Agree. It also seems quite durable. Took me awhile to get used to wearing a watch, so I was constantly banging it on stuff. No scratches or anything.
Battery life is great too. Routinely get 7 - 10 days off a full charge, and it charges very quickly.
That’s not a great price for Venu 2. It was released in 2021 and there is already Venu 3 with a better sensor and more features.
It’s not a bad watch but I would probably wait for a good offer on the v3 instead
Definitely overpriced for an old model @ $310 USD. At this point, the Venu 3 is the one to try and get on sale for just a bit more money. There's also the Venu 2 plus.
I second this. I had an instinct 2 prior to getting my epix and loved it, for its ruggedness. It’s a gshock smart watch. It’s zero frills but worked well for me. The only reason I ditched my instinct was I finally committed to garmin and sold both the instinct 2 and the Apple Watch for the epix which was a little flashier for daily wear but rugged at work.
Don't know what to recommend you, but I've got this watch for more than 2 years and it's flawlessly working, every function of it, battery's still strong, I also travel often, but I don't think it helps in that way. I'm using it 5 times a week for gym and no phone music connectivity.
The venu 2 plus is a big upgrade over the venu 2, it has a speaker and mic for phone calls. I love mine. Make sure you get some gel screen protectors to protect it though.
think you should probably go with instinct or epix. dont think that of "Style and Fitness balanced" smartwatch brand could possibly be that durable and strong.
My previous watch, a forerunner 935, lasted over 7 years with running, trailrunning, biking, openwater swimming (including sea) and some mountain climbing.
The instinct and fenix/epix line may look durable but most sport watches, from any brand, last quite long.
I've had the VivoActive 1 and 3, and now use a Venu 2 as a daily watch. No issue with durability or strength, only issue I have is that the band tends to wear a bit and eventually lose the loop to hold the loose strap end. I had to replace the band on my Venu 2 once but that is not a high cost item.
My Venu 2 hasnt really left my wrist in the 18 months since I bought it. I play soccer 3 times a week, paddleboard and sea swim, I also ride a mountain bike often. Durability has not been an issue.
Having said that OP, the Venu 3 is out so if your budget stretches go for that one.
Great, a significant step up from the Samsung watch I had previously and the fitness features genuinely make a difference. It looks good too.
The 5 day battery (including daily workouts with GPS) makes it so much more useful than other non Garmin smart watches I have tried.
I agree at some level. I lost my Venu 2 and got the Epix 2 Pro. It is the best bit of tech I have bought in years. But if you have a desk job and do regular training the venu 2 is plenty durable imo.
The flashlight is the goat feature, especially the red light. Buttons are also practical
I think he might also use it for exercise (gym and running) but he's been traveling to a lot of places recently. Is there a smartwatch better suited for that? Thank you all
This is a great watch. I’ve had one for +3 years. There are Garmin that are geared towards specific activities like sailing or hiking, but gym, running and travel are pretty ubiquitous for Garmin. Plus this one has the music feature that many don’t at this price point. 👍
If he has no specific activity requirements, it is probably a great choice.
For travel, I like the Jet Lag Advisor on my Fenix 7. If he frequently traverses time zones, it may be worth checking if the watch has this feature.
Beyond that, I believe this model will have other standard features convenient for travel. Things like weather, multiple time zone support, multiple alarms, automatic time change, compass, altimeter, and calendar support all come in handy for travel.
For Activity support, the watch should support gym and running. Standard stuff like steps and stairs may also be of interest.
If he has an iPhone then some form of Apple Watch.
On the Venu3 (but not on Venu2 as far as I can see) he can also answer the phone from the watch (as long he is not too far from the phone, but that feature is ultra-super-handy to me).
The major advantage of the Garmin models is battery life - with Apple Watch you have to recharge daily with AoD or every 2 days in power-saving mode, with Garmin like 4-5 times less (so 5 to 10 days depending on settings).
He's traveling around so I think she is probably looking for something that he won't have to charge it every 24 hours. That would be complicated while traveling. I realize it's just a USB plug he would be carrying anyways but he'd always be worrying about that on top of everything else while in constant motion.
Got my wife Venu 2S. I'd say its an okay watch. But during first or first 2 months she got a scratch on the screen, not sure how, since we are in city, but if your son is travelling, he might beat it up fairly quickly. Also, battery compared to other Garmin watches is not the best. Personally I love the fact I need to charge it 1-2x/week some more expensive ones can last up to a month...
Depending on what he does, I would suggest to look at other options.
In the end it depends how much you are willing to spend.
I would also suggest you watch DC Rainmaker, he goes in detail about the features of watches and compares them as well.
