Garmin Enduro 3 vs Fenix 8 - Ultimate Comparison

On August 27, 2024, Garmin officially launched two new high-end sports watches - Fenix 8 and Enduro 3. More than a year after the release of the previous Fenix 7 Pro, this update brings significant upgrades, attracting the attention of many sports enthusiasts. Both watches excel in multi-sport modes, GPS navigation, and health monitoring, but they differ in positioning and target users. You can also check our article in our website such as Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Review, Garmin Fenix 8 review and Garmin Fenix 7 vs Fenix 8.

The Fenix 8 is designed as an all-around sports watch, suitable for various activities such as marathons, triathlons, and trail running. It strikes a perfect balance between durability and refined aesthetics. On the other hand, the Enduro 3 is built for long-duration outdoor adventures and extreme endurance running, emphasizing ultra-long battery life and adaptability to harsh environments. While the two models share many similarities in functionality, they each have distinct advantages in specific scenarios.

If you're passionate about extreme challenges and need extended battery life, the Enduro 3 might be the better fit. However, if you seek comprehensive sports performance, the Fenix 8 is the more well-rounded choice. Next, we will compare them in terms of battery life, GPS accuracy, durability, and smart features to help you determine the best Garmin flagship sports watch for your needs.

Garmin Enduro 3 vs Fenix 8 - Price

When it comes to price, both the Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 are positioned as high-end sports watches, but their pricing strategies differ. The Fenix 8, as a flagship all-in-one model, starts at $999.99, with some high-end versions even exceeding $1,000, such as the AMOLED Sapphire version which goes up to $1,199.99. It offers various size options, including 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm (AMOLED version) as well as 47mm and 51mm (solar version), catering to different user needs.

The Enduro 3 is priced more competitively, with the 51mm solar sapphire version costing $899.99. While still priced higher than standard sports watches, considering its extended battery life and features tailored for endurance sports, the price remains reasonable.

Price vs. Value Comparison

If you prioritize extreme endurance and long battery life, the Enduro 3 offers better value, making it a great choice for ultra-marathon runners, outdoor adventurers, and users who need extended performance.

If you're looking for more sport modes and a broader smart experience, the Fenix 8 provides a more comprehensive set of features, premium materials, and greater versatility, making it a worthy investment as a flagship option.

Overall, Enduro 3 focuses on durability and endurance, while Fenix 8 offers a more high-end functional experience. Your choice depends on your usage needs and budget.

Garmin Enduro 3 vs Fenix 8 - Design and Display

Size and Weight

The Fenix 8 comes in three sizes: 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm, catering to different wrist sizes. The AMOLED version is available in all three sizes, while the MIP solar version is limited to 47mm and 51mm.

In contrast, the Enduro 3 is only available in a single 51mm size. Despite its larger dimensions, it is extremely lightweight at just 57g, making it comfortable to wear. For users who prefer a more compact watch, the Fenix 8 offers more options, whereas the Enduro 3 is ideal for those who favor larger watches.

Materials and Durability

The Fenix 8 is made from stainless steel or titanium and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass or sapphire crystal, with some versions featuring premium metal or leather straps. It also introduces a sensor protection feature for enhanced impact resistance and a wireless proximity sensor, improving water resistance up to 40 meters.

The Enduro 3, on the other hand, uses sapphire glass and a titanium bezel, paired with an ultra-lightweight elastic knit strap for comfort. However, its sensors are exposed without additional protection, making the Fenix 8 slightly more durable in rugged conditions.

Screen and Display

The Fenix 8 offers both AMOLED and MIP solar display options. The AMOLED screen delivers vibrant colors, high brightness, and sharp details, though it consumes more power and may be less visible under direct sunlight. The MIP solar display, in contrast, is highly energy-efficient and remains clearly visible even in bright outdoor conditions, providing approximately 70% longer battery life than the AMOLED version.

The Enduro 3 retains its MIP reflective display, optimized for outdoor performance and extended battery life. While it may not offer the same level of detail as an AMOLED screen, it excels in visibility under strong sunlight.

