Garmin Quatix 8 Review - Is It the Best Marine Smartwatch in 2025?

On June 26, Garmin, as one of the top 10 best sports watch companies in the world, launched the new Quatix 8 marine business smartwatch, available in 47mm and 51mm sizes, featuring a 1.4-inch AMOLED display and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Built tough for demanding marine environments, the Quatix 8 adds built-in speakers and a microphone to support voice control of compatible chartplotters and hands-free calls, greatly enhancing usability and safety. Its battery life is impressive, with the 47mm model lasting up to 16 days and the 51mm version up to 29 days in smart mode, perfect for extended sea adventures.

As a flagship marine watch based on the Garmin Fenix 8 platform - and building on the legacy of the Garmin Fenix 7 and Fenix 7 Pro—the Quatix 8 focuses on delivering high-end features tailored to professional sailors, while also meeting diverse needs on land and water. This article provides a comprehensive review of the Garmin Quatix 8’s design, features, and user experience to help you discover its key highlights.

Garmin Quatix 8 Review - Design

Key Upgrades:

• AMOLED display for clearer visuals
• Marine-grade titanium and sapphire glass
• Military-grade protection with 40m dive certification

The Quatix 8 has received a comprehensive design overhaul. It features a 1.4-inch AMOLED color display with significantly improved brightness and contrast, ensuring clear visibility even under direct sunlight. Available in both 47mm and 51mm sizes, it accommodates different wrist preferences.

The bezel is made of lightweight yet durable marine-grade titanium, while the scratch-resistant sapphire glass offers high clarity and protection. The brushed finish on the edges adds a premium touch, and the new metal leak-proof buttons allow for easy operation even with wet hands or gloves. It is water-resistant up to 100 meters and certified for 40-meter dives, with a robust build that meets military standards- built to withstand rough seas and impacts.

Summary:
From display clarity to rugged construction, the Quatix 8's exterior design is not only visually refined but also built to meet the real demands of life on the water.

Garmin Quatix 8 Review - AMOLED Display Upgraded for Clarity at Sea

Upgrades:

• 1.4" AMOLED round high-resolution touchscreen
• Scratch-resistant sapphire lens + titanium bezel
• Built-in ambient light sensor for automatic brightness adjustment

The Garmin Quatix8 features a newly upgraded 1.4-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 454×454 pixels, delivering sharp and vivid visuals. Thanks to its self-emissive AMOLED technology, the watch offers deep blacks, high contrast, and vibrant colors- ideal for viewing maps, nautical data, and graphics in any lighting condition.

The display is protected by a durable sapphire crystal lens and framed by a titanium bezel, ensuring long-lasting resistance against harsh marine environments. A built-in ambient light sensor adjusts screen brightness automatically based on surrounding light, enhancing readability outdoors. The system also includes a screen timeout feature to help prevent image persistence and extend display life.

Summary:

Whether under bright sunlight or in low-light settings, the Quatix8’s AMOLED display ensures reliable visibility- making it a standout feature for serious maritime professionals.

Garmin Quatix 8 Review - A Fully Upgraded Marine Command Center

Key Upgrades:

• Real-time critical vessel data monitoring
• Voice control for chartplotters and autopilot
• Remote smart control of trolling motor and audio system
• Tide and anchor drag safety alerts
• Professional sailing race assistance and fishing mode
• Multi-functional waypoint marking and advanced navigation
• Professional-grade diving support

Key Features:

