Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Garmin has recently unveiled the Vivoactive 5 smartwatch, which many see as a more affordable counterpart to the Venu 3. With both watches offering a plethora of features, consumers might find themselves in a dilemma when choosing between the two. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown to help you make an informed decision.
Price Point
- The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is priced at $299/£259, available in various colors, offering significant value.
- In contrast, the Venu 3 is priced higher at $449/£449, reflecting its additional features and superior design.
Design & Build
- At first glance, the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 might appear quite similar. However, there are subtle differences.
- The Vivoactive 5 boasts an aluminum case, while the Venu 3 is crafted from stainless steel, giving it a more premium feel.
- The Venu 3 is available in two sizes: 45mm (standard) and 41mm (Venu 3S). The Vivoactive 5, on the other hand, comes in a singular 42mm size.
Display & Resolution
- Both watches utilize full AMOLED displays.
- The Vivoactive 5 features a 1.2-inch AMOLED with a 390×390 resolution.
- The Venu 3 (45mm) offers a larger 1.4-inch AMOLED with a 454×454 resolution.
Heart Rate Technology
- A significant difference lies in their heart rate sensor technology. The Venu 3 incorporates the latest Garmin Elevate 5 heart rate sensor tech, initially introduced in the Fenix 7 Pro.
- The Vivoactive 5 uses the older Elevate 4 sensor. While the Elevate 4 is accurate for steady runs and general health tracking, the Elevate 5 offers more reliability during high-intensity activities.
Smart Features
- The Venu 3 stands out with its ability to make or receive calls from the wrist.
- Both watches support Garmin Pay and access to Garmin Connect IQ, allowing users to download apps and sync Spotify playlists.
Health & Sleep Tech
- Both watches share similar health features, including body battery, pulse ox, stress, menstrual tracking, and more.
- The Venu 3 introduced enhanced sleep technology, which the Vivoactive 5 has adopted, making their sleep tracking capabilities nearly identical.
Battery Life
- The Vivoactive 5 boasts a battery life of 11 days in smartwatch mode and 5 days with the always-on display. Its GPS tracking mode lasts 17 hours.
- The Venu 3 lasts 14 days in smartwatch mode, with its GPS mode offering 20 hours.
Conclusion The Garmin Venu 3, with its superior features and design, is undoubtedly the premium choice. However, for those looking to save, the Vivoactive 5 provides many of the Venu 3’s best features at a more affordable price point, making it an excellent choice for fitness enthusiasts.
Quick Recap
Shopping ad
Sale
Garmin Venu 3, Running GPS Smartwatch, AMOLED Display, Advanced Health & Fitness, Up to 14 Days Battery, Silver with Whitestone Silicone Band - Bundle w/Deco Essentials 26-Month CPS Plan
- Designed with a bright, colorful display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 10 days in smartwatch mode
- Body Batter energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- INCLUDED IN THE BOX: Venu 3 | Charging/Data Cable | Documentation | Garmin Limited Protection
- BUNDLE INCLUDES: Additional 2 YR CPS Enhanced Protection Pack
Shopping ad
Garmin Venu 3 GPS Smartwatch, 45mm Silver/Whitestone, Fitness Tracker with 14-Day Battery & Sleep Coach - Includes Premium Charging Stand, Extra Power Cable & Port Protector Plugs (Renewed)
- OFFICIAL GARMIN REFURBISHED WITH COMPLETE ACCESSORY BUNDLE: Get the trusted Garmin Venu 3 (45mm, Silver/Whitestone) at a great value. Professionally inspected, tested, and restored to look and work like new. Includes a Desk Charging Stand, an Extra Backup Charging Cable, and Silicone Port Protector Plugs that help protect the charging port from sweat and everyday wear while keeping your smartwatch ready for workouts, travel, and daily use.
- 14-DAY BATTERY LIFE & AMOLED DISPLAY: Say goodbye to the daily charging hassles that plague other smartwatches. While competitors only offer 24 hours of use, the Venu 3 delivers an outstanding up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode (or up to 26 hours in GPS mode). Features a brilliant, crystal-clear 1.4" AMOLED touchscreen display with optional always-on mode for effortless data viewing.
