Garmin010-02430-00 Venu 2, GPS Smartwatch, Advanced Health Monitoring, Fitness Features, Silver Bezel with GraniteBlue Case and Silicone Band

If you are reading this, then you are probably going through all of the smart watch/fitness watch/adventure watch options and getting dizzy. That was me. After weeks of research, I was down to the Venu 2+ and the Instinct 2 Solar. And then this Venu 2 (non-plus) went on sale during Prime Day.Moving from a Fitbit Charge 4, the Venu 2, Venu 2+, or Instinct 2 Solar would have given me more features, but I was hung up on what the Venu2+ (phone call functionality) and Instinct 2 Solar (infinite battery life) offered that this plain Venu 2 didn't. However, at the Prime Day price, I could not pass it up. Now, after owning this watch for a few months, I have forgotten most of what those watches offered above the Venu 2.I primarily run, hike, and play golf with the occasional bike ride or other activity thrown in. Though I do at least one of those activities 4-5 days a week, I am not a serious participant in any of them and so the truly high end features are not needed. For what I do, the Venu does it all (well, very nearly all) and does it well. And, it looks good doing it. Taking my three primary activities, I'll give you my take:1. Running. I was looking for a watch to use while training for a set of races. Data screens are nicely configurable and I was able to pair it with my foot pod (for treadmill) and, in the end, managed to beat my race goal time significantly. The watch is easy to see even in the brightest sunshine and the display is crystal clear. It's also easy to configure and navigate through and the choice of watchfaces is infinite. There were only two things that I would have liked but didn't have regarding running: There is no virtual pace partner (my old Forerunner 620 had that) and you can't send PacePro Pacing Strategies to the Venu 2. Neither of these are critical, but if I had to add two features, those would be it. Not specific to this watch, the Garmin Connect app and the training programs offered through it are fantastic. Music controls are easy to use, too, and it holds plenty of tracks.Hiking. The GPS tracking is very accurate and for casual hiking (which is all I do) there is nothing lacking. Though it does gather elevation info, it does not have the pro hiking features found on Instinct 2, Fenix, etc. Not a problem for me.Golf. Now this was my most pleasant surprise. I had a Garmin Approach watch already and I loved it. Notice that the previous sentence was in the past tense. Yeah, I don't use my Approach any more. The Venu 2 works great as a golf watch and is easier to use. The only slight negative is that you have to download the courses manually rather than having them all populated in the Approach. You also have a limited amount of memory available, so you can only download a half dozen or so courses at once. Otherwise, I love it for golf. It will even track your shots as you play giving you distance and direction info for each. I now know that I have been lying about how long I hit my driver and kidding myself that I don't have a slice. Note that my Approach watch is not an S60 or S62, so doesn't have the most advanced features those have, but, again, I don't need those things as data overload would only make the rounds even longer.As for other things, I really enjoy:Beautiful OLED displayWatch face customizations for both looks and functionalitySleep tracking (Garmin is brutal about your sleep)Stress trackingBody battery is a great and accurate indicator of how much energy you have leftPhone finder (use it all the time)Fall detection (luckily haven't needed it, yet).Battery life if you don't use GPS is nearly 2 weeks.Syncs flawlessly with my phone, tablet, or computer.Spot on heart rate monitor.Things that could be better:The tracking of elevation without GPS is pretty bad.Bezel is a little rough.Some better apps for navigation would be nice.Tracking of nontraditional movement does not always work ( e.g. using a push mower you don't get steps because your arm doesn't swing).Native support for YouTube Music is unavailable(though there is an app to give you most functionality)Garmin makes literally dozens of different active watches and the Venu 2 is one of them. That meaningless statement is meant to say that you just need to decide on the features you need and the price you are willing to pay, and Garmin will have a watch for you. The Venu 2 line of watches are in that area between a fitness watch and a smart watch with some of the best features of both...and you don't have to charge it every 2 days like the true smart watches.It's been funny to see Apple advertising "new" features for the latest Apple Watch. These are features that have been on Garmin watches for years. I know Apple has its eye on Garmin's market and through their cult-like following will undoubtedly take some share, but as long as Garming keeps innovating, they are going to be among the best watches with the most choices anywhere.

Mainly bought to receive texts/ notifications at work and to use GPS when hiking.Can send simple responses to texts from watch (yes, no, can't talk now, ect). Good battery life. I like the exercise mode options. User friendly and options to choose favorites on display screen. App easy enough to use. Has GPS, can mark location of car when hiking to find your way back. The app shows your walked gps path. Has several options that I personally do not use (music, pay, ect). Watch may be a bit large on female wrist, but I do not mind.

After much research, I decided on the Garmin Venu 2 for several reasons:1) Battery Life: I knew that if I had to charge my watch every day, I just wouldn't use it. This model's batter does not last as long between charged (6-10 days I find, based on my use type) as some of other Garmin watches, but it works for me (can go on short trips without bringing cable).2) Access to data/software: I wanted a clean, clear useful data set and presentation. Also, it infuriated me that most other trackers now charge you for access (usually $10 month). Garmin's software is clean looking, clear and helpful...and they do not charge for access!3) Utility: I found the combination of touch screen + buttons made the most sense for me, so that when in the middle of an activity you can easily utilize the buttons on the watch to select features.4) Aesthetics: Least important, but still relevant...I wanted a watch/tracker that looked like a classic watch, and not a squarish piece of tech on my wrist.I have been extremely happy with this watch/tracker! I love the data (sleep, the great mapping & results from activities like biking, running, etc). I found the data is presented in a clear, inviting way with recommendations for things like how to achieve better sleep, etc. The fact that Garmin doesn't milk you another $10 a month or more for this is a big deal (philosophically if nothing else).Finally, unfortunately my Venu 2 did recently stop working. However, I went online to customer support (on a holiday) and had the best experience I have ever had. I was immediately picked-up by chat support, guided through a few steps to see if could revive, and then immediately sent a form to send the device back for a replacement. They didn't put me through the usual laundry list of questions (serial number, purchase details, etc). Absolutely the best CX experience I have ever had, and I received my new replacement watch quickly (and am so happy to have it back). I would strongly recommend Garmin activity trackers/watchers, as having owned most other brands, they clearly are just better than the rest for my needs/requirements.