In our best Garmin fitness trackers roundup, we named the Garmin Venu Sq 2 the best budget pick in the brand’s lineup. It’s priced at $250, has a durable watch face, and is offered in two stylish colorways. Plus, it tracks all the metrics you’d expect in a fitness tracker and connects with your smartphone. In our Garmin Venu Sq 2 review, we’ll dive into the specs, tracking capabilities, and general user experience of this smartwatch.
Our Fitness Pros Have Tested More Than a Dozen Fitness Trackers
Before the clock starts ticking on this review, let’s address why you can trust our experts at Garage Gym Reviews. We want you to know that we don’t dabble in fitness. We’re a committed group of fitness professionals and hold some of the industry’s most prominent credentials.
Our collective knowledge supports our rigorous hands-on approach to product testing. When we assess fitness trackers, we use in-depth fitness equipment testing methodology to score a variety of categories on a scale of 1 to 5, including general wear, heart rate accuracy, activity tracking capabilities, battery life, connectivity, and ease of use.
For this Garmin Venu Sq 2 review, GGR Performance Editor and CPT Anthony O’Reilly put the smartwatch to the test while working, lifting, and walking.
Garmin Venu Sq 2
Garmin Venu Sq 2
Product Highlights
- Square-faced fitness tracker
- Up to 11 days battery life
- Indoor and GPS sports apps
- Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
Pros & Cons
Pros
- More budget-friendly
- Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
- Up to 11 days of battery life
Cons
- Only comes in 2 colors
- More basic metrics and functions
Bottom Line
The Venu Sq 2 is a budget-friendly fitness tracker and watch from Garmin. This watch still tracks a variety of metrics and has up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, although it has more basic functions when compared to other Garmin watches.
A Quick Look at the Garmin Venu Sq 2
If you’re a data hound, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 provides 24/7 tracking on some of your most important health metrics like heart rate, respiration, and blood oxygen saturation. You’ll be able to manually add certain metrics like water, food, and menstrual cycle information. Additionally, you can use the companion app, Garmin Connect, to see your broader health trends.
Before You Buy
- The Garmin Venu Sq 2 has an Android operating system but can sync with both Android smartphones and iPhones.
- This iteration of the Venu smartwatch ditched the LCD display for an AMOLED screen, which has better contrast, lower battery consumption, and does not require a backlight.
- There is another iteration of the Garmin watch, called Venu Sq 2 Music, which allows you to listen to Spotify playlist and Amazon Music from your wrist. The model we tested doesn’t have this feature.
Is the Garmin Venu Sq 2 Worth It?
From GGR tester Anthony’s experience, he thinks the Venu Sq 2 is worth the $250 price tag. He scored the smartwatch at 4 out of 5 stars for value. “I found the Venu highly customizable, easily adjustable, and a great value for the price point,” says Anthony.
“It’s one of the more affordable smartwatches and I think if you’re looking for a basic, yet durable fitness tracker this is a good find,” he adds.
Great for:
- Using built-in GPS
- Endurance athletes and swimmers
- Smartwatch connectivity
Not recommended for:
- Folks who want a smartwatch that can take calls
- A tracker with a wide range of health metrics
- People who like bright or flashy colorways
RELATED: Swimming vs Running
Garmin Venu Sq 2 Specs
| Price | $249.99 |
| Size | 40.6 x 37.0 x 11.1 mmFits wrists with a circumference of 125-190 mm |
| Display | 1.41” touchscreen (320 x 360 pixel resolution) |
| Materials | AMOLED display (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode); silicone watch band |
| Battery life | Up to 11 days; rechargeable lithium battery |
| Water resistance rating | Swim, 5 ATM (up to 50 m) |
| Metrics tracked | Heart rate, respiration rate, fitness age, stress, steps, calories, distance, cardio and strength activities |
| Connectivity | GPS, Bluetooth, ANT+ |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Using the Garmin Venu Sq 2
The Garmin Venu Sq 2 was an enjoyable testing experience for GGR Performance Editor Anthony O’Reilly. He was able to order, connect, and use the Garmin device with ease. It can’t do quite as many smartwatch-style things as an Apple Watch, but depending on your commitment (or lack thereof) to be connected to your phone, that could be a good thing.
Anthony spent time exploring Garmin Connect, a free online app-based community for Garmin users to connect, share milestones, complete challenges, and earn badges. You can also join groups in Garmin Connect, which may be helpful for some folks who enjoy external motivation sources. For Anthony, he spent most of his testing efforts on the hardware and less on the app-based forums.
RELATED: Fitness Tracker vs Smartwatch
Fitness Tracking Capabilities
The Venu Sq 2 can track your standard health metrics like step count, distance, calories, heart rate, stress, respiration, and sleep tracking. You’ll receive a sleep score and stress score, too.
