Garmin Venu 3 vs Garmin Venu 2: choose the ideal smartwatch

Cat Ellis
·7 min read
Garmin Venu 2 and Garmin Venu 3 watches on green background.
Credit: Garmin
Garmin Venu 3 watch
Garmin Venu 3 watch

Garmin Venu 3

The Venu 3 has more advanced sleep and recovery tracking than the Venu 2, and has gained a microphone so you can use your phone's voice assistant and take calls via Bluetooth. It has the same great screen and smart looks, but sadly still lacks maps, which is a shame.

For

  • Same smart design

  • Advanced sleep coaching

  • Built-in microphone

Against

  • Pricier than Venu 2 at launch

  • Still no maps

Garmin Venu 2 watch
Garmin Venu 2 watch

Garmin Venu 2

The original Venu 2 has stood the test of time well. It's still one of Garmin's best looking watches, and works as well for everyday wear as it does for serious sports tracking. GPS accuracy is up there with the best – it's just a shame that bright AMOLED screen can't be used for maps and navigation.

For

  • Bright, crisp AMOLED display

  • Smart, modern design

  • Great GPS accuracy

  • Deals often available

Against

  • No Sleep Coaching

  • No maps

If you're shopping for a new GPS watch, the Garmin Venu 3 and Venu 2 are both great choices worthy of a place on your shortlist, but what's the difference between the two, and which one should you choose? Choosing between two of the best Garmin watches available today is not as straightforward as it might seem, so our esteemed editor and smartwatch expert has put together this handy guide to explain.

Our verdict

The launch of a new model is always a good time to pick up its predecessor, as its price will have likely dropped and you'll get more bang for your buck. This is the case here, as you should be able to pick up the excellent Venu 2 for a discounted price. If you're after a standard and reliable sports watch, we'd recommend it.

However, if you've got the cash to spare and are looking for a smartwatch that you can also take calls on and one that has sophisticated sleep tracking capabilities, the Venu 3 is the watch for you.

Meet the expert

Garmin Venu 3 vs Garmin Venu 2: the background

The Venu 2 launched in April 2021, and was followed by the Venu 2 Plus in January 2022. These two watches were very similar, but the Plus edition had an added microphone for accessing your phone's voice assistant and taking calls, and an ECG app for detecting abnormal heart rhythms.

The Venu 3 launched in September 2023, with a higher price tag than either of the older watches, a higher resolution screen, and new sleep tracking features including the ability to track naps. It has a microphone like the Venu 2 Plus, but at release it doesn't have the ECG app. This may be unlocked later if the watch has the necessary hardware, but we don't know yet.

If you've already made up your mind, we've rounded up all today's best deals on the Garmin Venu 3 and Venu 2 for you at the top of the page. If not, read on for the full lowdown on both watches to help you make the right choice.

Garmin Venu 3 vs Garmin Venu 2: price

  • Venu 3 significantly more expensive

  • Venu 2 often on sale

The Garmin Venu 2 went on sale in April 2021 with a list price of $399.99 / £349.99, but is now available for a steep discount. At the time of writing, you can pick it up for $349.99 / £299, but it's been as cheap as $250 / £220 during sales events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.

The Garmin Venu 3 launched in August 2023 with a list price of $449.99 / £449.99, and it's likely to be some time before we see any significant discounts.

Man using microphone on Garmin Venu 2 Plus
Man using microphone on Garmin Venu 2 Plus

Garmin Venu 3 vs Garmin Venu 2: design

  • Very similar dimensions

  • Venu 3 has higher screen resolution

  • Venu 3 has microphone like Venu 2 Plus

The Venu 2 and Venu 3 look very similar at first glance. Both have a distinctive round case in a choice of two sizes with a smattering of buttons on the right side, and a bright OLED display. Look a little closer, however, and you'll spot a few key differences.

First of all, the sizes aren't quite the same. The Venu 2 is available in 40mm and 45mm versions, while the Venu 3 comes in 41mm and 45mm. The Venu 3 is fractionally slimmer, but the difference (0.1mm for the smaller version and 0.2mm for the larger model) is so slight that you won't notice. The Venu 3 is 3g lighter, but again, that's not enough to make a tangible difference.

The Venu 3 has a higher screen resolution than the Venu 2, making graphics, text and charts look extra crisp. The Venu 2's screen is still excellent, but the newer watch just looks that little bit sharper.

Turn the two watches sideways and you'll see that the Venu 3 has an extra button on the right, and a small grille on the left. These are for the microphone, which you can use to take calls and use your phone's voice assistant provided it's within Bluetooth range. This is a feature carried over from the Venu 2 Plus, which launched in January 2022, but isn't present on the original Venu 2.

Man with hand in pocket wearing Garmin Venu 3 watch
Man with hand in pocket wearing Garmin Venu 3 watch

Garmin Venu 3 vs Garmin Venu 2: fitness features

  • Garmin Venu 3 has upgraded heart rate monitor

  • Venu 3 has sleep coaching and nap tracking

  • Venu 2 Plus has ECG app

The Garmin Venu series are essentially serious sports watches in smart, minimalist cases, and they offer most of the same workout tracking tools as any of the company's mid-range wearables. There are some key differences, though.

Turn the two watches over and you'll notice that the Venu 3 has an upgraded heart rate monitor, with more LEDs and light receivers spread over a larger area, which Garmin claims should deliver more accurate results. This is the same sensor used on the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix (Gen 2) Pro, which launched a few months earlier.

Whichever watch you choose, it will track your sleep stages, restlessness, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) overnight, but the Venu 3 also includes a new feature called Sleep Coaching, which is intended to help you develop healthier sleep habits with personalized guidance. The Venu 3 is also the first Garmin watch that can track naps, and taking naps during the day will reduce your 'sleep need' at night.

Sleep Coaching may roll out to some other Garmin watches via a future firmware update, but I suspect that this will only include watches with the new heart rate monitor.

Woman with water bottle wearing Garmin Venu 2 Plus watch
Woman with water bottle wearing Garmin Venu 2 Plus watch

At the time of writing the Venu 2 Plus has something that the Venu 3 doesn't: a functioning ECG app. This allows you to check for abnormalities in your heart rhythm, which you might want to discuss with your doctor (it's not meant for diagnosing or treating medical conditions). It's believed that some other Garmin watches may have the necessary hardware for the app, but at the time of writing, the Venu 2 is the only watch with it unlocked, and only in certain countries.

We don't know whether the Garmin Venu 3 has an ECG sensor, but if it does, it's not yet functional and will need to be made available through a software update.