Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Best for: Users who want Garmin's best health analytics and sports tracking on a stylish AMOLED watch that doesn't look like a hiking GPS. Works equally well for Android and iPhone. The best Garmin option for someone who prioritises everyday wellness over extreme outdoor sports.
Full details →Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Best for: Trail runners, ultramarathon athletes, and multisport competitors who want full maps and long GPS battery without paying $900 for the Vertix. A strong alternative to Garmin Forerunner 965 for users who prioritise battery over display quality.
Full details →| Garmin Venu | COROS Apex | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Smartwatch | Sports GPS |
| Platform | iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
| Battery | 14 days | 45 days |
| Always-on display | ✅ | ❌ |
| GPS | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cellular | ❌ | ❌ |
| Health sensors | hr, spo2, hrv, stress, body battery, nap detection | hr, spo2, hrv, training load, skin temp |
| Released | Sep 7, 2023 | Sep 14, 2022 |
| Cycle length | 868 days | 1047 days |
| Cycle advice | bad | bad |
| Deals advice | good | good |
| Next model | — | — |
Garmin's signature energy monitoring tracks stress, sleep, and heart rate variability to give you a daily 0–100 energy score — more nuanced than raw step counts.
The Venu 3 automatically detects when you nap during the day and logs it accurately in your sleep data — a unique wellness feature among smartwatches.
Most AMOLED smartwatches last 1–2 days. Garmin's efficient software architecture stretches the Venu 3 to 14 days — a huge practical advantage.
Enough for 3-day mountain stages without charging — a critical advantage for ultra-distance racing.
Breadcrumb + full TopoActive-style maps for turn-by-turn navigation on trails, mountains, and roads.
Lightweight yet scratch-resistant materials that hold up better than most competitor watches at this price.