Compare Garmin Enduro 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 170 Music

GPS accuracy drew strong agreement, with reviewers reporting precise tracks, solid distance totals, and reliable performance even in challenging terrain.

GPS performance earned unusually consistent praise despite the single-band hardware, with reviewers finding it close to pricier multi-band Garmins and accurate on city, coastal, and woodland routes. Multi-band remains preferable for the toughest dense-city or deep-trail conditions.

Heart-rate accuracy was usually strong, especially for steady running and baseline tests, but several reviewers saw misses during intervals, climbs, strength work, or fast intensity changes.

Heart-rate tracking is generally strong for running and mixed training, with several reviewers calling the older Elevate 4 sensor very good. Hard intervals and strength work can expose some lag, so a chest strap remains the cleaner choice for precision.

Fitness tracking was broadly viewed as accurate and dependable across real workouts, runs, hikes, and multisport use.

Across running, swimming, gym work, elevation tracking, and race-style intervals, reviewers found the watch consistently accurate and useful for analyzing performance.

Sleep tracking was described as solid, though comfort and size may limit how many users want to wear it overnight.

Sleep tracking has improved enough to broadly match an Oura Ring on sleep duration, bedtime, and key stages on most nights, though Garmin’s history here was acknowledged as weaker.

Reviewers consistently praised the wide sport coverage, describing the Enduro 3 as capable across nearly every activity and especially strong for endurance athletes.

The jump to more than 80 sport profiles makes the watch far more versatile than older entry Forerunners, covering running, gym, team, winter, and water activities. The lack of native HYROX and multisport/triathlon modes still leaves gaps for some athletes.

Coaching and training-plan features were praised for actionable strength plans, readiness guidance, and useful endurance-focused training support.

Garmin Coach and Quick Workouts are standout strengths, offering adaptive plans, fast structured sessions, and useful guidance for everyone from first-race runners to experienced athletes. Suggested Quick Workouts can occasionally be tougher than expected.

Recovery and training-readiness insights were repeatedly praised as useful for pacing training, race preparation, and deciding when to push or rest.

Training Readiness, Training Status, load, and recovery guidance are among the watch’s biggest strengths, helping runners structure training and avoid overdoing it. One reviewer cautioned that beginners can become too dependent on recovery scores instead of listening to their bodies.

Wellness metrics such as Body Battery, Training Readiness, sleep, and health trends were seen as genuinely helpful rather than just decorative data.

Garmin’s broader wellness package is viewed positively, especially the comprehensive health data and useful evening reports that recap the day and help frame the next one.

Comfort was better than expected for a 51mm watch thanks to low weight and nylon straps, though sleep comfort and bulk remained caveats.

The light, slim case is exceptionally easy to wear for workouts, sleep, and daily use, especially on smaller wrists. The main comfort caveat is skin irritation reported from the strap or back casing by a couple of reviewers.

Materials quality was mixed: reviewers liked the practical comfort and price effects of plastic, but one initially felt it seemed cheap.

Materials are a weak spot compared with premium Garmins: the polymer construction feels basic, and one report flagged possible skin irritation from the plastic back during prolonged wear.

Water resistance is good for swimming and snorkeling, but reviewers noted it is not intended for diving.

The watch handled swimming well in testing and was considered safe and dependable for both pool use and showering.

Fit was secure and wearable for some reviewers, but the large case still looked or felt oversized on smaller wrists.

The compact case fits smaller wrists well while still being judged suitable for a broad range of wrist sizes, with little catching or digging during wear.

Band quality was mostly praised for comfort and lightness, but sweat retention and wet fabric were recurring drawbacks.

The silicone band feels soft and stretchy, but one reviewer developed a rash from it, making long-term skin comfort a real point of variability.

Design reactions were mixed: some liked the sleek rugged look, while another found the changes polarizing and subjective.

The watch keeps Garmin’s sporty look but earns praise for fun color choices, coordinated bands, and a polished appearance that still feels light on the wrist.

Build quality took a hit for one reviewer because replacing some metal with plastic made it feel less robust than the predecessor.

The build is functional and familiar rather than premium, described as standard Garmin fare with a lightweight plastic character.

Battery life was the strongest consensus point, with reviewers repeatedly describing weeks of use and endurance-event confidence.

Battery life is adequate rather than class-leading. Depending on display settings and training load, reviewers saw roughly three-and-a-half to six days in heavier real-world use; most runners found that workable, but it trails some cheaper or older alternatives.

Charging convenience was criticized because the proprietary four-pin cable remains a hassle despite the long intervals between charges.

Charging is a clear annoyance: the proprietary Garmin cable can be finicky to keep seated and feels dated compared with USB-C.

Display quality improved over prior solar Garmins and is clear outdoors, but several reviewers still preferred AMOLED sharpness and color.

The AMOLED screen is one of the watch’s most praised features: colorful, sharp enough for dense run data, and easy to read. It is not as fluid or premium as flagship smartwatch panels, but reviewers still rate it highly.

Brightness was improved, especially versus older solar MIP designs, though AMOLED displays remained brighter in many conditions.

Reviewers consistently found the AMOLED display bright and vivid enough for normal use, including direct sunlight, even though Garmin’s pricier watches can get brighter.

Outdoor visibility was mostly praised in sun and bright conditions, but one reviewer found the map hard to see in dim forest without backlight.

Outdoor readability is excellent, with multiple reviewers saying pace and data remain easy to see in bright sunshine and normal running conditions.

Long-term reliability was praised in one six-month review, where the watch lived up to expectations through demanding use.

In demanding race preparation and event use, the watch did its job consistently, delivering dependable data and controls without getting in the way.

Value for money was repeatedly praised because the Enduro 3 costs less than several Fenix alternatives while keeping key sports features.

