Garmin - Enduro 3

That month doesn't include hours of tracking each day. That will cut it down to about a week or less. (Source: Garmin Enduro 3 owner)

No, Enduro 3 has the longest battery of all of them. "Better" is relative and what do you mean by "performance oriented"? It will help if you can describe what kind of activities you want to do and what expectations you have from the watch.

I had an Enduro 3 from the release date up until December, and I loved mine, but was disappointed with the battery life. From charge to charge, I was only getting 18 or so days with activity tracking. I picked up the Fenix 8 51mm AMOLED, and I’m somehow getting about a week more of battery life. I feel like Garmin has given up on MIP. The Enduro 3 was supposed to be the king of battery life, but I didn’t find the case. You can find tons of complaints on this of people saying MIP battery life is nowhere near what Garmin claims and somehow AMOLED is spot on. 

I feel like with quick charging the Apple Watch battery is no longer a big deal, just plug the watch when you take a morning dump + shower and it's good to go for the next 24h when you're done. And that's with the ones with bad battery life, with Ultra you can do it every 2-3 days instead of daily. And while Garmin is great for fitness, AW is so much better at being a smartwatch (so much smoother, so much better notification handling/app availability etc) that I genuinely think it's a better pick for a lot of people now. I'd only go for Garmin if you're really a serious runner (3/4 times a week) or truly need mapping. Let's not even mention the fact that AWU3 starts at 799$, and Garmin equivalent is ~1200$. Or Apple Watch 11 (399$) vs Venu 4 (549$). And I'm saying it as Enduro 3 owner, who's relatively happy with the purchase.

True, I get about a month on the Enduro 3 and I use GPS activities quite often like MTB for example. Its insane!

You are correct BUT despite the cool features its the frequent charging that made me ditch ANY smartwatch… The Enduro is the only one that does not make me feel that way, that said im fully dedicated to sports features.

My almost 10 year old Forerunner 735XT lasts longer than that, even if I keep it on during showers and record my commute to work and back every day. Newer, more powerful Garmin watches, like the Enduro 3 or Instinct 3, are even more impressive.

You can't know, what updates other watches may get though. I can buy a Garmin Enduro 3 right now just for the features it has, but it would be very wishful thinking to buy an Apple Watch right now, hoping it will get a feature I want in the future. In other words, if I compare watch A and watch B, I will look at what they can do at purchase and not buy the one with less features/worse specs because maybe in the future it will have more/better features than the other.

I have an E3 but want to try the 970. I still have my T7 Pro and great after 3 years but wanted less weight on my wrist.

Enduro 3 is sure hard to beat. I had Fenix 8 47mm AMOLED but I traded for the Enduro as I wanted longer battery life. I didn't care about the mic and speakers. The Enduro is very light for it's size, has amazing battery life, and I think has better buttons.

I would certainly go for something with solar, which I think the Forerunner 965 doesn't have, if you do hiking trips of several days and want to track all of it. The Fenix 8 has more "smartwatch" capabilities (e.g. built-in mic) vs. the Enduro 3, which is more of an "ultra outdoor performance" watch. In conclusion, for only gym + running, I would go for the cheaper Forerunner 965. Including the hiking, I would go for the Enduro 3 or the Fenix 8. If you want crazy battery life, you should probably opt for the Enduro 3, but if you want more of the smartwatch capabilities, you can choose the slightly more expensive Fenix 8. Both will surely do the job as they are both exceptional watches.

Here I am reading Reddit posts and shopping around to replace my Fenix 6 Pro (non solar) which has been my daily driver for 5 1/2 years which I always kept every bell and whistle activated and now I have to charge every 3-5 days depending on what activates I do. I would get 8-10 days when new. Hiking, golf, walks, mountain biking, HIIT, strength training, and even mowing the lawn. 3-9 GPS activities a week. Then I see you guys referencing 18-34 days with the Enduro 3 and I think you sold me. Especially over the Summer months when I'm putting in 15-20 hours a week on my road bike but I'm using an Edge head unit. The watch should just keep itself charged. I was considering waiting for the new Forerunner but this just makes more sense to me.

Yes. It’s everything I wanted and more. I’m charging it maybe every 14-16 days. It’s pretty sweet

So I get about 2 weeks out of my enduro 3, how are you getting 30? Caveat - I go for 2-4 bike rides a week, each of them at least 3 hours, often 5, and Garmin does the workout tracking obisouly. I wonder if that's enough to bring battery life down ("down" being a relative term of course, 2 weeks is still very good).

Love my Enduro 3. Insane battery life and really impressive navigation features for hiking. Great strap too.

the enduro 3, name says it all, spend a bit more and get a lot more, there are offers around

I tested both. Depending on what you want/like, the Race 2 is half the price of the Enduro. Is payments and a flashlight that difference worth to you. To me it’s certainly not. I always have my wallet and I survived 30 years of endurance sports without that hyped flashlight. Handy? I guess so, so is an automatic vaccüm cleaner. Do I need one? No because I stretch my hams while cleaning. 2 for the same price.

