standard edition has a chemically strengthened glass. Both models lack onboard music storage.

Garmin Fenix 5S vs 5S Plus vs 6S Pro: Specifications Compared

 
 
Product Info
Garmin Fenix 5S Specs, features and prices

Garmin Fenix 5S Specifications, Features and Price

Garmin Fenix 5S Plus Specs and features

Garmin Fenix 5S Plus Specifications, Features and Price

Garmin Fenix 6S Pro full Specs

Garmin Fenix 6S Pro Specifications, Features and Price

Price $249.99 $699.90 $576.58
ABOUT DEVICE ABOUT DEVICE ABOUT DEVICE ABOUT DEVICE
Device name Garmin Fenix 5S Garmin Fenix 5S Plus Garmin Fenix 6S Pro
Device type Fitness/Sport smartwatch Fitness/Sport smartwatch Fitness/Sport smartwatch
Gender Women Women Women
Release date March, 2017 June, 2018 September, 2019
Predecessor Garmin Fenix 3 Garmin Fenix 5 Garmin Fenix 5S Plus
Successor Garmin Fenix 5 Plus Garmin Fenix 6
Versions Garmin Fenix 5, Garmin Fenix 5S, Garmin Fenix 5X
BODY BODY BODY BODY
Dimension 42 x 42 x 15 mm 42 x 42 x 15.4 mm 42 x 42 x 13.8 mm
Weight 67 grams 65 grams 61 grams
Shape Circular Circular Circular
Case material Fiber-reinforced polymer Fiber-reinforced polymer Fiber-reinforced polymer
Strap material Silicone, Stainless steel, Suede Silicone, Stainless steel, Suede Nylon, Silicone, Suede
Bezel material Stainless steel Stainless steel DLC, Stainless steel
Strap size 20 mm 20 mm 20 mm
Interchangeable strap 20mm, Yes 20mm, Yes 20mm, Yes
Screen protection Chemically strengthened glass, Sapphire glass Chemically strengthened glass, Sapphire glass Corning Gorilla Glass DX, Sapphire glass
Water resistance 10 ATM 10 ATM 10 ATM
Durability test MIL-STD-810G
Swim-proof Yes, recommended Yes, recommended Yes, recommended
Color Black, Gray, Rose-gold, White Black, White Black
DISPLAY DISPLAY DISPLAY DISPLAY
Display size 1.1 inches 1.2 inches 1.2 inches
Display type LCD, Memory-in-pixel (MIP), transflective LCD, Memory-in-pixel (MIP), transflective LCD, Memory-in-pixel (MIP), transflective
Display resolution 218 x 218 px 240 x 240 px 240 x 240 px
Pixel density
Always on Yes Yes Yes
Custom watch face Yes Yes Yes
Input type 5 Physical buttons 5 Physical buttons 5 Physical buttons
CONNECTIVITY CONNECTIVITY CONNECTIVITY CONNECTIVITY
Bluetooth ANT+, Bluetooth ANT+, Bluetooth ANT+, Bluetooth
Bluetooth calling No No No
GPS Galileo, GLONASS, GPS Galileo, GLONASS, GPS Galileo, GLONASS, GPS
NFC No Yes Yes
Wi-Fi Yes Yes Yes
MEMORY MEMORY MEMORY MEMORY
RAM
ROM 64MB 16GB 32GB
Memory card slot No No No
CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY
Technology None None None
SIM type None None None
Band
NOTIFICATIONS NOTIFICATIONS NOTIFICATIONS NOTIFICATIONS
SMS alert Yes Yes Yes
Calls alert Yes Yes Yes
Email alert Yes Yes Yes
Event reminder Yes Yes Yes
Third-party apps alert Yes Yes Yes
Reply to Notifications - - -
MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA
Audio No mp3/mp4 mp3/mp4
Bluetooth music No Yes Yes
Loudspeaker No No No
Microphone No No No
Camera No No No
Radio No No No
SENSORS SENSORS SENSORS SENSORS
Sensor(s)
ACTIVITY TRACKING ACTIVITY TRACKING ACTIVITY TRACKING ACTIVITY TRACKING
Blood oxygen No No Yes
Blood Pressure No No No
Calories Yes Yes Yes
Distance Yes Yes Yes
ECG tracking No No No
Heart rate monitoring Yes Yes Yes
Sleep tracking Yes Yes Yes
Steps Yes Yes Yes
Floors climbed Yes Yes Yes
Stress Yes Yes Yes
Fall detection No Yes Yes
Menstrual cycle No No Yes
VO2 Max Yes Yes Yes
Swim-tracking Yes Yes Yes
Underwater heart rate tracking No No Yes
On-screen workout No No Yes
Sport modes Yes Yes Yes
BATTERY BATTERY BATTERY BATTERY
Battery type non-removable Lithium-polymer non-removable Lithium-polymer non-removable Lithium-polymer
Battery capacity
Battery life GPS/HR mode: Up to 14hrs, Smartwatch mode: up to 9 days, Utratrac mode: up to 35hrs Regular: 5 days+ Battery saver mode: 34 days, Expedition GPS mode: 20 days, Smartwatch mode: up to 9 days
Charging type Charging dock Charging dock Charging dock
Charging time 1-2 hours 1-2 hours 1-2 hours
Solar charging No No No
PLATFORM PLATFORM PLATFORM PLATFORM
Chipset
CPU
GPU
Operating system Proprietary OS Proprietary OS Proprietary OS
MISC MISC MISC MISC
Companion app Garmin Connect Garmin Connect Garmin Connect
Compatibility Android 5.0+, iOS 11.0+ Android 5.0+, iOS 11.0+ Android 5.0+, iOS 11.0+
Payment system None Garmin Pay Garmin Pay
Voice command No No No
Find my phone Yes Yes Yes
Box content Charger, Garmin Fenix 5S, Manual, Straps Charger, Garmin Fenix 5S Plus, Manual, Straps Charger, Garmin Fenix 6S Pro, Manual, Straps

