The problem with the low battery time is not really the 10-15 hour hike time but you can easily start a long hike with the Garmin at 30% and still get like 10-15 hours. So you don't have to worry with 50% battery where as the AWU had to be fully charged most of the time.

Thank you for the review a lot of useful information and your analysis is great to watch

Thanx for app recomendations!

I have both. I use my Ultra for the smartphone usage, and my Garmin for outdoorsy stuff.

Great comparison! Thanks for your insight from your experience

Best review so far. Seen a lot of comparison videos to decide which one to buy. This one is the most practical video.

I’ve watched a lot of reviews of Ultra and I have a ultra as well. And I really like yours. Your aspect is very practical and I am so related. Thanks for spending time making this reviews. 👍👍👍

You made some excellent points! really helpful!

Thank you for this review! I've said this many times before but the quality of your videos is SO GOOD!

This was very helpful, thanks for the watch input as I’m considering my next watch option

I love how you’re concise with the information. Good job and great video! Subscribed 👍

Fantastic review! Very comprehensive and focused on real-world usage. Subbed!

Hands down the best review I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing your experience with the ultra! Love all the technical details.

Very nice and detailed explanations, thanks!

It's amazing how different the sponsored vs unsponsored reviews are. Thank you for your honesty, it's greatly appreciated.

Great in depth view from a heavy user. Thanks. Hiking and one day charging is for me a no-go. You have give a good review. Thanks.

Good review. I also have the sleeve-problem. I got around it by activating the screen-lock for swimming.

thanks for the video, it was interesting and useful 😊

Enjoyed your honest video.

I really like my Apple Ultra but I do agree with all your points. Really appreciate this review, coming from the real ‘ultra’ user, meaning you’re actually the kind of people on their promo video. I’m not an adventurer or an extreme sport person at all, just do casual hikes from time to time. At the end of the day, I think the Ultra is like fancy sports cars. Not really meant for the racetracks, just for show. If i were a serious hiker, an Everest climber or a serious driver, I wouldn’t depend on my Ultra alone.

Terrific review. Very helpful. Recent Utra owner but now I know the shortcomings. I definitely had different expectations. Thanks. Cheers!

Seems like a balanced and grounded review. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼

Very good review. Both are awesome products. Garmin is more like the pro outdoor version but Apple is an all-in-one city and trail companion. But incredible products overall.

thank you, very detailed comparison

👍🏻🤔 I had planned on doing my fast forward skimming of long reviews and ended up watching all of this review. It was balanced, very well researched and presented, with thoughtful and intelligent insights. Learned a lot! 👍🏻☺️

Greatly appreciate your time, your review of the Ultra; you offer a wonderful perspective; I wish Apple did reach out to you; maybe next time. all the best. So appreciate what you bring.

感謝分享，也期待您分享的兩個hike app經驗。對眾多使用者幫助很大❤

Great review! Thanks!

best video to compare these two great watches, thanks !!!

What an excellent review and insight to this watch before I buy it. Thank you very much. This was extremely useful.

Just so you know, this is the video which ultimately pushed me to buy an AWU instead of a Garmin. As primarily a day hiker in Southern California, you convinced me that the Apple Watch Ultra is more than good enough for my hiking needs (footpath is awesome). Yeah, its definetely not the best outdoor watch (That Epix DOES look nice), and if I were to ever start getting into longer multiday hikes in the backcountry I would probably look into getting a Garmin, but until then the AWU it is. Excellent video.

Practical, pragmatic review. Really helpful, thanks.

thanks for the amazing review

I am in the camp of already have an Apple Watch and thinking of upgrading to the Ultra (or gen 2 since its out now). The Garmin is likely a much better device for hiking, but it's purpose built I can't really afford to buy both. Your video is the one of the clearest and best descriptions of the pros and cons that I have seen. Thanks!!!! - great job (actually I love most of your videos). Keep it up and maybe I'll find an update to this report as some of the hiking apps update their software to work better on Apple Watch.

thanks for sharing!

The best comparison I’ve seen. Thx!

This is an excellent review and exactly what I was looking for and needing. After watching (no pun intended) this video I think I will be going with the AWU. Here's my reason. Even though I live in one of the greatest areas in the country for outdoor life (Bozeman, MT), I'm a casual outdoorsman. I am one of those that is looking for a rugged smartwatch that can do some great outdoors things also such as hiking and fitness tracking. I'm deeply ingrained into the Apple ecosystem as I use a MacBook, iPhone, my wife and kids all have apple products, we use iCloud to sync most things to, etc etc. I have been an Apple Watch wearer for several years and I do enjoy and use the smartwatch features that iOS offers. I feel like I'll be able to get the exact use that I'm looking for out of an Apple Watch Ultra with potentially installing a couple of add-on apps. HOWEVER, if I feel like I need or want to have a more outdoors-centric GPS watch then I will definitely consider the Garmin Epix. At this point I'm mostly concerned about batter life so I'll see how it holds up with daily smartwatch use and doing day hikes around the valley here. Thanks again! I give your review 10 thumbs up.