When it comes to activity tracking you can choose from strength training, HIIT, cardio, triathlon, walking, Pilates, yoga, indoor and outdoor running, disc golf, cycling, swimming, water sports, and winter sports.
The watch can track VO2 max, fitness age, and features a “pulse ox sensor” which is a fancy way of letting you know the watch tracks your blood oxygen saturation, an indicator of how well your body is absorbing oxygen.
You’ll also be able to use the “body battery” feature to tune into your body’s energy resources. This feature takes into account your physical activity, stress, and sleep to create a full picture of your energy on a daily basis. Garmin designed this feature so you can make more informed decisions about exercise and rest habits.
Additionally, GGR tester Anthony appreciates the unique intensity minutes tracking feature. When you track your moderate to high intensity exercise, you essentially earn intensity minutes through the watch. Instenity minutes are based on your average resting heart rate versus your heart rate while exercising.
Tracking your intensity minutes can be helpful for meeting the CDC guidelines1 of getting at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous cardiovascular (not just lifting!) activity each week. With the ability to access a wide array of health tracking, the Venu Sq 2 earns a 4.5 out of 5 stars in this category.
Additionally, the watch has a health snapshot feature which records a 2-minute session to collect stats on heart rate, heart rate variability, oxygen saturation, respiration, and stress. These combined stats create a report that you can choose to share on the Garmin Connect app. Overall the Garmin Venu Sq 2 earns 4.5 out of 5 stars in the category.
RELATED: Fitbit vs Garmin
Heart Rate Tracking
Heart rate tracking on smartwatches—like an Apple Watch, Fitbit, or Garmin watch—use LED optical heart-rate sensors to record your heart’s beats per minute via the blood capillaries in your wrist. Anthony found the Garmin to be fairly accurate based on manual tests with resting heart rate and comparison to his Apple Watch.
This technology allows for heart rate tracking, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV). Additionally, the Garmin watch can sync with compatible chest strap-style heart rate monitors (like the one we feature in our best heart rate monitors roundup) for additional analysis.
User Interface and Smartwatch Features
Tester Anthony had no issues syncing his iPhone to the Garmin Venu Sq 2 when following instructions. Plus, it’s not just a fitness tracker, this Venu Sq 2 has GPS tracking, phone location settings, previews texts, and allows you to alert an emergency contact of your location. You can also customize your home screen and shortcuts to the settings and apps you use the most.
You won’t be able to make on-wrist calls with this device, but you’ll have access to other smart features like Garmin Pay for contactless payments and the ability to download select apps from the Connect IQ Store.
If you want to take advantage of free workouts from Garmin, you’ll have to use the Garmin Connect app to download workouts ranging from HIIT and Pilates to cardio and strength training sessions. There’s also stopwatch functions and timers for EMOM and time trial training.
Anthony didn’t totally appreciate the extra step to download workouts from the app, which is why he scored the watch 4 out of 5 stars for ease of use.
RELATED: Fitbit Versa 3 Review
Battery Life
Our testers reserve high scores for smartwatches and fitness trackers with a multi-day battery life. The Venu Sq 2 has 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, meaning that if you decide to turn off push notifications and smartphone syncing, the battery could last longer. The long battery life earns the Venu Sq 2 a 5-star rating in this category.
General Wear
When our testers evaluate general wear, we consider comfort, aesthetics, and the ease of taking it on and off. The Venu Sq 2 earns a 4.5-out-of-5-star rating in the category. Anthony prefers the square watch face over traditional round watches, liked the graphics, and thought the analog-looking always-on display was sophisticated.
Anthony notes the silicone watch band fit well and offered 15 pin-hole adjustments for different wrist sizes. The aquatic mint colorway was not his favorite, but he ordered it because the black was not available at the time he made the purchase. He’d prefer to see more color options.
It’s also worth mentioning you won’t have to take the Garmin Venu Sq 2 off for using a cold plunge tub, hand washing, showering, or swimming. It’s waterproof up to 50 meters and can track swimming metrics.
RELATED: Best Waterproof Fitness Trackers
Garmin Venu Sq 2 vs Garmin Vivoactive 5
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Product Highlights
-
Fitness tracker with up to 11 days of battery life
-
Available in 4 colors
-
Over 30 sports apps and workouts
-
Tracks pushes and built-in workouts for wheelchair users
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Available in 4 colors
- Over 30 sports apps and workouts
- Tracks pushes and built-in workouts for wheelchair users
- 11 days of battery life
Cons
- Affordable, but more expensive than other fitness trackers
- Can have a learning curve to new users
Bottom Line
Available in four different colors, the Garmin vivoactive 5 is one of their more affordable fitness trackers, costing just under $300. With a variety of sports apps and workouts available, the vivoactive 5 sets itself apart with built-in workouts and a push tracker for wheelchair users.
