When you’ve turned left on a airplane and flown enterprise class, you possibly can by no means return – so goes the saying. And because of its epic battery efficiency, the Garmin Enduro is the sports activities watch equal; when you’ve skilled its epic longevity there’s no trying again.
At a fundamental degree, the Enduro is basically a spin on the Fenix 6X. It options all of the multisports monitoring, health monitoring, navigation and smartwatch abilities you discover on Garmin’s journey watch – however with even greater battery life, solar-charging and a handful of distinctive options designed for all times on the path.
It sits in an elite bracket of sports activities watches – but eclipses the Polar Vantage V2, Suunto 9 Baro and Garmin’s personal Instinct Solar.
However it additionally eclipses rivals on value too. Beginning at £699, it’s up there with the costliest sports activities watches. It sits someplace in the course of the Fenix 6’s value vary – not fairly the whopping £899 you’ll pay for a Fenix 6X Professional Photo voltaic, however a bit pricier than the most affordable Fenix 6S at £529. It’s a substantial funding
And there is an Enduro titanium model, which prices £799.
So is it well worth the large bucks? And does that battery life reside as much as the claims?
We put it to the take a look at – together with operating a 40 mile extremely marathon – in our Garmin Enduro evaluate.
Garmin Enduro key options
- Value: £699
- Obtainable in Metal or DLC titanium
- 80-hour GPS battery, extends to 300 in maxpower modes with photo voltaic
- 1.4-inch, 280 x 280 transflective show
- Dimension: 51 x 51 x 14.9 mm
- Path-adjusted V02 Max
- Extremely run mode with support station break up monitoring
- MTB grit and move knowledge
- Triathlon mode
- Interchangeable 26mm straps
- Waterproof as much as 100m
- Photo voltaic charging
Garmin Enduro: Battery life
The phrase “recreation changer” is bandied about too typically in tech, however the Enduro’s battery deserves that moniker.
Even with out its capability to reap the solar’s rays for further energy, the Enduro raises the bar on what we’ll now count on from any sports activities watch.
On paper the Enduro claims as much as 70 hours GPS battery life and as much as 200 hours in decrease energy mode – that rises to 80 and 300 hours with the Energy Glass photo voltaic show harnessing the solar to spice up the Enduro’s endurance in the proper mild situations.
Claimed common smartwatch utilization is 50 days and there’s additionally an expedition mode that stretches to 65 days. Once more these can each be prolonged with photo voltaic.
Enduro battery life headline stats:
Smartwatch: As much as 50 days/65 days with photo voltaic
Full GPS: As much as 70 hours/80 hours with photo voltaic
Max Battery GPS Mode: As much as 200 hours/300 hours with photo voltaic
Expedition GPS Exercise: As much as 65 days/95 days with photo voltaic
The Enduro’s battery life places Garmin’s rivals nicely within the shade. Solely the Coros Vertix presently will get close to it and that solely musters 60 hours full GPS and 120 in low-power mode. The Polar V2 is subsequent according to 40 hours full GPS and 100 in low GPS mode.
In our exams it largely lived as much as billing. We bought 31 days utilization on a single cost with greater than 30 hours of coaching, protecting a mixture of indoor periods and out of doors GPS-tracked exercises.
On common, an hour’s GPS coaching burned not more than 1%. Our 8-hour, 40-mile, full GPS extremely run take a look at burned simply 10%. A 3-hour run in UltraTrac Mode leeched simply 1%.
Smartwatch utilization with out coaching got here in a bit of beneath Garmin’s claims. We burned 25% battery in 9 days which interprets to round 36 days on a single cost usually utilization. Although we had been enjoying with the watch greater than ordinary throughout testing. In a single day burn-rate averaged 1% with out the Pulse Oximeter on.
The Enduro is the primary watch we’ve examined the place 24/7 blood oxygen monitoring is a viable choice with out having to continually cost. Even with the battery-hungry blood oxygen sensor switched on, the Enduro nonetheless solely dropped 22% battery in 4 days. A much better efficiency than the Fenix 6 Professional, which leaked double the juice.
