Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE vs. Garmin Enduro: Which should you buy?

Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE

The standard Garmin Forerunner 945 was already a great watch. For some people, the Forerunner 945 LTE is an even better option. Runners and athletes will have an always-connected cellular smartwatch that gives them peace of mind during their workouts.

Garmin Enduro

If LTE connectivity isn't important to you and you spend a good chunk of your time adventuring, you might prefer the Garmin Enduro. It's a shockingly expensive watch, but the solar charging and superior durability might just be worth the money for true adventurers.

Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE vs. Garmin Enduro: Spot the differences

Garmin is known for offering a broad range of wearables that cover just about every use you could think of. The Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE and the Garmin Enduro are two smartwatches with two highly specific uses. Both of these models are pretty expensive, so how much you're willing to spend may also come into play when making a decision.

If you're a runner who wants peace of mind with LTE connectivity that ensures you'll be safe while you're out running, the Forerunner 945 LTE is an excellent option. Outdoor enthusiasts who want to adventure without limits will appreciate what the Enduro has to offer. If you're not sure which of these Android smartwatches to choose, we've weighed the pros and cons of each to help you decide.

Safety comes first with the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE

Runners who are concerned about their safety while working out will want to consider investing in the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE. You might be wondering how this watch compares to the standard model. When comparing the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE and the Forerunner 945, you'll find more similarities than differences. In fact, the only comparison to be made is the LTE connectivity, which costs $50 more than the standard model. However, remember that you'll need a monthly or annual subscription to use the LTE connectivity.

The Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE is a lightweight running watch that has everything you need to track your runs, monitor your progress, and improve your performance. The design consists of a 47mm case that comes with a silicone band and a 1.2-inch sunlight-visible, transflective display.

While the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE doesn't offer solar charging or quite as many battery modes as the Garmin Enduro, it still gets the job done. It'll last for 14 days of battery in smartwatch mode, 36 hours in GPS mode, and 10 hours in GPS with music mode. When actively using GPS and LTE LiveTrack, the watch will last for 10 hours. If you add music to that scenario, it'll last for 7 hours.

One advantage of choosing the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE over the Garmin Enduro is preloaded full-color maps. When you're offline, you'll still be able to access these maps and use turn-by-turn navigation to find your way. When you think about it, it's odd that this feature wasn't included on the Enduro given the steep price tag.

As the name indicates, the main attraction of this smartwatch is the LTE connectivity. This feature leads to a few different perks. First, you'll be able to designate personal contacts, which will be notified if there's an emergency. You can pick from a list of pre-populated messages such as "It's an emergency. Please send help," or something less urgent like "not an emergency, but please pick me up."

If you happen to be running or working out in an area where a personal contact can't reach you, you'll have the option of requesting local emergency services to assist you. The Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE allows you to share your live location with friends and family, which will give them comfort in knowing your whereabouts.

They can also monitor your progress while you're training or participating in a race. They can even cheer you on with motivational messages that you'll receive on your watch. You also get Garmin's Incident Detection feature, which will automatically request help if a fall or incident is detected.

Some of the standard features on the Garmin forerunner 945 LTE include built-in GPS, preloaded sports app, heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep tracking, blood oxygen (Pulse Ox) monitoring, and stress tracking. As for extra features, you'll have smartphone notifications, music storage, Wi-Fi, and Garmin Pay. We can't forget to mention the advanced training metrics. You'll have VO2 max, training load, training status, training effect, performance condition, daily suggested workouts, built-in recovery advisor, and much more.

Be limitless with the Garmin Enduro

As you might've guessed, the main reason to consider investing in the Garmin Enduro is for the solar charging capabilities. It'll cost you, but those who spend a lot of time outside exploring might find it to be worthwhile. It's not the most popular Garmin smartwatch as of yet, and the expensive price tag might have something to do with that. You'll have to decide for yourself if the features justify the asking price.

The physical design deserves some attention as this watch was made with outdoor athletes in mind. If you're all about endurance and longevity, you'll love this watch. It comes in a huge 51mm case with a 1.4-inch sunlight-visible, transflective display. You can choose whether you want a stainless steel or a titanium bezel. Keep in mind the latter is more expensive. The rugged, weather-resistant design can handle numerous conditions without a problem. You get a 10ATM water-resistance rating, The band that comes with the Garmin Enduro is a light sport loop elastic strap that's easy to adjust.

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: solar charging. If you're familiar with the Garmin fenix 6, you know how helpful this feature can be. In smartwatch mode, the Garmin Enduro can go for 50 days or up to 65 days with solar charging. In Battery Saver Watch Mode, it'll last for 30 days or an entire year with solar charging. It's worth noting the solar charging feature assumes all-day wear with 3 hours spent outside per day in 50,000 lux conditions. Make sure these conditions are available or you won't be able to take advantage of solar charging.

The standard features on the Garmin Enduro include built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, activity /sleep tracking, blood oxygen (Pulse Ox) monitoring, Body Battery, sleep monitoring, and stress tracking. Unfortunately, the Garmin Enduro doesn't offer many smartwatch features. However, you do get Garmin Pay and smartphone notifications.

There are some advanced training features on the Garmin Enduro, which may further justify the price tag for some folks. The trail run VO2 max feature can estimate your cardio fitness level when trail running. Additionally, your smartwatch will adjust based on the varying trail and terrain conditions that may affect your performance. If you're a climbing enthusiast, you'll appreciate having the ClimbPro ascent planner. This perk provides real-time data on your current and future climbs, which includes distance, gradient, and elevation gain.

Once you're done with a challenging workout, you can use the Enduro's built-in recovery advisor to determine how long you should rest before you take on another big effort. Some other benefits of the Garmin Enduro include including mountain biking metrics, surf-ready features, and PacePro technology for serious runners. You can also use the daily suggested workouts to view your daily run and ride recommendations. These recommendations are made based on your current training status and training load.

Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE vs. Garmin Enduro: Which should you buy?

When two fitness smartwatches are similar in price, it can be somewhat easier to make a choice. With the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE and Garmin Enduro, there's a pretty big price difference that may sway your decision. While the Garmin Enduro is impressive in its own way, the only real reason to choose this watch is if you'd benefit from solar charging. Even then, it's extremely pricey for what it is.

The Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE is ideal for runners and athletes who want a watch that will provide them with extra safety features and peace of mind. It's not your typical LTE smartwatch, but for the right type of user, it will be more than enough. If you're willing to spend the extra money for this perk, it has many other features as well. If you don't need LTE, the standard Garmin Forerunner 945 model is worth your consideration.