In our research, we’ve found that most folks compare the Garmin Venu Sq 2 to the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 watch or the Apple Watch SE. However, we think the Garmin Venue Sq 2 is a unique option in the fitness tracking market because of the wide range of metrics it can track and the long lasting battery life. For this reason, we’re going to take a side-by-side look at our favorite Garmin smartwatch: Vivoactive 5.
Both Garmin devices feature the following tracking capabilities and fitness features:
- Body battery
- Sleep tracking and sleep score
- Stress tracking and stress scores
- Activity and movement tracking (steps, calories, and distance)
- Heart rate
- Heart rate variability
- Pulse oxygen sensor (aka “pulse ox” On Garmin devices)
- Respiration
- Health snapshot
- VO2 max
- Intensity minutes
- Fitness age
- Meditation options
- Mindful breathing
- Manual hydration tracking
- Manual menstrual cycle tracking
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 has a few additional attributes you may like that are not on the Venu Sq 2. For example, the Vivoactive 5 can play music, record perceived effort, provide audio prompts, and track more activities like water sports, racket sports, boxing, and more.
It’s also ideal for folks who use a wheelchair because the Vivoactive 5 can track pushes versus steps, provide weight shift alerts, and offers wheelchair workouts.
RELATED: Garmin Forerunner 265 Review
| Garmin Vivoactive 5 | Garmin Venu Sq 2 | |
| Price | $299.99 | $249.99 |
| Battery life | 11 days | 11 days |
| Display size | 1.2” (30.4 mm) diameter | 1.41” (35.9 mm) diagonal |
| Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Water resistance | Up to 50 m | Up to 50 m |
| Connectivity | GPS, Bluetooth, ANT+, WiFi | GPS, Bluetooth, ANT+ |
| Activity profiles | Strength, HIIT, cardio, walking, push tracker, Pilates, yoga, indoor and outdoor running, disc golf, cycling, swimming, water sports, racket sports, winter sports, team sports, boxing, mixed martial arts | Strength, HIIT, cardio, triathlon, walking, Pilates, yoga, indoor and outdoor running, disc golf, cycling, swimming, water sports, winter sports |
Customer Experience
Garmin earns 4 out of 5 stars for overall customer experience. You can expect a 30-day window to make a return and a one-year warranty on smartwatches. Anthony did not need to contact Garmin for customer support, but noticed there is a landing page with manuals, how-to videos, and software updates to help you address any questions you may have.
If you need to contact a person on the customer support team, it will take a minute to navigate that information (which we find a bit annoying). On the support webpage, you’ll navigate to the link titled, “contact support.” You’ll then need to enter a serial number or the name of the product. From there, you will then be provided with an email and phone numbers if you scroll to the bottom of that page.
Keep in mind there are several models of the Venu including the original Venu Sq and Venu Sq 2 Music Edition. Be sure you type in the correct model for the best answers.
Customer Reviews
On Amazon, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 has a 4.5-out-of-5-star rating from 950 customer reviews. Most customers are happy with their purchase and report excellent battery life and an easy to use interface. However, there are multiple customers who found their Garmin device did not track accurate heart rate, pace, or distance.
Final Verdict of Our Garmin Venu Sq 2 Review
The Garmin Venu Sq 2 has a lot to offer at $250 with a long battery life and a ton of health metric tracking capabilities. Consider the Venu Sq 2 if you:
- Want the ability to track more than steps, calories, and distance
- Are interested in health metrics like heart rate, HRV, and blood oxygen saturation
- Will use the built-in GPS and safety features
- Prefer a waterproof device
- Don’t need to take calls from your wrist
- Will take advantage of GarminPay
Garmin Venu Sq 2 Rating
Garmin Venu Sq 2
Read on to find out what our experts say about this budget-friendly fitness tracker in our Garmin Venu Sq 2 review.
Product Brand: Garmin
Product Currency: $
Product Price: 249.99
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.3
Garmin Venu Sq 2: FAQs
Is the Venu Sq 2 waterproof?
Yes, you can swim with the Venu Sq 2 because it’s waterproof up to 50 meters.
Is the Garmin Venu Sq 2 worth it?
For anyone looking for a Garmin fitness tracker with smartwatch capabilities, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 has a lot to offer. Some Garmin devices are ultra robust with more metrics than the recreational athlete or home gym owner needs. While the Venu Sq 2 has a wide range of health stats, it’s not overwhelming. It’s an excellent deal for about $250.
What is the difference between Garmin Venu 2 and Venu Sq 2?
The Garmin Venu 2 Plus has a round watch face and voice functionality for making on-wrist phone calls and syncing with your smartphone’s voice assistant. The Venu Sq 2 has a ton of tracking (and syncing) capabilities but cannot answer phone calls.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2018). Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition.
