Is Fenix 7 waterproof?

Fenix 7 came to the fore in January 2022. It is a natural upgrade from the Fenix 6 series smartwatch and seeks to improve upon the features of the Fenix 6. It was expected to come bundled with ECG functionality and LTE or Cellular model. Both expectations were belied at launch. Fenix 7 misses ECG functionality. And, it does not have LTE or cellular model. For people wanting LTE support on Garmin, your options are limited to the Garmin Forerunner 945.

Here we look at some common features of the Fenix 7 series smartwatch and address user queries about the main capabilities of the Fenix 7 smartwatch.

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Is Garmin Fenix 7 waterproof?

Yes, Garmin Fenix 7 is waterproof. It carries a water rating of 10 ATM. A water resistance rating of 10 ATM means that the smartwatch can withstand a depth pressure of 100 meters or 10 atmospheres below water level. Pressure is measured in units of ‘atmosphere’. A Garmin Fenix 7 can go up to a depth of 100 meters and take a depth pressure of 10 atmospheres or 10 bars. 100 meters below water level would mean a depth of 330 feet below the water level.

This makes Garmin Fenix 7 appropriate for swimming. As per Garmin, the water rating of 10 ATM for Fenix 7 makes it suitable for the following activities:

splashes
rain or snow
showering
swimming
diving into water
snorkeling
high-speed water sports

For most practical reasons, a water rating of 10 ATM makes the watch resistant to water exposure that we could normally expect during the day. However, you do need to make a note. 10 ATM rated watches are not suitable for diving, snorkeling, or high-speed water sports activities.

You may also need to be careful in swimming in seawater. Exposing the watch screen to seawater could have unintended consequences. It is best to wipe the seawater off your watch surface in the event of exposure. Generally speaking, watch exposure to seawater should be avoided.

Some people do ask about using a waterproof case for the Garmin Fenix 7 smartwatch. With a water resistance rating of 10 ATM, waterproof protection of the cover for the watch may double up the protection for your watch. It may sound like an added protection. In our opinion, this may not be needed. Especially, if you use the Fenix 7 only for swimming or the activities shared by Garmin.

Is Garmin Fenix 7 compatible with inReach?

inReach is a very useful feature. It allows you to make use of the Iridium satellite network. The satellite location data helps in seeking emergency support during an incident of concern. Hikers and trail runners can make the most of the safety features offered in the inReach feature. Garmin offers a subscription service -inReach, that allows you to make use of satellite networks to pinpoint your location to your contacts or emergency rescue services.

Garmin Fenix 7 can work with the inReach Mini and inReach Mini 2 handheld devices. inReach Mini and inReach Mini 2 devices are handheld satellite communicators. They allow you to engage in a two-way communication channel between the inReach Mini device owner and another contact or emergency service. All this happens through the Iridium satellite network.

inReach Mini and inReach Mini 2 devices can be paired with a Garmin Fenix 7 smartwatch. Upon successful pairing, you can control the inReach Mini or inReach Mini 2 devices using your Fenix 7 watch. The inReach widget on the smartwatch allows you to control the following aspects of the inReach handheld device:

Receive New Message notifications
inReach Remote Quick Text
Send Preset Messages
Start and Stop inReach Tracking
Trigger an SOS

Fenix 7 smartwatch comes in handy for controlling the inReach Mini and inReach Mini 2 handheld devices.

Can Fenix 7 connect to Peloton?

Yes, Fenix 7 can connect to Peloton. Fenix 7 supports ANT+ wireless connectivity. Heart rate monitoring device can connect to the Fenix 7 device using an ANT+ connection. The heart rate monitor, in turn, will connect with the Peloton bike to share the data with Peloton’s tracking repository.

You can install the Peloton app on the Fenix 7 device. The watch will receive updates about your heart rate on a real-time basis. For accurate heart rate monitoring, we do suggest wearing a heart rate monitoring that can be tied to your chest using a chest strap. Heart rate monitoring through the wrist-based sensor is not as accurate as the chest strap-based heart rate monitor.

Garmin states –

You can use an external heart rate monitor, such as the HRM-Pro™ or HRM‍-Dual™, and view heart rate data during your activities. Some heart rate monitors can also store data or provide running dynamics information
from Garmin website

Any Garmin smartwatch with ANT+ wireless support can connect with the Peloton app. You will need to broadcast Heart Rate during the activity for the Peloton app or bike.

To pair heart rate monitor with your Fenix 7 smartwatch, please follow the instructions below:

If you are pairing a heart rate monitor, put on the heart rate monitor.The heart rate monitor does not send or receive data until you put it on.
Bring the watch within 3 m (10 ft.) of the sensor.(NOTE: Stay 10 m (33 ft.) away from other wireless sensors while pairing.)
Hold MENU.
Select Sensors & Accessories > Add New.
Select an option:
- Select Search All Sensors.
- Select your sensor type.After the sensor is paired with your watch, the sensor status changes from Searching to Connected. Sensor data appears in the data screen loop or a custom data field.

Once the sensor is connected to the Fenix 7 watch, you would be able to get information about your heart rate. Effectively, you pair the Fenix 7 smartwatch with the Peloton bike over an ANT+ connection to share heart rate data. It may be pertinent to note that the process of connecting the Peloton bike with the Fenix 7 smartwatch remains unchanged from the Fenix 6 or Fenix 5 smartwatch.

Summary

In this post, we have covered the essential features of the Garmin Fenix 7 smartwatch. We concluded that:

Fenix 7 is 10 ATM rated watch. It is, therefore, suitable for swimming.
Fenix 7 can be used to control inMini and inMIni 2 satellite handheld devices.
Fenix 7 can connect to the Peloton bike using ANT+ wireless connection.

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Helen Kurt

Helen Kurt is a geeky nerd who loves to cover the wearables space. She has over 5 years of experience in the smartwatch domain. You can reach her on email at [email protected].