Conclusion

The Fenix 8 is ideal for users who prioritize premium materials, high-resolution display, and multiple size options. Meanwhile, the Enduro 3 is the better choice for those who need a lightweight design, superior battery life, and optimal outdoor performance.

Garmin Enduro 3 vs Fenix 8 - Watch Bands

When it comes to watch bands, both the Garmin Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 offer distinctive styles to suit different needs. The Fenix 8 stands out with its variety of band options—not just the standard silicone strap, but also premium editions. The 47mm AMOLED Prestige Edition features a sleek titanium band for a modern, high-end look, while the 51mm Prestige Edition comes with a refined chestnut leather strap, blending elegance with professional appeal. Whether you're headed to the gym or a formal event, the Fenix 8 has you covered.

On the other hand, the Enduro 3 is built with endurance athletes in mind. It features a 51mm ultra-light elastic nylon band, designed for comfort during long outdoor adventures and high-intensity activities, making it a top choice for performance-focused users.

At Bandletic, we offer a wide range of Garmin Watch bands for both models, including Garmin Enduro Watch Bands and Garmin Fenix Watch Bands (covering models like the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Watch Bands and Garmin Fenix 8 47mm Watch Bands). And if you’re looking to refresh your look beyond Garmin, explore our collections for premium Apple Watch bands, Samsung Watch bands, Fitbit Watch bands, and more - because no matter your device, your wrist deserves to stand out.

Garmin Enduro 3 vs Fenix 8 - Health and Fitness Tracking

Both the Garmin Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 are high-end smartwatches designed for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts, offering powerful health monitoring and fitness tracking features. Each watch focuses on different user needs, providing a wide range of functions.

Health Monitoring

The Fenix 8 offers comprehensive health tracking features, including 24/7 heart rate monitoring, sleep analysis, blood oxygen saturation measurements, and stress tracking. It also provides heart rate variability (HRV) data to help users assess their overall health. In comparison, the Enduro 3 expands on health monitoring by including HRV, blood oxygen, sleep scores, and stress tracking, along with body battery management and jet lag adjustment suggestions, making it especially suitable for endurance athletes.

Fitness Tracking

The Fenix 8 offers multiple sport modes, including running, cycling, swimming, and hiking, accurately tracking various data points like energy expenditure, steps, heart rate, and calories. It also supports customizable strength training plans (up to 4-6 weeks). The Enduro 3, on the other hand, is designed specifically for extreme endurance sports, featuring an UltraRun mode and navigation functions optimized for long outdoor activities. It supports multiple satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo), ensuring precise location tracking even in challenging outdoor environments.

Additional Features

Both watches include activity and route sharing features, allowing users to easily transfer training data and routes between two devices, which is especially useful for training partners. The Enduro 3 stands out for its exceptional battery life, making it ideal for extended endurance events. The Fenix 8, however, caters to a wider variety of sports needs, offering more sport modes and smart features such as Garmin Pay mobile payments and music storage, making it perfect for users seeking a more connected experience.

Conclusion

Both the Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 excel in health monitoring and fitness tracking. The Fenix 8 is more versatile, suitable for various sports and daily use, and packed with smart features.

The Enduro 3, however, excels in extreme endurance sports and long outdoor activities, making it the ideal choice for endurance athletes. Users can choose the watch that best fits their activity types and specific needs.

Garmin Enduro 3 vs Fenix 8 - Maps and Navigation

Map Display and Navigation Capabilities:

Fenix 8 features an AMOLED color touchscreen, offering detailed terrain information along with preloaded maps for golf courses and ski resorts. It supports dynamic round-trip route planning, allowing users to generate a suitable circular route based on their current location, ideal for complex outdoor adventures.

Enduro 3 uses a MIP display, focusing on basic route return features, suitable for trail running and ultra-marathon athletes. While its features are more basic, it is sufficient for extended outdoor activities.

GPS Battery Life:

Fenix 8 offers a longer GPS battery life, especially the solar version, with up to 29 to 48 days, making it perfect for extended usage.

Enduro 3 has enhanced solar functionality, providing up to 320 hours in GPS mode and up to 90 days in smartwatch mode, ideal for ultra-endurance athletes.

