Today, we are comparing Garmin Enduro 2 vs Forerunner 955 & Solar and list the key differences between them. These watches are the high-end smartwatches of Garmin and it could be compelling for you to find out which one is better. Basically, Garmin has classified these watches as: Enduro 2 for running and adventure, and Forerunner 955 for running.
However, when you compare their specs, you will see that there are some features that are only available in Enduro 2 but not in Forerunner 955 & Solar. So, you might be wondering which one is better for you, the Enduro 2 or Forerunner 955. In this post, we will list all the key differences between them to help you understand which one fits your needs the best.
If you need a short answer, here is the table we have put together to help you better understand the Garmin Enduro 2 vs Forerunner 955/Solar comparison:
| Comparison of# | Garmin Enduro 2 | Garmin Forerunner 955 & Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Our Selection for | Best Endurance Running Watch | Best All Around Running Watch |
| Latest Price Tag | Rates on Amazon Enduro 2 | Rates on Amazon Forerunner 955 / 955 Solar |
| Bezel Material | Titanium | Fiber-Reinforced Polymer |
| Lens Material | Sapphire Solar (Power Sapphire) | Corning® Gorilla® Glass DX Power Glass (for Solar Model) |
| QuickFit™ watch band compatible | 26-mm | 22-mm |
| Available Physical size | 51 x 51 x 15.6 (mm) | 46.5 x 46.5 x 14.4 (mm) |
| Display resolution | 280 x 280 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
| Battery life | Smartwatch: Up to 34 days / 46 days with solar* Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 111 days / 550 days with solar* GPS: Up to 110 hours / 150 hours with solar** All Satellite Systems: Up to 78 hours / 96 hours with solar** All Satellite Systems and Multi-band: Up to 68 hours / 81 hours with solar** All Satellite Systems and Music: Up to 20 hours Max Battery GPS: Up to 264 hours / 714 with solar** Expedition GPS: 77 days / 172 days with solar* *Solar charging, assuming all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions **Solar charging, assuming use in 50,000 lux conditions | Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 days/20 days with solar* GPS-only mode without music: Up to 42 hours/49 hours with solar** All-Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band with music: Up to 8.5 hours All Systems GNSS mode plus Multi-Band without music: Up to 20 hours/22 hours with solar** Ultratrac mode: Up to 80 hours/110 hours with solar** *Solar charging, assuming all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions **Solar charging, assuming use in 50,000 lux conditions |
| Water Resistance | 10 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
| Smartphone Music Control | Yes | Yes |
| Music storage | Up to 2000 Songs | Up to 2000 Songs |
| Memory | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Highlighted Sensors & Features | Multi-Frequency Positioning Barometric Altimeter Heart Rate Monitor GPS & GLONASS & GALILEO Accelerometer Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Compass Thermometer Gyroscope HRV Status Touch Screen Preloaded Topographical Maps SatIQ™ Technology | Multi-Frequency Positioning Barometric Altimeter Heart Rate Monitor GPS & GLONASS & GALILEO Accelerometer Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Compass Thermometer Gyroscope HRV Status Touch Screen Preloaded Topographical Maps SatIQ™ Technology (for Solar Model Only) |
| LiveTrack & Incident Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Training Load & Status | Yes | Yes |
| Point-to-point navigation Bread crumb trail in real time Back to start | Yes | Yes |
| SatIQ™ Technology | Yes | Yes |
| Grade Adjusted Pace | Yes | No |
| NextFork™ navigation | Yes | No |
| On Screen Workouts Muscles Maps | No | Yes |
| Golfing Features | Included | Included |
| Expedition GPS Activity | Yes | No |
If you know what exactly you need, you can narrow down this comparison by taking look at the table above. For instance, if you don’t need extended battery life, the Forerunner 955 offers non-solar option which is more affordable than the Enduro 2. Frankly, the Enduro 2 is an outstanding watch. However, it’s almost twice the price of the Forerunner 955.
Let’s take a look at the key differences between the Garmin Enduro 2 and Forerunner 955 one by one:
Key Differences Between Garmin Enduro 2 and Forerunner 955 & Solar
If you want a head-to-head comparison with the Enduro 2, the most comparable version of the Forerunner is the Forerunner 955 Solar. Other Forerunner editions such as Forerunner 745, 255, and 55 offer less than the Garmin 955 & Solar, but they are more affordable as well.
Similar Articles Comparing all Garmin Forerunner variants with each other:
- Forerunner 255 vs 955: Garmin’s entry level watch is compared with its premium one
- Forerunner 255 vs 745: Key differences listed
- Forerunner 55 vs 255: Which one is the best entry-level running watch?
Anyway, here is the short summary of the key differences between Garmin Enduro 2 and Forerunner 955:
- The Enduro 2 is the best endurance running watch of Garmin. Its battery-life last longer than the Forerunner 955.
- The Forerunner 955 has two variants. The first one is the standard model; the second model is the 955 Solar which has solar panels on it and offers more battery-life in certain conditions.
- To be honest, considering the versatility both watches are even. Maybe, the Enduro 2 is slightly better due to its extra Golfing Features, great battery-life, 10 ATM water resistance.
- Considering the running features, the Garmin Enduro 2 has Grade Adjusted Pace feature which lacks in the Forerunner 955. Imagine you are running uphill. So, you will spend more effort than running on a flat land. Basically, this Grade Adjusted Pace measures the steepness of the terrain you’re running and converts your uphill pace to its equivalent on flat terrain.
