With the release of Venu 2 and Venu 2S, there are now more Garmin smartwatches with AMOLED-powered displays. The Venu 2/2s both succeed the Venu which was released last year. The Venu 2S is a smaller size of Venu 2. These two come with additional features which you’ll not find in Venu and they also have slightly longer battery life. As a result, while Venu 2/2S is priced at $399.99, Venu is a little cheaper at $350. So, are the extra features worth the extra $50 and if you already own the Venu, should you upgrade to Venu 2? This review compares Garmin Venu vs Venu 2S vs Venu 2 to find out the differences and will guide you to make an informed decision.

Garmin Venu vs Venu 2S vs Venu 2: Specifications Compared

The main difference between Venu 2 and Venu 2S is that the latter is more compact but has a shorter battery life than Venu 2. The price of both smartwatches is the same.

Garmin Venu vs Venu 2S vs Venu 2 Features Compared

• Design – Nothing Much has changed

Just like the Venu, Venu 2/2S spot the same appearance that comprises of a fiber-polymer case and silicone straps that are interchangeable with 20mm-wide compatible straps. Also, the bezel of Venu 2/2S are made of stainless steel just like Venu, this leaves each of these three with a classic watch appearance. Each of these three is also very lightweight going by the respective weights. Although, Venu 2S weighs the least at 38.2g, while Venu 2 weighs 49g and Venu weighs 46.2g.

Going by the dimensions, Venu 2S is the most compact. It’s apparent, Garmin aims to give their customers more options especially for those with thin wrists. In other words, Venu 2S is the most suitable choice for anyone with a thin wrists, while individuals with moderate to fat wrists will have to consider Venu 2.

All three smartwatches are rated 5ATM which is waterproof and can be worn under the rain, to the pool, or even to the shower.

• Display – Venu 2 has the biggest display size

The display of all three smartwatches is powered by AMOLED which is very colorful and easy to read both indoors and outdoors. Although, can be difficult to read under direct sunlight. Venu 2 has the largest display at 1.3 inches which will allow you to see more at a glance compared to Venu 2S with 1.1 inches display and Venu with 1.2 inches display.

Accessing Venu 2/2S is still via touchscreen support and two physical buttons just like on Venu.

• Activity Tracking Features – Venu 2/2S have more health tracking features

Beyond the slight differences in design, the Venu 2/2S has more activity tracking features than Venu. Garmin has equipped the new smartwatch with features you will not find on Venu.




Although, all three smartwatches are equally equipped with same number of sensors which includes heart rate sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, thermometer, compass, altimeter, and inbuilt GPS. These sensors enable all the basic activity tracking features like sleep tracking, heart rate, hydration tracking, respiration rate, steps, floors climbed, and distance covered. You will get all-day stress monitoring as well as Spo2 that allows you to measure your blood oxygen.

Other activity tracking features include fitness age that tells if your body is older or younger than your age and a body battery energy monitor that tells how fit you’re for the next workout. You will also get menstrual tracking for Women and more.

There is an inbuilt GPS in all three smartwatches which enables outdoor activity tracking for routes, location, and other related metrics. And there are loads of preset sport modes to choose from.

The onscreen animated workout that was introduced to Venu and Vivoactive 4 is also available on Venu 2/2S. This feature will allow you to follow a virtual workout coach and it can save you money on subscriptions. You will also get incidental fall detection that allows you to call preset emergency contacts when any of these three detects a fall (phone must be nearby).

Beyond the common activity tracking features are a handful of newly added health features that are available on Venu 2/2S but not on Venu.

1. There is now an onscreen muscle heat map that allows you to see which muscle is being worked out.
2. You will get a sleep score and insights that can give you a better understanding of your sleep.
3. There is also a Health snapshot that allows you to see very important tracked metrics at a glance. It will show your heart rate, heart rate variability, pulse ox., respiration rate and stress level at a glance. Then you can generate a report via the Garmin Connect app.
4. Venu 2/2S have more outdoor recreational profiles. Indoor climbing, bouldering, and hiking have been added.
• Battery Life – Venu 2 has a longer battery life

One downside to the very colorful AMOLED display is that it impacts on the battery life. However, Garmin has worked on the battery life of Venu 2. It has a longer battery life than Venu. On smartwatch mode, you can get up to 5 days with Venu, and with Venu 2S, it’s up to 10 days while Venu 2 has the longest battery life of up to 11 days.

Garmin Venu vs Venu 2 vs Venu 2S – Which Should You Buy?

The Venu 2/2S both have more features and longer battery life than Venu. However, you will have to pay an extra $50 to get any of these. On the other hand, Venu is cheaper yet spots the same design and is equipped with loads of features except for the few additional features you get with Venu 2.

In other words, if you think these additional features and longer battery life merits the extra $50, it’s worthwhile getting the Venu 2. And for those with thin wrists, the Venu 2S is a suitable choice.