Garmin’s Venu lineup is a paradox: it is a testing floor for its latest and most fun options and upgrades, but additionally extra generic than its siblings in an try and enchantment to mainstream patrons. The Garmin Venu was its first AMOLED watch, the Venu Sq its first squircle design, and the Venu 2 Plus the primary so as to add a mic & speaker. The Garmin Venu 3 follows that experimental template to a T.
The Venu 3 announcement intrigued us with new instruments like Sleep Teaching tech with nap detection, guided meditation, wheelchair mode, a better UI, and a revamped Elevate v5 sensor able to ECG readings and pores and skin temperature readings (although the latter remains to be dormant). It additionally snagged the mic and speaker from the Venu 2 Plus.
On the similar time, the Venu 3 lags behind comparably-priced Garmin watches for particular coaching instruments whereas additionally falling behind your typical smartwatch for cellphone connectivity, mobile assist, or common smarts. It is a jack-of-all-trades however grasp of none.
My Garmin Venu 3 evaluate will attempt to converse to each potential audiences: Garmin followers contemplating the extra mainline Venu over its specialised siblings and mainstream smartwatch customers deciding whether or not to go away their Apple or Galaxy Watches behind to enhance their health.
Garmin Venu 3: Value and availability
The Garmin Venu 3 and Venu 3S launched in August 2023 for $450 / £450 / €499. Priced $50 increased than the Venu 2 collection, it matches the Venu 2 Plus, which first added a mic and speaker to the Venu lineup. Which means it’s best to solely think about it a worth enhance when you’re tired of Bluetooth calls and voice assistant instructions.
You may primarily discover the Venu 3 on mainstream tech websites like Amazon, Finest Purchase, and Goal, in addition to fanatic websites like REI and Crutchfield. Though new Garmin watches not often go on sale for the primary yr or so, we have already seen the Venu 3 dip about $25 off, so preserve a watch out for offers when you’re unwilling to pay full worth.
Garmin Venu 3: Design and bands
Garmin not often rocks the boat with its watch designs. The Venu 3 seems to be similar to your typical Forerunner, solely about 1mm thinner and tapering down in direction of the sensor array extra rapidly. In different phrases, it is much less cumbersome and barely extra svelte than your typical Garmin watch, making it extra comfy for sleep monitoring.
Its three buttons, two lower than the Garmin normal, commerce their ordinary thick, plastic type for narrower steel buttons that look incredible however lose usability. You need to be extra deliberate in urgent them. The highest and backside buttons carry out their ordinary Garmin OS features, like beginning a exercise or backing out of menus, whereas the center button has two customizable shortcuts for pulling up the assistant, music controls, or different instruments.
Typically talking, the Venu 3 is barely extra touch-dependent than your typical Garmin as a result of lack of Up/Down buttons, which might show a little bit of an issue throughout exercises in case your fingertips get sweaty. For on a regular basis use, the 1.4-inch touchscreen is sort of responsive with stunning display screen transitions, however the lack of a crown or bezel does imply having to swipe by way of every little thing.
Many of the best Garmin watches use hardened plastic materials that retains the load down and GPS indicators flowing freely however offers them a considerably low-cost look from the facet. The speaker slits on the left facet additionally stand out starkly — a minimum of on my Whitestone mannequin.
If you happen to can struggle your vainness, although, the Venu 3’s stainless-steel bezel helps it look incredible from the highest down, so you will get pleasure from taking a look at it even when it is not a standing image to others from the facet.
Venu 3 patrons can select between Silver bezel / Whitestone case & band and Slate bezel / Black case & band. Venu 3S patrons have extra choices: Slate with Pebble Gray, Silver with Sage Grey, and Comfortable Gold with French Grey, Mud Rose, or Ivory.
Talking of the Venu 3S, its show is 0.2 inches smaller and weighs 7g much less. It lasts 4 days much less in normal smartwatch mode — although the identical 5 days in always-on show mode — and 5 hours much less in GPS mode. All different options are the identical, however you sacrifice battery and show area for consolation on smaller wrists.
