Garmin Venu 2

amazon Garmin Venu 2 reviews

The Garmin Venu is back for a 2nd generation, aimed at users looking for a wearable with Garmin’s sports tracking capabilities, but with the same sophisticated and elegant feel as the Apple Watch.

Venu 2 is available in 2 sizes, with a design that makes the watch more unisex than the previous generation, and is updated with a heart rate monitor. Thereby supporting the features of stress and body energy monitoring, sleep improvement, and HIIT.

Garmin has other watches that offer similar features, and the design is pretty good, but the Venu 2 is currently the only Garmin model with a full AMOLED display.

PRICES AND COMPARISON

Price at time of review: £349.99

– At £349.99, the Venu 2 will compete with the Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm) in price and features, although the Venu doesn’t have an electrocardiogram.

– Users who have a love for Apple products, and are not very interested in the SpO2 index, can choose the Apple Watch SE for a much cheaper price: £ 269. If it’s Garmin and you don’t care much about AMOLED screen, then Vivoactive 4 will be a suggestion worth considering with better battery life.

– If you’re looking for something much more focused on running performance and recovery, check out the Garmin Forerunner 245, which has updated its Sleep, Body Energy, and tracking algorithms. New Stress, besides providing indicators such as VO2 max, Training load, Training effects,…

DESIGN

– Venu 2 currently has 2 sizes: 45mm and 40mm, the product that we have experienced is a large model. Unlike the Apple Watch, both size versions of the Venu 2 retail for the same price: £349.99.

– Has a round face design with an AMOLED screen, resolution of 416×416 pixels (45mm version), and Venu 2S is 360×360. The display is clear and easy to read, though nothing outstanding or eye-catching. Very few watch face options and on Garmin Connect IQ not much better!

– The screen will automatically turn off when there is no use, we found that raising the wrist to display is not very responsive. So we went into the settings to turn the display on (Always On). This will affect battery life but makes for a much better user experience.

– With a plastic structure, Venu 2 is light, and the watch weighs only about 49g, this will have an impact on the feeling of use when worn on the hand for some users.

– Black rubber strap with beautiful lines with traditional buckle style.

– Users will operate Venu 2 via 2 buttons on the right side of the watch and the touch screen. There are not many details to skim on the screen, the button above will open the sports tracking section with more than 30 exercises, while the button below will return to the previous screen. In short, mainly users will still manipulate a lot on the touch screen.

– Swiping up or down the screen will display the daily summary information. The touch controls are sometimes not very smooth, and we were not familiar with Venu 2’s user interface during our initial experience.

– Daily summary information will provide users: steps, floors climbed, calories burned, body energy, stress level, breathing rate, heart rate (if you have it turned on) ), sleep, last 7 days of exercise, calendar, notifications, snapshots of weather and general health information, etc. Users can edit this list: turn off unnecessary data set or rearrange them in order.

– Each of this summary information will be displayed in more detail when you click, but above we have shared: it will take some time to get used to the display interface, the information is not presented as well as The way Garmin did it on Fenix, it feels a bit cramped and cumbersome even with a full AMOLED screen.

– In return, the overall health information that the device provides is quite rich, and this can be considered the strongest point of Venu 2.

– This watch model is more like a health care and monitoring device than a sports fitness device.

SPORTS AND HEALTH

– First of all, the Venu 2 is a good fitness tracker: a step count feature for matching data with Fitbit and Apple, as well as an estimate of calories burned, floors climbed, and more.

– The device also has reminders when the user is sedentary but intermittent and is set to not cause much trouble.

– But users will expect more from Venu 2, so let’s dive into the details of the device’s features.

Sleep Tracker

Sleep tracking on Garmin devices will now be enhanced by using the Firstbeat algorithm (now owned by Garmin) to assess sleep quality – Venu 2 is also applied, bringing an improvement Huge improvement in sleep tracking accuracy and insights.

We tried comparing Venu 2 with Fitbit Sense (which we appreciate for its accuracy when it comes to sleep tracking) and found: the sleep stages recorded by the two devices are almost identical, although Garmin seems to have a slightly lower “sensitivity” to startling or turning than the Fitbit (most of us will never remember these times).

We found that Garmin is very good at analyzing sleep quality and giving detailed data scores, for example: after 1 night of 7 hours of sleep we had not very deep sleep, and the stress level was still pretty high, the reason was that we had a drink before bed.

Users can view sleep analysis on the watch each morning: get summary information such as “relaxed long sleep” or “disturbed sleep”, then tap to view the data analysis.

Like Fitbit, you can see sleep quality scores analyzed and ranked by Garmin for the duration, stress level, and sleep stages: deep sleep, nap time, wake-up time, and REM (Rapid Eye Movement), as well as restlessness, and tossing. Especially Garmin offers this analysis feature for free (while Fitbit users will need to pay to use the premium service feature).

In summary, there are many interesting things about the sleep tracking feature on Garmin Venu 2, which is a good support device to warn users about health and rest problems.

Body Energy

The Body Battery feature is a measure of your Garmin device’s energy and is scored on a 100-point scale. The idea of this feature is to give you an idea of when you need to listen to your body: for example, to identify yourself whether your body is ready for a workout, or a sign that you may need to increase the intensity of your workout, or reduce it to a lighter workout.

