Vivoactive 5 detects daytime naps and nighttime sleep and has a Sleep Coach feature, while Venu 2 only tracks nighttime sleep. Vivoactive 5 has a longer battery life of 21 days in battery-saver mode, while Venu 2 lasts only 12 days in battery-saver mode. Vivoactive 5 also supports more training and health features.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 2: Same Price but Different Features
By Naila Syifa
Updated April 2024
Vivoactive 5 and Venu 2 are both great smartwatches from Garmin. They are similar in price, but they have different features that are tailored to different users. Which one is a better suit for you? Let's take a look at a few key differences you'll want to keep in mind.
Key Takeaways
Vivoactive 5 detects daytime naps and nighttime sleep with Sleep Coach feature, while Venu 2 only tracks nighttime sleep. Vivoactive 5 has a longer battery life of 21 days in battery-saver mode, while Venu 2 lasts only 12 days in battery-saver mode. Vivoactive 5 also supports more training features, meditation, and workouts for wheelchair users. Meanwhile, Venu 2 offers animated workouts.
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Everything you need
GPS smartwatch for daily fitness and health monitoring with added nap detection and wheelchair support.
Garmin Venu 2
Fitness & lifestyle
GPS smartwatch with health monitoring, fitness tracking, and smartwatch features for people with active lifestyles.
#1 Price
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Garmin Vivoactive 5, recently released on September 2023, is priced at US$299.99. Venu 2, on the other hand, was priced at $399.99 when it was first released in 2021. However, the price of Venu 2 has since dropped and it is now can be purchased around the same price as Vivoactive 5 at US$299.99.
#2 Design & Display
Garmin Venu 2
Garmin Vivoactive 5 and Venu 2 have a similar design featuring an AMOLED touchscreen display, a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens, and a silicone strap. However, the Venu 2 has a textured strap that gives it a more sporty look and feel compared to the Vivoactive 5.
Venu 2 has larger dimensions of 45.4 x 45.4 x 12.2 mm, resulting in a higher display resolution at 416 x 416 pixels but also more weight of 49 g, compared to the Vivoactive 5 which measures 42.2 x 42.2 x 11.1 mm, weighs only 46 g, but has a lower display resolution of 390 x 390 pixels. Venu 2 is also available in 2 colors (granite blue and black), while the Vivoactive 5 offers 4 colors (orchid, black, ivory, and navy).
#3 Health & Fitness Features
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Both smartwatches are equipped with a range of features that allow you to monitor your health and keep track of your physical activities. Some features they both share include wrist-based heart rate tracking, Pulse Ox sensor, advanced sleep monitoring, Body Battery energy monitoring, stress tracking, women's health tracking, built-in sports apps, and many others.
However, Vivoactive 5 has more training features to offer, such as Interval Training, Recovery Time, HRV Status, and Audio Prompts. It also can track pushes and support workouts for wheelchair users. Workouts also go beyond physical and include mental health training with a Meditation feature. The sleep features in the Vivoactive 5 also become more advanced with the added Sleep Coach and Nap Detection features.
Venu 3 doesn't offer the mentioned features available in Vivoactive 5, but it also has some advantages. It provides on-screen workout animations for cardio, strength, yoga, pilates, and HIIT, so you can see how the exercise is done correctly. In addition to typical activity tracking features available in the Vivoactive 5 like steps taken, calories burned, and distance traveled, the Venu 3 can also count floors climbed while the Vivoactive 5 doesn't.
#4 Smartwatch Features
Garmin Venu 2
When it comes to smartwatch features, both the Vivoactive 5 and Venu 3 have a lot in common, including music storage and control, weather forecast, contactless payments with Garmin Pay, as well as safety and tracking features. Smart notifications feature is also supported in both models, allowing you to receive texts, emails, and alerts right from your wrist.
However, the Vivoactive 5 has some advantages with its ability to display images from notifications directly on the watch (for Android only). It also features Morning Report, which provides an overview of your sleep, daily calendar, weather, important health metrics, and other customizable information.
#5 Battery Life
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Garmin Vivoactive 5 and Venu 2 boast a similar battery life that can last up to 11 days in smartwatch mode. However, when enabling the battery-saver mode, the Vivoactive 5 can last much longer for up to 21 days on a single charge, while the Venu 2 can last only up to 12 days in the battery-saver mode.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 2
Final Thoughts
Garmin Venu 2
When being compared side-by-side across 5 aspects, it is clear that the Vivoactive 5 and Venu 2 have different benefits and drawbacks unique to each model, even though they have a similar price.
Vivoctive 5 offers more training features, meditation, more advanced sleep features with Sleep Coach and Nap Detection, support for wheelchair users, and more features like image viewing and Morning Report.
Venu 2 has a higher resolution display, can count floors climbed, and provides on-screen animations for various workouts, making it a better fit for those who are interested in fitness and workout animations.
If you like to read more on Garmin smartwatches, check out our other relevant guides here:
Best Garmin Smartwatches in Singapore
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Vivoactive 4
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 3
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu Sq 2
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Forerunner 265
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Forerunner 965
Garmin Venu 3 vs Venu 2
Garmin Venu 3 vs Forerunner 265
Garmin Venu 3 vs Forerunner 965
Garmin Venu 3 vs Forerunner 955
Garmin Venu 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Garmin Venu 3 vs Apple Watch Series 8
Garmin Venu 3 vs Fenix 7
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