Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Venu 2 Plus
Two of the most prominent successors to Garmin are the Forerunner and Venu series. In 2022, they launched the Forerunner 955 and Venu 2 Plus. Both watches came with a colourful and vibrant display along with an aesthetic look.
If you are deciding to buy either of these watches and are confused about which one to buy, then you are in the right place. Here we are going to compare these watches to their price, features, design, and advantages to help you make an informed decision.
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Venu 2 Plus: Price
The pricing of the smartwatch is a very important factor when it comes to buying one for your goals and journey.
The Forerunner 955 is available in only one size and is priced at $499. There’s also a solar model, which costs $100 more, or $599. Plus, it is also compatible with the HRM-Pro Plus, which is basically a heart rate monitor, which increases the cost to $728.
The Venu 2 Plus, on the other hand, is available in three sizes: 40mm (Venu 2s), 43mm (Venu 2 Plus), and 45mm (Venu 2), and is priced at $399, $449, and $399, respectively. You have multiple colour options available with this watch, but it depends on the model you choose.
Overall, the Venu 2 Plus does offer much more price options than the latter one. It means you can choose the watch according to your budget and decide the size options too, which makes it an ideal choice for a wider audience. With the Forerunner 955, you have only one available option, and its price is also not ideal for everybody, making it less relevant for budget-conscious buyers.
Winner: Garmin Venu 2 Plus
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Venu 2 Plus: Comparison
| Specifications | Garmin Forerunner 955 | Garmin Venu 2 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand | Garmin | Garmin |
| Model Name | Forerunner 955 | Venu 2 Plus |
| Design and Body | ||
| Weight | 53 grams | 51 grams |
| Material | Fiber-Reinforced Polymer | Stainless Steel Bezel |
| Shape | Round | Round |
| Display | ||
| Type | transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | AMOLED |
| Touch | Yes | Yes |
| Size | 1.3 inches | 1.3 inches |
| Resolution | 454 x 454 pixels | 416 x 416 pixels |
| Features | Always-on Display | Always-on Display |
| Connectivity | ||
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Extra | ||
| Sensors | Pedometer, Heart Rate Monitor, SpO2 (Blood Oxygen) Monitor, Blood Pressure Monitor, Calorie Count, Step Count, Sleep Monitor | Pedometer, Heart Rate Monitor, SpO2 (Blood Oxygen) Monitor, Blood Pressure Monitor, Calorie Count, Step Count, Sleep Monitor |
| NFC | Garmin Pay | Garmin Pay |
| Camera | ||
| Camera | No | No |
| Technical | ||
| Compatibility | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Multimedia | ||
| Music | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | ||
| Backup | Up to 23 days | Up to 9 days |
| Features | ||
| Water Resistant | Yes | Yes |
| Water Rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Water Depth | 50m | 50m |
| Extra Features | Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Timer, Reminder | Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Timer, Reminder |
| Price | $499 | 40mm ($399), 43mm ($449), and 45mm ($399) |
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Venu 2 Plus: Design and Build
Garmin’s watches are not designed for style; however, the durability of these smartwatches is good, plus they also offer a metal build to protect them from wear and tear.
The Forerunner 955 boasts a fiber-reinforced polymer casing, whereas the Venu 2 Plus boasts a stainless steel bezel and fiber-reinforced polymer casing. Both watches use the same Corning Gorilla Glass 3, providing added safety and scratch resistance.
The Forerunner 955 has a dimension of 47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2 and weighs 53 grams, whereas the Venu 2 Plus has a dimension of 43.6 x 43.6 x 12.6 and weighs the same 51 grams. In terms of straps, both smartwatches come with a silicone band, providing extra comfort and feel. Both devices offer multiple colour options to choose from, depending on the model and personal preference.
The Forerunner 955 features Garmin’s typical five-button setup, with two on the right and three on the left side. On the other hand, the Venu 2 Plus only offered two buttons on the right side. The button provides extra convenience and usability for use even while wearing gloves or during workouts. Additionally, they also offer touchscreen support, providing easier navigation and scrolling through maps while hiking or doing other sports.
Both watches offer 5 ATM ratings for water resistance, meaning you can use these watches while swimming. These watches can withstand being submerged underwater for up to 50 metres.
Overall, both smartwatches offer a metal build, but the Forerunner 955 titanium is more durable and scratch-resistant than the stainless steel. Other than that, both devices have the same weight, band, and water resistance, with the only exception being the buttons.
Winner: Garmin Forerunner 955
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Venu 2 Plus: Display
Display is an important aspect of a watch, and both smartwatches offer an AMOLED display, providing crisp and bright visuals to further enhance the user’s experience.
The Forerunner 955 boasts a 1.3-inch transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) with a screen resolution of 454 x 454 pixels. In contrast, the Venu 2 Plus is available in three sizes: 40mm, 43mm, and 45mm. Additionally, it provides two display options: 1.1” and 1.3” AMOLED screens, each offering resolutions of 360 x 360 pixels and 416 x 416 pixels, respectively.
Both devices feature always-on display functionality. The display on these devices is bright and crisp and has a decent screen size, providing more view and readability at a glance.
