Does solar really work? Or we got fooled

Yeah that was my point. Fenix solar array is too small due to the nature of the form factor to have appreciable solar collection and is why Garmin doesn't let you see any of the metrics from the charging.

Edge has similar issues with heat from the direct sun and actually will shut down the device and tell you its not charging due to excess heat. It's actually a much more mature implementation of solar vs the fenix

I wish I could have had the sapphire without solar, at least in its current implementation. It provides no meaningful and measurable benefit to me, but is a visual distraction and makes the screen a bit harder to read. 

I live in Vancouver Canada so even in summer a LOT of my outdoors involves forest or other shaded areas. And outside of peak summer, well, not much sun to speak of!

Same here. With literally no natural skin protection I'm not going out without covering up. Solar is totally useless for me and I wish I could have gotten a proper small multisports watch with the high-end gps without solar panels. But this was the only thing available to me in the whole huge Garmin range.

During outdoor activities, you could use a chest strap and wear the watch over whatever you're wearing. Not ideal, but you'd at least be able to utilize the solar panel. That's what I did with my F6 Pro Solar in winter. 

When I first got my Fenix 6s solar I was dubious about the solar and asked if people here had any thoughts on how good it was and if worth the price tag. I got one and was way disappointed in the battery life, but figured everyone was right and that you couldn't expect much. But one day I was driving with my arm hanging out the window in the bright sun and noticed that the battery started to DRAIN. In 20 minutes, it lost almost 20%! So, after I started paying more attention and noticed that anytime I had the watch in direct sun it seemed to use more battery. I finally decided to do an experiment and just started noting the battery and changes with being in the sun then did the exact same things on days with no sun and then also left it just sitting in the sun for 5 hours, in various power modes and totally off. Never in ANY circumstance did the sun bring the battery level up. Even being in bright sun, powered down. I realized that the solar charging wasn't working, but maybe the app that tracks solar intensity or any other software on the watch used for solar was draining the battery and the solar didn't do anything. I contacted Garmin and they sent me a replacement and I'd offered my log from over three weeks, but never received the email promised. I quickly found that the replacement was exactly the same. So, I've done quite a few experiments, comparing my 6s solar to the 7s solar and also the 6s sapphire and base and 7s pro. Without exception, the cheapest had the best battery life and the solar charging on the 7s seemed no better, but being in the sun didn't seem to drain the battery as much. I doubt this was straight chicanery and perhaps Garmin just reduced the size without thinking of the effect that would have on the actual advertised solar. Regardless, I do feel deceived.

Of course solar charges the battery by a certain amount, BUT the charge rate is lower than the discharge rate so the net result is that the battery % will still go down, but it will go down at a slower rate than if you didnt have solar. Hence, if the circumstances are right your battery charge will be extended.

Testing this in a repeatable, controlled manner is not trival.

Last summer I could wear it for 4 days an put it into my window (AC running no danger of overheat) and on purpose din't switch off any functions - but with no wrist to sensor it obviously din't use it - kept exact the level - 54% I seem to remember.

Secaond test: last summer: I switched it off completely and put it outside - sunny day with clouds and wind, checked temperature every now and than - 4 hours 4% gain.

All on 8.xx.

That was better than my TacDelta before and I actually like to have the possiblity - just in case - to recharge a little if it runs out of gas, just to e.g. be able to make a determination position. Do I need that badly? Probably not.

The older Casios (don't know about the new ones) lived solely on solar but than: with way less functions.

So it is up to the user to decide...For my model there wasn't an option anyway.

I have to admit I don't obsess over battery life, a week between charges is plenty good enough for me so I don't really check what the solar activity is doing. A couple of weeks ago, however, I was going out for a paddle with a mate who also has a Fenix 7 Sapphire and he had forgotten to charge it. He was in battery saver and had 30 mins life left. After a logged 10km, 1 hour paddle his remaining battery life was showing as 5 hours.

It doesn't say that. It says solar charging CAN take place whilst the watch is off. Not that it only charges when off