Garmin Quatix 6 Review: It’s Much More Than a Boat Watch
"Garmin's Quatix 6 is a great multisport watch that is easy to look at."
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Multiple fitness sensors
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Battery life
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Build quality
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Music storage
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Suitability for everyday use
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Expensive
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One size only
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No touch screen
Whenever a product contains the words "marine" or "boat connection" in the description, I turn away as soon as possible. These words are usually reserved for overpriced niche articles that are flooded with features that I will never use. When I found out that the Garmin Quatix 6 was going to arrive on my doorstep, my first thought was: "I'm not going by boat." How am I supposed to check this? "
Fortunately, the Quatix 6 is not just a boat watch. It could be the best multisport smartwatch you can buy today.
Furnishing and design
While the packaging says Quatix 6, it is essentially a variant of the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro that can do everything the Fenix 6 Pro does. It only has a number of pre-installed boat functions.
Starting with the basics, the Quatix 6 monitors the usual suspects: steps, calories burned, sleep and climbed floors. It also connects to your iPhone or Android device to receive notifications. Such features are expected these days, but the Quatix 6 offers GPS, a heart rate monitor, a barometric altimeter, a compass, a thermometer, an accelerometer, a pulsox, and a gyroscope. What is special about the Quatix 6 is not that it has all these sensors, but what it does with the data.
Garmin's new user interface is certainly an improvement over previous iterations. If there are several complications on the standard screen, I get all the data fields I want without the face feeling cluttered.
I usually make a sacrifice when I select "home screens," but the Quatix 6's various facial options strike a balance between clean aesthetics and the information available at a glance. In the meantime, the widget loop shows a list instead of taking up the entire screen, which enables faster scrolling. These minor changes make the user interface less cumbersome.
Battery life
Another minor change from previous models is the battery format, which is now displayed in days for charging instead of being full in percentage. The battery life depends heavily on your usage mode. Garmin offers the following:
- Smartwatch mode: Up to 14 days
- GPS mode: up to 36 hours
- GPS and music: up to 10 hours
- Maximum battery GPS mode: 72 hours
- Expedition GPS activity: 28 days
- Battery saving mode: 48 days
This type of adjustability for battery usage is helpful when you are out on the water or in the wild.
Activity tracking
Life on the water is the goal of the Quatix 6, and for this reason all possible widgets are pre-installed so that you can switch from landlubber to seal in no time. With full connectivity from all chartplotters to autopilot controls to Garmin's Sailing Assistant, the Quatix 6 is ready to go to meet all of your boat needs.
But as I said, the Quatix 6 is much more than a water dog – it's a multisport pony that improves your fitness game regardless of activity.
In addition to the skills the Fenix 6S Pro demonstrated in a previous wilderness test, the Quatix 6 can guide you through home workouts, including yoga, P.ilates, weight training and cardio, all with on-screen animations to guide you through the process. For the most part, these are extremely practical and I had to mix in various workouts that I would normally not have looked up.
My only criticism are the noises that the watch makes when switching between positions during yoga training. They are shrill electronic beeps that are not wanted when I try to turn on my Zen.
I mainly train indoors these days and the Quatix 6 has a special tracking for indoor cycling. Most of the time I search for my readings at Zwift, but the Quatix 6 can connect directly to my Wahoo Kickr to show my performance and distance without interrupting my Zwift training. This may seem a little unnecessary, but for anyone who has decided which apps to connect to your Strava, this is a nice addition that allows you to keep your data in one place.
If running, swimming or cycling are part of your weekly work, the Quatix 6 with PacePro keeps track of your target pace, offers new bike courses with Cycle Map and monitors your swimming efficiency in the pool. And if you like to play golf, 41,000 golf courses are preinstalled.
To be honest, there are far too many features to mention here. So if you are interested in the full list, you can read it on the website Garmin site.
The Quatix 6 can combine your activities and evaluate them with its numerous functions. With features like a heart rate sensor, GPS and the Pulsox sensor, which estimates the amount of oxygen in your blood, the Quatix 6 can estimate your fitness level.
What I liked most about the Quatix 6 was the stress and body battery functions. In all likelihood, this has more to do with checking this watch during a pandemic. Nevertheless, it was a nice change to pay more attention to my stress and my energy level.
That doesn't mean I needed a watch to say I'm more stressed than usual, but when the Quatix 6 asked if I wanted to do a breathing exercise because he knew I was nervous, I was happy to remember to get offered. This is a small part of the general capabilities of the Quatix 6, but this was a welcome addition for this journalist who struggles to meet deadlines in a world that works a little differently than before.
Additional functions
The onslaught of functionality doesn't stop with breathing exercises and sports. With 32 GB of storage space, the Quatix 6 can record 2,000 songs. Since it is Bluetooth and Wi-Fi compatible, you can stream from Spotify, Amazon Music and more.
Another smart feature is Garmin Pay, which allows you to set up a virtual wallet for contactless payments.
Everything I've mentioned up to that point applies to the Fenix 6 Pro at $ 700. The only difference is that the marine functions automatically included in the Quatix 6 must be downloaded to the Fenix 6 Pro via the Garmin Connect app.
So why buy the Quatix 6 and not the Fenix 6 Pro? Aesthetics matter.
With its silicone band "Captain Blue", the bezel made of brushed stainless steel and a touch of red, the Quatix 6 gives a completely different atmosphere than its all-black tactical brother. I'm usually a fan of the all-black options, but the classy look of the Quatix 6 is a wonderful change from the watches I've had in the past. If you want to stand out even more, the Quatix 6 is available in a titanium version for $ 1,000, which is equipped with a sapphire crystal lens, a titanium bezel and a titanium band, as well as a weight loss from 83 to 72 grams.
Our opinion
You may not know Quatix 6, but you should be. It has the same functionality as the Fenix 6 Pro, with a different look that's as classy on a boat as it is on the trail or in the gym.
Is there a better alternative?
In the north of the $ 500 price range, look for the best smartwatches available on the market, such as the Apple Watch, Suunto 9 Baro, and Polar Vantage V Titan. Much of this choice depends on your personal preferences, price, and willingness to learn how different brands work.
The main blow against the Quatix 6 is the high price that can throw it out of competition for many people. However, if you want to be patient, Garmin watches are often on sale, more than most other brands.
How long it will take?
Garmin watches are built to throw around, and the Quatix 6 is no exception. If previous experience indicates this, you will wear your Quatix 6 for at least three to four years. From this point on, you will notice something shiny and new long before it lets you down or runs out. The watch comes with a one year warranty.
Should you buy it
Yes. If you can afford it, it is arguably the most robust multisport smartwatch currently available.
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