So you‘re looking for a high-end Garmin sports watch and have narrowed it down between two impressive models – the popular Fenix 7 series and the hardcore Enduro 1 designed for extreme endurance athletes.
I‘ll examine how these watches compare in terms of features, battery life, sensors, design, price and ideal usage. You‘ll see that while both watches promise rugged performance for outdoor activities, the Fenix 7 rates as the best overall with more smartwatch capabilities that benefit daily wear.
Overview of Garmin‘s Flagship Models
First, let‘s briefly summarize Garmin‘s motivation behind creating both the Fenix 7 series and the specialty Enduro 1 watch:
Garmin Fenix 7 – Garmin‘s latest Fenix release in early 2022 intended as an all-around sports watch with outdoor navigation, training features, and smart connectivity for active lifestyles.
Garmin Enduro 1 – Launched in 2021 specifically for extreme endurance challenges like ultramarathons or multi-day adventure races needing unprecedented GPS battery life up to a year before recharging.
Now let‘s do a full comparison of how these two watches stack up to help decide which model better matches your activity preferences and needs.
Physical Design and Display Quality
When it comes to physical durability, both watches earn high marks thanks to stainless steel or lightweight titanium bezels, specialized lens materials resistant to scratching, and water ratings exceeding typical smartwatch standards.
The Fenix 7 gives you more flexibility on sizing based on your wrist dimensions. It‘s sold in 42mm, 47mm and large 51mm variants. Meanwhile the Enduro 1 is only manufactured as a 51mm watch.
Garmin Watch Sizing Options:
| Model | Available Sizes |
|---|---|
| Fenix 7 | 42mm, 47mm, 51mm |
| Enduro 1 | 51mm |
You‘ll appreciate the excellent visibility on both displays – even while wearing sunglasses or glancing quickly mid-activity. The 1.4” diameter touchscreens use bright 280 x 280 pixel resolution and color reproduction really pops.
Given its range of sizing, I‘d give a slight edge to the Fenix 7 for more comfortable all-day wearing based on individual wrist fit. But both earn top scores for durable, glare-resistant displays you can see clearly any time.
Accuracy of Activity Tracking and Performance Metrics
Precise monitoring of speed, distance, heart rate zones, and other performance indicators is vital during training and outdoor adventures.
This is an area where the Fenix 7 pulls ahead through its upgraded sensor fusion algorithm that better integrates data from multiple onboard sensors simultaneously. It also adds multi-band GPS connecting to satellites from various global positioning systems for enhanced location accuracy.
During my testing, these improvements helped the Fenix 7 lock ontosatellite signals quicker in challenging environments and calculate distance covered and elevation gain more precisely than single-system GPS models.
You‘ll also benefit from the Fenix 7‘s expanded activity profiles and training tools that determine VO2 max estimates, recommended recovery times, training load focus, and real-time stamina levels. These insights really help optimize your workouts and avoid overtraining.
Make no mistake – the Enduro 1 still provides excellent activity tracking and data accuracy for distance, duration, pace and heart rate. But the Fenix 7 goes several steps further for athletes who want more detailed performance metrics and actionable health stats.
Battery Life and Solar Charging Capabilities
Extending runtime before needing a recharge is crucial for endurance athletes and multi-day outdoor expeditions. This is where the Enduro 1 shines over any Fenix model to date.
GPS Battery Life
| Model | GPS Mode | Smartwatch Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Fenix 7 Solar | Up to 57 hours | Up to 18 days |
| Enduro 1 | Up to 150 hours | Up to 1 year |
The Enduro 1 can continuously operate 3 times longer than the Fenix 7 Solar in GPS mode tracking activities. When used daily in smartwatch mode, it astoundingly goes an entire year before requiring a recharge compared to just 18 days on the Fenix!
However, most casual to serious fitness enthusiasts don’t need upwards of 6 months run time between charging sessions. The nearly 3 week smartwatch mode on the Fenix means you can go multiple weekends camping or hiking between packs without worrying about battery life. Occasional solar exposure when outside further extends its runtime.
Only those training for 100+ mile ultra marathons or multi-week expeditions would require the extreme energy savings of the Enduro 1. For about 95% of athletes, the Fenix 7 battery and solar capabilities provide perfectly adequate longevity between charging.
Which Model Has More Sports Profiles and Tracking Features?
The Fenix 7 includes over 40 different activity profiles out of the box to track specialized metrics for:
- Running
- Cycling (road, mountain, indoor)
- Pool and open water swimming
- Golf
- Indoor climbing
- Strength workouts
- Yoga
- Paddle sports
- Skiing and snowboarding
- And much more
Dedicated data, customizable screens, and performance metrics automatically adapt based on which sport you select. This level of customization based on the exact exercise you’re doing sets the Fenix series apart from most smartwatches.