Whichever you select, one design selection I like with the Venu 3 is its Fast Launch bands. You’ll be able to slide a change to attract a steel pin inward and take away every band half in seconds. Then, together with your substitute 22mm or 18mm bands, you slide the identical pin inward, slot the opposite steel finish right into a slot, and slot the primary finish out to connect it. In comparison with Garmin watches that require a particular device to launch their bands, it is rather more seamless.
If I saved my Venu 3 as my each day driver, I would most likely swap out my band pretty rapidly. I would not say that I “hate the strap that comes with the Venu 3,” as my colleague Jerry Hildenbrand wrote in his latest Venu 3 hands-on, but it surely’s much less comfy than the default Forerunner strap with its thinner, softer silicone and wider lug holes. Typically talking, I favor corporations prioritize breathability over type, whereas the Venu 3 took the other strategy.
Garmin Venu 3: Show
Garmin and lots of of its working watch rivals have shifted away from MIP and towards AMOLED shows in recent times, a development solely made doable as a result of these new fashions can final for weeks with no need a dim, low-battery show. For the Venu collection, which made the AMOLED change forward of the pack, it wanted a brand new strategy to stand out.
The important thing perk of the Garmin Venu 3 show is its slender bezel in comparison with most working watches. You get a 1.4-inch show from a 45mm case, whereas the Venu 2 and Forerunner 265 solely provide 1.3-inch shows at 45mm and 46mm, respectively. You would be hard-pressed to get extra visible area at this dimension.
Garmin hasn’t publicized its nits of brightness, however I would assume it is about 1,000. That is on par with most AMOLED health watches just like the Fitbit Sense 2 however under the brand new 2,000-and-up you get on newer smartwatches just like the Galaxy Watch 6 or Apple Watch Series 9.
It is shiny sufficient to be absolutely seen in direct daylight on the proper angle, however I will be aware the identical grievance I had with the Garmin Forerunner 265 AMOLED show: its Gorilla Glass 3 safety is not on par with the sapphire glass you get on many comparably priced health watches. I a minimum of want it had the GG 3 DX normal discovered on the Forerunner 965 for a greater anti-reflective coating; with out it, the Venu 3 show positively catches the sunshine greater than I would like.
Garmin Venu 3: {Hardware} and sensors
Garmin watches historically lag behind many of the best Android watches or Apple Watches in sleep monitoring and well being sensors. The Venu 3 does not fully shut that hole, but it surely definitely comes nearer to the mainstream than ever.
Garmin constantly measures coronary heart charge and coronary heart charge variance for all-day stress information by default, and you’ll allow all-day blood oxygen monitoring if you want — one thing most different manufacturers would not have the battery life to supply. You even have respiration charge and menstrual cycle information, plus the choice to log hydration.
That is all pretty frequent for Garmin watches, however the Venu 3 provides an ECG sensor, solely the second to take action after the Venu 2 Plus. We hope Garmin finally provides passive AFib detection, however for now, the power to take a 30-second coronary heart rhythm studying at any time and verify your previous ends in the Join app is a superb perk.
Simply remember that you will must replace your Garmin watch, allow ECG readings within the Garmin Join “End Setup” menu, and then add 2FA to your Garmin account to guard your information earlier than yow will discover the ECG app on the watch.
