Garmin Venu 3

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Garmin Venu 3: Review

β€œA versatile smartwatch for comprehensive health and fitness tracking.”

Overview


Garmin Venu 3 is a smartwatch designed to enhance the experience of athletes and fitness enthusiasts. This watch is known for its comprehensive health and fitness tracking capabilities.

Key Features:

  • Sleep Coach: Provides personalized sleep recommendations and tracks nap times.
  • Body Battery: Monitors energy levels throughout the day, offering insights into how sleep, stress, and activity affect well-being.
  • AMOLED Display: High-resolution screen ensures excellent visibility in various lighting conditions.

The Garmin Venu 3 is an ideal choice for fitness enthusiasts who prioritize health monitoring and sports tracking. Its advanced features offer valuable insights, making it suitable for those who engage in a variety of activities.

According to our analysis of prices across the internet, at current rates it's in the most expensive 40% of running watches.

Verdict

The consensus on the Garmin Venu 3


The Garmin Venu 3 is a significant upgrade from its predecessors, offering a range of new features that cater to both fitness enthusiasts and those seeking a comprehensive health tracking device. The addition of the Sleep Coach and nap tracking enhances its usability for those focused on improving their sleep quality. The watch's AMOLED display provides excellent visibility, even in bright sunlight, making it suitable for outdoor activities. The Venu 3's battery life is impressive, lasting up to 14 days in smartwatch mode, which is a notable improvement over previous models. However, the lack of ECG functionality at launch may be a drawback for some users. Despite this, the watch's overall performance in terms of GPS and heart rate accuracy is commendable. The Venu 3 is priced competitively, offering good value for money with its extensive feature set. Overall, the Garmin Venu 3 is a robust and versatile smartwatch that excels in both health and fitness tracking.

Comparable Watches


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The Garmin Forerunner 265 offers more depth in training load and recovery metrics compared to the Venu 3. It is better suited for serious athletes who require detailed insights into their training. However, the Venu 3 provides a more comprehensive health tracking experience, making it a better choice for those focused on overall wellness.

6 Garmin Venu 3 Pros & Cons


3 Pros

Impressive battery life, lasting up to 14 days in smartwatch mode.
High-resolution AMOLED display ensures excellent visibility.
Versatile sports tracking with over 30 pre-installed sports apps.

3 Cons

Lacks ECG functionality at launch, which may be a drawback for some users.
Limited training load and recovery metrics compared to other Garmin models.
May not integrate as seamlessly with Apple devices as the Apple Watch Series 8.

In Depth


Battery life

The Garmin Venu 3 boasts an impressive battery life, lasting up to 14 days in smartwatch mode. This is a significant improvement over its predecessors, making it ideal for those who engage in prolonged activities. The watch also offers a battery saver mode, extending its life to 26 days, and up to 26 hours in GPS-only mode. This longevity ensures that users can rely on the watch for extended periods without frequent charging, which is a crucial feature for outdoor enthusiasts and athletes.

Screen quality and brightness

The Venu 3 features a high-resolution AMOLED display that ensures excellent visibility in various lighting conditions. This makes it suitable for outdoor activities, as the screen remains clear even in direct sunlight. The display's brightness can be adjusted, and it offers an always-on mode for convenience. This screen quality enhances the user experience, allowing for easy readability of data and notifications during workouts or daily use.

Heart-rate monitor accuracy

The Garmin Venu 3 is equipped with the new Garmin Elevate V5 optical heart rate sensor, which provides accurate heart rate tracking both during workouts and throughout the day. This sensor also measures blood oxygen levels, contributing to comprehensive health monitoring. The accuracy of the heart rate monitor is crucial for users who rely on precise data for training and health insights, making the Venu 3 a reliable choice for fitness enthusiasts.

GPS accuracy

The Venu 3 offers reliable GPS accuracy, even without the multi-band GPS found in some of Garmin's other models. It performs well in various environments, including urban areas and open water, making it suitable for a range of outdoor activities. The watch's GPS capabilities ensure that users can track their routes and distances accurately, which is essential for runners and cyclists.

Sleep tracking

The Venu 3 introduces advanced sleep tracking features, including a Sleep Coach that provides personalized recommendations to improve sleep quality. It also tracks nap times and integrates this data into the Body Battery feature, offering insights into overall energy levels. This comprehensive sleep tracking makes the Venu 3 a valuable tool for users looking to optimize their rest and recovery.

Virtual coach and recovery

The Venu 3 includes a virtual coach feature that provides insights into workout benefits and recovery time. This helps users understand the impact of their activities on their bodies and plan their training accordingly. The recovery time feature is particularly useful for athletes who need to manage their training load and avoid overtraining, making the Venu 3 a practical choice for serious fitness enthusiasts.

Who should buy the Garmin Venu 3?


