Garmin Tactix 8 Smartwatch Review: The Ultimate Hunter's Watch

I can still feel the joy. When I was not older than 8 years, my parents got me a new watch and a man, it was a chic. It was the first time that I had illuminated the tiny black and white digital screen so that I could read the time in the dark! You heard it here, people. It was groundbreaking at the time.

For over 20 years quickly, and this watch would probably be found in a container with the name “Frei” in a used goods store. Watch technology has certainly been leapshaking since childhood, and this Garmin Tactix 8 a.m.? Well, it can be the best watch that I personally found for the committed hunter, the fitness guru, the recreational shooters, etc.

Consoling: Hunters who are looking for a first -class smartwatch that apply to their hunt and everyday life should be the Garmin Tactix 8 on the radar. Simply be prepared for a strong price tag, and it is not a replacement for a digital mapping app like onxhunt.

Shopping for an intelligent watch? Take a look at our guide to the best intelligent watches of the year.

Garmin Tactix 8 Smartwatch Review

overview

The Garmin Tactix 8 was built with a view to the tactical community, but it would be a great addition to every Jäger equipment kit. It comes in different sizes and styles. Garmin offers a 47 -mm -amoled, a 51 -mm -Moled, a 51 -mm sunlight and a 51 -mm -mm -solar elite.

In the box you will receive your watch, which is preinstalled either with ultra -light lovers or elite solvers (depending on the model), a charging cable and an instruction manual.

There are five buttons on the clock. Three on the left are a flashlight, notifications/ups and general knowledge such as weather, heart rate, etc./Down. The two buttons on the right are an OK/menu button and a back button. Apart from the buttons, this is a touchscreen clock that can be used either way.

The stock bracelet is a silicone band, but these are interchangeable. Garmin offers many options for different types of bracelets if you want to have a different appearance or a different feeling, and the lens is a sapphire crystal.

With regard to the battery life, Garmin says up to 16 days. This depends heavily on the functions you use during this time. For example, if you follow a hike, more is integrated into the battery life.

Characteristics

Garmin packed the Tactix 8 with tons of functions. There are far too many to list here, so I will be the best for the hunter in my opinion.

LED flashlight

In addition to the additional green light it offers, this is not exclusively for Tactix 8. The Fenix ​​8 also offers an LED flashlight, but has an additional red light instead of green. After this is said, the flashlight can be switched on easily by typing the upper button on the left side of the clock.

And that's not a little useless light. This is like a headlight, or should I say a “wristlamp”. A practical feature for hunters who have to find a little quickly in the dark and do not want to reach for a headlight immediately.

Back

A function that corresponds exclusively for Tactix 8 is the new background activity. I have never seen it personally on one clock before. With this activity you can not only record hikes for juicy fitness data, but also improve the data even more by entering your pack weight. This is a non-lengthy activity for those who would like to watch training in preparation for the hunting season.

Applied ballistics

Another feature that is valuable for the Garmin Tactix 8 and for the hunter is the used ballistics. By downloading the app of the Applied Ballistics app you can enter all of your ballistic data, have different rifle profiles, etc. All of this information can be displayed seamlessly as a reference in your Tactix 8, regardless of whether you are in the field or in the area.

My experience

The establishment of this smartwatch was literally child's play. It is a rather self -explanatory process, and Garmin does an excellent job that guides you through everything. There were a few things I immediately noticed.

First, the buttons had a texture that I very preferred to my older Fenix ​​models. Two, I was a bit skeptical about the touchscreen. I feared that it would not be sensitive enough, but I did it wrong. The touchscreen is very nice and it felt like I was using a small round smartphone instead of a watch.

During my entire time with the Tactix 8, I made countless workouts to prepare for the spring bear season, use the ballistics scene and to publish it in a few bear hunts in the hinterland. I also wore it every day in everyday life since I had what is about 2 months now. It was a pleasure across the board.

What I use the most

A function that I found particularly neatly is that I can answer a call about the clock and hear/speak to the person at the other end. Pretty James Bond when you ask me – and I like it.

I am a big fan of the new backing activity. This was always a bit like a pet when I picked up weighted pack hikes on my other watches. They do not allow you to enter the weight of the pack. It is not only so confusing for recordings, but also never that without this pack weight I would get a precise reading in my workouts.

A small but powerful feature for me is the LED flashlight. I use this every day and found it useful in the field when I search for things in my tent at night or quickly immerse yourself in my pack in a faded light. It is surprisingly bright and even use it for things like grilling in my garden at night.

As far as the ballisticlicide used, this was a cool addition to the clock. After I had entered all my ballistic data into the app, I now had a dope diagram for my rifles directly on the wrist. I even compared it to my original Dope diagram to look for inconsistencies. The differences were very Minor and nothing that I can see for a process. We talk about things like 3.2 MOA compared to 3.1 MOA.

How did the Tactix 8 stay?

I am glad to say that after a lot of brush breaks, dust devils, rain, etc. on backpack hunts of the Tactix 8 still looks and works. I was concerned that the touchscreen would stay after such things, but that's not the case.

What's up?

The Biggie, when it comes to the disadvantage of Tactix 8, is certainly the price. It is a mega card -like swipe when you ask me and probably keep people from making the jump. On the more practical side of things, me Really I wish these smartwatches could connect to digital mapping app on our telephones or only have access to the same mapping software.

The mapping is okay on the Garmin, but it is far a replacement for my onxhunt app on my phone. Who knows if it will ever happen, but my fingers are crossed for something like that.

Last thoughts

From dedicated GPS devices and the famous inreach to distance sheets and GPS smartwatches. Garmin knows his craft and they do it well. The new Garmin Tactix 8 Smartwatch is no exception of it, and I'm really happy that I wrapped a wrist around while I type.

It may have been built with a view to the tactical community, but for me it is so much more than just a tactical watch. It is an Everything Watch. I look forward to using the Tactix 8, whether that at home, on the field hunt or exactly to my house, much more benefit.