Garmin Enduro vs. Garmin Fenix 6 Pro: Which should you buy?

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro

The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro isn't the newest watch on the market, but it continues to deliver the multisport smartwatch experience that most outdoor adventurers crave. You'll have numerous sport modes and the advanced metrics you need to stay on top of your game.

Garmin Enduro

The Garmin Enduro will appeal to those who need unlimited battery life and the benefit of solar charging. You simply cannot beat the battery life that this watch supplies. However, it isn't cheap. Other than this extra feature, it's not much different than the Fenix 6 Pro.

Garmin Enduro vs. Garmin Fenix 6 Pro: Making a decision

Everyone has a different idea about what makes a watch the best Android smartwatch. If you're choosing between the Garmin Enduro and Garmin Fenix 6 Pro, you probably consider yourself an outdoor adventurer who's always seeking that next adrenaline rush. These two watches are more similar than you might think, which should make it a bit easier to decide between the two.

In fact, these watches are so similar at the core, you might be surprised that they're from two entirely different lineups. If you're someone who needs seemingly-endless battery life, you'll probably benefit from the Garmin Enduro's solar charging feature. However, if this sounds a bit extra to you, the Garmin Fenix Pro will have everything you need at a much more affordable price.

The Garmin Enduro is for battery lovers

Let's face it. The main draw for most watches that offer solar charging is the prolonged battery life. When you spend extended periods outdoors, you may not always have access to a standard outlet and charger. Fortunately, the Garmin Enduro has solar charging, and the resulting battery life is practically unheard of. In smartwatch mode, the Enduro can last for up to 50 days. When you use solar charging, that bumps up to 65 days. There are various modes and each of them offers longer battery life when you utilize solar charging.

That's not the only impressive thing about the Garmin Enduro. The design is made with endurance athletes in mind. You get a 51mm case and a large 1.4-inch sunlight-optimized display for easy viewing when you're on the go. You can decide whether you want stainless steel or a titanium bezel. The rugged, weather-resistant design is also tuned for challenging race conditions. To top it off, the Enduro comes with an ultra-light sport loop elastic band that's adjustable and durable.

In addition to your standard tracking features, this Garmin smartwatch is also packed with tons of advanced features for endurance athletes. For starters, you get a trial run V02 max feature, which estimates the cardiovascular fitness level when trail running by adjusting to the varying trail and terrain conditions that can affect your running performance. Climbers need love, too. The ClimbPro ascent planner provides real-time information on your current and upcoming climbs, including gradient, distance, and elevation gain.

The heat and altitude acclimation feature helps you prepare for any environment. You'll see how well your body is holding up in different environments. After a grueling activity, the built-in recovery advisor will tell you how long to rest before you tackle another adventure. These are just a few of the more advanced features you'll have. Additionally, the Enduro offers surf-ready features, mountain biking metrics, and PacePro technology for runners. The Ultrarun activity has a rest timer so you can log the time you spend at aid stations.

As far as the more straightforward Garmin perks, you get built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, activity and sleep tracking, Pulse Ox, Body Battery, sleep monitoring, stress tracking, contactless payments, smartphone notifications, and 10 ATM water resistance. In comparison to the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro, you will have to make some sacrifices. The Enduro doesn't include get Wi-Fi connectivity, music storage, or maps.

The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is for the outdoorsy types

The Garmin Fenix 6 Series hit the scene more than a year ago, but these models are still considered some of the best Garmin wearables you can buy. Some users felt the Fenix 6 and Fenix 5 models were a bit too similar and there should've been more upgrades. Of course, that depends on your priorities. The 6 models introduced Garmin Pay, Pulse Ox tracking, PacePro, and battery-saving modes. Rest assured, there's a Garmin Fenix model out there for everyone.

In true Garmin fashion, the Fenix 6 Pro is built for those who live a rugged lifestyle. You get a 47mm case and an always-on 1.3" display that's 18% larger than previous models. It's so rugged that it's tested to U.S. military standards for thermal, shock, and water resistance. You have your pick of stainless steel, titanium, or DLC coated bezel.

When it comes down to it, the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro offers more features than the Garmin Enduro. While you may not have solar charging on the standard model, you might not need it. As you can imagine, solar charging is beneficial to a very specific type of user. The battery life on the Fenix 6 Pro is still pretty great even without solar charging, so that's something to consider. You get 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and 36 hours in GPS mode.

There are tons of advanced features on the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro, many of which are also available on the Garmin Enduro. Without being too repetitive, the Fenix 6 Pro also offers PacePro, ClimberPro, performance metrics, recovery advisor, mountain biking metrics, surf-ready features, and more. You also get a few extras, like topographical maps to help you better navigate your adventures, onboard music storage for phone-free listening, and Wi-Fi connectivity.

If you're curious about the more run-of-the-mill features, the Garmin Fenix 6 also offers GPS, heart-rate monitoring, activity and sleep tracking, Pulse Ox, Body Battery, stress tracking, sleep monitoring, on-screen animated workouts, Garmin Pay, and smartphone notifications. As you can see, the only thing that's missing is solar charging. If that's a must-have feature and you prefer the Fenix models, you can opt for the more expensive Fenix 6 Pro Solar.

Garmin Enduro vs. Garmin Fenix 6 Pro: Which should you buy?

By now, you've probably realized that your decision comes down to battery life and solar charging. If you spend a good amount of time outside and want a multisport smartwatch that can track every minute of your adventures, the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is the best choice. It even has a few extra perks, like Wi-Fi, music storage, and maps. Let's not forget that it's significantly cheaper than the Enduro, too.

On the other hand, if you spend so much of your time outdoors that solar charging is a non-negotiable feature, the Garmin Enduro is probably a worthwhile investment. The odd thing is that with all that extra money you're paying, you still have to compromise in some areas. If you don't mind missing out on topographical maps and onboard music storage, that might not be a big deal to you. At the end of the day, the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is still the best option for most outdoorsy types.