Hey folks, I’ve been an Apple Watch guy since 2021. Picked up the SE (1st gen) back then and it’s been on my wrist every single day since. I mostly lift, cycle, swim, hike — and just recently got into running. The SE was a great entry-level watch for me. Cheap, reliable, and did what I needed. I never bothered with the fancy models because… honestly, I just needed something to track my workouts. But after 4 years of daily use, the battery finally gave up on me. It was never great to begin with (charging once a day was standard), but recently it got to the point where I had to charge it multiple times a day. If I went for a 1–1.5 hour outdoor run, it would drop from 100% to 20–30%. Super annoying. I looked at the newer Apple Watches, but honestly? Not much has changed. Same story, same battery issues. So I started exploring Coros and Garmin. And after way too many YouTube reviews and Reddit rabbit holes, the Garmin Enduro 3 kept popping up. King of battery life. Rugged. No-nonsense. Problem: it’s $1500 AUD new in Australia. Way over budget. Solution: second-hand marketplace hustle I stalked FB Marketplace, Gumtree, eBay — everything — for months. And last week… jackpot. Someone listed a 2-month-old Enduro 3 for $950. Basically brand new. But here’s the kicker: • Brand new Garmin HRM 600 included • Two official UltraFit bands also included • Everything legit, receipts, etc. I honestly thought it was a scam at first 😂 but after verifying everything and a bit of back-and-forth, I negotiated it down to $900. Easily my best tech deal ever! First Impressions after 7 Days of use- Coming from an Apple Watch, the Enduro 3 feels different… but in the best possible way. I’ve got a 165mm wrist, and despite how big it looks online, it’s shockingly light and comfy. Here’s what I’ve done since charging it to 100% on Day 1: • 3 outdoor runs • 2 cycling sessions • 3 weight training sessions • 3 long walks (one was over 2.5 hours) • Slept with it every night Battery right now? Still at 70% with 27 days left. 🤯 I’m used to babysitting my Apple Watch charger like it’s a Tamagotchi, so this feels unreal. I did tweak some settings to optimize battery: • SpO2 set to “On Demand” instead of “All Day” or “During Sleep” (saves around 20–30%) • Notifications off (I don’t need pings on my wrist, I had most notifications off on my AW as well) • Backlight at 10% brightness (still plenty bright) • Everything else on default How It’s Been to Use- • GPS: rock solid so far. • Heart rate: surprisingly accurate, and pairing with the HRM 600 was instant. • Flashlight: I thought this was a gimmick… it’s not. It’s stupidly bright. • Solar charging: it actually works. Not magic, but it does slow battery drain outdoors. I tested it on a sunny day where I left the watch in direct sun, showing over 200% intensity. In 1 hour it harvested over 100k lux hours and battery went up 1%. So no, it’s not replacing a charger, but it does help stretch the battery out. 1 % in enduro 3 context translates to several hours of use, even days under right settings. Yeah, you could put the watch in low power mode and sunbathe it for hours to squeeze out more, but at that point… just plug it in 😂 (unless you’re out in the wilderness or doing some crazy ultra adventure). Final Thoughts - Honestly, I’m blown away. Everything I didn’t like about the Apple Watch is basically solved with this. I haven’t even thought about charging this thing all week. It tracks everything I need, feels great on the wrist, and just works. And with the deal I got, it’s a no-brainer. But even at full price, I can totally see why people rave about this watch. It’s built like a tank, crazy battery, and zero fluff.

Not on the list but.. Enduro 3. Look into it. Best garmin in my opinion, best value

This! Love my enduro 3

Fenix, at that range can prob pick up thr 7x pro these days in sales and specials, or look at the enduro 3 if your budget will stretch to the new range. I've tried lots, (do triathlons and alot of mountaineering, at all altitudes) and nothing comes close to the garmin ecosystem, especially when you start adding on inreach etc for sat comms and weather if going remote. I do alot of remote stuff and yea the inreach is super useful for trips that dont need a full on dedicated sat phone in which case it becomes a back up option but also allowing progress to be monitored remotely. Any other watch just are not durable enough or primarily handle the battery requirements. Sadly as far as I can see on a practical level garmin have no competition at present for high end users. Note I use a chest band also for HR, again garmin, but the one on the watch is perfectly good for most scenarios. Edit also in terms of wristwatch ive yet to find a barometer as good as the garmin for accuracy but also for ease of seeing trend. Again vital for safety.

So... I have the Enduro 3 myself... yes it's a slightly bigger watch for small wrists but also very light and comfortable to wear and to use for activities, battery life is insane, solar function even better than Enduro 2. Personally I'm happy (it's also cheaper than the Fenix 8) but I've seen several posts now on the Garmin forum about GPS accuracy which would be even more important if you go on multiday hikes depending your routes... [https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/enduro-3/420425/inquiry-about-enduro-3-gps-accuracy](https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/enduro-3/420425/inquiry-about-enduro-3-gps-accuracy) I have not yet figured out myself if GPS settings have become too complicated or if there is indeed a problem - maybe someone else has more experience?

Ma batterie sur enduro 3 .. en mode econo me dire 50j. Et 30j en mode normal. C'est une grosse montre par xontre. Pas pour tout le monde 

I went from an Instict 1 to a Enduro 3 and can confirm with other comments that the design for the Instinct is certainly the worst of the others for the UI. The Instinct is meant to be more like a Gshock, just smarter, so it is meant to be minimal. The watch face selection by Garmin was mind blowingly awful for me too. I found a lot better selection, and way better customization opportunities from garmin.watchfacebuilder.com. A lot of great pre made ones and it's rather easy to copy an existing watch face and make it what you want. 30 day free trial is a lot of time to create a few and load to your watch. For a 6 day battery life, that is incredibly short. You might have unnecessary tracking turned on maximum or other settings.

I have the Enduro 3. I was skeptical about the size, but stopped noticing it after a few days. I am really happy about the long battery life and glad I didn't choose a Fenix instead. I can run activities with GPS for days on and it barely draining any battery. I like to use the watch for city use as well. The map conveniently shows things like public restrooms and water sources. I would say that Garmin's own maps are pretty shitty, and the GPS is not good at redirecting which is very strange for a premium device. Maybe if you subscripe to the Garmin map subscription it will be better, bit ai havent tried it. I find that using third-party apps like OSMand works much better. Basically, there are two ways the navigation can work when you have a route set. The default is that you have to follow the selected route, otherwise the watch alerts you that you have gone off course. The second option you can configure in route settings that it will redirect you towards your destination if you go off course. Now, if you follow roads or major trails this works decently. However, if you if you go on small trails or completely off any trail, the device gets confused. What happens then is that it completely cancels your course or redirects you back to the beginning, meaning you have to start the course again from the watch. This happens to me even if am walking on a small trail that is visibly marked on my watch. I have had my watch for a few months and still learning to work around it. Maybe I can configure something in my settings, but I haven't found a good solution. If you are doing a backpacking trip where you mostly walk in one direction, it's not an issue, but if you are out exploring while having a course configured it really becomes cumbersome. I have found the workout is to pause the GPS with the action button on the watch, the start it again once I am back on my course. I haven't tried watches from other manufacturer's, so I dont know if the navigation features works better.