I am not an hiker, but I love learning new things. I am one who would jump in not knowing what I was doing. Thanks for the details! I am considering life in a Prius and played the idea of hikes with my dog.

Thank you for what you do.

About accidental button pushes and such, I have that when wearing gloves, with the standard Apple watch. I'd find that it had changed to Theater Mode or other such things. The "solution" is simply to put it in Water or Swim mode. From the main screen, swipe up to the control panel and find the water drop icon. Once I'm done or need to do something on the watch, I hold the crown in for a few seconds and it clears water and removes that Swim mode.

Best video about Apple Watch ultra. Ty!

This was the BEST review between Apple vs Garmin for hikers- FINALLY!!! Thank you!

I’ve watched a lot of Watch ultra apps. This is by far is the best. Subscribed 👌🏻

Loved this content. Subscribed. I have an Apple Watch 7 and it didn’t last my hike on Mt. Elbert. My fenix 7 SS is arriving today. I considered the AW ultra, but I wanted a better battery and I didn’t want an iPhone on my wrist. I like that Garmins look like an actual Watch. I look forward to your future videos. I’ll be putting the Garmin to good use next month hiking in Wheeler peak, NM and some various trails around the area. *update* I took the Watch out for a test run and walk. The watch is fantastic, but I find the screen annoying. It’s great in the sun (when you get the right angle). I often blinded myself with the reflection of the screen. IMO the screen is terrible with mid lighting (in car, shade etc). It’s not light enough to see and not dark enough where the backlight helps. I think the Epix would be fantastic and better in most lighting scenarios. The battery life will be worse but I’m not going into the wilderness for a week tracking gps lol. Even if I did, I’d be carrying a solar battery charger anyway. Just my experience so far. Update The fenix 7 pro came out so I pulled the trigger on a SOLAR ONLY model because of my experience with Sapphire screen. The solar only model IS indeed a little clearer than the solar with sapphire. The backlight is also significant brighter than the regular 7 (you just have to turn auto brightness off). I have brightness on at 20% with gestures and I have absolutely no problems. I’m happy with my decision. Now I get a 7 with an updated HR sensor, flashlight in 47mm model and 32gb of storage. I don’t have to worry about pixel burn in and will use this Watch for as long as I can.

I enjoyed your review and definitely agree that Garmin makes the better hiking watches. However, as a smaller person, I really dislike the giant round Garmins. Plus, the Epix is ahem, a $900 purchase. Then, recently they came out with a 265S and I jumped on that. Now, it's true that the 265 does not have maps (just a track, breadcrumb line), but when hiking, I use my phone with Gaia for maps anyway (along with a battery backup). In any case, I love the Garmin 265S for its form factor, amoled screen, and especially for its superior exercise features. Garmin actually gives you feedback on your training and body battery, etc., unlike Apple who just throws data at you (alphabetically, lol) and you gotta figure it out. However, I love Apple for the smart watch features. So, yes, I'm one of those troubled souls who wears both, at the same time, on different wrists. I'm used to this now, and I don't care what anyone thinks. When backpacking, only the Garmin and the phone are coming along though. (oh, and I did not splurge on the Apple Ultra; I have the lowly SE 2022, which is still great).

Regarding the Alpine Loop, I actually swap the sides over so that the hook is facing upwards and it becomes much easier to get a secure hook

I have to feel comfortable and look good wearing a watch. Unfortunately, to me at least, the Apple Watch Ultra is too thick and looks too big for my 5'4" body. I bought the Ultra when it came out and in the end, I just couldn't see anything that it really improved over my Series 7 Titanium and as I said before, it looked far too big on my wrist so I returned it. I'm happy with my Series 7 for now.

thank you for the detailed video :)

This is a great video showing an interaction with a watch on a normal users level! Thank you!

Greta video. The review was well organized and written. Subscribed.