The Elevate v5 sensor additionally has dormant pores and skin temperature information; as Gadgets & Wearables noticed, the October Venu 3 beta notes claimed so as to add “pores and skin temperature information to sleep monitoring” earlier than Garmin deleted it and stated it was “inadvertently included.” We’ve got to imagine the subsequent beta replace will add it quickly, providing you with extra helpful sleep insights.
| Class | Garmin Venu 3 |
|---|---|
| Supplies | Fiber-reinforced polymer (Case); Stainless-steel (Bezel) |
| Show (Venu 3) | 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen; 454 x 454 |
| Show (Venu 3S) | 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen; 390 x 390 |
| Safety | Gorilla Glass 3; 5ATM |
| Band | 22mm (135-200 mm) or 18mm (110-175 mm) |
| Monitoring | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO; All-Programs mode (No twin band) |
| Sensors | Elevate 5 HRM with ECG; Pulse Ox (SpO2); accelerometer; ambient gentle sensor; barometric altimeter; compass; gyroscope |
| Connectivity | Garmin Pay (NFC), Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi |
| Mic and speaker | ✔️ |
| Key sport and well being options | Sleep coach, nap detection, Superior Physique Battery, wheelchair mode, 30 sports activities apps, restoration time, morning report, jet lag adviser, animated on-screen exercises, Garmin Coach, VO2 Max |
| Music storage | 8GB; Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, or personal music recordsdata |
| Dimensions | 45 x 45 x 12 mm (3); 41 x 41 x 12 mm (3S) |
| Weight / with strap | 30g / 47g (3); 27g / 40g (3S) |
Evaluating the Garmin Venu 3 vs. Venu 2, they don’t seem to be essentially that totally different at first look. What’s spectacular is that Garmin gave the Venu 3 a bigger show, three additional days of battery life, a mic & speaker, and a processor able to extra superior tech, all whereas concurrently making it 0.2mm thinner and 2g lighter.
It additionally retains instruments like an altimeter for judging effort at elevation and each an accelerometer and gyroscope for monitoring your wrist actions for train detection. Regardless that the Venu 3 is extra “informal” in its software program than different Garmin watches, a minimum of the {hardware} is greater than sturdy sufficient to match competing manufacturers.
I am unable to inform if Garmin modified the mic and speaker high quality from the Venu 2 Plus to the Venu 3, however the expertise is basically unchanged; it is ok in a pinch however inferior to what you get on a mainstream watch.
The default mid-range quantity is pretty quiet and tinny in a silent room. Take the time to bump it as much as a better quantity, and it turns into loud sufficient to chop by way of the ambient noise of a quiet stroll exterior, however most likely not a crowded avenue except you maintain it to your ear. As for mic high quality, the individuals I referred to as stated that I sounded pretty clear open air however that I sounded echoey and more durable to grasp indoors, for no matter cause.
Like all Garmin watch with music storage, you may sync your Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music playlists to the watch, providing you with fast entry. If you happen to subscribe to a totally different music streaming platform like Apple Music, Tidal, or YouTube Music, you are out of luck and must add your individual MP3 recordsdata.
In fact, this primarily issues when you plan to work out with out your cellphone readily available and wish to play music by way of wi-fi earbuds or the quiet speaker. In any other case, you may merely use the Venu 3 for playback controls to your cellphone.
The headliner Venu 3 function is, after all, Sleep Teaching and Sleep Rating. Any watch with Body Battery has implicitly advised you that you just did not get sufficient sleep, however the Venu 3 made it specific, telling you when you received a ok amount of sleep and high quality of deep sleep.
Garmin’s Sleep Coach will then inform you that you just want wherever from seven to 9 hours of sleep; Garmin itself says it will “by no means” advocate any much less or greater than that. If you happen to’re somebody who continuously sleeps nearer to 6 hours, you are going to get shamed and prodded into going to mattress earlier, if that appeals to you.
For the nappers on the market, the Venu 3 lastly re-adds the power to manually activate sleep mode and time a nap that is then included into your Physique Battery information. I did not check this as a result of, effectively, I am not somebody who naps. However I do know that your Physique Battery rating drains at a slower charge if it detects you at relaxation, so that you’re most likely going to see correct information even when you do not manually log the nap first.
Garmin Venu 3: GPS and HR accuracy
Garmin gave the Venu 3 “All-Programs GNSS,” which suggests it pulls information from a number of satellite tv for pc techniques concurrently, like GPS and GLONASS, for a greater location lock in occluded areas. Nevertheless, it does not have dual-frequency GPS like lots of the latest Forerunners and Instincts. How much this matters will rely on the place you sometimes run and the way a lot sign blockage you encounter.
