18.10.2022 | 8 MIN | 1x comment
It's not so long ago that the new Garmin Enduro 2. was released. At the beginning, it was quite controversial, and many people didn't know how to feel about it. In today's duel, we will see it compete against the first generation, the Garmin Enduro.
If you're a beginner with watches now and think that maybe the Enduro watch is intended for enduro mountain biking races or motorcycling races, that's not true, unfortunately. The word "Enduro" comes from "endurance". If you want to read reviews for each and every model, here they are:
9.8.2022
Garmin Enduro 2 Review – Music for my ears, maps for my feet
Let's look at features that the models have in common that are the same:
And what's changed?
I could have added more for this introduction, but I'm keeping some things to spice up the article. So let's get into it.
What I've always liked was that the Enduro did not go with the crowd and was not afraid to use bold design elements, like yellow around the display for example. The new model stuck to this idea too, even though the boldness was reduced a little bit. Around the display, there 11 yellow stripes and a button in the same colour.
By the way, Garmin is continuing its concept, the Enduro = the Fenix 6X, a the Enduro 2 = the Fenix 7X. Which means that the design is cleaner, the bezel around the display thinner, and there are screws in the lugs. The main difference is that we got a purely titanium version.
The difference between the cases is therefore clear at first sight. A minidetail is also the height of the watch, the new one being higher by 0.7 mm / 0.03". I think that having made this change, a bigger battery fits into the watch. Another difference is the weight, the new Enduro 2 weighing at 70 g with a nylon strap. The older generation weighs 61 g in titanium version and 71 g in steel version. Well, a bigger battery adds some weight.
The nylon strap stayed the same, and probably everyone, who wants an Enduro, is excited by this fact.
As we got used with the latest Garmin generations, we can control everything using touch. This is also true about the new Enduro 2. Why not, you can control the watch well using both ways, the touch display is fast and flows nicely. It makes sense for example when viewing maps, inputting your PIN and other things. However, if you are too fast for the older model, you might notice that it is a bit slower system, and the response time is not at its 100 percent.
The display resolution stayed at its 280 x 280 pixels with the 1.4" size. Also the number of data fields has not changed – 8 data fields per one page, which is enough even for data enthusiasts.
The biggest change when it comes to display is the glass covering it. The Power Glass technology (mineral + solar) was replaced by the Power Sapphire technology (sapphire + solar). And frankly? I don't think it made that much of a difference. If you compare legibility between the older and latest Enduro, the older one comes out much better. Unfortunately, the sapphire and solar combo puts the legibility down. And after all, since this is a watch for ultra-enthusiasts, who are tired all the time, the legibility plays a big role.
Sensor-wise, both watches are equipped the same. They also have the same sensors as other premium Garmin watches. The new generation has some news though about the heart rate sensor and GPS. The heart rate is measured by the Elevate 4 sensor, GPS is received using Multi-Band. It also got the SatIQ technology, which changes satellite settings based on the strength of the signals.
At first, SatIQ was pulling my leg sometimes, and I was definitely not blown away by it. However, after the last update, I dare to say that it is not bad and that it is the future. Well, this feature will probably not be added to the first generation, so let's compare the older and the latest GPS to see the differences.
Black – Enduro 2, red – Enduro
Both watches were set to the most accurate GPS settings, and there are some differences. Yes, the curve of the Enduro 2 is smoother and looks more similar to a path, but I still don't think it makes that much of a difference.
Black – Enduro 2, red – Enduro
However, the Enduro 2 did a much better job with a bridge and other iron constructions around than its predecessor.
What took me aback was the heart rate, which should be more accurate using the latest model. However, a "wet" test, meaning running in rain, proved it to be the opposite. Neither watch was accurate, but the first generation came much closer to reality. It really was only a jog, and my heart rate doesn't go up to 172 beats when jogging. Looks like we would need a chest strap in harsher environments if we wanted relevant data.
