Garmin Lily, Vivomove, Vivoactive and Venu. Watch comparison
Garmin
Garmin Lily, Vivomove, Vivoactive and Venu. Watch comparison
As the leader in advanced sports watches, Garmin offers a range of features that make the monitoring of your performance easier than ever. But before making a purchase, ask yourself these four key questions: Which watch would suit me best? What features do I need? How long does the battery last? See detailed information on Garmin Lily, Vivomove, Vivoactive and Venu series.
Table of contents:
- Garmin Lily, Vivomove, Vivoactive and Venu - for whom?
- General characteristics, dimensions and display of Garmin watches
- Battery life of Garmin watches
- Sensors. Which watch is better for fitness training and which for the outdoors?
- Which Garmin watches will play music?
- Garmin Pay contactless payments
- Features available in all Garmin watches
- Summary - which Garmin watch will work best for you?
- Still have doubts? Visit Watchard.com and check out Garmin watches!
Garmin Lily, Vivomove, Vivoactive and Venu - for whom?
The aforementioned versions of Garmin watches are particularly popular among women, although they also have a big following among men. The brand employs a clever strategy by offering some of its series in two different sizes: the S-class and standard. In addition, Garmin models differ in terms of functionality. The key differences between the Lily, Vivomove, Vivoactive and Venu collections lie in GPS, battery life and music playback capabilities. Which models are better suited for everyday use and which ones for outdoor settings? Let’s look into their parameters.
General characteristics, dimensions and display of Garmin watches
Garmin Lily — the most feminine sports watch, launched in 2021. It is the only watch from the list that doesn’t have the QuickRelease strap replacement system. Garmin Lily smartwatches are best for everyday wear. The watch has a delicate and understated charm thanks to its petite dimensions.
- Garmin Lily:34.50 x 34.50 x 10.15 mm, crystal: Corning Gorilla Glass 3, display: TFT LCD, display resolution: 240 x 201 pixels
Garmin Vivomove — is a designer collection in a modern style launched in 2019. It features an OLED display, protected by a chemically strengthened glass. Its display resolution is 64 × 132 pixels. The brand offered interesting colour variants in pastel shades.
- Vivomove 3: 44 × 44 × 11.3 mm,
- Vivomove 3s: 39 × 39 × 10.9 mm,
Garmin Vivomove Style — watches designed for everyday wear. They are ideal for active people who want to monitor their progress. They offer users more than 30 different sports activities and a very good display.
- 42 × 42 × 11.9 mm, convex Corning Gorilla Glass 3, AMOLED display, display resolution: 240 × 240 pixels
Garmin Vivoactive — released in 2019. Two versions with different dimensions are available. Worn by men and women. Both versions use Corning Gorilla Glass 3, a sunlight-readable, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display. Garmin Vivoactive is a GPS smartwatch for the active.
- vívoactive® 4s: 40 × 40 × 12.7 mm, display resolution: 218 × 218 pixels
- vívoactive® 4: 45.1 × 45.1 × 12.8 mm, display resolution: 260 × 260 pixels
Garmin Venu — the collection includes several versions. All feature Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and an AMOLED display.
- Venu (2019): 43.2 × 43.2 × 12.4 mm, display resolution: 390 × 390 pixels
- Venu 2 (2021): 45.40 × 45.40 × 12.20 mm, display resolution: 416 × 416 pixels
- Venu 2s (2021): 40.40 × 40.40 × 12.10 mm, display resolution: 360 × 360 pixels
The Garmin Venu Sq 2/Sq 2 Music Edition was released in 2020. It differs in design from its predecessors and has a distinctive rectangular case with a streamlined shape. The Sq Music version is upgraded with Spotify playback and has built-in memory for music.
- 40.6 × 37.0 × 11.5 mm, LCD display, display resolution: 240 × 240 pixels.