I additionally assume the Elevate v5 sensor has extra correct coronary heart charge information not directly than previous Elevate v4 watches, however Garmin does not actually promote the variations throughout generations. So, I made a decision to place it to the check!
For an hour-long run, I ran with the Venu 3 on my left wrist and my Forerunner 965 on the proper. The latter was synced to my COROS heart rate monitor for extra correct HR information and set to SatIQ mode — which defaults to GPS-only however switches to dual-frequency when the sign wants a lift by way of clouds or foliage (or round buildings).
Within the coronary heart charge chart above, the lighter crimson graph matches the Venu 3, whereas the purplish graph corresponds with the COROS information I am utilizing as a baseline. You’ll be able to see how the Venu 3 tends to point out rounded edges the place the HRM is jagged, corresponding with extra abrupt coronary heart charge adjustments over hills or pick-ups in pace. It could possibly’t at all times sustain, in different phrases.
Typically talking, it is fairly correct and balances out fairly intently over time. Whereas I am unable to choose how rather more correct it’s than different manufacturers, it is greater than correct sufficient for health wants.
As for GPS information, the Venu 3 overestimated my distance by 0.04 miles over an hour. It was a lot better than what a GPS-only watch just like the Galaxy Watch 6 can ship, if not good. Zooming in on the map, I discovered the Venu 3 tends to float off the path or sidewalk greater than the Forerunner 965, however not on the similar scale as a GPS-only watch.
I additionally famous that the Venu 3 appeared to underestimate my elevation by about seven meters, although the graph itself intently matched that of the Forerunner 965 — merely at a decrease start line. It is one thing I assume I can repair with a fast altimeter calibration within the settings, and that type of hole is not a lot when you’re climbing hundreds of meters as an alternative of dozens.
I am unable to say how effectively the Venu 3 will do in more durable sign environments, however basically, this can be a becoming stage of high quality for the Venu 3, which strikes that difficult stability between informal and “severe” health.
Garmin Venu 3: Key software program options
I will roll out my ordinary Garmin disclaimer for my Venu 3 evaluate: If I examined and mentioned each software program trick on the Venu 3, it might double the evaluate’s size. So as an alternative, I will give attention to the important thing returning options that’ll make it extra tempting than your typical Android smartwatch and the brand new options to tempt hardcore Garmin followers.
Just like the Venu 2, the Venu 3 has customized coronary heart charge zones, VO2 Max information, depth minutes, Physique Battery scores, health age, Livetrack, animated on-screen exercises, and a Well being Snapshot.
We already mentioned the Morning Report within the final part; what’s new is a night equal referred to as the Each day Abstract that recaps what you probably did (aka a Exercise Day when you skilled or an Simple Day when you recovered) and the way it interprets it. I want it was nearer in type to the Morning Report or a post-run abstract, the place it confirmed precise information out of your day, however that is not the Venu 3’s energy. Possibly we’ll see a greater model on a future Forerunner.
One key Venu 3 perk is its animated exercises. You’ll be able to obtain any of the 80-ish premade exercises for muscle coaching, cardio, yoga, pilates, or different indoor routines, or else create your individual from a number of 1,600 workout routines that use particular gear, weights, or your individual physique weight.
When you begin a HIIT exercise, you may verify every train for an animated information of what it is alleged to appear to be, in case you do not bear in mind from the title alone or want a kind verify.
I would give the Venu 3’s train accuracy a score of three out of 5. I did a body-weight exercise of push-ups, burpees, squats, leaping jacks, and mountain climbers. Some extra deliberate workout routines like squats are tracked fairly effectively, however it may well generally log an train merely once you’re standing up or going in direction of the bottom earlier than you begin. Throughout my 25 mountain climbers, it was correct as much as 24, after which stopped monitoring as I received into the 30s till I shook my wrist round wildly. And whereas doing my burpees, it froze at 9 after which, frustratingly, dipped again all the way down to eight as if I used to be doing it backward.