Additional Features:

Fenix 8 provides more advanced features, including offline map navigation, built-in speaker and microphone support for voice assistant functions, and POI (Points of Interest) marking. It also supports multiple map types, making it suitable for mountaineering, hiking, and other complex activities.

Enduro 3, while lacking some of the features of the Fenix 8 such as speaker and microphone, still offers solar charging and basic map navigation, focusing on endurance sports.

Summary:

The Fenix 8 offers richer map and navigation options, making it ideal for outdoor adventurers who need precise navigation and complex route planning. Its detailed maps, dynamic route planning, and longer GPS battery life make it exceptional in various challenging environments.

On the other hand, the Enduro 3, though more basic in map navigation, excels with its impressive battery life and endurance sports support, making it suitable for long-duration outdoor activities and ultra-athletes. The choice between the two depends on individual needs for functionality and battery life.

Garmin Enduro 3 vs Fenix 8 - Battery Life

Both the Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 are equipped with advanced solar charging technology, providing excellent battery life. Both models use Garmin Solar technology to enhance charging efficiency and increase the size of the solar panels, further extending usage time.

Fenix 8:

In smartwatch mode, the Fenix 8 offers a battery life of up to 29 days. With the screen on 24/7, the battery life decreases to 13 days.

In GPS mode, the Fenix 8 provides 21 to 62 hours of battery life, depending on the GPS accuracy mode.

The Fenix 8 MIP solar version has a standby time of 48 days, which is about 10 days longer than the previous generation. The GPS mode has been extended from 122 hours to 149 hours.

Enduro 3:

The Enduro 3 offers up to 90 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and 320 hours in GPS mode.

With solar assistance, the Enduro 3 can achieve nearly unlimited battery life in time, GPS, and adventure modes, making it perfect for long outdoor activities.

Summary:

The Enduro 3 excels in long GPS usage and smartwatch mode battery life, making it ideal for extreme sports or long outdoor activities.

The Fenix 8, on the other hand, provides longer battery support in high-intensity sport modes, making it more suitable for vigorous adventures and workouts. Both models’solar technology ensures users can almost forget about charging, providing efficient performance for extended periods.

Garmin Enduro 3 vs Fenix 8 - Smartwatch Features

The Fenix 8 series introduces significant updates in smartwatch functionality, including the addition of a microphone and speaker, enabling features like making and receiving calls, voice assistant, and voice recording. Users can make calls via their connected phone or use the voice assistant for commands directly on the watch.

The Fenix 8 also supports Garmin Messenger for messaging, Garmin Pay for payments, and allows users to download songs from platforms like Spotify and Deezer for offline listening. However, while these features enhance the smart experience, the voice assistant can only be activated using a physical button, and it does not yet support voice wake-up.

In contrast, the Enduro 3 lacks a microphone and speaker, so it cannot make independent calls. It focuses on basic smart features, such as connecting with Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer, NFC payments, and displaying notifications. While it also supports Garmin Pay, the Enduro 3’s smart features are more basic compared to the Fenix 8, making it a better choice for users who prioritize long battery life over extra smart capabilities.

Summary:

Overall, the Fenix 8, with its rich smart features, is ideal for users who need a voice assistant, calling capabilities, and music management. The Enduro 3, on the other hand, simplifies the smart features to provide longer battery life, making it more suited for extended outdoor activities.

Garmin Enduro 3 vs Fenix 8 - Which One Is Right for You?

Garmin’s Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 are both exceptional in tracking health and fitness, but they shine in different areas. The Fenix 8 is a true all-rounder, offering a refined design, vibrant display, and extensive smart features. It's a great fit for users who want a high-end watch that seamlessly transitions between everyday wear, the gym, and a wide range of sports.

In contrast, the Enduro 3 is engineered with endurance athletes in mind. Its standout features include ultra-long battery life, a lighter build, and tools optimized for long-distance outdoor activities. If your focus is on extreme adventures or multi-day performance, the Enduro 3 is likely the better match. Ultimately, the choice depends on whether you value all-around versatility or specialized endurance performance.

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