5 signs to upgrade your Garmin watch

Key Takeaways

Issues like speed, missing features, and battery degradation can be reasons to upgrade your Garmin.
You should also upgrade if some sort of failure seems imminent.
You can sometimes prolong the upgrade cycle with troubleshooting steps.

Garmin watches may not be as flashy or general-purpose as something like an Apple Watch, but that’s often their strength — since they’re purpose-built for fitness and adventure activities, their designs tend to stay relevant for longer. That’s especially true given Garmin’s efforts to backport newer software features to older hardware.

Smartwatches inevitably need to be upgraded at some point though, and that’s where this guide comes in. Don’t worry, I’m actually going to deter you from buying a new watch if you don’t have to. We all like the feeling of unboxing a new tech gadget — but the longer you wait, the more meaningful an upgrade becomes.

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1 The interface is choppy

Death by a thousand (slow) cuts

A hand presses buttons on the Garmin Forerunner 965 while it's on a wrist.

Garmin interfaces have rarely been described as buttery smooth. Usually that’s just fine, since when you’re out on a run or lifting weights, your main concern is probably logging workouts rather than flying through menus. If your watch is several years old, however, its UI may feel sluggish, at least by comparison to newer smartwatches with updated processors and additional memory. That can get irritating, all the more so if you depend on time-sensitive features like offline navigation.

It’s up to you to decide when you’ve had enough, but before you pop an Epix Pro into your shopping cart, try rebooting your watch first and/or deleting any unnecessary content on it. Still choppy? Check if a software update is available. If there’s not, a factory reset might do the trick.

A hand holds a Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar in front of a blue and white background.

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2 No more software updates

Support matters

A Garmin epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire next to a phone with Garmin Connect IQ on the screen.

Every smartwatch maker has a finite amount of resources to dedicate to software support, and naturally, the oldest devices get cut off first. That’s not necessarily a big deal — if a watch is still doing what you need, you can keep using it until it falls to pieces.

Without updates, though, you won’t get any bug fixes, much less access to new features. Think of it as a sign that you should be considering an upgrade, even if there’s no rush to pull the trigger. The only hard barrier is when you can’t connect to vital apps and online services, such as Garmin Connect.

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3 Battery life is severely reduced

No longer going the distance

The Garmin fenix 7 Pro with the flashlight turned on is set on a wood table.

Lithium-ion batteries degrade as you repeatedly deplete and recharge them. It translates into reduced overall capacity, no matter which features you use or how long you leave a device on a charger. In fact, it’s often best to charge devices to around 80% to reduce that degradation.

Garmin watches have a famously long battery life, sometimes measured in weeks, so it can be difficult to judge their health. It’s safe to say though that if your watch is losing whole days’ worth of runtime versus what you got out of the box, you’re probably due for warranty repairs or buying a replacement.

Seven Garmin watches lined up on a windowsill.

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4 You genuinely need a new feature

It’s not about being cool

A person hiking with a Garmin Solar-12 on.

“Need” may be too strong a word, but if a newer watch has a feature that will radically improve your life, it’s worth considering. Models with Spotify caching can make gym sessions more enjoyable, for example, and hikers will benefit from models with offline mapping and embedded solar power. If you’re an athlete, you’ll want a watch that supports Garmin’s Training Status and recovery metrics.

Just remember to be realistic. Some people buy expensive new devices as “motivation” to try an ambitious goal like a marathon, only to fall short or use a fraction of the available features. Upgrade to solve existing problems or goals you’re fully committed to.

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5 Durability is compromised

Avoid the worst

Customizing an activity on a Garmin watch.

Garmin watches are often rugged — its Tactix models are built for soldiers in the field — but they’re not invincible, and what initially seems like minor damage could be the harbinger of a device becoming unusable or failing outright. A large enough display crack, for instance, could interfere with touch output, or expand until the entire screen is vulnerable. A hole in the casing might become an entry point for dust and water that could fry your circuitry.

Not all damage is a reason to panic, of course. Use your best judgment. You may not like scratches and scrapes, but they’re usually cosmetic issues that only affect resale value, not functionality.