Value depends heavily on what you need. The 170 Music packs premium training tools, accurate tracking, payments, and phone-free audio at a lower tier than Garmin flagships, but several reviewers think the cheaper 70, discounted 165/265, or Coros Pace 4 can be better buys.

Onboard music storage is supported, but one reviewer had repeated Spotify download failures, hurting confidence in the feature.

Offline music is one of the Music model’s clearest benefits, letting runners leave the phone behind and load playlists from supported services. The feature is easy to live with, but the price premium and Apple Music gap weaken the value for some users.

Music controls were a weak spot: reviewers found the control page hard to avoid and phone music control clunky.

The touchscreen makes on-watch music controls notably easier to use and helps the device feel more like a regular smartwatch.

Software smoothness was mixed, with reviewers liking the direction but noting sluggishness, laggy post-run stats, and polish still needed.

The updated software is praised for faster performance and smoother navigation than Garmin’s older budget-watch experience.

The app ecosystem gets some credit for a large library of watch faces, but the broader smartwatch-app story is not the product’s main strength.

Connect IQ adds some smartwatch extensibility, but one reviewer found its useful app selection much thinner than Apple’s or Google’s stores.

Smartwatch features are adequate for essentials but limited versus Apple, Samsung, or Garmin’s own Fenix 8 voice-enabled models.

The 170 Music goes beyond pure run tracking with payments, apps, notifications, music, and a more complete smartwatch interface. Reviewers still see it as a sports watch first rather than a true phone-replacement smartwatch.

Contactless payments were strongly praised by reviewers who used Garmin Pay frequently and treated it as part of daily use.

Garmin Pay is useful for phone-free runs and everyday purchases, but reviewers disagree on whether it justifies the price premium over the cheaper Forerunner 70.

Mapping and navigation were a major strength, especially route following, off-course alerts, ClimbPro, and backcountry use, though some UI flow remains clunky.

Breadcrumb course guidance is useful for everyday routes, but the lack of full offline maps is one of the most repeated omissions. It is fine for familiar roads and basic course following, less convincing for wilderness, ultras, or map-heavy trail use.

Menu navigation improved overall, but added button presses and a learning curve kept it from feeling completely effortless.

Five-button navigation is generally easy and dependable, especially while running, and the newer software feels smoother. The main drawback is that some capabilities remain buried in settings.

The updated software experience makes the Enduro 3 feel closer to a smartwatch while keeping its sports-watch focus.

The latest Garmin software feels more polished and cohesive, bringing sports and smartwatch functions together with a sleeker presentation. Reviewers also value its position for receiving newer features.

Third-party app support was judged weak compared with Apple’s ecosystem, with reviewers saying the Connect IQ offering does not rival fuller smartwatches.

Streaming support is a mixed point: Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer and some other services work well, but Apple Music’s absence is repeatedly called out as a meaningful limitation. Spotify offline use also requires Premium.

The revised interface was generally seen as easier and more coherent, though not perfectly polished across all reviewers.

The on-watch interface is widely considered simple, polished, and easy to use through either touch or buttons. Small quirks remain, including buried settings and an occasionally ambiguous start-button interaction.

Touchscreen responsiveness was viewed positively, with reviewers praising touch unlock, responsiveness, and the touchscreen/buttons mix.

The touchscreen is repeatedly described as snappy and responsive without becoming overly sensitive, making swipes and taps reliable in daily use.

Customization remains a Garmin strength, especially customizable data fields, stat widgets, and quick-access tools.

Watch faces, widgets, and data screens can be customized extensively, letting runners prioritize the information they actually want to see.

The companion app and Garmin Share workflow were praised for saving time when distributing routes and workouts.

Garmin Connect is powerful for training analysis and can make certain tasks easier, but one reviewer felt the app still badly needs a redesign. Its depth is useful, though not always elegant.

Physical button controls were praised as reliable and satisfying, with the touchscreen-button blend described as the best of both worlds.

Garmin’s five-button layout is a major practical strength for runners because it remains easy to operate with sweaty hands, gloves, or a bouncing stride. One reviewer noted a small ambiguity around the start button.

Cross-platform compatibility is mixed because Android users can reply with presets, while iPhone users lose reply functionality.

Garmin Connect worked almost identically on iPhone and Android in testing, making the core experience effectively platform-neutral.

Safety features received positive evidence through off-course alerts that prevented extra race mileage.

LiveTrack is a useful safety extra for solo activities, giving contacts a way to follow the wearer’s location when a phone connection is available.

One reviewer found the run alerts comically loud and disliked having no separate volume adjustment beyond disabling sound and vibration.

Call handling is limited because the Enduro 3 lacks mic and speaker hardware; one reviewer did not miss it, while another missed wrist-call support.

Syncing and connection behavior impressed in testing, with near-instant GPS lock and quick, easy Strava synchronization.

Notifications work, and Android replies are useful, but the evidence also points to platform limits rather than a rich messaging experience.

Watch face quality was criticized by one reviewer as visually weak compared with Apple or Samsung options.

Pulse Ox is welcomed as part of the expanded health package, bringing a feature that previously sat above this entry-to-midrange tier.

Reviewers found the Enduro 3’s health metrics credible and useful, with one noting it flagged underlying illness signs before the reviewer noticed them.

Charging speed was only directly judged in one long-term review, where the slow full charge was a minor nitpick because charging was rare.

Durability was strong in the reviewed evidence, with praise for the long-lasting body and a six-month report of no visible screen scratches.

Size options were the clearest weakness because the Enduro 3 only comes in one large 51mm case.

The flashlight was one of the most consistently loved extras, described as handy, underrated, and hard to live without.

Wrist-based running power is welcomed as a surprisingly advanced training tool at this price, giving runners another way to manage effort and work on form.