The Garmin Enduro 2's flashlight is so handy, you'll wonder how you managed without it

Flashlight on Garmin Enduro 2 watch
(Image credit: Future)

The standout feature of the Garmin Enduro 2 is, naturally, is extremely long battery life, but it's got another trick up its sleeve (or, more accurately, up yours): a built-in flashlight with red and white LEDs.

This isn't the first time Garmin has built a flashlight into one of its watches – the king-sized Garmin Fenix 7X launched earlier this year also sported one – and the more I use it, the more I wish it was somehow possible to cram the necessary hardware into all smartwatches.

It's one of those tools that you didn't realize you needed. Having a pocket flashlight on your keychain is one thing, but here there's no need to dig around in your backpack or pocket, and no risk of dropping it; just tap the backlight button twice and it's right there. Want to get up in the night without disturbing your partner? Can't feel the zipper on your best sleeping bag when you're settling down at camp? Need to peer under a seat in your car or RV, or get a good look inside the engine? The Enduro 2 has you covered.

Strobe of genius

That's before you get into the strobe mode, which illuminates as you swing your arm while running, helping make you visible at night. It's not the right kind of light for seeing by on rural trails (for that you'll want one of the best headlamps), but it's a great alternative to those LED armbands with non-replaceable batteries, or those annoying LED shoe clips that inevitably fall off. You know the ones.

I've not had the opportunity to test the running light yet (it's summer in the UK and the sun doesn't go down until late), but I'm very much looking forward to using it this coming weekend for a race that passes through two long, dimly lit tunnels.

Many GPS watches with OLED screens have a flashlight of a sort, which just turns the screen white and turns up the brightness, providing enough of a glow for some tasks, but it's far less bright than the purpose-built flashlight of the Enduro 2, and of course you can't use the watch's features while the screen is being used as a light source.

There's no denying that the Enduro 2 is a seriously expensive watch (and we've put together a list of cheaper alternatives if it's beyond your budget), but tools like this definitely help justify that price.

Cat Ellis
Editor

Cat is the editor of Advnture, She’s been a journalist for 15 years, and was fitness and wellbeing editor on TechRadar before joining the Advnture team in 2022. She’s a UK Athletics qualified run leader, and in her spare time enjoys nothing more than lacing up her shoes and hitting the roads and trails (the muddier, the better), usually wearing at least two sports watches.