We additionally examined the Enduro’s photo voltaic charging abilities. On a grey-ish London early spring day we left it mendacity on the patio within the direct daylight for 8 hours and it added 1%.
To place the Enduro’s battery life into context, it’ll fortunately survive multi-day extremely endurance challenges just like the Marathon des Sables with day-long GPS monitoring stints.
It’ll additionally fortunately monitor a month-long, 10km run streak. And those that run, trip or swim for an hour a day might probably solely have to cost the Enduro a dozen instances a yr.
That’s exceptional. It’s the closest we’ve come to banishing battery life nervousness. You may be on 4% and nonetheless head out for a two-hour trip with confidence.
That unbelievable endurance additionally advantages from a intelligent Energy Supervisor instrument that lists estimated vitality financial savings by sensors and options. You’ll be able to see what prices probably the most vitality and regulate accordingly, creating and storing customized energy modes to increase the battery life.
Earlier than you expertise this never-die battery, it’s fairly simple to dismiss it as overkill. In spite of everything it’s not that onerous to stay a watch on cost. However like flying higher class on a airplane, when you’ve sampled a battery life this good, it’s arduous to return to one thing that wants charging day by day (Apple Watch) and even weekly (most sports activities watches). And if you happen to can afford it – or get another person to pay for it – it’s a luxurious price having.
Garmin Enduro: Design
Except for an attractive lime element on the bezel and an identical dummy crown button, you’d be arduous pressed to inform the Enduro other than a Fenix 6X. Actually, virtually as if the color flashes are there for that cause. However total this can be a good trying, nicely constructed watch.
It options the identical rugged construct, the identical low-res coloration 280 x 280 transflective LCD display, and the identical chunky 51mm case. Just like the Fenix, this watch will swamp some wrists, although at 56-72g it’s noticeably lighter than the 93g Fenix 6X Professional.
In the event you’ve bought a wrist that may address the hefty display, that weight saving undoubtedly makes it extra snug to put on 24-7 than a Fenix – and we fortunately slept with it on – however there’s no escaping this can be a large watch.
The Enduro is available in two editions, a stainless-steel and a £100 dearer, lighter, harder and scratch-resistant Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coated titanium model. Each have fibre-reinforced polymer instances and metallic rear covers. We examined the DLC titanium and after two months it nonetheless seemed model new.
We additionally wore the chrome steel model, which we did discover it dug into our wrist a bit of and rubbing on the bone. In case you have very skinny wrists, the titanium is perhaps a clever funding.
Garmin Enduro (left) vs Garmin Fenix 6 (proper)
The Enduro’s 1.4-inch always-on color display is large and the visuals are crisp. It’s designed to get brighter in daylight and we discovered it simple to learn on the transfer with room for as much as six metrics on a single display. These may be simply customised on the watch too, somewhat than faffing in an app.
The Enduro swaps the basic – and typically pores and skin irritating – silicone straps for a snug UltraFit nylon strap. It’s adjustable on each side somewhat than having one facet mounted, a fastening design that’s a bit of odd at first but it surely helps with discovering a extra exact match than the basic hole-punched bands. And total the entire thing caters higher for long-haul missions than the common strap. Nevertheless, if you wish to return to silicone, the straps are 26mm quickfit and straightforward to swap.
The Enduro’s chunky body homes a full suite of Garmin’s sensors together with the identical Elevate optical coronary heart charge on the Fenix 6, a barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope and thermometer plus an SpO2 pulse oximeter for monitoring blood oxygen saturation. There’s Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity meaning you possibly can hook as much as a Peleton or Wattbike and have a chest strap operating concurrently.
The controls are customary Garmin fare with 5 easy-to-use buttons which are properly responsive, easy-to-use on the transfer and include loads of shortcuts. It’s additionally waterproof as much as 100 metres.
Garmin Enduro: Sports activities monitoring and wellness
The Enduro is an achieved all-rounder with devoted exercise modes for an enormous vary of sports activities together with operating, biking, indoor bike, swimming (indoor and open water), mountain biking, climbing, power coaching and triathlon. Golf is properly served too.