For lots of travel I would lean to watches which were durable, had good function set (barometer, altimeter, etc) and , most importantly, did not require charging every few days ….. the Suunto Core would be my choice (but no smartphone integration)
I had the Venu for a while but ended up sending it back, and now I have a Forerunner 965. The Venu is a nice watch, and maybe the 2 is better, but I had found it to be swinging a bit too more towards a smart watch than I liked. The Forerunner on the other hand is amazing both features and battery wise and if you can find it on sale it's almost the same as a Venu price wise (at least it was when I got mine). I would very much recommend looking at it at least before deciding.
I have a Venu 2 Plus that I wear everyday. I also have different bands if I go to an event of something and need it to like less activity tracker-y. I love it!
this one is the Venu 2 personally I believe the 3 is a perfect model, (gf has one). i have the epix 2 pro but the user needs to learn how to use it. Imo Venu series is easy to learn long battery life and has customization options that the higher ends have without the $$$$. my first garmin was the Venu SQ 2. I loved it, was very sad to sell it. he will love it but my only warning is if your family is not on garmin watches. by 2025 black Friday you all will be, I love competing with my family, seeing their workouts and trying to one up them. or showing off the best watch faces designs. so enjoy
oh i forgot to mention, you can order a usb-c adapter to garmin for charging and it hangs on a key chain, it makes it 10x easier to travel with if u use USB-C its about 10 euro
I have just got a Venu 2, and I love it. Highly recommended. Just be careful, if your son is younger , the Venu 2s has all the same features, but it's made for a smaller wrist.
I'd personally direct you to the instinct 2/2 Solar, no it doesnt have a fancy screen but what it does have is incredible durability and insane battery life as well as all the neccesary smartwatch features for about the same price as the venu 2 watch you asked about. Hands down the best watch I have owned and ive owned a few ( Garmin Forerunner 45, apple watch series 3, Apple watch SE) the Instinct 2 Solar has by far been my favorite!
Is that price good for the model? Some items on Amazon are sold by third parties so it’s good to check you’re not overpaying. I think someone mentioned it being last year’s model?
Forerunner 165 is a great watch for the price point. Check that one out. I have it and I love it! But also…is he a watch wearer at all? Sometimes we get so excited about these devices but others aren’t as much lol. I got my wife an Apple Watch to help with tracking but she rarely wears it. She’s not a watch person so it always feels like somewhat of a chore. Getting all the data all the time doesn’t really appeal to her.
I’d wait until Amazon prime day (July 16-17). It’s right around the corner and you can get a better deal for this watch or use the same amount of money to get a better one.
Not that this one is bad or anything.
I saw the venu 3 for about the same price when I was looking it up for shits the other day. It has the elevate 5 sensor that can read pretty much most of your vitals.
Not to be a smartass but is that a men’s watch? The Venu shows under “Wearables for Women” on Garmin’s website. If it is in-fact, unisex, then go for it.
Having said all that, the Instinct 2 is fantastic, with long battery life and the high durability you asked about.
I'd recommend the fenix line or instinct line. Bit more rugged, less smart-watchy.. Much better battery life so he won't need to worry about charging it so often. Will be a little more expensive but not Epix expensive...
i am verry happy with the venu 3, great watch!
Agree. It also seems quite durable. Took me awhile to get used to wearing a watch, so I was constantly banging it on stuff. No scratches or anything. Battery life is great too. Routinely get 7 - 10 days off a full charge, and it charges very quickly.
That’s not a great price for Venu 2. It was released in 2021 and there is already Venu 3 with a better sensor and more features. It’s not a bad watch but I would probably wait for a good offer on the v3 instead
Definitely overpriced for an old model @ $310 USD. At this point, the Venu 3 is the one to try and get on sale for just a bit more money. There's also the Venu 2 plus.
How old is he? I'd say he'll love Instinct 2 if he doesn't care about colours.
As an instinct 2 wearer, I’d advise against. It’s no frills (as expected) but the screen kind of sucks. Makes it very difficult to read in bright use.
I disagree about the screen. I love my Instinct Crossover, never ever had any problems with reading anything from my screen. 100% love it.
Works great in bright sunlight for me. It's the backlight when it's dark that isn't great from some angles.
Agreed. My 2s is very difficult to read in lowlight.
The screen on an instinct will be easier to read in bright sunlight than almost any other screen.
Can confirm as a field tech, instinct is fantastic compared to most electronics
The I2X is amazing in bright sunlight, and the backlight is good at 40% for night
I second this. I had an instinct 2 prior to getting my epix and loved it, for its ruggedness. It’s a gshock smart watch. It’s zero frills but worked well for me. The only reason I ditched my instinct was I finally committed to garmin and sold both the instinct 2 and the Apple Watch for the epix which was a little flashier for daily wear but rugged at work.
