Comparison Garmin Fenix 6 vs Enduro: which one to choose?

These 2 cardio-GPS multi-sports watches are, together with the Forerunner 945 (same functions but better adapted to triathlon), the top-of-the-range models from Garmin, the American giant's top sports watches. They are the most complete on the market in terms of sports and connected functions. They can be used for almost all sports, including triathlon. The latest model released, the Enduro, stands out from the Fenix 6 by its very long autonomy and lighter weight than the equivalent model, the Fenix 6X Pro Solar (same case size, solar rechargeable and offering the longest autonomy of the series).

How to choose between the 2 models? It all depends on the objective (type of outputs) and the budget.

Garmin Fenix 6: the high-end watch à la carte

The Fenix 6 is a watch with extraordinary functionalities available in numerous versions (a real à la carte watch!). It is currently the most complete GPS cardio watch on the market but this luxury has a price! It offers great autonomy and intelligent battery management. In addition to numerous functions to help the sportsman (performance analysis, physiological measurements, health monitoring, coaching, etc.), it comes with optional colour cartography of the country or continent of purchase (roads, cycle tracks, paths, ski slopes) and an mp3 player. It has advanced connected functions (live tracking of other sportsmen and women, possibility of being tracked online, etc.), full GPS navigation with turn-by-turn guidance, a Garmin Pay contactless payment solution, and blood oxygen level assessment. It carries more than 41,000 golf courses and data from 2,000 ski slopes around the world (Pro version only). The Fenix 6 is available in 3 case sizes (for thin to wide wrists) and 3 versions (standard, Pro and Solar) with optional sapphire crystal on some models. Very elegant, this versatile watch can be worn for sport as well as for work or in the city.

Garmin Enduro: with record autonomy, ideal for ultratrail and other long races

The Garmin Enduro, released in 2021, is a premium watch offering the same features as the standard Fenix 6 (i.e. no MP3 player and no topo mapping) and the same format as the Fenix 6X Pro Solar, the largest model in the series. It is available in 2 models, with a steel or titanium bezel (lighter), and comes in only one case size (51 mm) to accommodate a large-capacity battery. Its special feature is precisely that it offers record autonomy: 70 hours (80 hours if continuously exposed to the sun) in GPS drive mode and up to 200 hours (300 hours if continuously exposed to the sun) in Ultra mode. It can last up to 1 year in energy-saving mode!

This model is also lighter than the Fenix 6X Pro Solar thanks to its stretchy nylon strap weighing only 6 g! (27 g for the silicone strap!). This watch is expensive and its only advantage over the Fenix 6X Pro Solar is its record-breaking battery life and lighter weight. It will be of particular interest to ultra-long distance racers who are looking for a watch that no longer needs to be recharged during the race.

The main differences

Apart from its record-breaking battery capacity, the Enduro is very little different from the Fenix 6, offering the same functions as the standard Fenix 6 (i.e. no MP3 player, no mapping and no Wi-Fi) and the same physical characteristics as the Fenix 6X Pro Solar: same case dimensions and weight (to within 2 g for the titanium version), same strap width, same screen size and definition, same solar recharge system with the famous Power Glass incorporating voltaic cells.

It features a larger battery capacity, twice as much memory as the standard Fenix 6, and a new ultra-lightweight stretch nylon strap that reduces the overall weight of the titanium model by 30% compared to the Fenix 6X Pro Solar (also with titanium bezel). The result is a watch that weighs the same as the standard Fenix 6S!

The main differences between the Garmin Fenix 6 (model 6X Pro Solar) and the Garmin Enduro can be summarised as follows:

Comparative prices and physical characteristics

We have chosen to compare the physical characteristics of the Enduro with those of the Fenix 6X Pro Solar, which is the model that most closely resembles it (same case size, same screen). For a comparison between the different Fenix 6 models, see our detailed review of the Fenix 6.