Plus it boasts all of the day by day exercise, sleep, stress, respiration well being and wellness instruments we’ve come to see as customary fare on Garmin gadgets. Hydration and menstrual cycles monitoring are lined however solely the Garmin Join app.
Resting coronary heart charge is precisely tracked, with no gremlins within the knowledge. This then feeds into widgets on the watch equivalent to Physique Battery and Stress Rating, each of that are helpful to these with heavy coaching schedules. Any spikes in both rating can present you would possibly want a relaxation day or shift your coaching schedule round – and we really feel this knowledge is extra helpful on the likes of the Enduro, the place customers can be significantly stressing their physique with coaching, than on the corporate’s life-style watches.
Sleep monitoring is respectable, with sleep phases tracked – though we discovered the Enduro a bit of too cumbersome too put on to mattress. The info is not as insightful as Fitbit, which we think about to be the gold customary for sleep monitoring.
Working
In the case of operating, the Enduro places every little thing you get from Garmin’s Forerunner watch vary into that extra sturdy and strong design. There are profiles for operating, treadmill operating, indoor monitor operating, path operating, extremely operating and digital operating.
There are some new endurance abilities concentrating on off-road extremely path varieties too. An extremely run mode with a intelligent relaxation timer, splits out how lengthy you spend dawdling at support station buffets. It’s each very easy to make use of – important for 75km jelly mind – and really revealing.
We’ve all the time suspected it however the visuals actually hammer house that we spend far an excessive amount of time ‘taking a breather’ on extremely runs. Submit run you get your lively coronary heart charge and lively cadence separated out of your regular stats too.
There’s additionally a brand new path Vo2 Max estimate. On customary Garmin gadgets, operating VO2 Max is estimated partially utilizing tempo. So runners who hit the path can discover the slower tempo hammers their VO2 Max. The Garmin Enduro now takes this into consideration, and adjusts your VO2 Max accordingly.
In our exams, we clocked a post-road-run VO2 Max estimate of 53 at some point, the next day we ran an extended path run and that dropped to 49. With out some very costly cellular oxygen alternate gear and a lab take a look at, it’s not possible to validate the accuracy right here. However both manner, this can be a welcome addition that serves as a helpful approach to benchmark your progress, significantly if you happen to enterprise off highway.
It’s price noting that the trail-adjusted VO2 Max additionally works with extremely run mode. So you possibly can have relaxation instances and adjusted VO2 Max if you choose extremely mode.
Garmin’s glorious ClimbPro characteristic now additionally contains descents in addition to ascents. So that you get a full image of the quad-burning that awaits you in your preloaded programs, together with real-time data on the present and upcoming climbs and descents with gradient, distance and elevation acquire/loss. A really helpful instrument for torturing/motivating your self throughout races. The brilliantly responsive auto climb characteristic additionally flicks the watch face to point out your present climb stats.
The acquainted coaching load, coaching impact and coaching standing all characteristic, together with a post-run restoration advisor that tells you the way lengthy it’ll take earlier than you’re absolutely restored to go once more.
Biking and MTB
The Enduro’s biking capabilities are in-sync with the Fenix too. Indoor and out of doors modes are lined and the Enduro will fortunately pull knowledge from third social gathering energy meters, stationary bikes and cadence sensors.
Mountain bikers get the flexibility to trace the issue and technicality of MTB trails, with specialised grit and move knowledge. It’s going to additionally bear in mind MTB trails and rating your efficiency, so you may have one thing to beat subsequent day out. We didn’t get the prospect to check this out.
Swimming
As a result of pandemic, we’ve been unable to check the Enduro’s water efficiency within the pool or open water. However the Enduro’s swim smarts are complete. All of the essential lengths, distance, tempo, stroke depend are lined, as is computerized stroke detection, SWOLF swim rating, drill logging, tempo alerts, vital swim velocity and underwater wrist-based coronary heart charge.
Instructed exercises
Initially launched on the Forerunner 745 – Instructed Exercises use your current coaching schedule and restoration standing to suggest exercises, aimed to spice up common health and keep away from over coaching.