The Enduro 2 or 3 is the best option on the market as far as I'm concerned. Maps, tracking, and other features are amazing, battery life is basically infinite if you aren't using GPS. It is expensive, but resale is also good, and you can possibly use your HSA to get it tax free if you buy new. It's worth noting too that the watch is much more efficient on battery life than a phone for GPS tracking, so using a watch like the Enduro may allow you to downsize your external battery pack or maybe leave it entirely at home if you're depending on GPS for navigation.

That's just what's covered by default. You could get an Enduro 3 or Fenix or whatever approved for HSA spending also if you get a letter of medical necessity from your doctor. This is obviously a YMMV situation, but most doctors are happy to write a LMN for their patients simply using it as a fitness and heart rate tracker.

Welcome to the club of charge once a month & forget! I found the charging on the Fenix 8 was too cumbersome so went with the enduro3 and never looked back! On top, the stock band really delivers in comfort more than any band I got for the Fenix!

Howdy -- I'm also an avid Apple user, fully embracing their ecosystem/"walled garden" -- BUT, I'm totally sick and annoyed with the shitty battery life of the Apple Ultra(1), and I just bought a Garmin Enduro 3. I regularly follow TrainingPeaks-based programs, from Cycling, Triathlon, ski-prep, trail running, etc. -- I do lift and follow Matt Fraser's HWPO but haven't yet used the new Strength templates in TrainingPeaks. For those already in the Garmin ecosystem, what are the best apps for each discipline I should be looking at/buying??

Heavy is subjective. I wear an enduro 3 daily and was surprised by how light it was when I expected it to be heavier

On Sunday I bought it and charged it to 100% and it predicted 31 days and now it predicts 29 hahahahaha I keep looking at the clock thinking that it won't download quickly, I also have a forerunner 979 and it's also surprising, it wins by far

If you’re looking at the new Forerunner 970 then I would consider the fenix 8 or Enduro 3 as they are both currently on sale. All three are very similar and you really can’t go wrong with either one. I personally like the flat screen on the fenix and Enduro over the curved screen on the Forerunner.

So one always thinks they need a touchscreen on Garmin, and everyone really feels they need it, but after just one month, almost everyone I know, says they almost never touch the screen, the ui is so obviously made for the buttons and that also saves the battery. The exact same thing applies to amoled, everyone’s (except those with serious eye sight issues), I’ve heard say they would have loved mip cause it’s always on without consuming battery - so you can always keep experimenting with watches faces without fast battery consumption. Thus I don’t know whether you should get the 965 or not, but you could consider it on all these metrics. If you asked me which one, I’d say enduro 3, and if you can fork up more money Fenix 8 solar. 965 has the older 4th gen sensor and that’s the heart of the watch. If you’re on absolute budget, and are ok with older sensor then 255 and if you need a new sensor but don’t have the budget for enduro 3 then 570. But that’s cause I am very biased to forerunner.

Garmin Enduro 3. Best watch I’ve owned.

Moved to Garmin a year ago and haven’t looked to go back to Apple. Main thing for me was the battery life cuz I just got sick of the constant charging. Never used the Apple Watch to talk into it or use it for text messaging. I do have the Enduro 3 and love the MIP screen. I run quite a bit too.

I’ve been pretty happy with my Enduro 3. I came from a AWU Ultra 1 and I don’t miss it one bit.

Was the ideal watch for me the Fenix 8 AMOLED or Solar, no, after months I got the Enduro 3 and it's what I should have originally gotten! I love mine!

If you are willing to spend 800 on the Fenix 7 you should have a look at the Enduro 3. The Enduro has for 99% the same functionality as the Fenix 8 but much cheaper and better battery for hiking. I used to use a GPSMAP 64S for hiking but now I use the Enduro 3 for following the track and if I want to have a overview of the whole track and zoom in and out I use the Garmin Explore app. The app makes real time use of the GPS data of the watch so it saves battery consumption of the smartphone.

Wait till 255 fails unless you have too much money to spend. I would rather go 955 or Enduro 3 rather than the always on/off Amoled 970. But as long as my 255 is working, I will not switch.

I might go for the enduro considering the weight. Meantime had ordered the fenix amoled from the offer but cancelled when I saw its close to 95 grams… that’s too much :(

Ended up getting the Enduro 3. Thanks for helping me decide :)

You might also consider the Enduro 3.

Battery life and also the price compared to the Fenix 8. The only downside is the screen since its MIP but has solar charging. But if you prefer AMOLED go with 975 or Fenix 8. To give you some perspective I made the switch from AW to Garmin. AW6 -> AW Ultra 2 -> Garmin 965 -> Enduro 3.

Enduro 3 is light weight, and comfortable to wear. It also lasts forever.

I run the enduro 3. Its super light weight.

My enduro 3 does 15 days max

I have a Garmin Enduro 3 and a UWU3 (preordered). I might keep both for now but we’ll see. I mainly used the garmin for running and hiking so I might keep it. I like the AW for everyday and I just like bigger watches

I have the enduro 3 and use it for golfing and in the gym! Absolutely love it

I went to Garmin a long time ago and haven’t looked back. Yes, Garmin has rolled out their own subscription service recently (which I don’t use or need) but all the core info is there for free and I feel for me at least, very accurate. I wear my Enduro 3 24/7 and routinely get 3-4 weeks of charge from it. Fuck Whoop.

Just got one two weeks ago, loving it so far. I'll be taking it into the Grand Canyon in 3 weeks... Maybe. If the shutdown doesn't stop me from entering the park.