Basically, I fortunately use it for motivation and steering, however do not be afraid to make use of the again button to skip to the subsequent rep even when the watch says you are not fairly completed, or else you will simply get mad and harm your self doing additional work.
Garmin additionally added a Meditation exercise. You’ll be able to select between three classes — Restore and stretch, Centered Mantras, or Conscious Sounds — or create your individual Customized routine. They seem to be a good perk when you’re pressured, however additionally they pale compared to the Mindfulness routines you get with Fitbit Premium or Apple Health Plus, each in quantity and manufacturing values. Regardless that Garmin’s app is free, I do hope it places in additional effort over time.
Maybe my favourite Venu 3 function is one which I do not want: the wheelchair mode. My colleague, Jerry Hildenbrand, wrote about how its wheelchair mode is the best, hands down, of any smartwatch brand as a result of it correctly judges pushes as an alternative of steps, does not encourage you to “get up” as a number of watches do, and makes use of a customized algorithm to evaluate effort as an alternative of VO2 Max that takes under consideration the restricted cardio ranges and better upper-body pressure of somebody in a wheelchair.
I additionally recognize getting a key function I rely on with my Forerunner and Intuition watches: a Restoration time widget. It judges your tiredness primarily based in your health stage and tells you ways lengthy to attend till your subsequent exercise, going past what Physique Battery can inform you each day.
What you do not know is why you want that lengthy or how your coaching is progressing. Technically, Garmin added a brand new “Exercise profit” device in your post-workout abstract. In my case, it gave me an “Bettering health” rating after my hour-long run and advised me I used to be enhancing my endurance. However you do not really see a Coaching Load or Coaching impact abstract, telling you ways a lot time was spent at cardio or anaerobic ranges. That issues to me, however entry-level athletes can merely rely on Garmin to offer them a exercise judgment that an Apple or Samsung watch could not.
Garmin gave the UI and notifications an improve, together with tons of fairly watch faces that take full benefit of the show dimension. However your general expertise will fluctuate relying on whether or not you utilize iOS or Android.
First, the common updates: You’ll be able to change to a bigger font for the primary time, there is a “Recents” menu to entry your last-used apps rapidly, a brand new swipe-right shortcut (which you will most likely use for the Recents menu), and a brand new Actions/Apps cut up once you faucet the top-right button. Discovering and utilizing apps on Garmin watches has at all times been a little bit of a chore, so giving a number of new methods to entry them rapidly is an actual boon.
Particularly for Android customers, now you can see photographs in textual content or electronic mail notifications as an alternative of the standard “Hooked up: 1 picture” textual content. Plus, somewhat than use default Fast Replies, you may really kind out a textual content response in your watch keyboard if you would like. That stated, with out LTE assist, I do not a lot see the purpose since you may pull out your cellphone to do that rather more rapidly or use the voice assistant to transcribe your reply as an alternative.
To make clear, the voice assistant is not a watch assistant; it is your cellphone’s assistant handed by way of your watch’s Bluetooth. So, whereas it is good to have Google Assistant away from Put on OS or Siri away from Apple Watch, you may solely use it as a strategy to preserve your cellphone in your pocket, to not really pull up an exercise or widget on the watch itself.
Competitors
Garmin selected $449 as a baseline for its mid-tier flagships, that means the Venu 3 instantly matches the Garmin Forerunner 265 and Garmin Instinct 2X Solar, whereas the brand new $299 Vivoactive 5 undercuts it. Of these, the runner-focused Forerunner 265 is its greatest foil; the Venu and Intuition lineups could not be extra totally different, whereas the Vivoactive 5 is a (painfully) downgraded Venu for budget-hunters.