Nevertheless we discovered that Instructed Exercises had been typically out of sync with our coaching insights, advising low-intensity runs and rides when the coaching standing confirmed a scarcity of the upper anaerobic work.
Security options
One other space the place Garmin units the benchmark are its security options and the Enduro provides the total complement: Stay monitor and group reside monitoring together with incident alerts throughout exercise and help alerts.
Garmin Enduro: Coronary heart charge accuracy
The Enduro carries Garmin’s newest era Elevate coronary heart charge sensor tech with 24/7 steady monitoring that powers health options like Physique Battery vitality monitor, superior sleep monitoring and stress monitoring.
It additionally supplies the BPM readings for VO2 Max, coronary heart charge zone coaching and coronary heart charge alerts and broadcasts over Bluetooth and ANT+. You’ll be able to, in fact, pair a chest strap for improved accuracy.
Talking of which, the Enduro carried out nicely throughout nearly all of our take a look at runs and rides. We put it up towards the Garmin HRM-Professional, a Fenix 6 Professional Sapphire, a Polar Vantage V2 and the brand new Polar Verity Sense arm-worn optical tracker. Throughout a mix of lengthy, low depth extremely runs, uptempo intervals, large hill climbs and development rides on the Wattbike. Plus power coaching periods and the odd HIIT bootcamp exercise.
For almost all of these makes use of, the optical sensor carried out nicely. Most of the time matching the common and max coronary heart charge readings beat for beat. We solely had one occasion on regular run, throughout our 40-mile extremely, the place the max studying was notably greater than the chest strap and the V2, hitting 167BPM versus 157BPM.
That wasn’t fairly the case for interval periods with sudden surges. Like most optical gadgets the Enduro typically lurched and spiked greater than our chest strap and – as we do with just about each watch – we’d suggest utilizing a chest strap to make sure all these coaching analytics and restoration insights are as correct as doable.
Daytime readings had been additionally according to different wrist-based coronary heart charge displays and it matched a chest strap for resting coronary heart charge knowledge as nicely.
Garmin Enduro: GPS accuracy
The Enduro has GPS with assist for GLONASS and Galileo satellite tv for pc monitoring and a power-saving UltraTrac mode.
In our exams we discovered it to be reliably correct. Over a number of distances, durations and places, up towards the Fenix 6 Professional, Polar Vantage V2 and a Stryd operating footpod, the Enduro fared nicely.
Over a 40-mile forest extremely in full GPS mode it was inside half a mile of the Stryd. By comparability the Vantage V2 added 3 further miles. On many city 10kms it was nicely inside a cheerful margin of error versus Stryd.
Low-power mode was rather less on the cash. In a single long term take a look at, the Enduro barely under-tracked versus the V2, clocking 15.5 miles to the V2’s 18 miles. However in actuality, the full-power GPS battery life is so good, we not often discovered the necessity to use UltraTrace mode.
Garmin Enduro: Navigation options
One of many largest criticisms the Enduro confronted at launch was the shortage of maps. An extremely journey watch with out TOPO maps does look like an oversight. However the navigation choices are nonetheless as wealthy as a lot of the competitors.
You continue to get breadcrumb turn-by-turn navigation with the flexibility to create, load and comply with routes. That’s extraordinarily helpful for races and for the more and more well-liked pandemic passtime of chasing Quickest Recognized Occasions. Plus point-to-point, again to begin and monitor again instruments.
When it comes to elevation stats, the Enduro’s barometric altimeter is there to spice up accuracy, although in our exams it had an inclination to learn a bit of greater than the Fenix 6 and the Vantage V2. Although admittedly we had been attacking tamer climbs somewhat than mountainous vert.
Garmin Enduro: Smartwatch Abilities
The Enduro’s vary of smartwatch options is powerful. You get smartphone notifications (with textual content response if you happen to’re on Android), Garmin Pay contactless funds and climate, plus entry to further apps, instruments, faces and widgets by way of Join IQ. The main omission right here is offline music storage, tunes are restricted to controls to your paired smartphone.