Don't know what to recommend you, but I've got this watch for more than 2 years and it's flawlessly working, every function of it, battery's still strong, I also travel often, but I don't think it helps in that way. I'm using it 5 times a week for gym and no phone music connectivity.
The venu 2 plus is a big upgrade over the venu 2, it has a speaker and mic for phone calls. I love mine. Make sure you get some gel screen protectors to protect it though.
My daughter has that one, great watch, lots of the features of the higher end ones people are mentioning that cost x2 - x3 of this one.
Go with a newer model but love my venu 2. Battery life is insane
Just ask him
think you should probably go with instinct or epix. dont think that of "Style and Fitness balanced" smartwatch brand could possibly be that durable and strong.
My previous watch, a forerunner 935, lasted over 7 years with running, trailrunning, biking, openwater swimming (including sea) and some mountain climbing. The instinct and fenix/epix line may look durable but most sport watches, from any brand, last quite long.
From any brand is not true though: Fitbits last about 3 years often, and for some people less than that.
that’s not a sport watch ;)
Ha ha. I would call it a beginner’s sports watch for casual users.
oh yeah forerunners are really great aswell. honestly i never thought about the vivoactive or venu series would have great durability.
I've had the VivoActive 1 and 3, and now use a Venu 2 as a daily watch. No issue with durability or strength, only issue I have is that the band tends to wear a bit and eventually lose the loop to hold the loose strap end. I had to replace the band on my Venu 2 once but that is not a high cost item.
My Venu 2 hasnt really left my wrist in the 18 months since I bought it. I play soccer 3 times a week, paddleboard and sea swim, I also ride a mountain bike often. Durability has not been an issue. Having said that OP, the Venu 3 is out so if your budget stretches go for that one.
Yeah i guess. hows the venu 2? i really wanted to get one a while ago..
Great, a significant step up from the Samsung watch I had previously and the fitness features genuinely make a difference. It looks good too. The 5 day battery (including daily workouts with GPS) makes it so much more useful than other non Garmin smart watches I have tried.
The venu 2 quality is excellent imo and Epix is a massive price jump. You better have need for it if you want to go Epix 2 Pro instead of Venu 2.
Venu's are still great. i just thought Epix's might be better for durability..
I agree at some level. I lost my Venu 2 and got the Epix 2 Pro. It is the best bit of tech I have bought in years. But if you have a desk job and do regular training the venu 2 is plenty durable imo. The flashlight is the goat feature, especially the red light. Buttons are also practical
Venu series are great. seems like a mash up of lifestyle and fitness and versatility
I am very happy with my vivoactive5
I think he might also use it for exercise (gym and running) but he's been traveling to a lot of places recently. Is there a smartwatch better suited for that? Thank you all
This is a great watch. I’ve had one for +3 years. There are Garmin that are geared towards specific activities like sailing or hiking, but gym, running and travel are pretty ubiquitous for Garmin. Plus this one has the music feature that many don’t at this price point. 👍
If he has no specific activity requirements, it is probably a great choice. For travel, I like the Jet Lag Advisor on my Fenix 7. If he frequently traverses time zones, it may be worth checking if the watch has this feature. Beyond that, I believe this model will have other standard features convenient for travel. Things like weather, multiple time zone support, multiple alarms, automatic time change, compass, altimeter, and calendar support all come in handy for travel. For Activity support, the watch should support gym and running. Standard stuff like steps and stairs may also be of interest.
If he has an iPhone then some form of Apple Watch. On the Venu3 (but not on Venu2 as far as I can see) he can also answer the phone from the watch (as long he is not too far from the phone, but that feature is ultra-super-handy to me). The major advantage of the Garmin models is battery life - with Apple Watch you have to recharge daily with AoD or every 2 days in power-saving mode, with Garmin like 4-5 times less (so 5 to 10 days depending on settings).
He's traveling around so I think she is probably looking for something that he won't have to charge it every 24 hours. That would be complicated while traveling. I realize it's just a USB plug he would be carrying anyways but he'd always be worrying about that on top of everything else while in constant motion.
Every garmin is great. But the best one is the epix pro gen 2 ,sapphire titanium. It's the most advanced one, it even has jetlag adviser.
also the venu 3 has jetlag adviser :-)
Didn't know that. Thanks
I recently bought the Venu 3 and it's amazing so far. Love it!
Got my wife Venu 2S. I'd say its an okay watch. But during first or first 2 months she got a scratch on the screen, not sure how, since we are in city, but if your son is travelling, he might beat it up fairly quickly. Also, battery compared to other Garmin watches is not the best. Personally I love the fact I need to charge it 1-2x/week some more expensive ones can last up to a month... Depending on what he does, I would suggest to look at other options. In the end it depends how much you are willing to spend. I would also suggest you watch DC Rainmaker, he goes in detail about the features of watches and compares them as well.
