Garmin Enduro 3 vs Garmin Enduro 2: Should you upgrade?

Garmin has just launched the successor to its Enduro 2 smartwatch: the aptly named Enduro 3.

Built with ultra-endurance athletes and adventurers in mind, the new Enduro 3 promises to be packed with premium training, performance and navigation capabilities, all housed in a lighter design with a longer battery life than its successor. 

We’ve compared the specs of the new Enduro 3 to the Enduro 2, which we awarded four-stars, to help you decide whether the former is worth the upgrade.

Price

Available now, the Garmin Enduro 3 has an RRP of £769.99/$899 and comes in just a 51mm sized model.

Click here to buy the Garmin Enduro 3

The Garmin Enduro 2 launched back in 2022 and although is slightly cheaper than the Enduro 3 in the UK at £729.99, it is actually more expensive in the US with an RRP of a whopping $999.99.

It’s worth mentioning that considering the Enduro 3 has only just launched, we would expect to see the Enduro 2 to drop in price at some point soon.

The Garmin Enduro 3 is lighter

Garmin explained that the Enduro 3 was built for wearing even in particularly long races, as it weighs just 63g whereas the Enduro 2 is a heftier 70g. 

Although lighter, the Enduro 3 still boasts a durable 1.4-inch Power Sapphire lens, which is not only much more durable and harder to scratch than glass but is also used to convert sunlight into battery power to extend your time between charges.

The Garmin Enduro 3 has a longer battery life

As mentioned above, both watches are fitted with a solar lens display which helps extend their respective battery life, however the Enduro 3 boasts over double the solar power of the Enduro 2. In fact, Garmin claims the Enduro 3 can reach up to a whopping 320 hours of battery life in GPS mode or up to 90 days (via solar power) when in smartwatch mode. 

Although these figures are undoubtedly impressive, it’s worth noting that the Enduro 2 still boasts a spectacular battery life, offering up to 150 hours in GPS mode and a solid 46 days in smartwatch mode.

Both use SatIQ technology

Both the Enduro 3 and 2 use Garmin’s SatIQ, a GPS technology that determines the best GPS mode to use based on your environment. For example if you’re in a densely populated space such as an urban area or woodlands, SatIQ will determine that a strong, Multiband GNSS is needed.

Alternatively if you’re in an open space, a lower power GPS mode will be enabled in order to maximise battery life without compromising on positional accuracy.

The Garmin Enduro 3 has an FDA-cleared ECG app

A new feature for the Enduro 3 is the inclusion of the FDA-cleared ECG app which allows users to record their heart rhythm and check for signs of atrial fibrillation directly from their watch.

The ECG app uses sensors on the Enduro 3 to record and analyse the electrical signals that control how your heart beats, and looks out for any irregularities. Your results are then displayed both directly on your smartwatch and through the Garmin app. 

At the time of writing, the ECG app is only available in the US, Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Both watches feature high-end performance metrics

Both the Enduro 3 and Enduro 2 smartwatches are designed for ultra-endurance athletes in mind, so naturally include premium performance metrics to help users track their fitness level and training data. 

Like its predecessor, the Enduro 3 allows users to track their cardiovascular fitness levels with the VO2 Max tool which automatically adjusts based on your trail and terrain conditions that might affect run performance. 

There’s PacePro which sends you GPS-based pace guidance for selected courses and distances and even uses grade-adjusted pace technology to show you the equivalent running pace when running flat ground or ascending a slope.

Speaking of ascending, there’s also the nifty ClimbPro feature which displays real-time information about both current and upcoming climbs when you’re following a downloaded course, ensuring that you’re never caught unaware.

Early verdict

Although we are yet to review the Enduro 3, its specs suggest that it’s more of an overall tweak than a complete redesign to the Enduro 2. It’s lighter to hold, boasts a longer battery life and is fitted with an ECG app in certain locations but otherwise the Enduro 3 still includes the same premium features as the Enduro 2. 

With that being said, as the Enduro 2 is either only slightly cheaper (in the UK) or actually more expensive (in the US), unless it receives a notable price drop any time soon, it’s easy to see how its successor could become the more preferable option.