- ADVANCED SLEEP COACH & NAP DETECTION: Know your sleep score and get personalized sleep coaching to understand how much rest your body needs. Venu 3 automatically tracks and logs your daytime naps, showing exactly how they recharge your Body Battery energy monitoring. Wake up to a comprehensive Morning Report summarizing your sleep stages, recovery outlook, HRV status, and daily weather.
- 30+ SPORTS APPS & WHEELCHAIR MODE: Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, swimming, HIIT, and golf. Features a dedicated Wheelchair Mode that tracks pushes instead of steps, offering push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, and Pilates.
- ON-WRIST CALLS & VOICE ASSISTANT COMPATIBILITY: Stay connected on the go. When paired with your compatible iPhone or Android smartphone, make and take phone calls right from your wrist. Effortlessly use your smartphone’s voice assistant (fully compatible with Amazon Alexa and Siri) to reply to text messages, control smart home devices, or ask questions via the built-in speaker and microphone.
Shopping ad
Garmin Venu 3 GPS Smartwatch, 45mm Black, Fitness Tracker with 14-Day Battery & Sleep Coach - Includes Premium Charging Stand, Extra Power Cable & Port Protector Plugs (Renewed)
- OFFICIAL GARMIN REFURBISHED WITH COMPLETE ACCESSORY BUNDLE: Get the trusted Garmin Venu 3 (45mm, Black) at a great value. Professionally inspected, tested, and restored to look and work like new. Includes a Desk Charging Stand, an Extra Backup Charging Cable, and Silicone Port Protector Plugs that help protect the charging port from sweat and everyday wear while keeping your smartwatch ready for workouts, travel, and daily use.
- 14-DAY BATTERY LIFE & AMOLED DISPLAY: Say goodbye to the daily charging hassles that plague other smartwatches. While competitors only offer 24 hours of use, the Venu 3 delivers an outstanding up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode (or up to 26 hours in GPS mode). Features a brilliant, crystal-clear 1.4" AMOLED touchscreen display with optional always-on mode for effortless data viewing.
- ADVANCED SLEEP COACH & NAP DETECTION: Know your sleep score and get personalized sleep coaching to understand how much rest your body needs. Venu 3 automatically tracks and logs your daytime naps, showing exactly how they recharge your Body Battery energy monitoring. Wake up to a comprehensive Morning Report summarizing your sleep stages, recovery outlook, HRV status, and daily weather.
- 30+ SPORTS APPS & WHEELCHAIR MODE: Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, swimming, HIIT, and golf. Features a dedicated Wheelchair Mode that tracks pushes instead of steps, offering push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, and Pilates.
- ON-WRIST CALLS & VOICE ASSISTANT COMPATIBILITY: Stay connected on the go. When paired with your compatible iPhone or Android smartphone, make and take phone calls right from your wrist. Effortlessly use your smartphone’s voice assistant (fully compatible with Amazon Alexa and Siri) to reply to text messages, control smart home devices, or ask questions via the built-in speaker and microphone.
Shopping ad
Sale
Garmin Venu® 3S, Premium Fitness Smartwatch, 41mm, French Gray
- Designed with a bright, colorful display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 10 days in smartwatch mode
- Body Batter energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Enjoy the convenience of making and taking phone calls from your wrist — even use your smartphone’s voice assistant to respond to text messages and more (when paired with your compatible iPhone or Android smartphone); plus, you can respond to texts via voice, or Android users can text directly from the smartwatch
- Wheelchair mode tracks pushes — rather than steps — and includes push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts, animated workouts for strength, cardio, HIIT, Pilates and yoga, challenges specific to wheelchair users and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
Shopping ad
Sale
Garmin Venu® 3, Premium Fitness Smartwatch, 45mm, Black
- Designed with a bright, colorful display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 14 days in smartwatch mode
- Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need - and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, golf and more
- Enjoy the convenience of making and taking phone calls from your wrist - even use your smartphone’s voice assistant to respond to text messages and more (when paired with your compatible iPhone or Android smartphone); plus, you can respond to texts via voice, or Android users can text directly from the smartwatch
Key Takeaways:
- The Venu 3 offers a more premium build with its stainless steel design.
- Both watches have full AMOLED displays, but the Venu 3 has a higher resolution.
- The Venu 3 uses the latest heart rate sensor technology, offering more accuracy during high-intensity workouts.
- Both watches support Garmin Pay and offer similar health tracking features.
- The Vivoactive 5 provides significant value for its price, making it a strong contender against the Venu 3.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.