Overall, the Venu 2 Plus does have two display options available, which will cater to wider audiences. While the Forerunner 955 size is not ideal for everybody, it does have its own advantages, such as more content and readability at a glance.
Winner: Garmin Venu 2 Plus
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Venu 2 Plus: Health Features
When it comes to health tracking, both devices have various features, but the Venu 2 Plus excelled in this area.
The Forerunner 955 features a wrist-based heart rate monitor, daily resting heart rate, abnormal heart rate alerts, 24×7 respiration rate, pulse OX blood oxygen saturation, body battery, stress monitor, breathwork, sleep tracking, nap detection, hydration, women’s health, and health snapshot.
In contrast, the Venu 2 Plus also offers the same wrist-based heart rate monitor, daily resting heart rate, abnormal heart rate alerts, 24×7 respiration rate, pulse OX blood oxygen saturation, body battery, stress monitor, breathwork, sleep tracking, nap detection, hydration, women’s health, and health snapshot.
One area where the Forerunner 955 lacks is its ECG capability. In the Venu 2 Plus, the 43mm version does have an ECG app, which basically tracks heart rate rhythm and can alert users for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib).
Overall, both smartwatches share all the important health metrics and offer most of the important features that most users use every day. The ECG is also a very important health metric, and you must have this feature in your smartwatch, which is why the winner of this comparison is…
Winner: Garmin Venu 2 Plus
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Venu 2 Plus: Activity Tracking
When it comes to activity tracking, both smartwatches offer various sports profiles to track to help you stay fit and chase your fitness goals. The Forerunner 955 excelled in this area, with more sports profiles for adventure seekers.
The Forerunner 955 can track every activity you can think of, including strength training, HIIT, cardio, running, triathlon, yoga, basketball, skating, and so much more. This watch is also capable of tracking ring sports, which include boxing and mixed martial arts.
In contrast, the Venu 2 Plus can also track strength, cardio, HIIT, swimming, biking, hiking, snowboarding, tennis, and more. You cannot use this watch for triathlons or basketball-like sports. It is also not capable of tracking ring sports like boxing and mixed martial arts.
Both watches added safety features such as incident detection, alerts, assistance, and live tracking, plus they also tracked usual activities such as the step counter, floor climbed, distance travelled, calories burned, true up, move alerts, and many more. There’s also a VO2 max feature, training plans, recovery times, and so much more.
Overall, both devices offer multiple sports profiles to track and achieve your fitness goals. If you are an adventure seeker who loves to try multiple sports and wants more sports profiles, then the Forerunner 955 would be the way to go.
Winner: Garmin Forerunner 955
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Venu 2 Plus: Features
Both watches offer multiple smartwatch features, but the Venu 2 Plus added Bluetooth calling support, which most users, including me, find very useful in certain situations.
The Forerunner 955 features multi-band GPS, built-in mapping, Garmin Pay, and music storage. In contrast, the Venu 2 Plus doesn’t have the first two features but offers Garmin Pay and music storage to download and store music to listen to while working out. It does offer Bluetooth calling support, and you can send messages via voice too.
They also have a timer, stopwatch, alarm clock, date, and time, like usual features. Both devices have GPS tracking capabilities, GLONASS, and GALILEO as well. Additionally, they also feature smart notifications, a calendar, weather forecasts, Find My Phone, and a watch. One area where Venu 2 Plus takes a win is the Bluetooth phone calling and voice assistant support.
Both smartwatches feature Bluetooth, ANT+, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Additionally, they are also compatible with both Android and iOS, catering to a wider audience.
Overall, both devices offer almost identical smartwatch features, with the only exception being the Venu 2 Plus, which offers Bluetooth calling and voice assistant support. I personally find this feature useful, which makes it easier to call while working out.
Winner: Garmin Venu 2 Plus
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Venu 2 Plus: Battery Life
In terms of battery life, both devices offer decent battery life, but the Forerunner 955 is exceptional in this area.
The Forerunner 955 battery life can last up to 23 days, whereas the Venu 2 Plus can only last up to 9 days. In GPS mode, the Forerunner again wins by offering 31 hours of battery life compared to 24 hours in the Venu 2 Plus. With music and GPS enabled, the battery life cuts down to 10.5 hours and 8 hours, respectively.
In terms of charging, both devices come with a Garmin proprietary plug charger, and it takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours to charge the device to 100%.
Overall, the battery life is decent on both of these watches, but the Forerunner 955 does offer more battery life in every aspect, including smartwatch mode, GPS mode, and GPS with music.
Winner: Garmin Forerunner 955
Garmin Forerunner 955 vs Venu 2 Plus: Verdict
Both devices showed awesome capabilities and strength, but the Venu 2 Plus does win in more areas than the latter one. The Forerunner 955 offers better build, battery life, screen size, and sports profiles, whereas the Venu 2 Plus offers a budget price, more size options, an ECG app, and Bluetooth calling.
If price is not a thing for you and you want a watch with a colourful and vibrant display, long-lasting battery life, amazing build quality, and more sports profiles, then the Garmin Forerunner 955 would be the way to go.
If you are looking for a smartwatch with Bluetooth calling support, have a tight budget, want more sizes to choose from, or want advanced health features like ECG, then the Garmin Venu 2 Plus would be the way to go.