Garmin Venu® 3S, Premium Fitness Smartwatch, 41mm, Pebble Gray

I absolutely love this watch and have worn it every single day for the past year. The sage gray color is so clean and stylish. It’s comfortable enough to wear all day, whether I’m working out, at work, or just going out. One of the best parts is the battery life. I only have to charge it about every two weeks, which is amazing compared to other smartwatches I’ve tried. The health and fitness tracking features are also really helpful and easy to use. Overall, it’s a great mix of style, comfort, and functionality, and definitely worth the price!

So far, I'm impressed. I'm not a big brand purchaser, and I've used a $50 smart fitness watch for years quite happily. I always wanted a Garmin, but was put off by their lack of function as a smart watch, but really wanted their better fitness tracking. Finally decided to treat myself even at the much higher cost, but so far I've been truly impressed by the upgrade. Everything it does, it just does better. The tracking seems truer, but it's really easy to use and has a lot more functionality; BP, O2 states, as well as good monitoring when you're using as a fitness tracker. The watch is a nice size (41mm), plenty of visibility to read and react to notifications, works great with my android, but without the cost of an I-watch. The watch itself is nice to look at, and the strap is strong but so soft and flexible that it's a pleasure to wear it. This doesn't have the sapphire face, so I did spend a few bucks buying screen protectors, which do not interfere at all with the functionality of the touch screen. I think this is my new favorite, and i'd definitely but this watch again if I lost it.

This is my 1st purchase of a Garmin Smartwatch. I had several Fitbits in the past 10 years and I was pretty much satisfied with just using the basics of that simpler watch. Music, payments, advanced workouts, messages, all the rest – I never used my watch for those functions. I was looking for a smartwatch to count my daily steps, track heartrate (see why below), quickie weather forecasts, a few stock quotes, oh yeah…and the time. That was pretty much the limits of my Fitbit usage. So having those plus a bunch of other simple apps or glances (Garmin’s terms for simple and oft-used apps), I was more than happy. The Garmin Venu 3S does all of this and more. If you want to do music, videos, payments, and lots of other features the Venu 3S can do those too, but that’s not my bag, as Austin Powers once said. The glances features are pretty easy to navigate once you get comfortable with these app-like functions. The Body Battery function is interesting, combining data from several apps to determine how much energy your body has or needs. Sleep Score is also useful. I even found a nifty Sun & Moon app that gives me the time for sunrise/set and moonrise/set plus the Moon phase -- useful for my daily activities and those days and nights when I pursue my astronomy hobby. I am especially pleased with the heart apps. I have several heart issues including HOCM (Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy) so being able to check my heart rate at rest and during rigorous walks is very important to me. The ECG and HRV Status apps are nice additional features to have (if you have an arrythmia check with your cardiologist/doctor before activating the ECG function). The Pulse Oximeter is also good to check upon during long walks or other strenuous activities. Battery life consistently averaging 10 days is fantastic, especially compared to Apple smartwatches that need to be recharged in under 2 days. My Fitbits could last 5 days but that meant bringing a charger for most vacations or longer times away from home. The Venu 3S is able to last 10 days right on the dot, and that included during the setup run when the watch was being used a lot more and downloading updates, glances, apps, etc. A battery saver option with a “sleep” mode will help you survive until you can get back to your home and charger, preserving battery life if you’re using the watch but running low on power. I got the Venu 3S instead of the brand new model 4S (which had just come out) because for someone not maxxing out on all the apps/glances/features, the 3S was more than enough for my needs. I didn’t see a revolutionary change from the Venu 3S to the 4/4s. If you are a person who lives more off their smartwatch than your smartphone, then perhaps the additional features and new OS (assuming no glitches) on the Garmin Venu 4 will be worth it. At an extra 20% in cost, make sure you need the latest features or it’s an unnecessary expenditure. Net-Net: this is a really nifty smartwatch for the advanced or beginner smartwatch user. The interface is very nice…swiping is easy and seamless....button navigation also very simple...the watch face colors are bright and easy to see even in direct sunlight. The 41mm size is fine for me (I’m under 6 feet tall) and most people, but if you like having an oversized watch or are a bigger person with a bigger wrist, than the 45mm size of the Venu 3 might be better for you. Very happy with my Garmin Venu 3S and if my prior experience with their GPS car navigation systems holds, I should have many years of trouble-free usage ahead of me.

