Garmin Venu 2 Review
The Garmin Venu 2 is a fitness wristwatch that is both fun to use and attractive. It amazingly well crosses the smartwatch-running-watch divide, blending complex workout tracking tools with necessary everyday apps to produce a wristwatch for all occasions. The onboard GPS is exceptionally precise, providing readings with a very little margin of error and creating highly detailed maps that show your shifting pace during your workout. It isn’t quite as advanced as the Fenix 6 or Forerunner 945, but it is a pretty capable device, especially considering the price.
The first Garmin gadget to have muscle map images, which aid in exercise planning based on training load for each major muscle group. The Garmin Venu 2 is a smartwatch that also serves as a fitness watch. It’s one of the few smartwatches that will be available in 2021 that will work with both Android and iOS devices. Without having to consult your phone, the AMOLED display allows you to see a large amount of info at once.
Design:
The Venu 2, a follow-up to the original Venu smartwatch, is available in 44mm and 40mm case sizes. Slate with a black case, granite blue with a matching case, or white with a rose gold bezel is the two colorways offered for the regular 44mm version. When ordering a watch in the United States, you can create a ‘custom’ design by picking and combining straps and cases to create a look that suits you.
A better-looking sports watch:
Unlike the original Venu, which was only available in one size, the Venu 2 now comes in two sizes. The AMOLED display features three brightness settings and an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness. Even in direct sunshine, I had no trouble seeing my workout numbers. You can turn off the always-on display on this watch to save battery life.
Display:
The AMOLED display of the Garmin Venu 2 has been upgraded for 2021, and now boasts a resolution of 416 x 416 pixels for the 44mm watch. This means you can see fine-tuned graphs and charts immediately on your wrist without having to open the app. The watch is set to the lowest brightness level by default, which we found to be enough in most scenarios, but you can increase it for viewing in strong light.
All about health and fitness:
The Garmin Venu 2 GPS-enabled smartwatch can track over 25 different types of activities. Indoor climbing, bouldering, trekking, and high-intensity training times for techniques like AMRAP and Tabata are among the new profiles. Before you begin a workout, you can modify the training screens to display the stats that are essential to you. When it came to heart rate tracking during a low-intensity workout, the watch was just as precise as a standard chest strap.
The Garmin Venu 2 smartwatch monitors blood oxygenation while you sleep, as a spot reading, or all day. It also gives you a score out of 100 for your night’s sleep and suggests ways to enhance it. The Garmin Connect app does an excellent job of providing all of your health and fitness data in an easy-to-understand manner. The watch doesn’t have the ECG (electrocardiogram) capability that other smartwatches have.
Companion app:
Garmin Connect is an attractive app that collects data from all of the company’s devices, including smartwatches and fitness trackers. The home screen is completely customizable, with quick-view widgets for information about your most recent workout, heart rate, sleep score, stress level, body batteries, calories burnt, menstrual cycle, and more. There are also some outstanding social elements, such as the opportunity to create and participate in community challenges with friends.
Fitness First, smart features second:
You’ll be able to reflect notifications from your phone and see calls or text messages if you pair it with an Android phone. You’ll also need your phone to use Garmin’s Live Track feature, which broadcasts your location to a friend while you’re working out.
Activity Tracking and Precision:
The built-in muscle map’ on the Garmin Venu 2 displays which muscles are used during resistance training sessions. The map shows an aggregate picture of all the muscles worked in an exercise rather than how much each muscle group was working. You can also use the Garmin Connect app to download pre-made HIIT programs and utilize the watch as a HIIT timer for EMOM, AMRAP, and Tabata workouts. You can configure a grading system in bouldering mode so the watch knows how challenging the wall you’re about to ascend is.
Long-lasting battery for all your workouts:
I was able to get five days of use out of the watch before having to charge it in real-world testing. With the always-on display set on, battery life will be reduced to around two or two and a half days. The device will last 11 days in smartwatch mode, or 10 days in 2S mode, according to Garmin.
Pros:
- AMOLED screen with full resolution
- GPS with high accuracy and a wide range of health tools
- More advanced health monitor
Cons:
- 3rd app selection is restricted.
- Updates to the design
Conclusion:
The Garmin Venu 2 is one of the best sports watches on the market, combining serious fitness capabilities with a comprehensive set of smartwatch tools for everyday use. Its brilliant, high-resolution AMOLED display is the actual star, allowing you to see a large quantity of data at once and displaying a plethora of data on your training progress and overall health right on your wrist. The Venu is our pick for the best Garmin watch to date, thanks to its thoughtful design and flawless execution.