• Real-time Vessel Data Streaming:The Quatix 8 streams vital data such as depth, wind speed, engine RPM, and customizable vessel metrics directly to your wrist. Sailors can monitor their boat’s status without leaving the deck, enhancing operational efficiency and safety.
• Voice Control for Compatible Devices: Equipped with a built-in microphone, users can issue voice commands to compatible Garmin chartplotters and GHC 50 autopilots to adjust course, add waypoints, and more, enabling hands-free operation.
• Smart Remote Control:The watch doubles as a remote control for compatible devices such as Garmin electric trolling motors and Fusion entertainment systems, allowing users to adjust heading, volume, and switch tracks conveniently from the wrist.
• Safety Alerts: Featuring a built-in barometer and tide table, the Quatix 8 provides timely alerts on tide changes and anchor dragging, helping sailors anticipate potential hazards and avoid accidents caused by shifting tides or anchor movement.
• Sailing and Marine Assistance Apps: Preloaded with the SailAssist app, it offers tack assist, virtual start lines, race countdown timers, and sailing timers to help competitive sailors precisely manage their races. The fishing mode predicts fish activity and logs fishing spots, providing practical tools for anglers.
• Convenient Waypoint Marking and Navigation:Users can place chartplotter waypoints anywhere on the vessel using the watch’s touchscreen. Coupled with high-quality Navionics coastal and freshwater maps, it enables precise navigation and critical location recording.
• Professional Diving Support:Rated for 40 meters of water resistance, the Quatix 8 supports both scuba and freediving, equipped with the Bühlmann ZHL-16c decompression algorithm and a three-axis diving compass. It supports nitrox and customizable conservatism settings to meet professional diving needs.

Summary:

The Garmin Quatix 8 integrates a wealth of practical marine intelligence features, significantly enhancing user control and safety. Whether for professional sailing, racing, fishing, or diving, it serves as an indispensable smart companion on your wrist.

Garmin Quatix 8 Review - Navigation and Mapping

Key Upgrades:

• Multi-device remote control and voice commands
• Precise vessel data streaming,
• Offline high-precision map support

The Garmin Quatix 8 delivers comprehensive upgrades in navigation and mapping, allowing real-time viewing of critical vessel data such as depth, engine RPM, and wind speed directly on the wrist. It also enables remote control of Garmin electric trolling motors and Fusion entertainment systems. For the first time in the Quatix series, a built-in microphone supports voice commands, letting users easily operate compatible chartplotters and autopilots for safer and more convenient navigation. Waypoint marking allows users to set important locations anywhere on the boat, while tide and anchor alerts help prevent potential hazards in advance.

In terms of mapping, it features high-quality Navionics coastal maps and US freshwater maps (sold separately), along with 32GB of onboard memory for offline maps to ensure smooth navigation without network connection. Combining multi-frequency GNSS positioning with SatIQ intelligent algorithms, the Quatix 8 maintains high positioning accuracy even in complex environments. It also comes preloaded with global TopoActive maps and ABC environmental sensors, supporting point-to-point navigation, backtracking, and track logging to meet diverse outdoor needs.

Summary:

The Garmin Quatix 8’s navigation and mapping system integrates precise positioning, multi-device control, and rich map resources into a powerful and reliable tool, providing robust navigation support for marine and outdoor adventures.

Garmin Quatix 8 Review - All-in-One Upgrade for Health & Fitness

Key Upgrades:

• All-day Health Tracking
• Firstbeat Analytics
• Pro-level Multi-sport Modes

Comprehensive Health Features

• Full-spectrum Biometrics: Tracks heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO₂), stress, respiration, Body Battery energy, HRV status, and Health Snapshot.
• Smart Sleep Insights: Includes sleep score, sleep coach, nap detection, and jet lag guidance for better rest and recovery.
• Enhanced Safety: ECG support (in select regions), incident detection, and emergency alerts for greater peace of mind.

Advanced Sports Capabilities

• 100+ Built-in Sports Modes: Covers running, cycling, swimming, sailing, diving, triathlon, HIIT, yoga, and more.
• Pro-grade Training Metrics: Includes VO₂ Max, lactate threshold, pacing strategies, stamina score, and hill score for smarter workouts.
• Optimized for Water Sports: Preloaded marine apps, tide alerts, anchor drag warnings, and fish forecasts- perfect on and off the water.

