Garmin’s wearable has one of the best battery lives of any smartwatch on the market along with a suite of comprehensive health features 

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As the number of fitness trackers on the market continues to rise, it’s become harder and harder for wearables to differentiate themselves.

Garmin, however, continues to amass a dedicated following thanks to its fitness-focused features, particularly for runners.

The Garmin Venu 3 ($450), released last year, has received attention due to its comprehensive health metrics and long battery life.

Athletech News put the Garmin Venu 3 to the test to see how it compares to its fitness wearable competitors.   

Pros 

One of the biggest benefits of the Garmin Venu 3 is its long battery life. The Venu 3 offers 14 days in Smartwatch Mode and 26 hours in GPS Mode. Not only is this better than previous models of the Venu, but it’s much better than the Apple Watch or the Google Pixel Watch, which can last a maximum of a few days, even in low battery mode. The battery life is comparable to Whoop and Oura, but those wearables lack the interactive nature of the Venu 3. 

The Venu 3 clearly prioritizes fitness and wellness above all else, particularly compared to other smartwatches. It offers a wide selection of health metrics and types of workouts, as well as recovery recommendations and comprehensive sleep data.

credit: Garmin

Venu 3 can take an (FDA-approved) ECG, and measure heart rate variability, blood oxygen monitoring, stress tracking, temperature tracking, and more.

Garmin’s “Body Battery” feature ties all of this information together nicely, showing users how rested they are with a standardized metric. This feature is similar to Oura’s “Readiness” statistic or Whoop’s “Recovery” score, but Garmin doesn’t require a subscription.

Venu 3 also offers Nap-tracking, a sleep coach and Guided Meditations. While a simple feature, Garmin’s “Morning Report” was very useful; it not only provides data on sleep quality but also provides basic weather information, which I particularly appreciated as an outdoor runner.  

credit: Garmin

Part of Garmin’s appeal (for some) is that it feels less technology and lifestyle-focused than competitors like Apple. The watch’s simple and large (45mm) screen is colorful and easy to see, even when running. It operates via touchscreen, but the buttons are necessary for navigation. The display is an Amoled screen that adjusts its brightness based on your environment for easy visibility.

It’s quickly apparent that the Venu 3’s operating system is built for serious athletes, particularly runners. Many of its exercise statistics are updated in real-time, even running pace (which is averaged by many smartwatches). Users can also download songs and playlists from Spotify and Amazon Music for phone-free listening while exercising. 

credit: Garmin

As a runner, I loved the Garmin Coach feature. The Garmin Connect app offers Training Plans for 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons. Users can input how often and how fast they run, and a time goal. Next, Garmin offers different “coaches” based on how frequently users want to train. It’s a feature that the Apple Watch lacks and one that greatly simplifies planning for serious runners. Garmin also offers highly accurate GPS tracking, ideal even in more remote areas. 

Cons 

As someone new to Garmin, it was initially a little tricky to remember and figure out its operating system.

For those who want more of a technology and lifestyle-focused watch, Garmin may not be the ideal first choice. Features like call, voice assistant functionality, and text and app notifications existed but did not seem to be its focus. In addition, the app does not have the same level of third-party app support or smartphone integration as the Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch. The Venu 3 even uses two separate apps for health and app features: Garmin Connect is the home of one’s health stats, and Garmin IQ is the app store.

As someone who is frequently multitasking, even sometimes during workouts, I found myself wishing for more lifestyle-focused functionality.  

I also found that the watch lacked some of the sleek and premium design elements of competitors. It very much looked like a workout watch, which may appeal to some. However, I felt less comfortable wearing it in formal settings than I did other wearables. 

Final Thoughts

If you’re in the market for a fitness-focused watch that’ll help you prioritize rest and recovery for performance and requires less frequent charging, the Garmin Venu 3 is a fantastic option. 

Read more ATN Product Reviews here.

The post Product of the Week: Garmin Venu 3 Boasts Long Battery Life, Serious Fitness Features appeared first on Athletech News.