The Garmin Enduro 2, or Garmin Enduro 3 are the best watches on the market for backpackers. These two watches offer the largest watch faces on the market, the longest battery life on the market, the best GPS-location and maps available on the market. For use case, I personally own the Enduro II, and have hiked 8,000 miles with it already. So it is a competition between the Enduro 2 and the Enduro 3 for best watch on the market. I have not yet upgraded to the Enduro 3, because I don't think the Enduro 3 offers enough of an improvement to warrant upgrading to it. Hear me out. A used Enduro 2 sells for $300 without taxes, and $400 with taxes. A new Enduro 3 sells for $950 after taxes. As someone who has extensively used the Enduro 2, I will explain as a real end-user, not the marketing fluff. The Enduro 3 offers 2x the battery life, and 2x the solar charging of the Enduro II. It stops there, these are the only meaningful improvements. But how useful is this addition, and is it worth 3x the cost? The answer is that the extra battery life is essentially never put to use use as a backpacker. You can run the Enduro II in GPS mode for 6 full days, and the enduro III for 12 full days. Consider, the longest hiking day most people would hike is 12 hrs. So if you run GPS-mode from 6 AM to 6 PM, you're actually good for 12 days of hiking on the Enduro 2 and 24 days of hiking on the Enduro III. As somebody who has hiked 8,000 miles and lived outside for a year, the longest stretch I ever went without hitting a town to re-supply was 8-days across the sierra nevada, and 6-days across the Bob Marshall wilderness. In my extreme case usage, 12-days is more than enough. Neither the Enduro II nor the Enduro III's solar can bring a dead watch "back" from dead, but the Enduro III's solar is better. Lastly, as a backpacker, you're already carrying a powerbank, so in the rare case that your watch were to die on an unexpected longhaul trip, you could nearly always re-charge your watch in the field. The nice thing about both the Enduro 2 and 3, is that in 99.9999% of use cases, you'll never actually have to do this. Hence, the Enduro 3 sells at 3x the price of the Enduro 2, for a marginal gain of battery life that won't ever actually be used by anybody, not even me after 8,000 miles. Based on all these considerations, I think the Enduro 2 on offer for $300-$400 used is the best watch on the market.

Have had the Enduro 3 for about a month. Actually snagged an open box for $600 on ebay. I'm rather pleased.... I actually didn't want the new buttons on the Fenix 8. Sounds like people hate them, and I like a good click when I press a button.

Best value 955, Best in my opinion no money spared would be enduro 3. If i also dived still maybe a fenix 8.

Enduro 3 has much worse flashlight as well and it’s bulkier and thicker

Meanwhile, charged my enduro 3 a week ago. Had more than 20hrs gps activities since then and now have about 21d battery left.

Enduro 3 should have same latest HR sensor elevate 5. Also, Enduro 3 display is not bleak. It is MIP. Probably best MIP display in the market. Answering OP. You probably don’t need enduro 3 for your purposes.

If you are ok with the size and MIP display I would say Enduro 3 is the best garmin watch for the price right now. Have it for 6 months, it’s an absolute beast.

Garmin Enduro 3: day 25 still going strong

Enduro 3 is too big for my wrist so I went with the instinct 3 solar 45mm and have no regrets. I can get 3-4 days out of it tracking with HR(Bluetooth turned off). It’s very quick to add some charge off a battery bank if needed. I do collect a lot of solar up here in the Colorado alpine but to be honest when gps recording solar isn’t keeping up much at all because the drain is higher than the solar can take in. Enduro 3 is the better option but probably overkill. If you can afford it and like how it sits on your wrist go for it. If it feels too big then switch to an i3 solar.

Yeah I got the E3 and was just a little disappointed with the color (still) and the fact that the battery life wasn’t that much better in practice than my Fenix 7X. I now have the Tactix 7 AMOLED and I get all the features and a nicer display, still maxxing battery at 34 days with AOD off which is fine. Also Tactix looks amazing imo. Glad you like the enduro!

Yeah I got mine used and paid less than I did for the E3 I bought a few weeks before

I've run extensively in both, and ultimately use a Garmin Enduro 3 as my watch of choice for my specific circumstances (which are probably different from yours). A major blocker for me to use an Apple Watch has always been the touch screen. Living in Seattle, where running in wet weather is a common situation, it's super annoying to not having enough physical buttons to do workouts the way I want to. This was somewhat improved with the Apple Watch Ultra because it does have an extra physical button you can map to things like "next interval". The Garmin has full capabilities through physical buttons though. This is specifically an issue because when it's wet, particularly if you are wearing gloves or sleeves that might brush the screen, the Apple Watch touch screen is completely unusable because it'll trigger spurious touches. You can lock it, but that limits usability. If you don't lock it, it's a mess. I frequently had runs abruptly stopped and canceled. Super frustrating. The other blocker, which likely doesn't apply to most people, is the battery life. I can run with full tracking and mapping with my Garmin for over twice the time my Apple Watch Ultra can. As a mountain ultra runner that does distances of 100+ miles, this is very important to me. Even the Ultra 3, with much improved battery life, doesn't seem like it'd be enough to do a big vert 100+ miler without stressing over it dying. You can also use a Garmin, paired to HR monitor, to track an activity while it's charging so even something like the Cocodona 240 is within it's capability. I don't think that works on an Apple Watch, but I admit I've never tried it. The other stuff come down to a matter of preference. Apple Watch is way more an extension of your phone (for better and for worse) and has way less "fitness forward" functionality, they rely on their app ecosystem for a lot of things while Garmin builds those features themselves. I specifically find the route management and customizable workout functionality to be miles better in Garmin's ecosystem.

The Fenix 8 is objectively the best of those watches, but by far the most expensive. The Enduro 3, Fenix 7 Pro or Epix 2 Pro (if you want OLED, which is honestly a must for me now) have a very similar set of features but will be significantly cheaper. I personally wouldn't buy a watch for its solar charging - not only do some models of the Fenix series have that too, but all of those have great battery life to easily last multiple days, and in most cases, you will have the ability to charge your watch in some capacity at the end of the day. I can't say a lot about Coros, pretty sure they're fine too, but Garmin works great for me so I have no reason to switch

u/ZakOnTrack: by "non-solar" You mean "i\`m alergeic to solar panels so i don\`t want it in my watch" or just "i\`m using watch in low light conditions"? if 2 - go for enduro (2 or 3) if 1 - amoled fenix 8 (no solar) [https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=1228171&compareProduct=854515&compareProduct=851039](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=1228171&compareProduct=854515&compareProduct=851039) I had enduro2, now i\`m on enduro3 (well, i\`m gadget person). AMOLED watches looks pretty, are bright and crispy.. so i prefer mips ;)

Enduro 3. It's not even close, especially if you only use it during activies.

