I have worn a number of Garmin watches over the years, from the Forerunners to Fenix models but this was my first time trialling the Venu range (kindly sent by Very.co.uk to test).
Garmin Running Smartwatch Venu 3S
Running watches range hugely in both price and reliability. You can pay hundreds for a watch where you only use a small number of its features, or you can get a cheaper watch that doesn’t do everything you need it to. I put the Garmin Venu 3S to the test to see if it could withstand the demands of marathon training…
I’m focusing mostly on the running side of the watch features – for a very in-depth techy review, I highly recommend checking out DCRainmaker. He goes deep on a lot of features that I’ll just never use (or care about!) but if you do, then give it a read!
I’ll be the first to admit that I go for a watch based firstly on looks and functionality second. I want to be able to wear it most of the time, whether I’m running, at the gym, work, or trying to put together an outfit that doesn’t include anything lycra. I really like the soft gold and ivory version I got, it feels like a sleeker version of the Fenix 7S (although I am excited about trying the Fenix 8!) and is certainly more of a lifestyle watch than the Coros Pace 3.
The Venu 3 (45mm) is also available as a slightly larger watch face option compared to the Venu 3S (41mm).
There have been some changes to the Venu 3 from the last version including more sports added to its range, most notably adding the open water swim feature however it is still boasts significantly fewer than the more expensive Fenix range and the comparably priced Forerunners.
Some significant improvements from the Venu 2 to 3 include the addition of HRV (heart rate variability), sleep score and sleep coaching, body battery and a morning/evening reports collating your data.
Is the Venu 3S good for runners?
I’ve had good experiences with Garmin’s GPS and functionality across their range when it comes to running watches. However I did recently switch to a Coros when my last Fenix broke and am impressed with the speed and accuracy of Coros GPS. I compared the Garmin Venu 3S to the Coros Pace 3 when it came to GPS and found not a big difference on my usual runs around Reading. I did find running in the city of London that the Garmin Venu 3S was more generous with its distance than the Coros – or some other people’s running watches on our monthly Westin London City Run (join us the first Thursday of every month!)
There are sensors for heart rate monitors, Garmin foot pods (useful for those training on treadmills a lot and wanting accurate data) plus a newly added cycling power meter for runners with triathlon aspirations.
Pros
Battery life – at 10 -14 days the Venu 3 will more than stand up to a week of marathon training, including. your long run,
Look – if you wear your running watch all day then you’re going to want something that looks good. The rose gold and ivory fits with your lycra as your barrel jeans & leopard print gilet. I also like the two size options for those with smaller wrists.
Quality – with Garmin products you’re always getting great quality items and this is no exception.
AMOLED display – “active-matrix organic light-emitting diodes” basically it looks really fancy, and the touch screen works quickly, it is bright and easy to read on the move and has pretty colours!
Speaker and microphone – meaning you can take calls from your watch and utilise the guided meditation and music on your wrist. The watch can store playlists from Spotify and Amazon music, however it does not have LTE support.
Ease of use – a combination of touch screen and three buttons on the side of the watch help with screen interactions and avoids accidentally stopping your run with your sleeve.
Cons
No Trail Run feature – to be honest this wasn’t a big deal for me. I don’t use it often as I usually start my runs on roads even if a lot of them tend to end up on the river trails.
Cost – I think £449-499 is pretty pricey for this model of Garmin. Very.co.uk had a £50 off at the time they sent it to me so keep an eye out for Black Friday/Xmas deals on their website.
No training readiness or training status scores – if you like these from other Garmin models then you might miss them in the Venu range.
No personalised workout suggestions – although you do have access to the full range of the 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 for 5K runners than marathoners… well as a seasoned marathoner this does everything I would want it to do. Maybe I’m underutilising the features, but really don’t we 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 pretty reliable and comparative to the Coros Pace 3 – and love that you can either send workouts to the watch or use the Garmin Training Plans and Garmin Coach feature directly. Yes, it doesnt have the training readiness scores but if I’m honest, I usually. ignore that 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 run-focused Garmin Forerunners currently on the market like the Forerunner 55 for under £200. Or the much higher priced (but very pretty) Fenix 7S – or the recently released Fenix 8S!
Overall, the look and the running and fitness features of this stylish watch get a thumbs up from me – whatever your running goals!
What features do you use most on your running watch? And do you wear your running watch only on the run or all day everyday like me?