Summary:
Garmin Quatix8 isn’t just built for the outdoors- it’s a flagship smartwatch that fuses health tracking and sports science in one powerful device.

Garmin Quatix 8 Review - Smarter Everyday Convenience

Key Upgrades:

• Voice Control & Calling
• Seamless Payments
• Offline Music Playback

Smarter Connectivity

• Built-in microphone and speaker enable Bluetooth calling and voice assistant commands- make and receive calls, reply to texts hands-free, perfect for both sailing and everyday scenarios.
• Supports smart notifications, stock tracking, and calendar alerts. With Wi‑Fi auto-sync and Garmin Connect integration, updates and uploads are hassle-free.

Hassle-Free Payments

Compatible with WeChat Pay, Alipay, NFC transit cards, and other local mobile payment services for quick transactions on the go.

Thoughtful Entertainment & Lighting

• 32GB built-in music storage supports local downloads from QQ Music, NetEase Cloud Music, and Migu Music, with Bluetooth headphone pairing- enjoy music without your phone.
• Includes an adjustable LED flashlight and red safety light- ideal for boat decks, nighttime visibility, or emergency use.

Summary:
More than a marine smartwatch, the Garmin Quatix8 is a powerful everyday companion- combining communication, payments, entertainment, and utility in one smart device.

Garmin Quatix 8 Review - Ultra-Long Battery Life for Worry-Free Exploration

Key Upgrades:

• Up to 29 Days of Battery Life
• Multi-Mode Power Optimization
• Long-Lasting GPS Tracking

Extended Battery Life in Smart Mode

In Smart Mode, the 47mm model offers up to 16 days of battery life, while the 51mm version extends that to an impressive 29 days- ideal for long-term wear without frequent charging.

Extreme Standby in Expedition Mode

When using Expedition GPS Mode, the 47mm version lasts up to 17 days, and the 51mm model up to 31 days- perfect for long voyages and outdoor expeditions.

Reliable Tracking in GPS Mode

In standard GPS Mode, the 47mm version provides about 42 hours of battery life, while the 51mm model reaches up to 84 hours. In Multi-Band GNSS Mode, they offer 35 and 62 hours respectively. Even with music playback enabled, battery life remains solid at 10 to 18 hours.

Conclusion: Whether it's for everyday wear, long-distance travel, or extreme adventures, the Garmin Quatix8 delivers exceptional battery life to power your journey with confidence.

Garmin Quatix 8 Review - Price & Positioning

• AMOLED High-Resolution Display
• Integrated Vessel Control and Navigation
• Advanced Smart Features

The Garmin Quatix 8 is positioned as a high-end flagship smartwatch designed for sailing, boating, fishing, and marine exploration. The 47mm version is priced at $1,199.99 (approx. 949.99), while the 51mm model costs about $100 more at $1,299.99 (approx. 1,039.99).

It features an AMOLED display, powerful vessel control, and chart navigation capabilities, while also supporting Garmin Pay, music playback, and smart notifications. Battery life reaches up to 16 days for the 47mm model and up to 29 days for the 51mm. As part of Garmin’s top-tier wearable lineup alongside the Fenix and Tactix series, the Quatix8 is more than a watch- it’s an intelligent extension of the entire vessel system.

Garmin Quatix 8 Review - Summary

The Garmin Quatix 8 is a professional smart watch that integrates marine navigation, health monitoring, and multifunctional control. Equipped with a 1.4-inch high-definition AMOLED display, sapphire crystal lens, and titanium bezel, it delivers excellent visual clarity and strong durability. The screen automatically adjusts brightness for clear readability in both bright and low-light conditions. With comprehensive marine features, safety alerts, voice control, and long battery life, it helps users confidently navigate complex and changing maritime environments.

Recommended for

Enthusiasts of sailing, boating, and fishing Professional sailors and captains Water explorers who require precise navigation and safety alerts Users seeking a high-performance, multifunctional smart watch.