Besides battery and price the size makes it easier to read the map at a glance. I do a lot of trailrunning (day and night) where you need to pay a lot of attention to the trail which is easier with a bigger watch. Flashlight is great to. Between Fenix 8 and in Enduro 3 its mainly the price and I prefer the slimer bezel (and the mip display).

I've recently upgraded from the 55 to Enduro 3. The exercise functions that the 55 doesn't have include: -- No Trail running activity (though you can change it later in Connect) -- No hiking activity -- No maps (I love the turn by turn directions on the Enduro) -- No built in altimeter (the estimated elevation gain that the 55 gives post-run has been way off in my experience and you cannot earn any of the climbing badges) -- Climb pro is great if you are doing long hills -- The V02 max estimate does not take into account trail runs so every time you do a trail run your V02 max drops -- No HRV -- No strength training activity -- Battery life is good, but not long enough for ultrarunning or multi-day backpacking trips -- There is a bunch of other stats (of varying value) that the 55 doesn't do including running power, ground contact time, hill score, vertical oscillation, training effect, and training status. Overall, if you are just doing non-trail runs in town you probably aren't missing much, but if you are doing trails in the backcountry or more hill work than you might get some value from upgrading.

I have it. Best battery.. .was unsure about MIP. Now I'm glad I chose it. I won't be watching videos or photos on it. It's a watch. But it works and battery Is great.

Totally agree on the Enduro 3 being the current champ but man that last part hit hard. The firmware bugs have been driving me nuts lately and don't even get me started on how they botched the LTE rollout. Still love my Garmin but you're right that it feels like they're kinda losing their way with all these premium price hikes and half-baked features

Specifically the Enduro 2. The 3 might potentially last longer with everything turned off and lots of sunshine, but I suspect, day to day, most people would have some more things running on the 3 that aren't available on the 2 but would drain more battery. I have the 2 and love it, but the 3 has some improvements I might take over a couple extra days' battery.

Money no object then just get the flagship Fenix 8. Enduro 3 is amazing but only comes in 51mm size where Fenix have 3 sizes.

Enduro 3 can go for up to 300h 🙂

Latest and biggest Garmin watch designed around battery longevity. Biggest battery and biggest solar panel. If you can handle the size and price it's an outdoorsman dream.

Consider the Enduro 3, based on your activities. As for the Forerunners, FR965 battery lasts longer. FR970 has brighter screen, that is why the battery drops faster. FR970 has the Elevate 5 sensor + torch. FR965 has the Elevate 4 sensor and no torch.

I've noticed leaving the Bluetooth off on my phone does not drain the battery, but it does mean no notifications etc.

What is turning everything off? My E3 battery drains much quicker if the Bluetooth is connected, even though I am not doing an activity.

I wear both the enduro 3 and AWU 3. Both great watches. Love them both for different reasons.

Recently switched from AW Ultra to Enduro 3. Great watch and fixes the things I hate about AW (crap battery life, no sleep detection).

I had the Ultra 1. Just switched to an Enduro 3. Why? 1. Found the Ultras to be pretty uncomfortable. The design is more for fashion than functionality 2. The battery life is not good enough for an outdoors watch. You want at least 7 days, to cover camping trips, and cycling trips, and hiking trips. Otherwise you're carrying around a power bank with you. And all the time you're charging it, you're not wearing it, so you're losing sleep data/steps data etc. 3. And if it's not an outdoors watch, then you should buy the regular Apple Watch 10 - which is better at almost everything else. Not against Apple at all. As above, I'm a big fan of the regular series 10. I just don't understand what the Ultras are for - other than they look cool, and are a bit of a status symbol. If you want the best smart/sports watch that Apple makes, get the series 10. It does almost everything the Ultra does, is lighter, more comfortable, and has a better screen. If you want the best sports/outdoors/battery life watch, get a Garmin

Garmin doesn’t bring new features into their older watches, but my Fenix 6 lasted five years - the battery was degraded so I went for an upgrade (Enduro 3).

Same from me, but I did sell my epix and I have no regret so far for the Enduro 3

I’m actually shocked I haven’t seen anyone say the Enduro 3. Best watch Garmin has for the price point. DC Rainmaker does a comparison between the Fenix 8 and Enduro.

Can't go wrong, I don't think, but I can say that I've been 100% happy with my Enduro 3, don't miss the AMOLED on my Apple Watch Ultra, about 99% of the time. I think if it were me, I'd buy based on 1. the most battery life I think I'd realistically need, and 2. the ecosystem. If you're big into other fitness aggregators (Strava, etc) I think the ecosystem matters less.

I upgraded from a 945 to an enduro 3 this year and the enduro 3 is awesome on the course. Its a bit bulky and expensive but I think its got all the golf features rolled in and crazy battery life. I've got a map on screen where i can move the target to get yardage to a hazard and such and its easy to track scores and the shot tracking works well. Love the fabric strap and am used to the larger size now. The 945 was nice too, front, middle, back distance helped a ton, the shot tracking never really worked. The enduro might be overkill but I run almost daily and frequently run ultras so its perfect for me.

If you’re paying that kinda money, Enduro 3 no questions

yeah, since I don't use my watch for phone calls (and I definitely don't dive) I went with the enduro 3. the 3-4 weeks without feeling the need to charge my watch is amazing for sure.

I just received my Enduro 3 a few days ago, which I bought after the Apple event. No comparison for swimming, IMO. Using the 5 buttons and completely avoiding the touchscreen, makes it so much better suited for me. Also, I had 28 days battery life 5 days ago. Now I’m at 25 days, and mostly because I went outdoors and got some sun.

Mine has reached 250%. I’m not even sure what that means, but I haven’t seen a number larger than that either.