This feature has appeared on Garmin wearables for the last 2-3 years, and now it has improved even more on Venu 2. It will be more difficult to get to the absolute 100/100, and the data from sleep tracking will have a more pronounced effect on this energy score.

Stress Monitor

Like the Body Battery, the stress tracking metrics have also been adjusted to be more sensitive and in-depth at recording. Talking about sensitivity means that the device will “pay more attention” to sensations and moments, and users can see actual stats, as well as graphs of 24-hour data.

Stress monitoring is also directly linked to Garmin’s breathing feature (Breathwork), so in case you need to, you can perform some guided breathing exercises.

We rate it as the best real-time stress tracking we’ve ever experienced.

Respiration Monitoring

Garmin Venu 2 uses a SpO2 sensor, which can measure both blood oxygen levels and breathing rates. Unlike Fitbit, which only measures breathing during sleep, Venu 2 will measure breathing during the day and night.

Breathing data is also useful because it can detect the signs and symptoms of a health-related problem.

And users can fully track in Garmin Connect (with Fitbit you’ll need to pay for the Premium version to see the data – or can try it for 7 days).

Fitness Age

As a new feature on Venu 2, aimed mainly at general users. Fitness Age takes personal statistics, combined with your physical activity data during workouts, thereby predicting fitness age.

However, it will take time to work, as we spent almost a month learning about our actual fitness level.

We love this feature, it gives advice and motivates users to make efforts to reduce Fitness Age (Weight Loss and Increase Workout Volume), it also has a link with VO2 Max data.

TRACKING EXERCISE SPORTS

In terms of sports tracking, the features have not changed too much compared to the first-generation Vivoactive 4 and Venu. Venu 2 is still a versatile device, with the ability to track many sports listed quite exhaustively: running, cycling, golf, rock climbing, yoga, HIIT, etc. Venu 2 also has built-in GPS tracking mode.

But the depth and detail of the recorded data will not be as good as other Garmin devices, only displaying simple and sufficient data, suitable for those who want to see the stats quickly and don’t care much about detail.

Jogging

We tested the Garmin Venu 2’s running tracking capabilities on both road and trail.

The display will show distance, speed, time (total and lap time), and heart rate. The data is clear and easy to read, and you will not feel overwhelmed with information like on some other tracking devices.

You can also track altitude (elevation) in trail running mode (trail running), and that applies to walking/hiking as well. Turning on the GPS is very fast, and the tracking accuracy when we tested it in our runs was also high. Users can link accounts and transfer data to Strava.

Play golf

The device supports 42,000 golf courses worldwide, but these will need to be searched manually, and sent through Garmin Connect in the watch, which is a bit of an inconvenience.

The data on the screen is still clearly displayed, concise, and easy to read: basic distances, obstacles, flagpole hole markings, and shot tracking…. GPS tracks the distance traveled between holes easily and quickly.

In addition, users also receive data about the green area around the golf hole, thereby quickly shaping the course surface.

The Venu 2 offers a good basic golf experience, although it is not a specialized golf watch, this is still a plus point for the Venu 2.

where can you get a Garmin Venu 2 online

Garmin Venu 2, GPS Smartwatch with Advanced Health Monitoring and Fitness Features, Slate Bezel with Black Case and Silicone Band: Buy it now

HIIT Mode

Some of the new and important features of Venu 2 focus on HIIT and physical strength training.

First, select HIIT from the list of workouts, then you can start an extended workout, or choose a guided workout from your watch or downloadable from Garmin Connect. The experience may not be the smoothest and most fluid, but 75 exercises are all free!!

A new feature in HIIT mode is that users can set the timer Every Minute On the Minute (EMOM) and As Many Rounds as Possible (AMRAP).

For strength training and guided HIIT workouts, the watch also features repetition tracking, meaning when you do squats (standing up and down on two legs), presses (push-ups or push-ups), or other movements, the watch will calculate your total number of reps.

Yoga and pilates (low-intensity fitness and weight loss) exercises can be downloaded from Garmin Connect and are guided.

Swim

The experience is similar to that on Venu, but with a larger and sharper AMOLED screen, the underwater display of Venu 2 is also more beautiful and clearer.

Venu 2 still provides the most basic stats such as swim distance, strokes (SPM strokes per minute), an average speed of 100m, and SWOLF score (a combination of “SWIM and “GOLF” – is a combination of the number of arm strokes and your swim time at a given distance). Users will also get additional analytics in the Connect app.

For your reference, compared to the Form Swim Goggles swimming goggles, Venu 2 provides high-reliability, distance, average speed, and calories burned readings in the same swims. The average stroke rate can be a bit low, but overall the Venu 2 does a good job tracking swimming in the pool.

Compared to the very reliable Form Swim Goggles, it generally provided identical distance, average speed and calories burned in our swims. The average stroke rate seems a bit low, but overall, the Venu 2 works well for tracking swims in the pool.

