I prefer the Garmin Enduro 2 over the Fenix 7X for this silly reason

Anyone who has ever read my articles knows I'm obsessed with the best Garmin watches. I love looking at them, getting them out of the box, setting them up, testing them, reviewing them – all of it. But because I've seen so many different Garmin watches before, I tend to pay attention to the little details, such as the subtle differences between the Garmin Enduro 2 and the Garmin Fenix 7X, and why I like the former more (at least, right now).

If you did any research, you know that the Enduro 2 is essentially an updated version of the Fenix 7X, the largest Fenix 7 model. Both come with solar-harvesting Power Sapphire glass, a touchscreen, built-in maps, and countless training, recovery and smart features. Most importantly, both outdoor watches have built-in flashlights!

The well-informed of you might know that the flashlight found on the enduro 2 is brighter than the Fenix 7X's, but this is a minor detail and not why I started using the Enduro 2 more than the Fenix 7X. It's not even because the Enduro 2 now has built-in topographic maps and features introduced in the Garmin Forerunner 255S and the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar, namely the Morning Report and Traning Readiness/HRV tracking.

No, the reason why I like the Enduro 2 more than the Fenix 7X is its ultra-light-weight elastic nylon strap, which makes it less cumbersome to wear the watch 24/7 (which is how you should wear a watch that tracks sleep and recovery). Now, I appreciate that both watches have interchangeable straps – I could just swap the bands over and get it over and done with. But then again, the Enduro 2 also has a better flashlight and longer battery life. It would be silly to swap the straps around, so I can wear the Fenix 7X.

I often prefer silicone or fluoroelastomer straps over other bands; however, given the size of the watches, I often find myself noticing wearing the Fenix 7X because the silicone strap makes my skin itch underneath. The 26 mm Quickfit strap is wide, which makes sense considering the Fenix 7X is one of the biggest smartwatches around. But unless your skin is as thick as a rhinoceros, you might find it difficult to wear the watch day and night.

And if you don't, you miss out on all the fantastic free recovery and sleep-tracking features. Plus, the training recommendations won't be as accurate if you don't wear your Garmin in bed, as the watch won't know how long and how well you slept. So, what are you supposed to do if you have a Garmin Fenix 7X and would like to enjoy the benefits of a nylon strap?

You can buy a 26 mm UltraFit Nylon Strap at Garmin, and there are plenty of knock-off straps at Amazon and other third-party retailers, although I can't vouch for the quality of those. Or, you can buy the Enduro 2, but I assume if you already have the Fenix 7X, it's unlikely you want to buy an almost identical wearable for so much money. Make sure you check T3's best cheap Garmin deals page to find the best prices on both watches.