Mine has reached 250%. I’m not even sure what that means (over 100%???), but I haven’t seen a number larger than 250%. Here’s a photo of my watch right now, maxed out. https://preview.redd.it/80j7osgki7uf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19b83217691d60fdfc8b4fdeae6392069788da70

I just switched from AW to Enduro 3 roughly 2 weeks ago, and it has been amazing so far. As far as the solar charging is concerned, I’d estimate that on a sunny day, worn on your wrist, where your watch is not always facing towards the sun, you’d charge around 50k-70k Lux-hours, every hour. When it’s cloudy, it’ll be more like 20-25k per hour. Also, you’d need to charge roughly 70-80k Lux -hours to charge 1%, and you use 3.5% per 24 hours (say 7-8% over 2 days) if you’re not using maps or not using Activities that day (or keeping it short). Anyway, I really like the solar. My watch says it’ll last me 28 days when full, but solar will net me an additional 4-5 days on top. It has been cloudy most days I have owned this watch, but I have been paying close attention to the charging rate, and I really like this feature.

Fenix 8 Solar and Enduro 3 would like a word with you on that "obsolete watches" accusation.

Enduro 3 here, I somewhat agree with the battery. It was extremely disappointing, I didn't really get my advertised battery life and it's really freaking annoying. I've gotten close to the advertised life (I don't observe my battery life anymore and I stick to 20%-80% charge only) by just turning off the backlight completely. There are some theories that Garmin got lazy and now all native watch faces are using Garmin IQ or the C Monkey language instead of a lower level language that allows the watch faces to be super optimized like before. I found I don't need backlight so it works out for the most part. On the reliability front, I have had some weird crashes but never during a run (which is the only thing I record). Some days my watch will stop tracking during sleep which is annoying af, it will say I slept 6 hours (when I slept 7 or 8) because it randomly stopped tracking during the night. Perhaps it's related to me being on the beta versions. It's really bittersweet. I wish Garmin would get their shit together when it came to software. There's just so much lacking even when it comes to sleep accuracy, etc. Hopefully the unification of all front ends in the new line is the start of something good, but when you are paying so much for a watch, these things should have been great by now...

I would say all of them are pretty overkill, I started with 955 (got for $310) then bought an Enduro 3 cause FOMO. I didn't gain anything from the upgrade. I gifted the 955 to someone, the main reason I went ahead with the upgrade. If I didn't get the 955 for that price, I would have just bought a 255 for like low 200s, but that deal went away. If you plan to wear 24/7 and aren't financially stressed, I see no problem buying the fancier models. Fenix 8 with the 20% Blue Cross Blue shield seems like a killer price.

Also look at the enduro 3

That sounds very "impressive" but how exactly is it better ?kinda does the same functions but shinier?  Yeah I dig the design a bit more than my instinct but can it record 5-10 hour gps track and don't die that day ?(I am not even going to ask about showing a map for that long)  I dig the Enduro 3 design even more though but I will wait:)  How touchscreen performs during rain btw ? Sorry never used them except phones and it sucked due to droplets.

I use an Enduro 3. I’ve nothing but great things to say about it.

I am fortunate to own the Epix, Enduro 3 and X1. They are all fabulous watches. I haven't worn my Epix Gen 2 in a bit and recently put it back in. The screen is exceptional and the fitness metrics are spot on. No need to spend extra cash on the Fenix 8 unless you're a dedicated diver and want a mic to speak into.

Best option is Enduro 3, Fenix 7X Pro or Fenix 8 Solar 51mm

But Enduro 3 have way better battery than any amoled, and have really good solar.

Garmin says up to 62h in 51mm amoled, and up to 60h says about Enduro 3. But Enduro have solar so with solar garmin says up to 90h. Personaly I would choose Enduro 3, or at least Fenix 8 solar with MIP instead of amoled.

With nylon strap it's lighter. Not that light as Enduro but not that bad. Enduro is lighter because u have plastic back cover and probably (not sure) those ears where u mount ur strap.

I was in similar position and ended up with Enduro 3 recently. Really love it so far!

I just got an enduro 3 and I’ve been pretty happy with battery life. It arrived with around a 75% charge, I wore it 18 days and did a few activities with it, and by that point I still had about 25% remaining before I charged it. At that pace I should have gotten 36 days on a total charge, but I’d like to see that in practice before I rave about how great the battery life is

Garmin enduro 3. Dumbed down watch that prioritizes fitness/battery over flashy apps or screen display

Very happy with my Enduro 3. Have used Apple ultra, Garmin epix pro 2, forerunner series, etc and the Enduro 3 is a solid watch. The long battery life encourages me to use it more (track more runs, bike rides, walks, lift weights, etc.) compared to the Apple series where I had to be more conservative with the battery life on the day to day basis. I’m also happy with the data/app experience I get from Garmin Connect. 

The Enduro 3 is an excellent watch for this. The offline topo maps on the enduro and other Garmin devices have been very useful. If there is an established trail, the watch can route you somewhere even if you haven’t downloaded the GPX. This can be super useful when objectives change or you want to route back to the start with a different trail. With the Enduro 3 and a chest strap, I recorded a 23-hour day starting at 90% battery and ending at 60% using high GPS accuracy. Just fyi.

Enduro 3 is simply the king of Garmin’s line up at the moment. No question. Unless you need the dive / speaker stuff I’d be going for that. The 7X PRO Solar sapphire is a great second. Instinct 3X Solar takes the third spot. I’m a bit sceptical of Garmins future, kinda feels like they have peaked with the enduro 3. MIPS could be gone. Garmin connect plus. MICROLED 8 Pro at 2k USD with a 4 Day Battery. The buggy firmware. The terrible way they have rolled out LTE / Satellite. Their best days may be behind them.

Personally, I like MIP and was eyeing an Enduro 3 for myself. Was taken aback when it was suggested that the sensors weren't equal!

If you’re on vivoactive 4, it didn’t last for an 50mile ultra, but I have now switched to enduro 3, it last longer than my AirPods during the 100miler lol

I went with the Garmin Enduro 3. I didn’t need the diving capability of the Fenix 8 nor the microphone (which I think are the two main differences) and really enjoy not needing to charge my watch for 30+ days. I also believe it was $100-$200 cheaper than the Fenix 8 when I bought it. Edit: if you’re gonna be looking at your watch skiing/in flat light I’d recommend something with a MIP screen. It already offers way better visibility in the mountains for me and it’s only summertime

Every 3 weeks for my Enduro 3 :), and that's with a 9 hour of GPS time per week.