Garmin Fenix 5S vs 5S Plus vs 6S Pro: Fitness Tracking Features

Garmin Fenix 5sGarmin Fenix 5s PlusGarmin Fenix 6s Pro
Activity Tracking Features

Steps counter, floors climbed, fitness age, Move IQ
intensity minutes and distanced traveled.
YesYesYes
Body Battery Energy Monitor

Lets you see your body’s energy levels throughout the day so you can find the best times for activity and rest.
NoNoYes
Pulse OX Sensor

The Pulse Ox sensor gauges your blood oxygen saturation during the day and as you sleep to show how well your body is absorbing oxygen.
NoYesYes
Stress Tracking

Helps you find out if you’re having a calm, balanced or stressful day. Relax reminders will even prompt you to do a short breathing activity when you’re feeling stressed.
YesYesYes
Menstrual Cycle Tracking

Lets you use the Garmin Connect™ app to track your cycle, log physical and emotional symptoms and learn about training and nutrition during each phase of your cycle. Even get cycle tracking information on your wrist.
NoNoYes
Hydration Tracking

Log your daily fluid intake as a reminder to stay hydrated. You can even have an auto goal for hydration that adjusts based on how much sweat you lose during activities — even underwater.
NoNoYes
Respiration Tracking

See how you’re breathing throughout the day, during sleep and during breath-work and yoga activities.
NoNoYes
Advanced Sleep Monitoring

Get a full picture of how you’re sleeping, with a breakdown of your light, deep and REM sleep stages as well as Pulse Ox and respiration data
YesYesYes
Heart Rate Tracking

The watch constantly samples your heart rate2 and will alert you if it stays high while you’re at rest. It also helps gauge how hard you work during activities even underwater.
YesYesYes
Mindful Breathing

When you want to relax or focus, you can start a breath-work activity, and this watch will track your stress and respiration to help you get a better understanding of how you’re breathing.
NoNoYes
On-Screen Animated Workout Modes

Easy-to-follow, animated cardio, strength, yoga and Pilates workouts come preloaded on the watch, and you can download more from the Garmin Connect app.
NoNoYes
Preloaded Workout Modes

Track all the ways you move with more than 20 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps — including walking, running, cycling, pool swimming, golf and more.
YesYesYes
Garmin Coach

Get a personal running coach on your wrist, for free, to help you train for your next 5K, 10K or half-marathon.
YesYesYes
Safety and Tracking Features

When your watch and phone are paired, your live location can be sent to your contacts manually or — during outdoor activities — automatically with built-in incident detection.

Also Livetrack, Group LiveTrack and Live event sharing allow you to invite other to join you in your training.
Yes, lacks Live event sharing and AssistantYes, lacks Live event sharingYes
Gym & Fitness Equipment

Available gym profiles; Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Pilates and Yoga.
YesYesMore
Training, Planning and Analysis Features

Available run profiles; Running, Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Trail Running.