Let’s begin with the Forerunner 265, the best running watch of the yr. Earlier than a run, you see a Coaching Readiness metric with an actual variety of hours till your physique is able to run and a each day steered exercise primarily based in your health. You get extra sports activities modes like Observe Runs, Path Runs, and Multisport/Triathalon. After your run ends, you may see your working energy, coaching load, acute load, and restoration time. I might go on in regards to the distinctive perks for cyclists and swimmers, however the level is that the Venu 3 lacks a number of instruments that severe out of doors athletes would recognize.
The Venu 3 offers you higher battery life, a bigger show, a mic and speaker, the brand new Elevate sensor, wheelchair mode, and some different particular life-style perks. The most recent Forerunner beta update introduced Venu 3 instruments like sleep insights and superior Physique Battery to the 265, although, so the working watch would possibly shut the hole over time.
As for the Vivoactive 5, it is a 1.2-inch AMOLED watch with a cheaper-looking aluminum bezel. You lose the brand new Elevate v5 sensor, the altimeter, and the gyroscope. It has a shorter battery life and no all-systems GNSS. You do not get the mic and speaker for calls, nor the third button for shortcuts. You do not even get animated on-screen exercises, one thing the MIP Vivoactive 4 supplied. You are saving cash, however you might not like all of the compromises you must make.
In any other case, the Garmin Venu 3’s primary rivals are smartwatches just like the Pixel Watch 2 or Apple Watch Sequence 9 that bundle health instruments with extra sturdy smartwatch instruments. They solely final a day per cost or much less, however they’ve near-perfect integration with an Android cellphone or iPhone, that means you may reply to notifications with extra than simply fast replies and obtain a bunch of apps.
Garmin Venu 3: Do you have to purchase it?
You should purchase the Garmin Venu 3 if…
- You need the Garmin instruments however not the standard Garmin design and expertise.
- Your typical health routines are coated by the 30 sports activities modes accessible.
- You particularly want a mic and speaker or the ECG device.
You should not purchase the Garmin Venu 3 if…
- You want a correct Put on OS or watchOS smartwatch for the smarts Garmin cannot provide.
- You want extra sturdy health metrics discovered on Forerunners, Instincts, or different fashions.
As a runner, the Venu 3 collection is not strictly designed for me; it is for individuals who would possibly sometimes run however will combine it in with their ordinary indoor exercises like HIIT, weights, yoga, and who must know Physique Battery stats greater than they do Coaching Readiness stats.
Its thinner, light-weight, and crownless design makes it simpler to put on whereas bending your wrist for sure workout routines. And even when it is not fairly as trendy as a hybrid mannequin just like the Garmin Vivomove Trend, it is shut.
I would discover it interesting if Garmin finally added a mic and speaker to different future Garmin watches, however the Venu collection wants its gimmick now that increasingly more of its units have switched to AMOLED. I ponder if the subsequent trick shall be including mobile assist, one thing individuals have been clamoring for because the Forerunner 945 LTE — which used mobile information for some primary security and messaging features however not for precise calling.
The opposite angle Garmin would possibly finally take is to make the Venu collection even “smarter” at the price of its epic battery life, however I do not know what that will entail since Apple limits what any health watch model can do and Garmin cannot simply pivot to Android and Put on OS absolutely.
For now, the Venu 3 and future fashions will most likely proceed to stroll that mainstream/specialised tightrope, and it does it in addition to I might count on. I’ve put it in our prime spot for the best fitness smartwatches, whereas emphasizing that different smartwatches with health instruments could also be higher for you. Personally, I’d advocate the Venu 3 when you’re in any respect severe about getting fitter or stronger.
The Garmin Venu 3 and 3S have thin-bordered AMOLED shows, incredible battery life, music storage, tap-to-pay, Bluetooth calling, voice assistant assist, hundreds of workout routines for custom-made at-home exercises, Sleep Teaching, restoration suggestions, and different core Garmin instruments to maintain you on the proper health path.