I got a enduro 3 for both of those things and it works ok. My complaints are that when I do a workout I can’t seem to do the exercises out of order if someone is using a machine and I need to come back to it later, it doesn’t seem to be able to figure out when I’m doing leg based exercises ( and count reps) Other than that it’s cool, you can make custom workouts and it gives you good info during. You can customize what info you get For running it’s great you can set it to speed or heart rate, there’s a cool return route feature and it makes cool routes.

Surprised your list doesn’t have the enduro 3. I moved from an ultra to enduro 3 and it is just the perfect watch. I am into hiking, backpacking, racquet sports and occasional run. The battery life is excellent. If you don’t care about a smart watch, probably why you are looking at garmin, then enduro is as good as it gets without all the un-necessary features like mic.

As an Apple Watch user since nearly the original release, I realized I was paying enough monthly fees to get the Apple Watch to give me the kind of insights and features that come free with the Garmin to justify exploring whether it makes sense to cancel all of them and make the switch. My primary activities are lifting, hiking, golf -- and increasingly running. I didn't realize how much more motivating the Garmin infrastructure would be to drive my fitness to new heights. I valued getting phone notifications on my wrist with the Apple Watch, but I rarely took actions on the watch. It usually served as a reason to ignore the buzzing phone or to grab the phone and take action. In this use case, the Garmin shines and even basic interactions like responding "OK" or "Yes"/"No" to a text have been fine. Apple Watch has a more robust app store, for sure, but with the built-in functionality of the Garmin watch, I don't really miss it. The insights I get from the Garmin are far superior than what I had cobbled together with several subscription apps. The Garmin Morning Report feels indispensable. The ability to set cardio training based on specific races coming up has been great and pushed me to train differently -- and resulted in a personal best effort in my latest race. Battery life is insane. I'm doing a LOT of activities and it looks like about 3+ weeks between charges will be the norm. I did a lab test for VO2 Max, heart rate zones, etc. The Garmin was within a small rounding error vs the lab studies. The lab tech geeked out with me comparing the two, and he said he is going to consider swapping his Apple Watch Ultra 2 for a Garmin after seeing how they stacked up. The only disappointment is the strength training interface. I'm still using my Fitbod app -- the only app I continue to subscribe to that I had hoped to replace. Hopefully Garmin will make an acquisition and elevate this tracking in the future. I am happy with the MIP display and prefer it over AMOLED. The size is totally fine and I sleep with it every night. Took a few days to get used to wearing it 24/7. In all honesty, the Enduro 3 is overkill for my needs as a mid-40s dude who exercises but it's spot on for my wants.

When I purchased, with the 20% off, the Enduro 3 was $720 and good value for money. Not sure on current sales, but that was cheaper than the F7 Pro Solar at the time.

I love my Enduro 3. Doing a ton of activities on a three week holiday in Europe right now. I didn't bring my charger. Looks like I should make it.

Garmin with MIP display (non amoled, always on) and solar charging. I would vote for Enduro 3 or some from Fenix lineup if you can afford and if the size fits you.

Enduro 3, for those use cases its a no brainer, but it is big and not so suitable for smaller wrists. Both Fenix 7s and fr 255s would be fine too i guess. Have look at Venu 3 also or fr 570.

This. Recently got Epix pro gen 2, wanted MIPs but there was 160€ difference between F7 pro and the Epix, I've no regrets moving to AMOLED.  Enduro 3 is probably the best but 51mm is way too big for me.

Even though I've got an Enduro 3 I really enjoy, I got a bit stupid last night and ordered a 45mm AMOLED Instinct 3. I'm a big fan of the Instinct series and, as much as I love my MIP displays, I'm not averse to a nice AMOLED display. I have to say that one of my FAVORITE features that I feel nobody talks about for the Instinct series is how darned recessed the screen is. Sure it isn't sapphire but you'd have to get PRETTY unlucky for anything to accidentally scratch the display on the 2X. The 3 seems similarly protected. When I first started getting into the wacky world of wearables I'll never forget I was trying out a Kospet Rock. Supposedly the thing was a real tank. Nearly indestructible. And then one day I brushed against a wall or doorway, and boom. Deep scratch on the screen. I've been sensitive to non-recessed screens ever since. One of my issues with the Enduro 3. There's a millimeter or two of a lip, but not much. Looking forward to getting a modern, AMOLED Instinct.

I own a wide variety of devices from Garmin, Amazfit, OnePlus, and my most recent acquisition is a Pixel Watch 3 45mm that I'm wearing now. It was a light day for me but the PW3 was unplugged at 11am and it's 2:05am now and I'm at 76% . On days when I'm actually being active, with standard settings and AOD off it can comfortably reach about 52 hours or so for me. The thing is, in my experience, that Wear OS provides a MUCH better user experience for everyone BUT hardcore athletes. With my Pixel 3 I can track workouts, I can consult a map, yadda yadda yadda. Yes, I can't hike the Appalachian trail with this thing but, let's be honest about who we are as a people.. Is it going to positively impact your life more if you CAN get near infinite battery life the once in a lifetime or three you actually run an ultra, or hike for a month? Or let's use my use-case for example as an older guy, would it be more impactful to have a device on your wrist and your partner is messaging you from work, and your grown kids are sending you memes and shit, and they're all sending you voice messages on Whatsapp. You can just go on about your evening; walking the dogs, playing some games, doing some chores and responding with text you type or swipe or transcribe on your watch using your voice? Maybe you go to the grocery store to buy some food and if you're using a Garmin good luck paying with your watch because no debit or credit card I have in the US supports Garmin Pay. If you're wearing an Amazfit I hope you live in parts of Asia or Europe because there's no support for Zepp Pay in America either. With my Wear OS watches anywhere I go I can pay with my watch. It's like EVERYTHING the Garmins or Amazfit COULD do, Wear OS can do better EXCEPT in the rare situation you're a special ops soldier stuck in the middle of some God-forsaken mission, or in some crazy militia out in Ohio, or any other of 100 other male fantasy lives you'll probably never have. Understanding that 1 person out of a million is gonna be stuck in the wilderness and it's their watch that saves them is the first step to freedom. Adventure watches have a place, and I own a lot of them, but I have to imagine that for most people it mainly supports the fantasy vision they have of themselves. More folks are gonna be Thomas from Accounts Payable than DC Rainmaker. I guess it depends on the life you live. If you're out there in the bush all the time and REALLY need to know your watch can last for weeks at the cost of a clunkier, more troublesome everyday user-experience, maybe a rugged adventure watch is the right move. I'm thinking about my Enduro 3 and T-Rex 3. They can get me through my day at the office, but it's just so much nicer having something with all the modern conveniences running smoothly and working like you'd want them to. If I ever hit that Appalachian trail, though, you better believe I'm packing my Enduro 3. And you can't beat that damn Garmin flashlight.

