Garmin tactix® 8 47mm, AMOLED Display, Premium Tactical GPS Smartwatch, Includes Applied Ballistics Ultralight™ Solver

FrontRow Tech LLC quickly shipped my Garmin Tactix® 8 Applied Ballistics Solar Elite Premium Watch. Great service. 5-stars 25-May-2025: UPDATE: Average Skin Temperature works: 15.31 Software Release. Changed review from 4-stars to 5-stars. 23-March-2025: UPDATE: Average Skin Temperature Does Not Work: 19-March-2025, I contacted David, at Garmin. He mentioned this is a known issue; and, a firmware is being worked on to resolve this issue. The ETA release for the firmware is May 2025. My watch has the latest firmware: 13.71. I reset my watch and Garmin Connect. To date, 22-March-2025, the Average Skin Temperature doesn’t work after the reset of the watch and the Connect application on my iPhone 13. Some operators have this problem, and others don’t. According to David, I’m the eighth caller experiencing this problem. If the May 2025 firmware resolves the skin temperature issue, I will update my Star-rating to 5. 31-March-2025: I am going to the firing range to test the Elite Applied Ballistics, which is one of the reasons I purchased this watch. The Elite License is set up, and I anticipate it will work well when I discharge my long arm down-range. - Display is bright and easy to read under the sun and low light settings. The backlight is great for dark settings. (My display setting is 10%.) - Rucking is a new application, which I always wanted with my Garmin Instinct 2X Solar Tactical Watch; because, I carrying a tennis backpack whenever I walk to and from the tennis courts; and, I always wanted the weight of my tennis backpack to be factored into my Walk Activities. The Tactix 8 satisfies my want; hence, now, I’m able to factor in the weight of my tennis backpack into my Walk Activities. - I like the new ECG feature. It’s easy to use. - I also purchased the Tactix 8 for my SCUBA diving trip to the Channel Islands this coming Summer 2025; hence, I will update this review after my first dive. I already took it swimming today, 20-Feb-2025, and no leaks. The Swimming Activity was accurate and helpful for my tennis cross-training. - Phone connectivity works great — though, I don’t use these features when I play tennis nor when I am in HIIT mode. The watch piggy-backs off my iPhone. It doesn’t have its own LTE Cellular component like my Apple Watch Ultra. - I am taking aviation classes; hence, I will use the Tactix 8 as a back-up flight aid. I will update this review after I use the Aviation Application. - The color of the watch casing looks lighter than the Tactix 7. - The GPS seems to be more sensitive; because, I’m able to get GPS indoors — unlike the Tactix 7 Pro Ballistics and my Instinct 2X Solar Tactical watches. - Navigation is visually appealing with the colored maps, and navigation is accurate — I did a TrackBack without any problems, such as, but not limited to, navigation lag. Recalculation in NYC (Manhattan) took place quickly — seconds. - Solar charging panel appears to be bigger than the Tactix 7, but I have not researched my assertion — bottom line: the solar charging works great. I will do more tests and update this review if I notice any problems. The watch comes with a charging cable, booklets, and a black silicone strap. The Tactix 7 Applied Ballistics Pro came with a nylon strap and black silicone strap. Check 6! /s/ Alfonso Faustino

This watch is AMAZING and well worth the price. It provides amazing stats on sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress, as well as GPS, maps, and so much more. Not to mention, you can also sync it with your phone, allowing for notifications like an Apple Watch. It is very versatile, a great size, fits well, and does all I need and much more!

Did you know it has a water ejection feature!? I used the absolute mickey out of my 7 which is still kicking strong. Surviving everything and the kitchen sink, really, renovations and a sink fell on it. Was perusing the internet and saw the 8. And Declared to my cat. I Need(Want) This! Despite the incremental upgrades, the extra money spent is worth it to me. Previously used the 47mm T7, and realized I needed something with a bigger face. I've also reached a point where I had more leeway in learning more about the particulars of shooting and it having AB was a great plus. A lot of folks I know and have heard do mention the Microphone being a risk Security wise. And I'd like to raise the simple fact that if Someone is listening into your Watch, it's because your phone is with you and connected. You have other concerns my friends if this is your deal breaker. According to Garmin "The Microphone Only Activates when Utilizing The Command. Which can be removed from the shortcuts" Again, if anyone has access to your phone/watch when you're in a Secure environment or out in the field doing things....you have much greater problems than that. Anyone familiar with OpSec and similar know you wouldn't be discussing anything sensitive in the presence of electronics anyway and most likely would have been prompted to remove any smart devices. Back to the watch. overall it's pretty standard quality Garmin. I'll update upon further use.

I've had a Garmin Fenix 3, years ago, and was generally disappointed with its limitations. More recently I've had an Apple Series 7 watch, which I generally liked in terms of it's functionality, but it felt more like a "dress" watch with limited functionality and limited battery life. I purchased the Garmin Tactix 8 Solar for its functionality, ruggedness and looks and I couldn't be happier. I am still learning my way around this watch because there is A LOT of functionality (which I won't go into) but I am already using this watch WAY more than any other watch I've owned. I don't take the watch off very often because the battery life is amazing and it can run for weeks without a physical charge. You'll have to spend some significant time getting it set up and NO the set-up isn't intuitive but once it's the way you want it, it is AWESOME! If you have a Tactix 7 or some other Garmin model you love, then this may not be enough of an upgrade for you, but for me, this watch was worth every penny. Finally, I will say that it's nice to have a connected watch (messages, alerts, music, etc.,) that ISN'T the same old Apple watch that everyone else has. Highly Recommended! One Month Later - Still love this watch and wear it daily. I purchased the Titanium watch band from Garmin (not cheap) and this makes the watch even more wearable. Whereas the rubber watch band that came with the watch would get water or perspiration underneath it and so I would have to take it off occasionally to dry off my wrist, the titanium watch band doesn't have this issue. Also, since the titanium watch band is a fixed length (after removing some links) it fits perfectly every time.

I love this watch.

La mejor opción, solo cambie la correa porque con la de plástico te suda la mano, elegí una con velcro y quedó excelente Mapas y navegación sin fallas

Para mi gusto es el mejor SmartWatch del mercado, yo uso la aplicación Applied Ballistics para el tiro de precisión. Las opciones tácticas lo diferencian del Fénix 8.

Parfait pour toutes les activités, que ce soit golf, rollerblade, ski, chasse ou pêche. La montre solaire a une durée de batterie quasi infinie. Je la recommande vraiment pour tout ce que vous pouvez faire avec.

Decent quality and comfortable fit. Subtracted one star for some slight fraying after wearing it for 5 days. Will update if it gets any worse.