I’ve been using the Garmin Venu 3 and I’m really happy with it. One of the things I like the most is how it helps me organize my training routines, both for cycling and my gym workouts. The data is easy to understand and it makes tracking progress very simple. Another big advantage is the battery life. In my experience it lasts between 7 and 9 days, which is excellent for a smartwatch with this many features. The heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking are also great additions. I like being able to see how well I recovered and how my sleep affects my training. Overall, it’s a great device if you want a smartwatch that also works as a serious training companion

I upgraded from a Venu SQ to a Venu 3S and I love it so much! The upgraded features are amazing. Obviously I am coming from a first generation watch, but I have also owned an Apple Watch in the past and my husband only uses Apple Watch, and I can confidently say Garmin in superior IF you care more about the fitness/health tracking side of things. But even aside from that, it has voice assistance so you can send texts plus other things from your watch, a speaker so you can talk on the phone or even download music directly to the watch and listen, ability to see images in notifications, etc. The set up was quick and easy, and it is compatible with Apple health if you have an iPhone. The only annoying thing to set up was Amazon Music. It took some googling but I finally figured it out. The band it came with is good quality, but I did switch to a Velcro band so I can quickly adjust the fit. I prefer it to be on the tighter side when I work out. It just has so awesome feature that I think most people would enjoy. I LOVE it and will forever be a Garmin user.

Important Health Update Published 12/27/24 in Environmental Science & Technology Letters: “New research reveals that many smartwatch and fitness tracker wristbands, particularly premium models, contain alarming concentrations of PFAS chemicals that could potentially seep into wearers’ skin. The study highlights specific concerns about a compound called perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), found at unprecedented levels in some devices worn continuously against the skin.” !!! Based on that research, I removed the silicone wristband that came with this watch and ordered a nylon wristband instead! If you plan to do that, consider the color of the edges of the watch you choose, which coordinate with the colors of Garmin’s silicone wristband and may not be easily matched with the colors of alternative wristbands. I chose the sage gray and now wish I had purchased the black! As for the watch itself, having not yet owned a smartwatch, after much research, I carefully chose this Garmin Venu 3s watch just for its health indicators: Heart rate and variability, respiration, pulse oxygen level, stress, sleep tracker and overall “Body Battery” (Body Battery is the perceived energy level based on other readings). I walk, don’t run, jog, lift weights, play golf or the myriad of other options this watch can track. I particularly appreciate the HRV (Heart Rate Variability) indicator, as well as the “Sleep Coach” data and reminders. Various settings are adjusted using the Garmin Connect app (Tip: After checking it out, I found the additional Garmin Connect “IQ” app worthless for myself - they are 3rd party apps that gather too much personal data; the IQ app offers some additional watch faces to choose from but there are about 10 of those that come loaded onto the watch and there is the ability to create your own watch face - see several related YouTube videos for help, if needed). The Sleep Coach points out whether I am hitting my sleep/rest goal for the day, with breakdowns of deep, light, and REM sleep, as well as how many times I woke during the night. The watch offers a few “tips” along the way, like pointing out my day has been stressful (whether I realized it, or not), so I should relax well before bedtime in order to sleep better. I’ve used this lightweight Garmin Venu 3s for several months and really appreciate it, especially for its battery life which I extend by setting the watch face to “go dark” until I tap the watch face, not set to always be lit and not to light up when I raise my wrist to check the time. I turned off all exercise items I do not use. I also chose not to activate the phone or messages features on the watch, since my smartphone has to be within sight to be connected to the watch to receive those anyway, and responding with anything other than quick/preset messages would be “clunky” - not with a standard type of keyboard (See YouTube videos about the Garmin Venu 3/3s for those in-depth details!). I chose the model that must connect to a smartphone - instead of the “Cellular Venu 3/3s” model that would need its own cellular account! This smaller 3s is comfortable to wear 24 hours and, after 5 days, usually has about 45% battery remaining (Most Apple Watches must be charged daily, and there is also a question about the accuracy of the method Apple uses to determine Heart Rate Variability - since Apple uses a continuous monitoring method, rather than when the person is at rest as is customary). Once the Garmin Connect software was downloaded, the watch easily connected to my Apple 14 (Pro) phone to set up the watch and update the software. I have settings adjusted so health readings are saved only when I access the Garmin app from my smartphone - rather than having the Garmin app constantly connected to the watch to provide routine background updates that would drain battery life. I spent hours researching other models and chose the Venu 3s - the smaller version. The Garmin Venu 3 is a bit larger/heavier but otherwise has the exact same features as the 3s (Though I’m not sure the larger model has a touch screen! Something to definitely determine before considering that “3” model.) I’m very happy with this watch. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 I removed one star for the unhealthy silicone band that came with the watch that I had to remove and order a replacement for, due to the health issues of wearing silicone next to skin. After seeing how beneficial the watch has been for me, my husband had me order one for him and is pleased with it, especially when, after a month of wearing it, the HRV readings alerted him of a potential issue which his cardiologist is now checking further. My husband opted for the smaller 3s version, as I did, and though he’s a big guy, it looks fine - not too small. I hope all of this helps with your own purchase decision and would appreciate an indication of that if so.

