Maps on a fenix 6 pro…any good?!

I have an Edge 530 and a fenix 6. For most walking/running purposes the maps on the watch are ok but the Edge is much more usable.

If I may ask, useable in which respect?!

While we are at it, what GPS is as easy to use OS maps on as a smart phone?

I've a fenix 6 pro

Maps are fine for running backup nav and river/paddling nav . Too small and you move across too fast for bikes imo.

I have an etrex 30 for nav.

Another Fenix 6 user. Following a trail is fine but the maps aren't great imo. It's hard to pan and zoom and nothing like an os map. Couple that with the tiny screen and it's occasionally useful but not something I'd want to rely on (especially with my aging eyes). It's a fantastic watch and the other features are generally brilliant but the mapping falls a bit short imo. I usually follow a preplanned trail on it, but pull my phone out if I want to actually navigate

I picked up a forerunner 955 last year which uses similar mapping to the fenix.

Its awful on the bike. Consistently fails to be at a useful zoom level, as a result hides the useful map information until you manually zoom. Manual zooming is crap.

It’s a superb device, top notch for walking.

Hands down a head unit is much better on the bike but not a lot of use off it.  Still needs use of a phone to make routing a bit easier, tho it is not impossible without it.

The watch is great off the bike, with the phone for doing tricksy stuff like planning a route.

Keep an eye out for garmin refurbished units.

Maps are really good, scrolling is a PITFA, if you can stretch to the 7 do it. You’ll be getting a watch that is still getting new features too, I have a 6pro, it’s good but it’s not going to get any better now. The 7 is getting the 7pro/Epix pro updates.

I've got a fenix6 pro. When I'm hillwalking I download a gpx of the route I'm doing and use that as a 'back-up'. Actually I tend to use it as my main mapping and the phone (os) stays in my pocket and paper map (usually Harvey) almost never comes out the bag.

I had no idea you could even pan and zoom! I just use the breadcrumb trail and follow that. The background mapping is pretty good, Summits are marked and it actually often has Scottish hill paths marked where OS mapping would have you believe there is nothing.

I think it's great personally. It's so easy and unobtrusive to just glance at my watch and check I'm on the right track.

In walking mode it's also great to scroll through and see where you at on the elevation etc.

Yes, I used mine today for 42 miles navigating a pre planned route. Was clear despite the copious amount of rain!

Thanks for the replies, all

only looking at the 6 pro watch as the used prices are consistently £200 give or take

thinking it might make sense to plump for a head unit

i know this has been done to a death so I apologise in advance

garmin edge 530 vs wahoo bolt v2

thinking the edge 530 due to the marginally bigger screen but read a lot to suggest the wahoo is a better unit

any thoughts / experience?!

If you still want a watch (as well), I picked up a used fenix 3 a few years ago for less than £100. They are a still similar price.

I've no complaints with it, and it does breadcrumbs trails if it's useful.

I find following a pre-set route to be okay on a Fenix 6. Helps a bit if you load better maps on. Really need to have turn directions on, so that you get prompts. Not as good as a dedicated unit, but I find it pretty usable.

I’ve got a Fenix 6 and a Garmin head unit. The watch is great for running and walking but too small for the bike. It’s also in the wrong place being in your wrist.

The right tool for the job. Watch for running, head unit for cycling.

The maps are that bad on a watch with my eyes I got a 245 and follow a breadcrumb trail when running as its easier tbh, on my edge explore I use talkytoaster maps though ive heard garmin has improved the maps in a recent update but ive not got round to checking

I'm not much of GPS nav user but for me I don't find my Fenix 6 pro that useful for navigating on a bike. I accept that map info is necessarily limited but once off track it isn't very helpful in either adjusting the route or zooming sensibly to give you context on where you are relative to the route. Also on my wrist it's not easy to glance at compared with a bar unit. However, it's not what I got it for, and for tracking and being a watch and for paying for stuff it's ace.

That said, my basic Garmin 530 is also rubbish once you're off course. Perhaps worse even, although I don't use it much so I might just have it wrong.

I've a Garmin 540. The UI is apparently improved over the 530 but it is still a hellscape compared to my old bolt v1. I can't believe Garmin employs a single UX designer!

Id get the bolt V2 between that and the 530

I am only an occasional user (Fenix 5) and do all the setting up on the phone (Garmin Explore) upload to the phone and get the turn signals from the watch.

I use the Garmin Pay slot as I am always forgetting my wallet / phone.

I also have a Fenix 6 pro and also an Etrex 30 i think it is that i actually use for navigation but i have the watch as a back up.

You can get a handlebar mount for a watch which might make it more useful on the bike as it will be in line of sight, rather than on your wrist.

I’ve used mine on my bike in a pinch. Found an adaptor which lets you clip it into a normal quarter-turn mount (not official Garmin, just a 3D printable design).

It worked fine for me. You’ll be doing a bit of squinting at the map but provided you turn off auto-zoom I found there was enough detail.

Only thing I wish it did was let me skip through pages using the Di2 buttons. Would I want to use it as my main bike computer? Not really, but it’s possible.

1. I agree with the consensus, it’s great for following a pre planned route when on foot. At a push a pre-planned road ride, or a bit of free-nav back to a start point in “head in that direction at the next turn” type way.

off road it’s less suitable, more so if you haven’t planned the route in advance.

overall I love mine, it has been great value (good Amazon price after the 7 came out), but I still ride with a garmin on the bars when I can.

I'm in a similar boat; my computer is for off road navigation with pre planned routes rather than loads of stats and performance stuff.

I have tried Garmin 530; the route line is thin and faint and hard (for me) to see. Tried a Karoo 2. Great screen, great visibility. Limited battery life (6 ish hours), terrible rerouting function you can't disable. No phone app to speak of; either use a PC or the device itself. Rerouting off road makes device unusable IMHO.

Am now using an Elemnt Roam v2 which is a good compromise. Great battery. Good screen. Clear line to follow. Rerouting poor but can be disabled. Interface with phome works well. The hill profile thing is surprisingly useful to me.

The mapping on the Roam is just Open Street Map but I have OS mapping on my phone when detail is needed.  This setup works well for me. It does have oodles of stats etc too if that's your bag.

Thanks all, looks pretty certain that a dedicated head unit will work out best

garmin edge 530

wahoo bolt v2

wahoo roam v2

time to get my google-on and choose

https://talkytoaster.me.uk/free-maps-home/

Go to talkytoaster to get the latest maps for the cost of a donation to Mountain Rescue.  compatible with all Garmin units (and others) watches, head units etc.

improves the mapping functionality to comparble to OS maps for much less £ and helps another worthy cause

@killer thankyou for that, definitely something to look into

will talkytoaster worth with wahoo units?

Here’s their compatibility list for them

notnsure if it’s only applicable to the free maps

https://shop.talkytoaster.me.uk/maps/compatibility