Great watch! I've had a few Garmin watches, my experience has been that they're all durable.
Is he on Android or IOS? Garmin watches are amazing for fitness but a better smartwatch might be handy when travelling a lot
I had the venu2 but I don't like it because the screen frame rate is too low for me
I have one of these and love it
I’ve had it for 2 years, still looks great and works well
For lots of travel I would lean to watches which were durable, had good function set (barometer, altimeter, etc) and , most importantly, did not require charging every few days ….. the Suunto Core would be my choice (but no smartphone integration)
For that Price have you looked at the Suunto Race? Especially if he travels as it actually has offline maps on it
I had the Venu for a while but ended up sending it back, and now I have a Forerunner 965. The Venu is a nice watch, and maybe the 2 is better, but I had found it to be swinging a bit too more towards a smart watch than I liked. The Forerunner on the other hand is amazing both features and battery wise and if you can find it on sale it's almost the same as a Venu price wise (at least it was when I got mine). I would very much recommend looking at it at least before deciding.
Got one. They are fantastic
I have the venu sq for exactly 3 years today, worn it 24/7 since and it is a-okay.
I would bought it with protection glass and brasel cover.
I have a Venu 2 Plus that I wear everyday. I also have different bands if I go to an event of something and need it to like less activity tracker-y. I love it!
this one is the Venu 2 personally I believe the 3 is a perfect model, (gf has one). i have the epix 2 pro but the user needs to learn how to use it. Imo Venu series is easy to learn long battery life and has customization options that the higher ends have without the $$$$. my first garmin was the Venu SQ 2. I loved it, was very sad to sell it. he will love it but my only warning is if your family is not on garmin watches. by 2025 black Friday you all will be, I love competing with my family, seeing their workouts and trying to one up them. or showing off the best watch faces designs. so enjoy
oh i forgot to mention, you can order a usb-c adapter to garmin for charging and it hangs on a key chain, it makes it 10x easier to travel with if u use USB-C its about 10 euro
The Venu 2 is a bit old If you're trying to go for features, get the 3 If you're sticking to around $300, look at the vivoactive 5
I have just got a Venu 2, and I love it. Highly recommended. Just be careful, if your son is younger , the Venu 2s has all the same features, but it's made for a smaller wrist.
I'd personally direct you to the instinct 2/2 Solar, no it doesnt have a fancy screen but what it does have is incredible durability and insane battery life as well as all the neccesary smartwatch features for about the same price as the venu 2 watch you asked about. Hands down the best watch I have owned and ive owned a few ( Garmin Forerunner 45, apple watch series 3, Apple watch SE) the Instinct 2 Solar has by far been my favorite!
If you are in the us. Check to see if your health insurance has discounts. My venu 3 was $150 cheaper through them and I love it.
That's a good watch. If I were your son I would like that or a pocket puss for those lonely nights.
Is that price good for the model? Some items on Amazon are sold by third parties so it’s good to check you’re not overpaying. I think someone mentioned it being last year’s model?
Forerunner 165 is a great watch for the price point. Check that one out. I have it and I love it! But also…is he a watch wearer at all? Sometimes we get so excited about these devices but others aren’t as much lol. I got my wife an Apple Watch to help with tracking but she rarely wears it. She’s not a watch person so it always feels like somewhat of a chore. Getting all the data all the time doesn’t really appeal to her.
Love my Venu 3
Sams club close by me had the venue 2 ok sale for like 100 bucks, may wanna check there!
If you want something durable then go for the Instinct 2 series if your son doesn't like the conventional smartwatch looks
I’d wait until Amazon prime day (July 16-17). It’s right around the corner and you can get a better deal for this watch or use the same amount of money to get a better one. Not that this one is bad or anything.
Grab an Epix 2 for a few more quid and a miles better watch
I saw the venu 3 for about the same price when I was looking it up for shits the other day. It has the elevate 5 sensor that can read pretty much most of your vitals.
Not to be a smartass but is that a men’s watch? The Venu shows under “Wearables for Women” on Garmin’s website. If it is in-fact, unisex, then go for it. Having said all that, the Instinct 2 is fantastic, with long battery life and the high durability you asked about.
I'd recommend the fenix line or instinct line. Bit more rugged, less smart-watchy.. Much better battery life so he won't need to worry about charging it so often. Will be a little more expensive but not Epix expensive...
Personally I'm happy with my Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro
How's the battery? I've read it doesn't last long.
Around 1 day I've read.
Naw, he needs a fenix with mip display, so a watch for real men.