The Garmin Enduro 3 and the Coros Vertix 2 are both high-end GPS smartwatches designed for outdoor and endurance activities, and their battery lives in GPS mode highlight their suitability for long adventures.
The Garmin Enduro 3 offers an exceptionally long battery life with up to 320 hours (approx. 13.3 days) in GPS-only mode. This is supported by advanced solar charging technology that boosts battery life during outdoor use. It also features SatIQ technology, which intelligently switches GPS modes to optimize battery efficiency, allowing about 90 hours with multi-frequency, multi-satellite support before the battery would deplete. This makes the Enduro 3 an excellent choice for ultramarathons and extended outdoor activities, offering usability on par or beyond the longest typical resupply intervals for lengthy hikes or endurance events. The watch can deliver around 5.5 days of continuous GPS tracking with the default multi-GNSS settings and about 8.8 days when configured to GPS-only mode without the solar bonus in typical conditions. The solar efficiency itself has been improved by 120% compared to previous models, contributing to this extreme endurance capability. Additional power management features like lower-power sensors and conserving settings enhance its longevity in real-world use.
The Coros Vertix 2, which is known for strong battery performance as well, has slightly lower but still substantial GPS battery life compared to the Enduro 3. In practical tests, the Vertix 2 has demonstrated around 62.5 hours of continuous GPS use in dual-band mode during outdoor runs, with actual battery usage being about 1.6% per hour. This usage rate is slightly more efficient than the Garmin Enduro 2 from earlier iterations, which averages about 50 hours in comparable GPS modes. The Vertix 2 excels particularly in its low battery consumption when not actively using GPS, preserving charge better between activities, which contributes to impressive overall longevity. In real-world multi-day testing, the Vertix 2 sustained 22 days of total use with about 24 hours of GPS activity included, outperforming the Enduro 2 in duration. However, the Vertix 2's screen is slightly less bright than the Garmin options, partly explaining its more modest power draw.
While the Garmin Enduro 3 sets a new benchmark in longevity mainly due to its high-capacity battery, enhanced solar efficiency, and dynamic GPS mode switching, the Coros Vertix 2 provides a competitive alternative with excellent GPS battery optimization and overall endurance more focused on balanced day-to-day usage. The Enduro 3's GPS battery life surpasses the approximately 60-70 hour figures seen in the Vertix 2, particularly when exploiting GPS-only mode rather than multi-band or satellite-rich modes, which tend to consume more power.
In summary, the Garmin Enduro 3 leads on pure GPS runtime with up to 320 hours claimed in GPS-only mode and 90 hours in multi-band SatIQ mode, enhanced by superior solar charging technology. The Coros Vertix 2, while slightly behind in maximum GPS duration under intense multi-band use, offers excellent battery management with around 62.5 hours in dual-band GPS tracking and strong overall battery life for heavy users. Both watches are optimized for long-distance, multi-day outdoor activities where battery longevity is critical, but the Enduro 3 offers the edge for the longest GPS tracking endurance with its advanced power management and solar enhancements.