Garmin Venu 2 vs Garmin Venu 2S: Which fitness tracker is better?

The Garmin Venu 2 and Garmin Venu 2S are two of the best fitness trackers you can buy right now, but how do they stack up against each other? Let’s find out.

Garmin made a huge mark in the fitness tracking industry with the original Venu wearable – blending the company’s noteworthy approach to fitness with the modern form factor of a typical smartwatch.

We expected big things from the Venu’s eventual successor, but what we didn’t expect was for that follow-up to come in two-parts.

While the Venu 2 and Venu 2S are mostly the same device, there are a few differences between them that could be enough to sway your decision over which one to get. To help you make the choice that’s right for you, these are the key things to know when weighing up the Venu 2 against the Venu 2S.

Size

In case you haven’t already spotted, the biggest selling point of the Garmin Venu 2S is its miniature size. At just 38.2g and 18mm watch strap support, the Venu 2S is quite a bit smaller than the Venu 2 which sits at 49g and uses 22mm straps.

The drop in size allows the Venu 2S to be a better option for people with smaller wrists, but its condensed stature also results in a smaller screen.

At 1.10-inches, the display on the Venu 2S is smaller than what you’d usually find on a smartwatch, but it isn’t too small to the point where you’ll be squinting. Still, if you’d rather have a larger display for viewing information on the go then the 1.30-inch screen of the Venu 2 should do the trick.

Features

Despite their difference in size, the Venu 2 and Venu 2S actually boast the same list of features.

Both wearables can be used to track your heart rate, sleep quality, blood oxygen levels and even your respiratory rate. All this information is fed through the Garmin Connect app, making it easy to stay on top of your fitness goals.

In what is still a huge selling point for the Venu range, you can listen to Spotify offline on either of the new devices, meaning that you can leave your phone at home when you pop out for a run or down to the gym.

Battery Life

While the Venu 2S makes no concessions in its onboard features, the device’s smaller size unfortunately has an impact on its maximum battery life. The device has a quoted battery life of up to 10 days, which is still impressive when you compare it to the likes of the Apple Watch 6.

The Garmin Venu 2 is able to go just that bit further however, stretching up to 11 days on a single charge. It’s not a huge difference, but if you regularly train for marathons then any sort of battery discrepancy will be a huge point of contention.

Price

Even though the Venu 2S does lose a day in battery life when compared to its larger sibling, Garmin has made the interesting decision to keep these wearables at the exact same price. The Garmin Venu 2 and Garmin Venu 2S are both sold at £349.99.

Because the Venu 2 and 2S have the same going rate, there isn’t a monetary factor to consider when deciding which one to go for – it all comes down to whether or not you prefer the standard design or would rather have a smaller, more compact wearable that fits well on smaller wrists.