- When it comes to the durability, the Enduro 2 does better than the Forerunner 955. First of all, it has a titanium bezel whereas the Forerunner 955 has fiber reinforced polymer. In addition, the glass material of the Enduro 2 is Sapphire Crystal which is one of the most scratch resistant materials in the world. On the other hand, the Forerunner 955 has Corning Gorilla Glass DX on its glass. Indeed, the Corning Gorilla Glass DX is also very scratch resistant but not as much as the Sapphire Crystal.
- Basically, because of these reasons, the Enduro 2 is more expensive than the Forerunner 955.
- Moreover, the Enduro 2 (measures 51 x 51 x 15.6 mm) is a larger watch than the Forerunner 955 (46.5 x 46.5 x 14.4 mm). Because of the same reason, the Enduro 2 has 280 x 280 pixels resolution whereas the Forerunner 955 comes with 260 x 260 pixels resolution.
- Another feature that Enduro 2 has but it is not included in the Forerunner 955 is the NextFork Navigation. This feature shows the name of the next trail intersection point and its distance. Therefore, the NextFork is a guide that help runners to understand their exact location.
- Considering the outdoor recreation, the Enduro 2 has Expedition GPS Mode which is not included in the Forerunner 955. On the Expedition GPS mode, the Enduro 2 enters the low power mode and gathers the GPS track data once an hour.
Similar Article: Comparing Garmin Fenix 7 vs Epix Gen 2
Which one is better Garmin Enduro 2 or Forerunner 955?
There are some certain situations that you might want to go with the Garmin Enduro 2 instead of Forerunner 955. In overall, we found Garmin Forerunner 955 is more preferable compared to the Enduro 2 because of the price point.
We will talk about them one by one. Here are the things that one does better than the other:
For Outdoor Activities
Considering the outdoor activities, Both Enduro 2 and Forerunner 955/Solar are great watches. Both watches offer pre-loaded topo maps, point to point navigation, trackback, back to start, distance to destination, elevation and GPS coordinates. However, the NextFork Navigation and Expedition GPS Activity features of Enduro 2 makes it a better outdoor watch than the Forerunner 955.
If you need a solid outdoor watch, you can also consider the Fenix 7 which offers a lot more than the Forerunner 955 but cost less than the Enduro 2. Take a look the articles below, where we made Forerunner 955 vs Fenix 7 and Enduro 2 vs Fenix 7 Comparisons:
- Comparing the Garmin Enduro 2 vs Fenix 7 – Garmin’s adventure watch competes with its Outdoor rival
- Comparing Forerunner 955 vs Fenix 7: Garmin’s premium running watch against its outdoor contender
For Running
Considering running, there are some certain features (Grade Adjusted Pace and NextFork) and sensors comes with only the Enduro 2 but not with the Forerunner 955. On the other hand, the Forerunner 955 has course and race specific race predictor which is not included in the Enduro 2.
If you are asking which one is better running watch, the Enduro 2 or the Forerunner 955, it depends. The question is, do you really need these features? For instance, if you think that you don’t need Grade Adjusted Pace and NextFork navigation, you will save a lot with the Forerunner 955.
About the Navigation and Navigation Features
Considering the GPS accuracy, preloaded topo maps, point to point navigation, multi-frequency positioning, both Enduro 2 and Forerunner 955 are the same watch.
Both watches also have SatIQ sensor. Simply saying, this sensor determines which GPS mode to use based on your environment. For example, if you are in an open area, GPS accuracy will be higher. So, you will get high accuracy and save power with a single-band GNSS mode. However, if you are in a location where the accuracy of a single GNSS source will be less (in the middle of a dense forest or near tall buildings), SatIQ will switch to Multiband GNSS.
The only additional thing that comes with the Enduro 2 is the NextFork Navigation feature. Honestly, we never needed the NextFork desperately, therefore we still prefer our Forerunner 955 over the Enduro 2.
About the Battery-life: Garmin Enduro 2 vs Forerunner 955
One thing that Enduro 2 is great about is the battery-life which last so long. Frankly, this may be the only reason for you to choose Enduro 2 over Forerunner 955.
Especially, on the Expedition GPS mode, the Enduro 2 has no rival. Its battery-life can last up to 77 days. If your Enduro 2 has enough sunlight exposure, its battery-life will be up to 172 days on the Expedition GPS mode.
Yet, it is good to note that Forerunner 955 is not an inadequate watch in terms of battery life. You can check out the table in the first heading to see the battery-life performance comparison of Enduro 2 vs Forerunner 955.
Bottom-line for Garmin Enduro 2 vs Forerunner 955
Our verdict for Garmin Enduro 2 vs Forerunner 955 is that:
- If you are looking for affordable multipurpose running watch, we would recommend the Forerunner 955 instead of the Enduro 2. Because, there is no such a big difference between the Garmin Enduro 2 and the Forerunner 955 in terms of overall performance. Yet, the price of the Forerunner 955 is more reasonable.
- If you say, you need a multipurpose adventure & running watch which offers the best endurance (battery-life) and durability. Then we will recommend the Garmin Enduro 2.
Simply put, we do prefer our Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar over the Enduro 2.
References:
Introduction to Garmin Enduro 2 and its user manual: https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-BD965919-30AA-4EB5-95D7-A899658C50EB/EN-US/Enduro_OM_EN-US.pdf
Garmin Enduro 2 support and how to use video:
Introduction to Garmin Forerunner 955 and its user manual: https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-9D99A9D4-467A-4F1A-A0EA-023184FEA3DD/EN-US/Forerunner_955_OM_shared_EN-US.pdf
Garmin Forerunner 955 support and how to use video: