Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu Sq 2: Which is the Better Option?
By Naila Syifa
Updated October 2023
Vivoactive 5 and Venu Sq 2 are some of the recommended Garmin smartwatches that offer many great features at quite an affordable price. The two models are different in many aspects, so which one is the better option for you? Let's find out!
| Specs | Garmin Vivoactive 5 | Garmin Venu Sq 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Buy on Amazon | Buy on Amazon | |
| Price | $299.99 | $249.99 |
| Dimensions | 42.2 x 42.2 x 11.1 mm | 40.6 x 37.0 x 11.1 mm |
| Weight | 36 g | 38 g |
| Screen Resolution | 390 x 390 pixels | 320 x 360 pixels |
| Runtime | Up to 11 days | Up to 11 days |
| Memory | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Speaker and Microphone | No | No |
| Built-in Maps | No | No |
| Body Battery | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced Sleep Monitoring | Yes, with Nap Detection | Yes |
| Built-in Sports App | 30+ | 25+ |
| Meditation | Yes | No |
| Wheelchair Mode | Yes | No |
| On-Screen Muscle Maps | Yes | No |
Key Takeaways
Vivoactive 5 is better than Venu Sq 2. It supports more workouts, detects naps, and has music storage. Vivoactive 5 also has a longer battery life of 21 days in battery-saver mode, while Venu Sq 2 only lasts for 12 days in battery-saver mode.
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Everything you need
GPS smartwatch for daily fitness and health monitoring with added nap detection and wheelchair support.
Garmin Venu Sq 2
All the basic
GPS smartwatch with basic health monitoring, fitness tracking, and smart features.
#1 Price
Garmin Vivoactive 5
While the Vivoactive 5 is retailing at around $299.99, the Venu Sq 2 is slightly more affordable at around $249.99. However, the Venu Sq 2 is also available in a Music Edition, which costs around $299.99 and is comparable to the Vivoactive 5 in price.
#2 Design & Display
Garmin Venu Sq 2
Vivoactive 5 comes in a round shape, making it look more like a traditional watch, while the Venu Sq 2 has a rectangular shape, which gives it a more modern look. This difference in design is also reflected in the display, with the Vivoactive 5 having a circular display with a higher resolution of 390 x 390 pixels and the Venu Sq 2 having a rectangular display with a lower resolution of 320 x 360 pixels.
The display in both smartwatches is AMOLED with a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens, which offers vibrant color while also providing excellent protection against scratches and knocks. The Vivoactive 5 is available in 4 color options (orchid, black, ivory, and navy) while the Venu Sq 2 comes in 3 color options (shadow gray, white, and mint).
#3 Health & Fitness Features
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Many health and fitness features are available in both smartwatches, including Garmin's proprietary Body Battery energy monitoring, Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation, and wrist-based heart rate. There are also several built-in sports apps supported by both smartwatches, such as running, yoga, skiing, rowing, biking, and pool swimming.
The Vivoactive 5 supports a wider range of sports apps, including tennis, padel, handcycling, eBiking, and open water swimming, while the Venu Sq 2 does not support these sports. Vivoactive also offers Meditation for mental wellbeing and supports workouts for wheelchair users for better inclusivity.
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Vivoactive 5 also makes a better option if you train more seriously and frequently, as it comes with more training features such as recovery time, HRV status, interval training, workout benefits, and audio prompts. It also features an on-screen workout muscle map, which provides a visual representation of the muscles you're working on during your workout.
Both the Vivoactive 5 and Venu Sq 2 feature advanced sleep monitoring, which tracks your sleep stages and important health metrics during sleep like blood oxygen and respiration, and provides you with a sleep score for a better understanding of your sleep quality.
However, the Vivoactive 5 has more advantages with its Nap Detection, which automatically detects daytime naps for a more comprehensive understanding of your sleep patterns. Vivoactive 5 also comes with a Sleep Coach feature, providing you with personalized insights on how to improve your sleep quality.
#4 Smartwatch Features
Garmin Venu Sq 2
Both smartwatches offer more than just health monitoring and fitness tracking features. With the smart notifications feature, you can receive emails, texts, and alerts right on your wrist. You can even respond to texts or reject a call with texts if you have an Android phone. The Vivoactive 5 offers more by allowing you to view images from notifications on the watch, but only if you use an Android phone.
Other than that, you can use Garmin Pay for contactless payments and control your phone's music player on both smartwatches. The Vivoactive 5 even allows you to download songs from Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music accounts to the smartwatch, so you can listen to music phone-free with an external headphone. This music storage feature is not available in the Venu Sq 2 but is available in its Music Edition.
Another advantage that the Vivoactive 5 has over Venu Sq 2 is the Morning Report feature, which gives an overview of your sleep, recovery, daily calendar, HRV status, and more as soon as you wake up.
#5 Battery Life
Garmin Vivoactive 5
Both the Vivoactive 5 and Venu Sq 2 have a battery life of up to 11 days, but one difference is that when the battery-saver mode is enabled, the Vivoactive 5 can last much longer for up to 21 days, while the Venu Sq 2 can only last for up to 12 days. If you prioritize battery life and want to be able to use your smartwatch for a longer period without charging, the Vivoactive 5 may be the better option for you.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu Sq 2
Final Thoughts
Garmin Venu Sq 2
Overall, the Vivoactive 5 is the better option if you are looking for a premium smartwatch with more features and longer battery life. It has a higher resolution display, more training and sports features, advanced sleep monitoring with Nap Detection and Sleep Coach, music storage, and a Morning Report feature. The $50 price difference is definitely worth the investment.
However, if you don't need all the extra features and only want the basic ones, the Venu Sq 2 can save you some money.
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 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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