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Garmin Venu 3
Top choice
The Garmin Venu 3 improves on the Venu 2 in almost every way. New features include voice support for Siri and Google Assistant, improved battery life, and wheelchair support. The smaller bezels also allow for a larger 1.4-inch touchscreen in the same dimensions as the Garmin Venu 2.
Pros- Google Assistant and Siri support
- Nap detection
- Longer battery life
Cons- More expensive
- Same price for smaller model
- No kid activity tracking features
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Garmin Venu 2
Great alternative
$328 $400 Save $72
Feature-rich with a beautiful display, this is a great pick for those who crave Garmin’s sports tracking prowess in a smartwatch body.
Pros- Lower price
- Similar design and size to Venu 3
- Kids activity tracking features
Cons- No voice control
- Smaller screen and thicker bezels
- No nap detection
Garmin produces a wide range of wearables and fitness products, many of which are tailored for specific activities. The Forerunner 965, for example, is aimed squarely at runners, with products like the company’s Edge bike computer built for cyclists. Garmin also produces smartwatches that are broader in appeal, including its top-of-the-range Fenix series, and more affordable Venu smartwatches.
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We’ve put the best Garmin watches through their paces and have found the top ones you need for any exercise routine.
The latest version of the Garmin Venu is the Garmin Venu 3, which was launched in August 2023. How does it compare to the previous model? Here’s all you need to know about the Garmin Venu 3 vs Garmin Venu 2.
Price, specs and availability
Garmin released the 45mm Venu 3 in August 2023. It’s currently available direct from the company $450 with a silicone band. The Venu 3S, a smaller 41mm version of the Venu 3 with a 1.2-inch display, is available from Garmin at the same $450 price point.
The 45mm Venu 2 launched back in April 2021. The core model is no longer available directly from Garmin, but can currently be found on Amazon for $350 or less. The smaller 40mm Venu 2S can be found on Amazon for $350 or less. There’s also a 43mm Venu 2 Plus that adds voice functionality which is available for $450 from Garmin, or from $300 on Amazon.
Taking a look at the specs for both models, you can see that there’s very little difference between them externally.
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Garmin Venu 3
- Heart Rate Monitor
- Yes
- Battery Life
- 14 days
- Onboard GPS
- Yes
- Offline Media Storage
- Yes
- Health sensors
- Yes
- Dimensions
- 45 x 45 x 12mm, 47g
- Audio
- Offline music support
- Mobile payments
- Garmin Pay
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Garmin Venu 2
- Heart Rate Monitor
- Yes
- Battery Life
- 11 Days
- Onboard GPS
- Yes
- Offline Media Storage
- Yes
- Health sensors
- Yes
- Dimensions
- 45.40 x 45.40 x 12.20mm, 49g
- Audio
- Offline music Support
- Mobile payments
- Garmin Pay
Design and build
Nearly identical save for one key difference
The dimensions of both models are almost identical, with the Venu 2 being a fraction of a millimeter larger in every direction. Both models are designed to fit wrist circumferences from 135 to 200mm. Both the Venu 3 and Venu 2 are also available in smaller sizes. The Venu 3S is 41 x 41 x 12mm and designed for wrist sizes between 110 and 175mm. The Venu 2S is 40.4 x 40.4 x 12.1mm and also fits wrists in the 110-175mm range.
Other than the sizing, the S models are almost identical, with a smaller screen (for obvious reasons) and a slightly lower resolution to match. Battery life on the S models is also shorter.
Garmin Venu 3 review: On your marks, get set, rest
The Venu 3 is a top-notch smartwatch that takes a more holistic approach to fitness tracking, with a big focus on recovery too.
All the models feature stainless steel bezels with a fiber-reinforced polymer case and Gorilla Glass 3 for the watch face. They’re all waterproof to 5ATM (50m) water and use industry-standard quick-release bands at 22mm for the standard models or 18mm for the Venu 3S and Venu 2S.
There’s one key physical difference between the Venu 3 and Venu 2, however. The Venu 3 features a third button on the right-hand side of the watch that doesn’t appear on the Venu 2. This button activates the built-in speaker in the Garmin Venu 3 which isn’t available in the Venu 2, although it is found on the Venu 2 Plus. It allows the newer model to offer additional features which we’ll learn more about later in the article.
Display
A difference in bezel size
Despite the dimensions of the Venu 2 and the Venu 3 being almost identical, the newer model manages to pack in a slightly larger display thanks to its smaller bezels. The Venu 3 has a 1.4-inch (35.4mm) display compared to the 1.3-inch (33mm) display in the Venu 2.
The Venu 2 Plus has the same 1.3-inch display size as the Venu 2. The smaller Venu 3S has a 1.2-inch display, with the Venu 2S having a slightly smaller 1.1-inch display.