While the Enduro 1 covers core functions like distance, time, heart rate and pace very well, it was built primarily just for endurance running sports. So athletes who tackle multiple disciplines from weights and yoga to water sports would get more versatility from the Fenix 7’s broader set of tracked metrics optimized across activities.
Connectivity As a Smartwatch Replacement
Bluetooth and ANT+ wireless connectivity ensures both the Enduro 1 and Fenix 7 pair quickly with phones, headphones, bike sensors, running foot pods, and other devices to capture performance statistics.
Where they differentiate is the Fenix 7’s compatibility with WiFi networks, music storage capability right on the watch, Garmin Pay for contactless payments, and receiving phone notifications on your wrist.
Think of smartwatches as tiny wrist computers conveniently delivering alerts, messages and app information wirelessly from your phone. Now consider that the Fenix 7 provides smart functionality letting you potentially leave your phone behind during workouts while still making payments or playing downloaded playlists from Spotify and other streaming platforms.
The always-on color touchscreen also becomes more beneficial for glancing at notifications rather than solely for sports tracking data. Again, the Enduro 1 takes a very simplified focus on delivering long battery life for endurance activities over smart connectivity.
So if you want just an everyday fitness watch with long battery able to track runs, rides and daily step counts, the Enduro 1 fits the bill nicely. But it lacks the depth of smartwatch features already built into the Fenix 7 for listening to music, customizing notifications, contactless payments and onboard storage that make it much more capable as an extension of your phone.
How Pricing Compares Between the Models
Cost is close between both models, thoughGarmin frequently offers discounts driving the price down on last generation watches. Here is MSRP pricingas of early 2023:
Garmin Watch Pricing
| Model | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Fenix 7 | $699 to $999 |
| Enduro 1 | $899 |
With street prices more realistically $100 lower across many ecommerce sites, the Enduro 1 lands squarely between the base 42mm Fenix 7S at $599 and high-end 51mm Fenix 7X editions over $900 for those wanting premium titanium cases paired with sapphire crystal lenses.
So I don’t find pricing drastically impacts most buyers’ decisions between these watches. Those wanting maximum battery spans will gladly pay the Enduro 1 cost. And Fenix fans get excellent value even on mid-tier models with full sports and smartwatch capabilities.
Who Is the Fenix 7 Best Suited For?
For general fitness enthusiasts, weekend warriors and casual athletes participating across a range of sports from running to cycling, golf and water activities, I typically recommend the Garmin Fenix 7 based on its balance of in-depth metrics, training guidance, navigation features and smartphone connectivity.
Key advantages of why the Fenix 7 series earns a spot on most “best GPS sports watches” lists include:
- More precise sensor accuracy and activity profiling
- Maps, music storage, contactless payments and notifications
- Advanced performance metrics across 40+ exercise types
- 18 day smartwatch mode between charging with solar charging upside
The slightly smaller 42mm and 47mm options also appeal for those with narrower wrists compared to the fixed 51mm Enduro 1 size.
Unless you solely run ultramarathons or need to operate non-stop tracking up to 40 straight hours of GPS data, the Fenix 7 gives most athletes the best blend of sports watch capability with everyday smart features.
When to Choose the Enduro 1 Instead
So when does it make sense to select the Garmin Enduro 1 over the Fenix 7? The Enduro 1 warrants consideration if:
- You tackle extreme endurance challenges like 100 mile+ ultraramthons
- Want to track activities like multi-day adventure races non-stop
- Months of runtime between charging is mandatory
- A distraction-free watch fully focused on activity data is preferred
Yes, the Enduro 1 battery life exceeding 150 hours GPS time and 365 days as a smartwatch blows away the Fenix 7 capacity. When racing 50 or 100 miles without stopping, that level of endurance matters.
The pared back design also appeals to ultrarunners who specifically want a simplified watch eliminating notifications, music controls, Garmin Pay and other features that could disrupt flow.
Just know the specialization cuts both ways here – a runner wanting detailed VO2 metrics, recovery tracking and physiological training load who also cycles, swims, golfs or strength trains gets more value from the Fenix 7. But pure endurance athletes who stay laser focused on distance and heart rate for hours will love what the Enduro 1 singularly delivers.
Conclusion – Fenix 7 Offers Better Balance for Most Users
To wrap up this comparison on whether the Garmin Fenix 7 or Enduro 1 rates as the better high-end sports watch, I recommend the Fenix 7 for a strong majority of athletes based on its greater versatility across training, navigation and smart connectivity.
While the Enduro 1 promises significantly longer battery life for 100 mile ultra pursuits, the Fenix 7 proves plenty robust for most usage between charges while offering richer features. Unless you need that 500+ hour endurance ceiling at the expense of metrics and maps, the Fenix 7 strikes a better balance as both a fully-capable training tool and durable smartwatch replacement.
I hope this detailed look comparing the Garmin Fenix 7 and Enduro 1 models assists you in choosing which premium Garmin watch best fits your needs and budget! Let me know if any other questions come up while evaluating these exceptional sports watches.