Battery life of Garmin watches
- Garmin Lily: up to 5 days in smartwatch mode
- Vivomove 3/3s: up to 5 days in smartwatch mode
- Vivomove Style: up to 5 days in smartwatch mode
- Vivoactive 4s: up to 7 days in smartwatch mode, up to 15 hours in GPS mode without music, up to 5 hours in GPS mode with music
- Venu Sq/Sq Music: up to 6 days in smartwatch mode, up to 14 hours in GPS mode without music, up to 6 hours in GPS mode with music (applies to Sq Music)
- Venu: up to 5 days in smartwatch mode, up to 20 hours in GPS mode without music, up to 6 hours in GPS mode with music
- Venu 2: up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, up to 22 hours in GPS mode without music, up to 8 hours in GPS mode with music, up to 12 days in battery saving mode
- Venu 2s: up to 10 days in smartwatch mode, up to 19 hours in GPS mode without music, up to 7 hours in GPS mode with music, up to 11 days in battery saving mode
Sensors. Which watch is better for fitness training and which for the outdoors?
For those who enjoy outdoor training, sports watches with GPS are most recommended. Of the devices listed, the Vivoactive and Venu versions are equipped with independent satellite systems. To acquire location data, it’s necessary to establish a pairing between your watch and a smartphone. Below you will find info regarding additional sensors.
- Wrist heart rate monitor and pulse oximeter: available in all devices
- Barometric altimeter: available in all Vivoactive and Venu versions
- Compass: available in Vivoactive 4/4s, Venu SQ/SQ Music and all Garmin Venu watches
- Gyroscope: available in Vivoactive 4/4s and all Venu versions.
When running in unknown terrain, Garmin Vivoactive 4/4s and Venu models are particularly recommended. This doesn’t mean, however, that others are not good enough. The Garmin Lily or Vivomovie will be a great companion at the gym or in fitness classes.
Which Garmin watches will play music?
The function of playing music directly from the watch (when the headphone system is paired) is a very convenient solution during any form of activity. Garmin Vivoactive 4/4s, Venu SQ Music, Venu and Venu 2/2s offer music playback on the watch without the need for the phone to be nearby. While Lily, Vivomove 3/3s and Vivomove Style watches allow you to control music on your phone.
Garmin Pay contactless payments
NFC is another convenient feature that allows you to leave your smartphone at home and enjoy your workout without any unnecessary distractions. The Garmin Pay function is available in Vivomove Style, Vivoactive 4/4s, Venu SQ/SQ Music, Venu and Venu 2/2s watches.
Features available in all Garmin watches
- Phone notifications
- Controlling music playback on a connected phone
- Body Battery (it estimates user's energy reserves throughout the day)
- Sleep tracking
- All-day stress tracking
- The average resting heart rate
- Hydration tracking
- Women's health
- Step counter
- Calories Burned
- TrueUp feature
- Move IQ feature
- VO2 max
Advanced sports features like determining what type of stroke you are swimming (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly), golf features, skiing, cross-country training, downloadable workout plans and Auto Pause are mainly available in the Vivoactive 4/4s, Venu SQ/SQ Music and all versions of Venu. You will find detailed information in the product sheet provided for each of the watches. So if you want access to more data, these are the versions we recommend.
Summary - which Garmin watch will work best for you?
The choice of a Garmin watch really depends on the specific needs of users. Some individuals may find that a watch without GPS or music control suits them well, as it is less expensive and perfectly adequate for workouts at home or in the gym. For instance, the Garmin Lily would be an excellent option for women seeking to track calories burned, heart rate, sleep, or stress levels throughout the day. Additionally, the Vivomove versions offer a truly interesting and modern design. On the other hand, those who have more demanding requirements and engage in advanced sports, particularly outdoor running, will find the Garmin Venu 2/2s and Vivoactive series to be the best choice as they provide a long battery life.
Still have doubts? Visit Watchard.com and check out Garmin watches!
At Watchard we offer a wide selection of smartwatches and sports watches. Among professionals, Garmin and Suunto are the most popular brands. If you're unsure about which watch is best suited for you, our staff is here to assist you. Feel free to ask us for help in determining what features to consider and whether a specific model will meet your requirements. Don't forget to explore our range of functional watches and achieve new personal records!
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