Fenix 5 Silicone Band Buckle Digs In

Had the same problem from day 2 with my Fenix 5 and decide to file it down a little bit and had no more problem after that !
The problem is fixable easily...

I have exactly this problem.
I use my 5S for running and mountain biking - running is awesome, most mountain biking is awesome. But any rough descent, on the brakes, is excruciating.
I've tried sports tape under the buckle which works to a degree but any ride longer than an hour or so I basically need to take the watch off, which sort of defeats the purpose.
Does anyone know if Gamin are going to do a velcro or material band for the 5S? Or has anyone found a solution that works? There's plenty of third party 20mm velcro bands around, but they require removal of the pins, and I'd like to keep the Quickfit ability available.
Cheers,
Jono

You might want to give the cheap OEM versions (foubd on Aliexpress for instance) of QF straps a try as they seem to have copied the design of the Garmin straps shown in #10 above with their "flat" buckle. Now it's a standard buckle pin not a big torx 5 screw so it might be an issue depending on your activity.

I contacted Garmin with regards to the issue. After about a week of email and phone conversation the conclusion is they're very sorry it hurts me. The best they could do is say I could try sanding down the sharp edge if I felt like it would help and offer me a 10% discount on the stainless steel band. This equates to paying 225$ NZ to buy a replacement due to a flawed design by the manufacturer! Not only is this daylight robbery,
​​this is rather piss poor service by Garmin in my opinion.
I am reluctant to pay the price for the perceived quality and service for the Garmin product when I consider my recent experience.
In the mean time I have ordered a third party strap from Ancool via Amazon at a tenth of the garmin price! If I get burned again at least it won't hurt as much.
I have found that swopping the belt and buckle straps around has improved the comfort as the sharp edge of the buckle no longer sits over the flexor tendons of my wrist.
I hope this helps the rest of you unfortunate souls suffering from the same predicament.

First fenix5 bought in april was fine, no problem. Just received ? replacement as first unit died and the band feels thicker and stiffer compared to the first unit, and the buckle irritates the skinn due to the sharp edge. I guess this could be cost reduction......

I have this issue too - not that it's sharp or anything, just that there's a sensitive wrist-tendon on the underside of my forearm it runs alongside, and to have it tight enough to get heart-rate readings, it digs in to the point of bruising. This is one thing my old Apple watch got right (albeit not a lot else) - the looped magnetic bands. I'll probably try one of the milanese magnetic bands, although I had one of those on Apple watch as well, and the mesh tends to snag on anything polyester/sportswear... in-between solutions, anyone? I have a 5X.

Interesting. I have received my F5 late August and wear it every day, with about 45 mins in the morning and about 2 hrs in the evening off the wrist to give the arm some air. I cinch it tighter (one notch) to go running, mostly to reduce movement to the max, and only on those occasions to I feel the occasional pinch (and that's not necessarily at the level of the buckle ) - but nothing to be concerned about.
I do note the difference in buckles displayed above (I have the second, broader and flatter one - the only place where the buckle itself touches the skin is at the level of the screw), and I could imagine that a standard, watch bracelet type of buckle could perhaps lead to some irritation. But as far as I am concerned, no issue whatsoever.

Try a NATO strap. I don't have one but maybe is what you are looking for.

I found the standard forerunner 935 band the most comfy - albeit, not quickfit - which is a shame. https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/pn/010-11251-0R

I found the original strap from the forerunner 935 feels best. super comfy - just a shame they are not the quick fit type. For me, it appears to be the use of the allen bolt which makes the buckle more superficial and causes it to dig in more, especially when tight.

I also tried some cheap ebay types which used the standard pin and much flatter silver buckle, but they felt too cheap and was worried they would break during an activity.