The Venu 3 also has a slightly higher display resolution, at 454 x 454 pixels compared to 416 x 416 pixels on the Venu 2 and Venu 2 Plus. The Venu 3S has a 390 x 390 pixel display, with the Venu 2S a little lower again at 360 x 360 pixels. The pixel density is much the same across all the devices, however. All the models have AMOLED touchscreen displays with optional always-on modes.
Whilst the extra screen real estate isn’t huge, the smaller bezels do give the Venu 3 a more stylish look.
Functionality
It’s all about voice control and accessibility
As you would expect, a lot of the key features of the Venu 2 are found on the Venu 3 too, such as Body Battery energy monitoring, stress and heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen saturation measurement, hydration tracking, and fitness age measurement. Both watches also offer many of the same sports tracking apps, including running, walking, swimming, cycling, strength training, HIIT, and more.
Garmin Venu 2 review: All about the display
The Venu 2 is Garmin’s rival to devices like the Apple Watch, with a glorious display.
The most notable physical difference between the Venu 3 and the Venu 2 is the addition of a third button, and this is the key to one of the biggest differences between the two models. That’s because this is the button you use to activate voice control on the Venu 3. Although voice control is available on the Garmin Venu 2 Plus, it’s not available on the standard Garmin Venu 2 or Venu 2S models.
Long pressing this button will activate the voice assistant on the phone you’ve connected to your Garmin watch. Android users can use Google Assistant with Samsung users also having the option to use Bixby. On iPhone, long pressing the central button will invoke Siri. You can use your voice assistant to take calls, play music, send messages, ask about the weather, or even control your smart home devices.
The Venu 3 also offers new sleep coaching features that replace the sleep insights offered by the Venu 2. You can receive key actionable insights about your sleep patterns to help improve your sleep quality and even learn exactly how much sleep you need in order to recover from your workouts. One of the biggest changes is the addition of nap detection, which can track your naps as well as your main night’s sleep.
Another major addition to the Venu 3 is wheelchair mode. This tailors the stats and suggestions from the watch to wheelchair users. For example, in this mode, the Venu 3 will measure pushes rather than steps and provide alerts to remind users to shift their weight regularly. There’s also support for activities such as hand cycling as well as dedicated activity options for wheelchair users.
Heart rate variability (HRV) is also a new addition to the Venu 3, along with updated sports features such as open water swim metrics, eBiking support, power meter compatibility, and disc golf support.
One thing that’s missing from the Venu 3 is compatibility with Toe-to-Toe challenges that allow you to challenge your kids to a step competition with your Venu 2 and their Vivofit Jr. 2 fitness tracker.
Battery
One is better than the other
Another key difference between the Garmin Venu 3 and Garmin Venu 2 is the battery life. You might expect that the larger screen and updated sensors on the Garmin Venu 3 would mean the battery life would take a small hit, but the opposite is true.
Garmin states that the Venu 2 can last up to 11 days in smartwatch mode between charges. In real life, without heavy GPS usage, you can easily go a week without needing to charge.
What is Garmin Body Battery and how does it work? Decoding your score
Body Battery is one of Garmin’s best features – find out all about it here, including how it works and what exactly your score means.
The Venu 3 has a reported battery life of up to 14 days in smartwatch mode, which is an increase of more than 25% over the Venu 2. It remains to be seen how this bears up in real-life usage, but it’s likely that the Venu 3 will give well over a week of use without needing a charge. The Venu 3S has a battery life of up to 10 days, which is the same as the Venu 2S, and a day longer than the Venu 2 Plus at 9 days.
Garmin Venu 3 vs Garmin Venu 2: Which should you buy?
If you’re thinking of buying a Garmin Venu smartwatch, there’s little to choose from in terms of looks, with both models having very similar dimensions and design. The narrower bezels and slightly larger screen of the Garmin Venu 3 do make it look a little more stylish, however.
Garmin Venu 3
Top choice
$400 $450 Save $50
Packed with features and boasting an impressive battery life, the Garmin Venu 3 is the best watch in the series and comes with voice assistant compatibility baked in.
The big differences between the two models are in features and battery life. The Garmin Venu 3 not only offers voice control, but also includes other useful features such as nap detection, wheelchair support, heart rate variability, and other useful features not found on the Garmin Venu 2. The improved battery life is also a major selling point.
Garmin Venu 2
Best value
$350 $400 Save $50
With many of the same features as the Garmin Venu 3 and a similar design, the Garmin Venu 2 is a great lower-priced alternative if you’re not fussed about voice control.
If you’re not that fussed about voice assistant support, however, then you may find the lower price of the Venu 2 more attractive. It’s still a great smartwatch in its own right, and the slightly smaller screen doesn’t make a huge difference. The battery life isn’t as long, but you can still easily go a week between charges, which is significantly better than many smartwatches. The price of the Venu 2 is also much lower and although stock isn’t available everywhere, you should be able to find one at a great price.
If voice assistant support is a deal-breaker, you might also want to consider the Venu 2 Plus, which includes support for voice assistants at a lower price than the Venu 3.
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