The Garmin Venu 3 is ideal for fitness enthusiasts who engage in a variety of activities and seek comprehensive health monitoring. Its advanced features, such as the Sleep Coach and Body Battery, make it suitable for those who prioritize running and overall wellness. The watch's versatility in tracking different sports and its reliable GPS accuracy cater to athletes who require precise data for their training. Additionally, its long battery life and high-resolution display make it a practical choice for outdoor adventurers.

Who should not buy the Garmin Venu 3?


The Garmin Venu 3 may not be the best choice for users who require ECG functionality, as this feature is not available at launch. Those who prefer a watch with a more extensive range of training load and recovery metrics might consider other models, such as the Forerunner series. Additionally, individuals who are deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem might find the Garmin Venu 3 less compatible with their devices compared to the Apple Watch Series 8. Users seeking a more budget-friendly option might explore other Garmin models with fewer features.

Garmin Venu 3: What's it good for?


The Garmin Venu 3 is excellent for running and other outdoor activities, thanks to its reliable GPS accuracy and long battery life. It is also suitable for fitness enthusiasts who engage in a variety of sports, as it offers a wide range of pre-installed sports apps. The watch's advanced health monitoring features, such as the Sleep Coach and Body Battery, make it ideal for those focused on wellness. Its high-resolution AMOLED display ensures visibility in different lighting conditions, enhancing the user experience during workouts.

5 Garmin Venu 3 FAQs


What is the battery life of the Garmin Venu 3?

The Garmin Venu 3 offers up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, making it ideal for prolonged activities. It also has a battery saver mode that extends the life to 26 days.

Does the Garmin Venu 3 have ECG functionality?

As of now, the Garmin Venu 3 does not have ECG functionality enabled, although the hardware is capable of it. Garmin has not confirmed if or when this feature will be available.

How accurate is the GPS on the Garmin Venu 3?

The Garmin Venu 3 offers reliable GPS accuracy, performing well in various environments, including urban areas and open water. It ensures accurate tracking of routes and distances.

What sports can the Garmin Venu 3 track?

The Garmin Venu 3 comes with over 30 pre-installed sports apps, making it versatile for tracking a wide range of activities, including running, cycling, swimming, and more.

How does the Sleep Coach feature work on the Garmin Venu 3?

The Sleep Coach provides personalized sleep recommendations and tracks nap times, helping users improve their sleep quality and overall wellness.

Garmin Venu 3 alternatives

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Garmin Venu 3
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similarity
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released
Released
Aug 2023
Sep 2023Feb 2024Jan 2024Apr 2022
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Expert Review Score
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Battery life
Battery life
336 hours
264 hours
264 hours
120 hours
744 hours
672 hours
Battery life – GPS mode
Battery life – GPS mode
26 hours
21 hours
19 hours
82 hours
89 hours
Screen size
Screen size
36 mm
30 mm
30 mm
25 mm
36 mm
36 mm
Weight
Weight
39 g
24 g
96 g
89 g
Height
Height
43 mm
35 mm
51 mm
51 mm
Resolution
Resolution
390 x 390 px
454 x 454 px
280 x 280 px
Pixel density
Pixel density
458 ppi
459 ppi
459 ppi
458 ppi
283 ppi
Charging time
Charging time
1 hours
2 hours
Internal storage
Internal storage
4 GB
32 GB
32 GB
0

Garmin Venu 3: what the experts say (1 review)

Garmin Venu 3: 6 Expert video reviews

Garmin Venu 3: 3 Manufacturer videos

Garmin Venu 3 characteristics and specifications

Characteristics
SportsRunning (+130)
BrandGarmin (+87)
ColorwaysSlate Black, Whitestone
Specificationsvs Average
Model
3
Released
Aug 2023
Battery
Charging time
1 hours
Battery life – power saving mode
624 hours
Battery life – GPS mode
26 hours
Battery life
336 hours
Screen
Pixel density
458 ppi
Screen size
36 mm

Evolution of the Garmin Venu product family

AuthorTom Green
Tom is the founder of geerly. Based in West London, he found his passion for running in his mid-30s. He’s best at longer distances, and is a regular at the London Marathon, where he's edging closer to sub-2.40. He started geerly because he found it frustrating when shopping for running shoes spending ages trying to find the best deal in his size, and wading through verbose, waffling reviews clearly designed to appeal to search engines rather than be helpful to users. For geerly he's passionate about writing reviews that get straight to the point, and helping runners find the right gear at the best price.
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Tom Green
November 11, 2024 at 9:55 AM
Gunnersbury parkrun #230 (my #3️⃣4️⃣)
πŸ“Š Stats by geerly πŸ‘Ÿ πŸ•’ Official time: 00:22:45 | Course PB 🚨 🏁 Overall position: 35/549 🚹 Gender position: 21/299 🎯 Age grade: 61%