Features	Fenix 6X Pro	Fenix 6X Pro Sapphire	Fenix 6X Pro Solar	Enduro Steel	Enduro Titanium

Price (approx.)	700 €	800 €	900 €	800 €	900 €
Weight	93 g	93 g	82 g	72 g	58 g
Size (mm)	51 x 51	51 x 51	51 x 51	51 x 51	51 x 51
Thickness (mm)	14,9	14,9	14,9	14,9	14,9
Case	Reinforced polymer, metal bottom	Reinforced polymer, metal bottom	Reinforced polymer, metal bottom	Reinforced polymer, metal bottom	Reinforced polymer, metal bottom
Glass	Corning Gorilla 3	Sapphire	Power Glass	Power Glass	Power Glass
Bezel	Stainless steel	Stainless steel	Titanium	Stainless steel	Titanium
Screen size (mm)	35,6	35,6	35,6	35,6	35,6
Screen size (inches)	1,4"	1,4"	1,4"	1,4"	1,4"
Display (px)	280 x 280	280 x 280	280 x 280	280 x 280	280 x 280
Screen	Transflective PIM	Transflective PIM	Transflective PIM	Transflective PIM	Transflective PIM
Touch screen
Colour screen	•	•	•	•	•
Memory	32 GB	32 GB	32 GB	64 MB	64 MB
Wristband width	26 mm	26 mm	26 mm	26 mm	26 mm
Bracelet interchangeable without tools	•	•	•	•	•
Waterproofing	10 ATM	10 ATM	10 ATM	10 ATM	10 ATM

The price: the high autonomy, only interest of the Enduro, is costly

The price of the 2 watches is high, depending on the options. The Fenix 6 costs between 550 € for the standard model (without cartography, without MP3 player and with the lowest autonomy) and more than 1000 € for the 6X Pro Solar model with titanium strap. The price of the Enduro is the same as that of the equivalent Fenix 6X (steel or titanium), but for a longer range and fewer functions (cartography and MP3 player).

Design and materials

The Fenix 6 and the Enduro offer the same design. Only a yellow border around the screen distinguishes the two models and the original strap (nylon on the Enduro).

These models are made of quality materials: metal watch back, stainless steel or titanium bezel, sapphire crystal or ultra-resistant glass in Corning Gorilla or Power Glass (ultra-resistant glass) for the Solar models (sapphire cannot be used because it makes recharging less efficient).

The Enduro is available in 2 models: with steel bezel and titanium bezel and Power Glass (Solar model obliges)

The Fenix 6X Pro features a sapphire crystal and stainless steel bezel. The Fenix 6X Pro Solar is equipped with a Power Glass and a titanium or titanium bezel with an amorphous carbon coating (DLC) for an interesting weight saving (10 g).

Weight

The weight of the Fenix 6 obviously increases with the size of the case. To make it lighter, Garmin offers models with a titanium bezel, lighter than steel.

The advantage of the Enduro is that it offers an ultralight, stretchy nylon strap. It weighs only 6 g compared to the 27 g of the silicone strap. In total, even though the Enduro's case weighs almost the same as the Fenix 6X Pro Solar's, the watch is significantly lighter (30% less!). It weighs only 58 g, which is the same weight as the Fenix 6S with silicone strap.

That said, nothing prevents the Fenix 6's silicone strap from being replaced by a nylon strap to obtain an ultra-light Fenix 6!

	Case only	Case + bracelet
Enduro Steel	66 g	72 g
Enduro Titanium	52 g	58 g
Fenix 6X Pro Solar	66 g	93 g
Fenix 6X Pro Solar Titanium	54 g	82 g

The size of the watch and the screen

The Enduro closely resembles the Fenix 6X Pro Solar. Both offer the same size and housing thickness (51 mm x 14.9 mm), the same screen size (1.4") and the same resolution (280 x 280 px). The disadvantage of the Garmin Enduro is that it is only available in one case size because of the battery, which takes up a lot of space. It is a bit big on thin wrists. You will therefore have to choose between aesthetics, or even comfort, and autonomy.

Memory

Garmin has doubled the memory size on the Enduro (from 32 MB on the standard Fenix 6 to 64 MB on the Enduro). This makes sense for a watch that can be used for 80 hours in 1 second recording mode with more data to record.

The bracelet

The size of the Enduro's wristband is 26 mm, like the Fenix 6X. The novelty is that it is made of extensible nylon (black or grey depending on the model, titanium or steel) and ultra-light (6 g). It is interchangeable without tools. The Fenix 6, for its part, comes with a silicone, leather, steel or titanium bracelet (depending on the model chosen). A nylon strap can of course be purchased for use on the Fenix 6.

Autonomy: the Enduro designed for ultra endurance races

Autonomy is really what sets the Enduro apart from the Fenix 6 and other sports watches on the market. It is truly THE criteria for choosing the watch. Garmin has designed the Enduro for ultra-endurance sportsmen and women: ultra-trailers, ultra-cyclists.