I bought the AWU2 in Jan 2024 went on a hike and lost my track, the workout was interrupted twice and the battery was at a mesly 13% when I returned. 2 Weeks ago I got my hand on a Garmin Tactix Delta from a Jeweller at a steep discount. Went on another hike last week with this watch with technology from 2019 inside, still brandnew watch. The hike went great, I could pause the activity and have lunch, switch between map and regular watch face, made it to my destination and got back home to find that I had battery left for 19 days with constant GPS, Heart-Beat and connected to my iPhone. The AWU2 I passed on to my wife, she was very excited. I'm excited with the freedom of having to charge the watch every other week and for it being reliable when I need it. Just my experience and I was very surprised of the outcome, because as a MacBook Air aficionado and iPhone addict since 2015 I thought this would never happen to me, but it did. There's even newer Garmin watches with real flashlights, I have my 2019 watch and am totally happy with it.

Before I made the switch to COROS I was an Apple Watch user. The wet sleeves pausing or stoping my activites drove me nuts, I would lock the screen as a way to stop that from happening as you mentioned.

Thanks! Very helpful!

Great review! Debating these two now. Think I’ll get the garmin, but I hope the new ones don’t come out soon lol

Great Video! I have used a compass for navigation as my primary when island hopping on sea kayaks but it'd be a total hassle if the compass was stuck to my wrist because it'd be hard to see so yeah compass is still not that useful here.

For the Alpine Loop band. In your video looks like the band is in backwards. The hook should be looping from the top of the watch not bottom, much easier to fasten. I did the same thing when I first got mine.

I am glad I am not the only weirdo with two watches on a hiking trail; the looks I receive....

What a good video. Thank you.

Realy nice comparison - showed excactly for whom are the watches for. Thank you for your interesting and entertaining video! Kind regards form Dresden / Germany :-)

Love my Garmin Fenix. I think its great. The Garmin people seem to really know what they're doing in meeting the needs of hikers with their watches.

the rugged look has always appealed to me more. something i wont be afraid to scratch, something that lasts (reliability) in battery. I prefer circular face too.

Really good review!

Have the AWU and Fenix 7. I wear the AWU for day use and short hikes. Anything more than that is Garmin. Garmin is a better fit for my hiking style. After using both I see the AWU as a great smartwatch with some outdoor functionality and the Garmin as an Outdoor watch with some smartwatch functionality. After this may have to look at an Epix.

In some sense, this might be Apple’s opportunity to differentiate Apple Maps. Apple Maps and basically every other maps app step on each other’s foot since there isn’t too much to gimmick on a maps app. I’m not an outdoors person by any stretch (I got the Ultra because driving route navigation obliterates battery on the normal watch) but it’d be cool to see Apple take in input from people like him who do actually go out and compare how the Ultra performs with dedicated hardware like Garmin’s

I run ultra marathons and rely on having maps and navigation with reliable battery life! Garmin Fenix for me 👍🏼 Apple have some work to do to make this a true outdoors adventure watch!

Thanks for the video. I just recently bought the ultra watch and before I go on a big hike I wanted to try the settings on the watch like back track etc so I went on a small hike to try it. Well when I started going back the first 20 mins was fine but if I kept following it I would have ended up in the river beside the trail

I like for real and honest review, thanks 👌✌️

Thanks for the footpath rec, I will check it out. I have an All Trails subscription and would love to see a comparison of those two plus any other similar apps

great video, thanks

I dropped Ultra for Epix. Epix is great out of box and Ultra is a platform for getting you to pay subscriptions to tons of 3rd party app makers to get the same functionality.

Great video. I use Garmin for hiking and cycling since the 90's. And there havent, unfortunately, been a competitor for handhelds, cycling computers and watches. Even though I'm sucked in to the Garmin Eco system. It would be good for the market if an other company could compete. And no Mio you're not one of them!

Great review as always. You can stop the cuff hitting stop by just water locking it. Agree with all your comments. It’s a tough one as the choice is between a pin point accurate watch (Apple Watch ultra) and bolt in apps. Or… the much better looking/longer lasting- but more inaccurate EPIX 2. The quantified scientists review of garmin sleep tracking and optical hr really disappointed me. Either - Apple releases a software update/Ultra 2 with proper mapping/routing/native training analytics (double battery again would be great 😂) or - garmin sorts it’s sleep/optical flaws out and potentially some more smart features (not a dealbreaker for me, but nice to have) I’m not loyal to any brand, just what the customer gets. The rumour is that the Epix 2 pro is inbound. If the 51mm model has a flashlight… take my money garmin.

Best hiking channel!!!❤ I prefer the ocean band because it’s easier to clean and dry but currently use the older model made for the regular Apple Watches. Same concept as the ocean band though.

HUGE Respect sir !

Excellent review.