Let me preface this by saying I chose this one after buying, trying, and then returning the Apple Watch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch, FitBit, and a couple of other lesser-known brands. I actually went with a Garmin Venu Sq. 2 first and I loved it, at which point I bought this one due to the beautiful, large AMOLED screen and because it runs on the sand base software. That’s a GOOD thing, so let me elaborate. This is by far the most accurate watch for counting the total calories burned. The Apple Watch simply did not let me view the TOTAL calories burned, as it would show your estimated basal metabolic rate and then stack the active expenditure in a separate category, so you’d have to go back and forth to view each one and then add it up. The Galaxy watch suffered a similar problem, but it was not that accurate at measuring steps, which would directly affect the caloric expenditure. The FitBit was just WILDLY inaccurate and once told me I burned 5000+ calories in a day because I had a panic episode after something bad happened in my personal life, and so that night it registered me as having burned thousands of calories just laying in bed. The Garmin, however, did everything right (accurate steps that match the ones my iPhone said to within 5%, heart rate matched a professional blood pressure cuff, and the calorie counter tracked my weight loss exactly). It is extremely useful when counting calories where a slim margin is needed, such as aiming to lose 750 calories a day to lose 1.5 lbs/week. It it’s off by just 100 or 200, that’s already a half pound off, or 26 pounds a year. It is extremely important to me that it gets it right. It also has a ton of features, but I don’t use them honestly. It’s very easy to connect and set up, too. The price is subjectively fair but objectively it is quite high. Regardless, I am very pleased with it. The battery life is EXCELLENT if you turn Bluetooth and WiFi off, too. 5/5 all around!

Very nice product. The battery life is great, that's why I prefer Garmin over other smart watches. This version also supports Afib heart detection with ECG app.

Now having used this watched for over a year I am in love with it. Only complaint is it leaves a mark on your hand if you wear it to sleep. Has decent battery even after a year, lasts me 7 to 9 days before I charge it fully. I love the morning reports which has the weather, my sleep factors etc. The watch faces that are cute are really lacking in options but that is a Garmin issue nothing to do with the watch. I am happy with this watch with looks beautiful and also functional and a powerhouse.

Efter 3 veckor funka fortfarande

Die Garmin Venu 3S ist bei mir jeden Tag im Einsatz und ich bin sehr zufrieden. Sie läuft flüssig, lässt sich einfach bedienen und reagiert zuverlässig. Für mich persönlich ist die Größe der absolute Hit, da ich gerne kleinere Uhren trage. Besonders begeistert mich die Akkulaufzeit. Ich muss sie deutlich seltener laden als andere Smartwatches, was im Alltag wirklich angenehm ist. Auch die Verarbeitung und das Tragegefühl gefallen mir sehr gut. Für mich eine klare Kaufempfehlung – ich würde sie jederzeit wieder kaufen.

I bought this to replace my aging Fitbit Sense, which wasn't charging well anymore. It had the promise of using the phone's voice assistant, which was better than the Sense 2 which only has access to Alexa now. It's Bixby given I'm on a Samsung phone, but it's better than Alexa and it can control stuff on the phone remotely from the watch which is a cool bonus. I did not have any appreciation for the massive difference in health tracking between a Fitbit and a Garmin when I pressed Buy Now. Every feature of the Fitbit is here in some form, both subscription features like readiness score (recovery) and enhanced sleep metrics to all of the basic stuff. Lots of things that are restricted to while you're asleep on the Fitbit work at all times on the Garmin, like respiration and blood oxygen. The sensor and LEDs on this are much bigger than on a fitbit and are much more sensitive to highs and lows in heart rate that fitbit can't pick up. The stress detection and body battery features are really cool and seem accurate. Fitness age presents an unflattering but likely pretty accurate picture of my health after wearing the watch for a few days. Everything is customizable on the watch and in the Garmin app; there is even a feature to design your own watch face with a photo background of your choice and the placement of the watch elements and complications where you choose them. You can put what is important to you front and center and you can ignore anything you don't care about. Both the watch and the app require a bit of messing around to get things looking the way you would like, but it's easy and I had fun poking at the watch for hours making everything perfect. There are a LOT of pre made watch faces included with assorted complications, some of them configurable and some not. The one pictured is not configurable but it displays exactly the stats I want and looks good. There are several included faces that look great so you aren't forced into their store right away. It is ironic that there is a working YouTube Music app for Garmin watches but not for the top of the line fitbits. I have loaded my likes playlist to the watch, which loaded almost 300 songs in the same order they are in on the YM app. This took a while and I left the watch plugged in while it downloaded over wifi. Connecting headphones was really easy and I set the "shortcut" swipe from left side to open the music player. I have used the watch to listen to music instead of my phone on some walks and it's a great experience. I am very fond of this. It's an upgrade in every way from a Fitbit Sense. It's the Samsung phone of fitness trackers with all of the bells, whistles and options you could ask for and some you didn't know you wanted before you got the watch. Worth the 600 bucks.

Amazing battery life. 7 day with one charge. Looks better than apple