I’ve worn a number of Garmin watches over the years, from Forerunners to Fenix models but this was the first time I tried the Venu range (kindly sent to me by Very.co.uk to test ).
Garmin Venu 3S Running Smartwatch
Running watches vary wildly in price and reliability. You can pay hundreds of dollars for a watch that you only use a small number of features, or you can get a cheaper watch that doesn’t do everything you need. I tested the Garmin Venu 3S to see if it could withstand the demands of marathon training…
I’m mainly focusing on the working side of the watch’s features – for a very in-depth technical review, I highly recommend checking out DCRainmaker. It goes in-depth on a lot of features that I’ll never use (or care about!), but if you do, give it a read!
I’ll be the first to admit that I choose a watch based on looks first and functionality second. I want to be able to wear it most of the time, whether I’m running, to the gym, to work, or trying to put together an outfit that doesn’t have anything lycra in it. I really like the soft gold and ivory version I bought, it looks like a sleeker version of the Fenix 7S (although I can’t wait to try the Fenix 8!) and is definitely more of a lifestyle watch than the Coros Pace. 3.
The Venu 3 (45mm) is also optionally available with a slightly larger watch face than the Venu 3S (41mm).
There have been some changes to the Venu 3 compared to the last version, including more sports added to its lineup, including the addition of the open water swimming feature, but it still offers significantly less than the lineup More expensive Fenix and the comparably priced Forerunners.
Some significant improvements over the Venu 2 and 3 include the addition of HRV (heart rate variability), sleep score and sleep coaching, body battery, and morning/evening reports collating your data.
Is the Venu 3S good for runners?
I’ve had good experiences with Garmin’s GPS and features across their entire line of running watches. However, I recently upgraded to a Coros when my last Fenix broke and I’m impressed with the speed and accuracy of the Coros GPS. I compared the Garmin Venu 3S to the Coros Pace 3 when it came to GPS and didn’t find much of a difference on my usual runs around Reading. I found while running around the city of London that the Garmin Venu 3S was more generous in terms of distance than the Coros – or other people’s running watches during our monthly Westin London City Run (join us on first Thursday of every month!)
There are sensors for heart rate monitors, Garmin foot sensors (useful for those who work out a lot on treadmills and want accurate data) as well as a new cycling power meter for runners aspiring to triathlon.
Benefits
Battery life – in 10 to 14 days, the Venu 3 will more than withstand a week of marathon training, including. your long run,
Look – if you wear your running watch all day, you’ll want something that looks good. Rose gold and ivory work with your lycra as well as your barrel jeans and leopard print vest. I also like the two size options for those with smaller wrists.
Quality – with Garmin products you always get great quality items and this is no exception.
AMOLED screen – “active matrix organic light emitting diodes” basically, it looks really fancy, and the touchscreen works quickly, it’s bright and easy to read on the go and has nice colors!
Speaker and microphone – meaning you can take calls from your watch and use guided meditation and music on your wrist. The watch can store playlists from Spotify and Amazon Music, but it doesn’t support LTE.
Ease of use – a combination of touchscreen and three buttons on the side of the watch makes it easier to interact with the screen and avoid accidentally stopping your run with your stick.
Disadvantages
No Trail Run functionality – to be honest, it wasn’t a big deal for me. I don’t use it often as I usually start my runs on the road although many of them tend to end on river trails.
Cost – I think £449-499 is quite expensive for this model from Garmin. Very.co.uk was having £50 off at the time they sent it to me, so keep an eye out for Black Friday/Christmas deals on their website.
No training readiness or training status scores – if you like those in other Garmin models, you might miss them in the Venu line.
No personalized workout suggestions – although you will have access to the full range of Garmin training plans on Garmin connect and a small number of pre-programmed workouts on the Venu 3 watch.
So what’s the verdict?
I read a review on Runner’s World that suggested this watch was better suited to 5K runners than marathoners…well, as a seasoned marathoner, it does everything I would want it to do. Maybe I’m underutilizing the features, but we really don’t just want it to track runs, give us an idea of our paces, and have enough battery life to last a full week of training?
I found the pace tracking and satellites to be quite reliable and on par with the Coros Pace 3 – and I love that you can either send workouts to the watch or use Garmin training plans and monitoring directly. Garmin Coach function. Yes, he doesn’t have the practice readiness scores, but if I’m honest, that’s usually the case. ignore this anyway.
If anything, it’s the cost that might be off-putting for the Venu 3, especially when you compare this fitness tracker/running watch with the running-focused Garmin Forerunners currently on the market, like the Forerunner 55 for less than £200. Or the much more expensive (but very pretty) Fenix 7S – or the recently released Fenix 8S!
Overall, the look and running and fitness features of this stylish watch give me a boost – whatever your running goals!
What features do you use most on your running watch? And do you only wear your running watch when you run or all day like me?