Thanks for the review - I currently have an Epix and an Ultra and most of these points resonate with me. I'm trying to decide which to stick with (or more accurately, decide if I could happily part with the Ultra, since my iPhone broke and I'm back to using a Pixel, unsure if I really want to pick up another iPhone or not) - from the comments it sounds like there are more watch dual-wielders than I'd expect. 😊

Totally spot on! I love Apple but god! Its a real pain to use Ultra on long hikes with no reception😫 Made that mistake today, its back to Garmin for the remaining days of hiking home

The upcoming watchOS and iOS gained the ability to save offline maps. I'm not sure if it can also calculate a route offline but at least you can define map areas on your phone beforehand that will then be downloaded and available to you on both devices regardless of connectivity

Have the Fenix 6 Pro Solar and it performs so much better overall than the ULTRA (which I just bought) for hiking and backpacking. Thanks for your nice review HikingGuy.

Would like to see you do a hikers review of the garmin 965

The compass has a back tracking feature that will show you where to go, and the directions to take not just a straight line

I WISH they would put a reflective display on a watch. It would make their watches so much more functional. The touch screen being always on is my other big gripe. The wet sleeve thing is a massive oversight.

Nice analysis dear please do a video about how accurate the ECG, SPO2 , blood oxygen and hart rates please

I use the ultra for my triathlon training and so far it works very good

If a future Apple Watch Ultra comes with more buttons (ideally at least three in total) + significantly improved battery life (can last a week at least), I think it's a no-brainer for me to pick AWU. I just need an apple watch that can last a marathon or a vacation without worrying about battery life.

Nice review keep it up

Great review

Thanks!

about the unwanted pauses or touches in the screen. You can activate the drop like icon and it would block the screen from unwanted touches. This function is destined to water related sport but is also great to use in hiking environments

ooo epix sounds awesome, maybe i should get one

I am Also the weirdo with two watched. I wear a Fenix on one hand and the ultra on the other. I use the ultra for HR data (Afib tracking) and the ability to have cell service without my phone. The garmin is my run/hike go to. I think the AW probably has more usability were I to figure out it’s tricks.

Basic land navigation skills with a compass and paper map orientating are a must for serious backpacking. Shouldn’t always rely on technology. As for Backtrack, you activate it at the beginning of your hike and when you’re ready to turn around you tap the pause button and retrace your steps.

Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is also amazing: Weeks of battery life or infinite if you have decent sunshine where you are. It also links seamlessly to your phone and to the Garmin Inreach devices (e.g. Inreach Messenger), which you can keep in your backpack, for satellite comms.

Bought the Topo Pursuit, thru your link, based on your review. Ive hiked about 50 miles on them and they are great. After 5 years of Altra Lone Peaks, Im now a Topo convert.

Thanks great video. I appreciate you are probably not reviewing different Garmin watches here but like another commenter I would be interested in a review of the Forerunner 965

I think the AWU will never truly be the best option until they make it totally operational via buttons alone. Anyone who spends enough time outside knows that touch screens are the least optimal controls and nothing you want to rely on entirely. A light drizzle and suddenly opperating your device becomes a challange in itself.

Thank you for an excellent and thorough review! I have followed your channel for a while. I found you because of your original WorkOutDoors Apple Watch App review/tutorial! Thank you for your excellent work.

very honest review. actually I am into cycling, I have been through the phase of trying to use my iphone and apple watch for everything (heart rate, following gpx routes, and all data helpful during the activity such as speed, elevation, ...). And, I can say that it worked fine! with a bit of effort on setup and searching for the right app. the only big issue was the phone's battery life that I had to plan around it. Then, I found an offer on a bike gps computer (wahoo) and I decided to give it a go. after setting it up, and buying a cardio chest strap, I would never go back. It's just far more immediate, less distracting, less informations but they are the helpful one that allows you to focus on your ride.I still carry my phone to occasionally use Maps (for having a satellite view, or search a way point I am not sure about), but for the rest I prefer to have it outside of my view. My watch stays at home instead. I came to the conclusion that for occasional users, already owner of iPhone/Watch, those devices will do the job just fine. For more regular users, there's nothing as good as dedicated hardware.

You know what you're talking about. Thanks for the great video.

Great comments concerning both watches. At the moment, I have a samsung watch and I use Komoot for defining hiking tours and for navigating during hiking. Since I plan to replace my samsung either by an apple watch or epix watch, i would to know whether you already tested this app? Epix looks better for sports but the menu looks too complicated, Apple watch ultra looks great as smartwatch but Iam surprised that the screen can’t be locked during an activity.