With the Enduro, refilling is no longer a problem. You no longer have to worry about whether the watch can be recharged while racing or not (case of the 2 watches but you have to take it off your wrist to be able to connect the cable!). This watch has been designed to be more enduring than the sportsman who wears it and this, without altering the quality of the data (70 to 80 hours of autonomy in GPS recording mode every second for Enduro).

Thanks to solar recharging, you can gain even more autonomy. Garmin displays a gain ranging from 6 to 50% for the Fenix 6 and from 14 to 280% on the Enduro, depending on the battery mode chosen! But to do this, you need to expose your watch to full sunlight, at 50,000 lux, while using it (or at least 3 hours a day for certain battery modes), which is not necessarily easy depending on the place of use, the season, the weather, the conditions in which the watch is used (under clothing, with or without exposure to the sun)...

For even more autonomy, the 2 watches offer intelligent battery management allowing you to deactivate certain sensors and functions that you do not use, for example the heart rate monitor on your wrist (easily replaced by a chest belt or armband). Customised profiles can also be defined to decide which sensors to activate according to the sport practised.

Mode	Fenix 6S & 6S Pro	Fenix 6 & 6 Pro	Fenix 6X Pro	Enduro
Connected watch	9 d (10.5 d*)	14 d (16 d*)	21 days (24 days*)	50d (65d*)
GPS	25 h (28 h**)	36 h (40 h**)	60 h (66 h**)	70h (80h**)
GPS + Musique	6 h	10 h	15 h (16 h**)	-
GPS Ultra (max battery)	50 h (64 h**)	72 hours (93 hours**)	120 h (148 h**)	200h (300h**)
Expedition	20 d (26 d*)	28 d (36 d*)	46 d (56 d*)	65d (95d*)
Energy saving	34 d (59 d*)	48 d (80 d*)	80 d (120 d*)	130d (1 year**)

Sensors

Both models carry the same sensors and are compatible with external sensors using Bluetooth and ANT+ protocols. Note that the cardio optic works underwater and that the barometer is self-calibrating or manual. The pulse oximeter allows you to check the blood oxygen level (used to evaluate acclimatisation to altitude, correct the VO2max, inform climbers about the risks linked to a too fast ascent). The watch also offers ABC sensors (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass) for outdoor use (trekking, hiking, trail, exploration, etc.).

Features	Fenix 6X Pro Solar	Enduro
GPS	GPS GALILEO GLONASS	GPS GALILEO GLONASS
Wrist Cardio	•	•
Underwater wrist cardio system	•	•
Barometric altimeter	•	•
Accelerometer	•	•
Manual altimeter calibration	•	•
Stroke power at wrist
Gyroscope	•	•
Pulse oximeter	•	•
Compass	•	•
Thermometer	•	•
Ambient light sensor	•	•
External sensor compatibility	ANT+, Bluetooth	ANT+, Bluetooth

Features compared

The Enduro offers the same features as the standard Fenix 6 (no mapping, no MP3 player, no Wi-Fi).

What really differentiates the 2 models is their autonomy. If you choose the Enduro, it is only for its autonomy.

	Fenix 6	Fenix 6 Pro	Enduro
Sports profiles	35+	35+	35+
On-board mapping (road, bike, ski)		•
Heat maps on the watch (Trendline)		•
Round trip generator		•
MP3 Player		•
Wi-Fi		•
ClimbPro	With preloaded route	•	With preloaded route
PacePro	With preloaded route	•	With preloaded route
Future Ascension Profile	With preloaded route	•	With preloaded route

The Enduro benefits from interesting new features for trail riding, among others, but these new features have also been added to the Fenix 6, MARQ and Forerunner 945 models. Therefore, we do not detail them in this article. You can find their description in our detailed review of the Garmin Enduro.

Our opinion on the Fenix 6 and the Enduro: which one to choose?

Between Garmin Fenix 6 and Garmin Enduro, which one to buy? It all depends on the use you are going to make of the watch and the budget you are prepared to allocate.

Both watches are equally excellent in terms of functionalities. The only real difference to consider when making your choice is autonomy. The new Garmin Enduro has only one advantage over the Fenix 6: its autonomy. You choose it if you need a watch that lasts the long haul. If not, it is better to choose the Fenix 6.