GPS speed and distance, customizable activity profiles, advanced training, VO2 Max., heat and altitude acclimation, training load, training effect, auto and manual mutisport activities, Garmin and Strava live segments.
YesYesMore
ClimbPro Feature

Use ClimbPro ascent planner on downloaded courses to see real-time information on your current and upcoming climbs, including gradient, distance and elevation gain.
NoNoYes
Outdoor Recreation Features

Outdoor recreational features include hiking, climbing, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, XC skiing, stand up paddleboarding, rowing, kayaking, jumpmaster, tactical
YesYesMore
Multi-GNSS Support

Access multiple global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo) to track in more challenging environments than GPS alone.
YesYesYes
TOPO Maps

Preloaded Topographical (TOPO) maps allow you use TOPO maps with Trendline Popularity Routing to find the best routes and navigate your adventures effortlessly
YesYesYes
Ski Maps

Preloaded Ski maps allow you view run names and difficulty ratings for 2,000 worldwide ski resorts.
NoNoYes
Round-trip Routing
Enter a distance you want to travel, and get suggested routes that will bring you back to your starting point. Trendline™ popularity routing helps you find the best local paths.
YesYesYes
Turn-by-turn Navigation

Follow a route or course with help from turn-by-turn directions, which let you know ahead of time when the next turn is coming.
YesYesYes
ABC sensors

Navigate your next trail with ABC sensors, including an altimeter for elevation data, barometer to monitor weather and three-axis electronic compass
YesYesYes
Running Features

Available run profiles include running, treadmill running, indoor track running, trail running
YesYesMore
PACEPRO Technology

A first-of-its-kind PacePro feature helps keep you on pace with grade-adjusted guidance as you run a course.
NoNoYes
Golf Courses

Access full-color CourseView maps for more than 41,000 golf courses around the world, and get button targeting and the PlaysLike Distance feature.
YesYesYes
Swimming Features

Available swimming profiles; pool swimming, open water swimming, swimming/running.

Other features include; tracks metrics such as distance, pace, stroke count, stroke distance and SWOLF.
YesYesYes
Underwater Wrist-based Heart Rate Tracking

Features underwater wrist-based heart rate tracking that helps you manage your swimming intensity.
NoNoYes
Altimeter

Floors climbed
YesYesYes

Garmin Fenix 5S vs 5S Plus vs 6S Pro: Battery Life

Fenix 5SFenix 5S PlusFenix 6S Pro
Smartwatch mode: Up to 9 days
GPS/HR mode: Up to 14 hours
UltraTrac™ mode: Up to 35 hours without wrist heart rate
Smartwatch: Up to 7 days
GPS: Up to 11 hours
GPS and Music: Up to 4.5 hours
UltraTrac™ mode: Up to 25 hours
Smartwatch: Up to 9 days
GPS: Up to 25 hours
GPS and Music: Up to 6 hours
Max Battery GPS Mode: 50 hours
Expedition GPS Activity: 20 days
Battery Saver Watch Mode: 34 days

What’s the Difference?

The Fenix 6s Pro is the best choice
  1. Although same case size, the Fenix 6S Pro is slimmer and weighs a little less than the Fenix 5s and 5s Plus.
  2. The Fenix 6S Pro with 32GB onboard storage has a higher storage capacity than Fenix 5s. This supports music storage and preloaded maps. The Fenix 5s lacks music storage and maps.
  3. The Fenix 6s and 6s Pro have a slightly longer battery life than the other two.
  4. As a result of the onboard storage, the Fenix 5s Plus and 6s Pro are preloaded with TOPO U.S. mapping and routable cycling maps with trendline popularity routing.
  5. The Fenix 6s Pro is also preloaded with road and trail maps and ski resort maps.
  6. Both Fenix 6s and 6s Pro feature blood oxygen measurement not available in Fenix 5s and 5s Plus.
  7. Incidental fall detection is present in Fenix 5 Plus, Fenix 6s and 6s Pro but not in Fenix 5s.
  8. The Fenix 6s and 6s Pro have the most gym, run, and recreational profiles. The Fenix 6s also has more golfing features than Fenix 5s and 5s Plus.
  9. The Fenix 6s and 6s Pro also feature under-water heart rate tracking which is not present in the Fenix 5s and 5s Plus.
  10. There is an NFC in the Fenix 5s Plus, Fenix 6 and 6 Pro that enables Garmin Pay – a non-contactless payment system that allows you to make payments directly from the watch.

The bottom line, the Fenix 6s Pro is the best choice. It’s a more equipped smartwatch than Fenix 6s, Fenix 5s Plus and Fenix 5s.

Meanwhile, the Fenix 5s Plus with onboard music storage capability and preloaded maps is a more productive smartwatch than the Fenix 6s.

Although, the base edition, Fenix 6s is equipped with more activity profiles and features underwater heart rate tracking.