I can see this becoming a problem down the line. Garmin obviously thought that this watch would only appeal to women and men with particularly thin wrists and made the strap shorter than other watches that are meant to work on any sized wrist.
But from this and a few other comments I've seen here men who have a wrist circumference of 7" or more but would like to have the smaller F5 model the straps might not be long enough.
Getting very, very inexpensive aftermarket 20mm straps with plenty of length is easy but yes, they should offer a longer 20mm strap or at least an exchange program if someone needs it because there are no longer quick fit bands in 20mm. that said i have very thin 6.25 in wrists as a man and I have 10 holes left so it can handle more wrists sizes then some might think.
I can see this becoming a problem down the line. Garmin obviously thought that this watch would only appeal to women and men with particularly thin wrists and made the strap shorter than other watches that are meant to work on any sized wrist.
But from this and a few other comments I've seen here men who have a wrist circumference of 7" or more but would like to have the smaller F5 model the straps might not be long enough.
I think I’m right on the threshold. My wrist is about 7.5-7.75”, and while the strap closed, it felt uncomfortably short.
Are all the accessory straps for the 5s the same length as the one which it ships with?
I tried on a 5 and a 5s at REI yesterday. I slightly prefer the face/body size of the 5s, but the strap is too short. (Much shorted than the FR935.)
—Jim
I have thin 6.5" wrists and find that the 5S strap fits ok with 8 holes left for a slightly loose fit for every day wear, or 9 holes left if I need it a bit tighter (but find that this leaves indentation marks in my skin). This leaves only about half an inch gap between the buckle and the rubber loop, so if my wrists were any bigger the strap would feel too short.
I don't understand why the Fenix 5S strap is considerably shorter than the Forerunner 630 and 735XT which are the same size. It's also less wide so offers slightly less support during activities.
I think it was a bad decision by Garmin not to supply two different lengths of strap in the box. My sapphire 5S came with an extra yellow strap, but it's the same size as the black strap and I will probably never wear it.
I'm concerned about the metal band. I ordered the 5S sapphire with the stainless steel band and am wondering if it's going to be too short or if they're a bit longer and I'll have an extra link or two that I can remove. I have 7" wrists. They market the 5S towards people with thinner wrists, but what they failed to realize is that some people want a stylish watch that doesn't look like a sports watch. So, now they have a lot of people opting for the 5S over the 5 or the 5X as a style choice. The bands really need to accommodate those people as well. People with smaller wrists can wear longer bands, but not the other way around.
I'm concerned about the metal band. I ordered the 5S sapphire with the stainless steel band and am wondering if it's going to be too short or if they're a bit longer and I'll have an extra link or two that I can remove. I have 7" wrists. They market the 5S towards people with thinner wrists, but what they failed to realize is that some people want a stylish watch that doesn't look like a sports watch. So, now they have a lot of people opting for the 5S over the 5 or the 5X as a style choice. The bands really need to accommodate those people as well. People with smaller wrists can wear longer bands, but not the other way around.
Agree. There is clearly a market for men looking for a relatively lightweight, medium sized smartwatch that doubles as a fully featured running watch. There are a few on the market (Android Wear, Apple Watch etc) but none equal Garmin in sports tracking capabilities. The F5 is a great bit of kit but just needs to be offered with different sized straps designed for men as well as women.