You know, it's funny but this sort of echoes my experience, too. My Enduro 3, no matter what I do, sort of maxes out at 3 weeks battery life. My Instinct 3 AMOLED, despite my not having it too long, is on track for darn near that with the AOD turned off. I am on the beta firmware on the Enduro 3 so maybe that plays a part, as well, but even when I wasn't I don't recall it being any better on battery life. All anecdotal, but by your saying that the official predictions for MIP being off but the official predictions for AMOLED being spot-on, I really feel that. Donning my tin-foil hat here, but I wonder if maybe that's intentional to help ease consumers into a post-MIP world.

The Enduro 3 is going to be better for you

I would buy the Enduro 3 without hesitation

Neither - went with the Enduro 3 which is lighter, cheaper and has a longer battery life than the Fenix 8. Although I didn’t do this, for the price of a Fenix 8, one could get both the Enduro 3 and the Forerunner 165. Use the former for big weekend activities and the latter during the week - Garmin Connect will merge data from both together. The Enduro 3 is huge btw. Here is a photo of it on my wrist at the airport. https://preview.redd.it/uaelgs9j47ef1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c3298d950235d93bbf8fd0b19a0fa967806d076

Why not the Fenix or other series from Garmin? Their other lines are AMOLED instead of MIP. If you want the same features as Enduro 3, then the Fenix line would have that with AMOLED. If you think it will be too complex, there are cheaper options with less features than Fenix. That being said, love my Enduro 3!

Nailed it buddy and I’ve done this exact process (down to specifically varia etc). So funny to read such specificity from someone else! If I were not training for full distance tris, I’d keep an AWU. Great watch. That said training for an IM makes a Garmin so much easier to live with. Funny thing is how my brain works once I made the call to go Garmin, I ended up with an Enduro 3 because to me that watch maximizes the garmins specific strengths. I mean even IM training and 12-14 hour GPS weeks and I still only charge once a month. Just bananas.

Garmin enduro 3. Charge mine one a month, and I use it daily. Very customizable with face, but I prefer the stock face

Because it's basically a Fenix with a price point which does not require you to auction off a kidney

Look at it this way - you're getting something to work well and serve a purpose. Looking good and being the exact right size is secondary. A MIP screen means it will do it's job really well, you will be able to read everything and the battery will last way more even when using the GPS

The Garmin Enduro 3 offers you the same thing as a Fenix 8. Except using your Watch as Speaker for calls and the Feature of Diving!

My Garmin Enduro 3 is still alive after 20 days! 🤷🏻

I've used my Garmin Enduro 3 to make payments without having my phone with me. I also go for a walk or run without my phone, and the Garmin Enduro 3 continues to work and syncs the collected data once it is paired with my phone, again. The calls? Nah! Answering calls while I'm working out isn't an option for me. It's my time. That's why I work out. I think it's a decision of each person's specific tastes or preferences.

I have it as well for a year now and it really is the perfect sport / triathlon / outdoor / hiking smartwatch. I wish apple would make a similar product

I use the Enduro 3 and the HRM Pro+. Recently moved away from the Ultra gen 1. The Enduro is great for most things as it is basically a Fenix 8, just without the fancy buttons. But when I’m doing a workout with grips, I can take off the watch and the HRM will track my workout. Once I’m done I can sync the two seamlessly.

So, my Enduro 3 (and I think the Fenix 8 before that) can apparently now do Triathlon Training Plans, that incorporate running, cycling, and swimming. I haven't tried that yet, but was thrilled to read about it!

+1 for the Enduro 3, love it

I use my Enduro 3 in saltwater all the time (sea kayaker). I rinse it in fresh water after each paddle.

Never had an Apple or smartwatch. Got the Enduro for backpacking and hikes and is the best thing ever. I have a small wrist, it does look big but I do not mind. I am so glad I went with this one.

I switched from Enduro 3 to FR 970 and so far so good. The E3 was fine but a little big and chunky, particularly uncomfortable to wear to sleep. The FR 970 is lighter and has most if not all the features of the Fenix/Enduro lines. FR 970 is where its at for me.

Really like my Enduro 3

Same, did a two week trip in the Frank Church wilderness never needed to charge my enduro 3. Had all my maps and navigation right there with the watch. I also trail run and ride moto with it, does great.

Agreed, I got a enduro 3 earlier this year and use the flashlight almost daily, and a lot when camping. It’s so convenient!

Same. I picked up mine this year for training and 12 days of hiking Philmont next year. Absolutely loving it so far.

If you need to stay away from charger for very long time and don't mind bleak display and bulker design - Enduro 3. If you want newest sensor and software, bright display, slimmer and lighter design and don't mind charge it every few days - 970 will be better.

In the US, the Fenix 7 pro sapphire solar is less than the Forerunner 970 it appears. And the Enduro 3 is pretty close in price as well. Part of what makes the Fenix 7 pro sapphire and Enduro 2/3 good choices for hiking and other outdoor activities is how durable they are compared to other models. When I'm scrambling down over rocky terrain, I don't want to be overly worried about brushing it against stuff.

You may feel too big with enduros 51mm. Better to try it on first.

Garmin - They have a lot of watches at different price points. There is built-in GPS and the battery lasts for several days, unlike a smart watch that you typically need to charge every night. The Garmin app easily syncs with other fitness apps, if that's important to you. If you have a smaller wrist, go for the "S" models that will look and fit better.