Garmin Enduro 2 Review – Music for my ears, maps for my feet

Tags: Review | Garmin | Men's | Smart

9.8.2022 | 10 MIN | 1x comment

A step forward or in the wrong direction? I still can't decide what I really think about the Enduro 2. This model has music control, maps, and the battery life is still very long. But aren't some features pointless?

What's new about the Enduro 2:

• more battery life – up to 46 days with regular use, up to 150 hours with GPS,
• touch display,
• music control,
• 2 times more powerful LED light than it is with the Fenix 7X,
• topographic, skiing, and golf maps,
• health scan,
• SatIQ – feature which adjusts GPS receiving on its own to optimise battery usage,
• automatic tracking of your earned rests,
• Grade-adjusted pace – feature which tells you how to adjust your pace on the basis of the terrain and incline,
• Nextfork – shows the distance from the next path/street crossing and the name of the next path/street,

How is the Enduro 2 in a nutshell?

Honestly, this model didn't leave me as disenchanted. When the Fenix 7X appeared, the existence of the first generation of Enduro stopped making sense. The solar accumulator is even more effective, and the Fenix 7X also has maps and music player.

But there was one positive thing about the first Enduro generation. It benefited from not having a music player and topographic maps.

You might say, now, what is that supposed to mean, to benefit from not having features? It means that since they were absent, they couldn't use up all this battery, which is exactly what these two features do the most.

Suddenly, we can find topographic maps and music player in the Enduro 2, making the line between the Fenix and Enduro thinner than a plastic bag. If the features were not there, the battery would last longer and we would see a much nicer number looking at us from the price tag. Quite a bleak start to a review, isn't it?

On the other hand...

I was certainly impressed by the strong LED light, which can't be compared to the Fenix 7X one. At the same time, I much appreciate the Adjusted pace feature, but I have a feeling it will appear in the Fenix 7 and the Tactix 7.

Overall, I don't understand why put everything into the Enduro 2. Garmin could have just released a Fenix 7X Plus.

Design – Yellow-green elements are here to stay

The Enduro watches use the exact same case as the Fenix 7X – 51 mm (2") titanium case, DLC-coated against scratches. The metal bezel and case back holds onto the case using screws. This sandwich style is completed by five buttons on the sides.

The most noticeable element is the yellow/green button START/STOP, which is typical of the Enduro line only. This colour is simply not used in any other line. Just like the greenish line around the display, which is dashed now, but I like it a tiny bit more than I did on the first generation. Speaking of buttons, I do feel like they have a slightly different resistance than those of my Tactix 7, and I can't get used to it. For example, when I press the START/STOP button, you can't hear any clicking sound.

Quite silly, but it does make me nervous a little.

On the top of the case, there is the LED light which I have to comment on right now. Garmin's LED lights are still brand new (they appeared for the first time at the beginning of 2022), but Garmin managed to double the brightness by this time. I think that using clearer glass helped because the glass guarding Fenix 7X's light is more milky.

When it comes to the weight (without the strap), the Enduro is at 64 grams, which is surprisingly 3 grams more than the Fenix 7X. This low weight is ensured also after attaching the strap thanks to the nylon UltraFit for the Enduro line (for wrists measuring 110-220 mm/4.33"-8.66"), which is probably the best thing the Enduro line brought. I myself attached this strap to my Tactix Delta, then to my Tactix 7, and I never want a different one.

Display? Nothing new

The display is exactly the same as the one of the Fenix 7X and the Tactix 7. It's 1.4" wide and has the resolution of 280 x 280 px. As it goes with Garmin, it is transflective.

In general, the biggest advantage of transflective displays is that they are able to use light as their own backlight. No more of that dreaded squinting at the display during a sunny day. Simply said, the more the Sun shines, the more the display shines. In everyday use, however, you might have troubles reading the time. This is especially true for people with worsened eyesight as the display is not as sharp and doesn't use many contrasts.

Enduro 2 (too) with heart rate frequency sensor now

The watch is equipped with the accelerometer, barometer, compass, thermometer, HR frequency sensor, pulse oximeter, and, again, of course with HR frequency.

This graph shows the new Elevate 4 generation, which measures in much more detail and much more accurately. This makes the graph show its teeth more. :) There is a little barrier around the sensor to protect it. Which comes in handy for technologies based on optics.

Purple (chest strap) and blue (Enduro). As you can see, the graph of the chest strap is more hilly, but other than that, the Enduro did just fine, didn't it? :)

Even the GPS was upgraded, it can now work with multiple frequencies, which is slowly becoming the new standard in the world of smartwatches.

The Enduro 2 is capable of receiving GPS, all navigation systems at the same time, and all navigation systems on multiple frequencies. These 3 modes are added to the UltraTrac mode, during which the watch receives GPS signal every minute, and expedition mode, during which it happens every hour.

Let's have a look at a comparison of multi-band receiving using the Enduro (blue) and only GPS using the Tactix (purple).

The GPS on its own records pretty nicely, but we can see that the multi-band receiving records the turns a bit better and doesn't show me going off the track.

Grade Adjusted-pace – Brand new running feature

Out of all the new features of the Enduro 2, I was looking forward to this one the most. It's actually pretty easy to explain. It recalculates your current pace to show it as your pace on a flat surface. For example, if you're running up the hill and it takes you 8 minutes 30 seconds, this feature will recalculate that and tell you that it would take you 4 minutes 45 minutes on a flat surface since the elevation difference is high.