Blue – Enduro, purple – Enduro 2
We always look at the battery to know how long it will last in real life without the need to charge. Do you do the same? Then look no further, I can tell you that the first generation has a better battery when it comes to this. Why? Take a look at the chart.
| Garmin Enduro | Garmin Enduro 2 | Garmin Fenix 7X | |
| Smart watch mode | 50 days / *65 days | 34 days / *46 days | 28 days / *37 days |
| Battery saving mode | 130 days / *1 year | 90 days / *1 year | 90 days / *1 year |
| GPS | 70 hrs / *80 hrs | 110 hrs / * 150 hrs | 89 hrs / *122 hrs |
| All navigation systems (ALS) | X | 78 hrs / *96 hrs | 63 hrs / *77 hrs |
| ALS + multi-frequency receiving | X | 68 hrs / *81 hrs | 36 hrs / *41 hrs |
| UltraTrac | 200 hrs / *300 hrs | 264 hrs /*714 hrs | 213 hrs / *578 hrs |
| Expedition mode | 62 days / *95 days | 77 days / *172 days | 62 days / *139 days |
Yes, the smartwatch mode makes the older watch last longer than the younger one, yes. We could say by a lot. Unfortunately, music, maps, and new features take up more battery, but still, a month without a charger on my mind is very nice. But now to the point of the watch. The battery life with the GPS on is phenomenal, and Garmin managed to make a watch suitable for any hike. For examplec the Pacific Crest Trail hike takes about 120 days. I would say that with the Expedition mode on, you don't have to worry.
But I don't want to overpraise only the new model, the older model is suitable for the majority of other distances. Along with the Coros Vertix 2 and the Fenix 7X, these models are still keeping the top places when it comes to battery life.
Even though the Enduro 2 has new features, we all look only at the distance, time, and heart rate during races, well, maybe also ClimbPro. This is the basic combo for trail races. For races on asphalt, we could also add pace. All of this is equipped in both models. I made the new features sound unimportant, right?
Looking at the new Enduro 2 features, I do have to bring up GAP – Grade Adjusted Pace. The feature is amazing, works decently in real time, so, you have a good tell-tale page telling you whether you're not working too much going up that hill. I unfortunately do not think that the Enduro 1 will get feature, making it limited only to this generation.
Another new Enduro 2 feature is the Next Fork with maps (it can tell you of the upcoming "fork" of your path). Now, there are two groups of people. Those who say that maps corrupted the Enduro 2. The second group are those who praise the maps. After a long time, I stand right in the middle and, for now, I do not know which side to support. It is simply the evolution of a model, and the watch with GPS maps lasts longer than the first generation without maps. So I guess I have nothing against them.
The last feature is the race widget. You can add a race into the Garmin Connect calendar. Select its correct GPX (which is often already uploaded to Connect by other users), select your dream target time (or just time). Garmin will calculate the pace and send it into the watch. Then in your watch, you will see the time till your race, your goal (along with Garmin's prediction), weather, and altimeter graph.
This all is accompanied by training advice by Garmin. When I put in the Ultra-Trail du Mont Black, the TDS path, the watch at first told me to start working on my hills, and the closer the race, the more it told me to rest and go on shorter runs. Of course finishing with a motivational quote that you can do it.:-)
Sometimes, even the hearts of ultra-runners or expedition tourists needs to be soother by the sweet tones of music. With the Enduro 2, you can upload up to 2000 songs into the watch or connect to one of streaming services (Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music). Nothing else changed besides this. NFC payments, notification, pre-installed replies, alarm, stopwatch, timer, and other features found in both models.
For me, the most important smart features are using your watch to pay and quick notification responses (available only for Android users).
Models which were released in 2022 now offer also nightly heart rate variation measuring. You can use the value measured to decide your workload for the following day. HRV can tell you whether you're not coming down with a cold, whether you're fatigued, overtrained, etc. This is accompanied by the added Training readiness widget. It uses all the fitness features and calculates, whether you are fit enough to train or whether you should just go for a light jog that day.
If you don't really need all these features and need only the health snapshot (which includes HRV), you can opt for the first gen Enduro. It won't nag you as much, simply said. Both of the Enduros know the basics, meaning step counting, heart rate, sleep, calories as well as stress.
I often wouldn't mention price if I could, but when you look at these models, it is quite staggering. The difference between the models is more than 400 EUR for the titanium and around 500 EUR for steel models! Were I to choose a winner based on the performance/price ratio, I would definitely opt for the first generation of the Garmin Enduro. The price is now very low, and especially the steel version is at its most affordable point now.
The difference is actually so considerable that it is probably impossible to decide who is the overall winner. The Enduro 2 has all these new features by Garmin, supported by the largest battery we came across so far.
However, the first generation plays with its simplicity, functionality, and one of the best battery lives in the world.
Frankly, I personally root for the older model, which I would probably buy if I had to decide between the two machines.
What about you? Which model would you choose, and what do you like about the Enduros?
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