If autonomy is not a criterion for you, or if 60 hours autonomy is enough for you or if the Ultra mode suits you, there is no need to invest in Enduro. Its lighter weight and new features are not sufficient arguments to buy it either (read below). The Fenix 6 will do the job for less (depending on the model and options you choose) and you can benefit from its other advantages: a case size better suited to your morphology (be careful, however, that the range decreases with the case size), a similar weight if you opt for the small model, the possibility of having an MP3 player and mapping, all for a range that remains excellent, depending on the model. With 60 hours of autonomy, the Fenix 6X Pro is suitable, for example, for UTMB, although Enduro, for this type of race, remains preferable for a greater margin and considering that the batteries lose capacity over time but also at low temperatures.

The enduro has been designed to be more enduring than you are and thus to accompany you to the end of your rides, whatever their duration. If you practice ultra-endurance races (cycling, trail, running) and you are looking for a watch that can reliably record your data (every second) and without having to be recharged while riding, this is the model for you. With 70 to 80 hours of autonomy (200 to 300 hours in Ultra mode), and more by deactivating unused sensors and functions, you have enough time for very long outings. Of course, it can also be used for trekking outings, trips lasting several days or weeks, thanks to its Ultra or Expedition modes, but for this type of outing, you might as well fall back on a Fenix that you can recharge on the road with a battery!

The advantage of the Enduro is also its weight, 30% less than that of the Fenix 6X Pro, thanks to its ultra-light strap. With 58 g on the scale, the Titanium Enduro weighs as much as the Fenix 6S. But this is not really an advantage, since the Fenix 6X Pro Solar titanium version can be just as light by adding a nylon strap. You just have to buy it in addition.

As far as the new Enduro functionalities are concerned, the improvement of ClimbPro (taking into account the flat and downhill sections in addition to the climbs) is a plus for the trail, but this change is also available on the Fenix 6. The same goes for the VO2max, which now takes into account the difficulty of the terrain.

A disadvantage of the Enduro is that it does not offer mapping despite its high price. Not that this function is indispensable, but it can be very useful for trail riding or other even occasional outings (hiking, cycling or walking far from home). Topographic maps not only makes it easier to find your way around, but it also gives access to the functions for searching for routes, cycle tracks and ski resorts and to points of interest (hotels, restaurants, railway stations, places of interest, etc.).

If you choose the Enduro, check that the case size will suit you. It is quite big on a thin wrist. If your budget allows it, we advise you to opt for the model with a titanium bezel, which is much lighter and also more comfortable to wear than the one with a steel bezel.

The criteria for choosing the right watch

	Fenix 6S/6	Fenix 6S/6/6X Pro	Solar Models	Enduro
Key Differences	The most economical model No mapping No MP3 player No Wi-Fi Proposed in 2 case sizes (thin + wristband standard)	The complete model with mapping + music + Wi-Fi A large model with a long autonomy (6X) Choice of sapphire or Corning Gorilla glass	With solar recharge to extend the battery No sapphire glass (Corning Gorilla only)	Autonomy A nylon strap
Benefits	More affordable price 2 case sizes	Mapping, music and Wi-Fi	Solar recharge (10 to 50% more autonomy)	High autonomy The weight of the titanium model (58g like the Fenix 6S)
Disadvantages	No Wi-Fi (requires Bluetooth from Smartphone/PC or USB cable) Autonomy decreases with case size	High price	No sapphire crystal High price	No mapping A bit large on thin wrists No sapphire crystal No Wi-Fi (requires bluetooth from smartphone/PC or USB cable) High price
Autonomy	+ / +++	++++	++++	+++++
Weight	58g to 80 g	61g to 93g	60g to 93g	58g or 72 g
Cost	550€	650€ to 850€	700€ to 1050€	800€ to 900€
Mapping (road, bike, ski)		•	According to model
MP3 player		•	According to model
Wi-Fi		•	According to model
Sports	Trail, running, triathlon, competition, pro training	Trail, running, triathlon, competition, pro training + cycling, hiking, skiing, outdoor, exploration, sailing	According to model	Trail, ultratrail, ultracycling, ultramarathon, expedition, UTMB
Navigation	••	•••	According to model	••
Price	$$$	$$$$	According to model	$$$$

Where to buy these watches

These watches are available on the Garmin website as well as in specialist shops. Discover them at our partners and take advantage of our promo codes.