Heartbeat

Garmin Venu 2 is equipped with the newly improved 4th generation Elevate optical heart rate sensor. Every time Garmin adds new optical sensors to its watches and wearables, we’ve come to expect more and more accuracy, even closer to perfection. Unfortunately, we didn’t feel much of an improvement in practice on the Venu 2.

On the plus side, the resting heart rate data is identical to other devices we normally test. We also checked the data on the heart rate strap and found that the results were pretty much the same, or within a reasonable margin of error.

We also used the Venu 2 in our road runs with the Garmin HRM-Pro chest strap, the results were very positive, with no major issues in accuracy and stability.

Compare Garmin Venu 2 with Chest Strap

Like previous Garmin Elevate-enabled devices, running data is a bit misleading early in the run (Venu 2 shows a spike in HR Heart Rate), but after 10 minutes or so, the sensor feels Optical variable and buckled chest strap.

During the long run, we increased the intensity in the final phase, and we found the maximum HR recorded by the device with the chest strap to be about the same (190 bpm).

Finally, we took the intensity up a notch with lots of hilly repetitions. These can be considered short and fast “burst” exercises to challenge the optical sensor, and we found that the Venu 2 performed quite badly, even after 3 iterations the sensor was stationary at 120 bpm, and no further exertion was noted.

So heart rate accuracy still seems to be a problem, in our opinion it is good at responding to records during runs and workouts, but not so good with HIIT and other modes of strengthening exercise. That’s why we still recommend pairing it with a chest strap, and the Venu 2 has support for ANT+ and Bluetooth external sensors.

Garmin Connect

All stats and data are in Garmin Connect, making it a great fitness/health tracking platform – perfect for those who love to watch and dig deep in terms of data.

The home screen will feature a My Day display, providing all your existing stats in an easy-to-view, easy-to-understand visual format.

However, there are times when it is difficult to find what you are looking for, and the Challenges section is not prominent (in this section users can join the challenge and compete for a badge with anyone available on Garmin Connect). The Calendar and News Feed sections are mostly ignored by us and of course, are not used.

The interesting thing is again from the last menu option, where users will find their insights in Health Stats or Performance Stats, you can view and compare indexes between days, months, and even years.

Many metrics such as VO2 Max are not listed on the Venu 2 watch that you will need to find them in Garmin Connect on your phone, so some users may ignore it without knowing.

You can download guided workouts in the Training tab, or golf courses and connect to Garmin Connect IQ. To be fair, Garmin Connect has made great improvements, but there are still some issues that need to be thoroughly addressed.

Smart Watch Features

Like the Fitbit Sense, the Venu 2 performs well as a health and fitness tracker, but in terms of smart features, it is not outstanding and is somewhat inferior to the Apple Watch.

As we have shared above, the screen brightness feature when raising the wrist is not smooth, and when always on display, the ambient light sensor will make the screen dim to a minimum when hands are in coat pockets.

Then you will have to wait a few seconds for the screen to light up again when you need to see something on the watch, a small detail but we found it a bit annoying.

The notification section also gives a pretty okay experience, not very good, when there are notifications from apps that you’ve hidden on iOS but are still sent to the watch. You can reply to notifications on Android but not on iOS.

You can stream music from online services on your watch, and now you can sync offline playlists from Amazon, Deezer, and Spotify. There’s also Garmin Pay if your bank supports it.

In general, as a smartwatch model, Garmin has brought basic and quite complete features, although it is difficult to compare with Apple Watch in terms of user experience (although it is superior in terms of duration battery), but still presents it as a good Wear OS smartwatch.

The battery

Battery life did let us down a bit as it didn’t reach the 12 days announced by the Venu 2 45mm.

In the first test, we achieved 8 days of use with 2 hours of GPS tracking and 1 round of golf (18 holes). Turned off Pulse OX and the screen that wasn’t turned on stayed on.

Continuing with the next 2 tests, we turned on Pulse ox all night and kept the screen always on, then recorded a battery life of 5 days.

In return we are very impressed with its very fast charging speed, from 7% to 30% only takes about 15 minutes. We also tried charging the Venu 2 from a 12V outlet in our car for about a 20-minute drive and were then able to use it throughout 18 holes of golf.

SUMMARY

The Venu 2 is a big improvement over the previous generation, and a fairly comprehensive health and sports watch. This is a suggestion of interest to those who are looking for a wristwatch that can be used every day in many different environments: the office, outdoors, and in the gym.

However, its quite expensive price and some disadvantages that bring a bad experience will make some users wonder.

The question is, who will Venu 2 be suitable for? Athletes will be able to look at the more advanced and in-depth models on Garmin’s product list, while iOS users will be more interested in the Apple Watch.

So in our opinion, Venu 2 will be for those who want a watch with decent battery life (at least more than 1 day), and good connectivity with Android phones, outperforming other Wear OS device models. thanks to Garmin Connect, and offers exciting experiences that combine multiple sports features: running, HIIT, golf, and fitness tracking.

Advantage:

Better health and stress-tracking features

Advanced sleep tracking

Good sports tracking

Fast charging speed

Defect:

The experience of raising the wrist to light up the screen is not smooth

HR (heart rate) accuracy needs more improvement

Expensive