And how would we use that? From the pace on flat surfaces, you can easily read your efforts. You might think that the pace of 6 minutes up a hill is pretty slow, but it would be as if you were running on a flat surface for 4 minutes. And that's not easy or slow, is it?

It also shows you the watts of your performance, so you can see your efforts laid out in numbers regardless of inclination. Until now, Garmin users couldn't measure their watts from their wrists and not everyone had a spare chest strap, so that's nice to see.

This feature has been available for some time now in Strava (but only after saving the activity), and in Coros watches.

SatIQ – Saves battery and hard decisions

Maybe you too once had to make the decision... set GPS receiving, all systems, or perhaps multi-Band? Battery or accuracy? That is the question (running through my head). We've all been there.

And that's what the SatIQ feature is for. It automatically chooses the best possible setting with regard to battery life.

That means that if you find yourself in a place that is perfect for receiving GPS, it will choose only GPS. If you are not in such a place, it chooses all navigation systems. And if even that is not enough, it will opt for the multi-frequency receiving.

This feature should make the record of your path as accurate as possible while saving as much battery as possible.

Automatic Rest time – Once manual, now automatic

This feature appeared for the first time ever in manual form in the first generation of Enduro. Its purpose is simple. You reach your rest spot, click a button, and it records your time spent there. This is reflected in the analysis of the activity, where we can find the total time spent resting. And that's good to know.

Now, the Enduro 2 does this automatically. The one thing I am afraid of is that it clicks whenever you stop (or catch your breath) and the data will no longer be relevant. In this case, I lean more towards the manual switching on and the total time, which was spent standing, would be available thanks to the Run/Walk/Stand feature. That's the timeline showing you how much you walked, ran, or stood still on your run.

Nextfork – What lies ahead of me?

The Enduro 2 also has maps, and thanks to its storage of 32 GB, there is plenty of space for every corner of the globe you want and which you can install. Besides this, there is also the turn-by-turn navigation, where the watch notifies you whenever you change direction and of the distance from the finish. I personally fell in love with the PacePro feature, which provides strategies of pace for race runners. It shows you the pace you should run (with inclination in mind) to reach the desired time.

What is also useful is the ClimbPro feature, which shows graphs of elevation, distance to the next hill, and how many metres you climb up.

Related to this is the new Nextfork feature, which shows the distance of the next path and its name. Although it is useful and nice to have, I cannot say it would be such a game changer that would make me say "The Enduro 2 is a must have!"

Speaking of maps, you now have the option to load maps of golf courses or skiing resorts into your Enduro.

What characteristic Garmin sport features can we find in the Enduro 2?

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but the Enduro line was the first Garmin line, which showed you your VO2 Max even during trail running. Meaning it takes into consideration elevation. Of course, you can switch it off in the activity's settings, because it might not be extra accurate if you have a heavy backpack or difficult terrain.

8.4.2021
What is VO2 max?

Then there are the classics: regeneration time, training load, training status, prediction of time on various distances. According to the training load, the watch also shows you your daily training recommendation.

Training status – The watch evaluates in which heart rate zone you are in most of the time (training load) and based on the ratio of the time spent in each zone, you get an assessment of your training. If you workout correctly, your watch evaluates your training as productive. This feature is great for beginners who don't know how to structure their workouts.

A nice new feature of this year is the Real Time Stamina, which shows you the time you can run while giving it your current efforts, and it uses your heart rate, physical condition, and training history. Besides this time, the watch also uses percentage (e. g. you start at 100 % and the number goes down as the activity progresses) or distance (that you're able to run the next 45 km/28 miles going the same pace for example).

And what about lifestyle features?

I read somewhere that the Enduro 2 should measure variability of your heart rate at night (HRV), which we had the chance to discover with the Forerunner 955, which made me happy. By the differences between your individual heartbeats, the watch will be able to tell whether your body's regenerating or your reaction to a bad diet or alcohol.

Of course, at night, your watch monitors your sleep, and evaluates the quality of your rest on the scale of 0 to 100. Based on your sleep and daily value of stress, you get the Body Battery, which is your body's energy on the scale of 0 to 100.

And then we get the "granted classics" like pedometer, heart rate measuring throughout the day, burnt calories, breathing monitor, blood oxygen measurement, and hydration.

Music control – Is it worth it for the Enduro 2?

Music in your watch is definitely very practical. You can either load the classic MP3 songs or download playlists from streaming services like Spotify.

This is all amazing, but there is one catch. It needs a lot of battery.

The Enduro line used to be built for maximum battery life and music is something that undermines this objective. Plus (with the maps) it is just another feature that drives the price up while driving out potential users.

I think that the price of the Enduro 2 should be lower than that of the Fenix 7, it should leave behind the music and maps, but get longer battery life in exchange. It is still long, but for the same price.

Smart features – Without change

Looking away from the maps, which are between smart and sporty features, there is nothing new in the Enduro 2.

Just like with the first generation, there is the option of contactless payments, phone notifications or the nifty Find my phone.

Summary

I believe that the music player and maps are pointless in this watch. Mainly the music. It raises the price, and if I'd leave out some features, it would be in the Enduro line. I would pay less and get a battery life longer than ever.

Right now, I especially appreciate the GAP (Grade Adjusted Pace) feature, and the bright light. I think that the GAP will appear also in Fenix watches, but the light will of course only be available for the Enduro 2. :) However, the watch doesn't offer as many luxurious features that would make me turn my back from the Fenix 7X, which is sold in much prettier colour combinations and better update support (after all, it is the flagship of Garmin).

And what do you think? Does this model make sense? Is the Enduro 2 worth it?