Garmin introduced the Venu 2 in April 2021 with longer battery life, a larger screen, and more storage compared to its predecessors. Then in January 2022, they unveiled the Venu 2 Plus with further improvements and offered Bluetooth calling, advanced health features, and more.
Below, we’ll be comparing both the Garmin Venu 2 and Venu 2 Plus on price, design, display, health and fitness tracking, smartwatch features, and battery life to help you find your ideal watch.
Main Difference
- The Venu 2 can last up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, compared to 9 days in the Venu 2 Plus.
- The Venu 2 Plus offers an ECG capability that the Venu 2 does not.
- The Venu 2 Plus comes with a built-in speaker and a microphone for Bluetooth calling, which are not available in the Venu 2.
- The Garmin Venu 2 Plus is $50 more expensive compared to the Venu 2.
These are all the major differences you are getting in these devices; other than that, everything is identical, from screen size and resolution to health and fitness features.
Garmin also released the Venu 3, which got various improvements over the Venu 2. You can check it out here.
Garmin Venu 2 Plus vs Venu 2: Comparison
| Device name | Garmin Venu 2 | Garmin Venu 2 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Device type | Smartwatch | Smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | April, 2021 | January, 2022 |
| Versions | Standard edition | Standard edition |
| Body | ||
| Dimension | 45.4 x 45.4 x 12.2 mm | 43.6 x 43.6 x 12.6 mm |
| Weight | 49 grams | 51 grams |
| Shape | Round | Round |
| Case material | Fiber-reinforced polymer | Fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Strap material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Bezel material | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| Strap size | 22 mm | 22 mm |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5 ATM | Yes, 5 ATM |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Display | ||
| Display size | 1.3 inch | 1.3 inch |
| Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Display resolution | 416 x 416 pixels | 416 x 416 pixels |
| Pixel density | 453 PPI | 452 PPI |
| Always on | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | Touchscreen | Touchscreen |
| Connectivity | ||
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Garmin Pay | Garmin Pay |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | — | — |
| ROM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| Cellular Connectivity | ||
| Technology | None | None |
| SIM type | None | None |
| Band | — | — |
| Sensors | ||
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | No | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| HRM | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | ||
| Battery type | non-removable Lithium-polymer | non-removable Lithium-polymer |
| Battery capacity | — | — |
| Battery life | 11 days | 09 days |
| Charging type | Garmin proprietary plug charger | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar charging | No | No |
Price
The Venu 2 Plus is more expensive compared to the Venu 2. It is priced at $449 and comes in only a Powder Gray color. The Venu 2, on the other hand, retails for $399 and comes in Granite Blue and Black colorways.
Design and Display
When it comes to design, you can easily spot a few differences, such as the Venu 2 Plus has a slimmer bezel and comes with three buttons on the right, compared to only two buttons on the Venu 2. Both devices support touchscreens; however, they turn off during sports modes, so the buttons do help in exploring the UI and other functionalities. It comes with a quick-release silicone band. But the Venu 2 Plus has 20mm straps, while the Venu 2 has 22mm straps.
The Venu 2 Plus measures 45.4 x 45.4 x 12.2 mm and weighs 49 grams, while the Venu 2 measures 43.6 x 43.6 x 12.6 mm and weighs 51 grams. Both are lightweight, making them comfortable to wear for a prolonged period of time.
Although they have different case sizes, they both boast an identical 1.3-inch, 416 x 416-pixel AMOLED display housed in a stainless steel bezel and fiber-reinforced polymer casing with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, making them durable and scratch-resistant to survive extreme conditions.
Both have a rating of 5 ATM for water resistance, so you can wear them while swimming or showering.
Health and Fitness Tracking
In terms of health and fitness tracking, both devices are identical and do the basic heart rate tracking, SpO2 (blood oxygen) tracking, respiration rate, stress, sleep, hydration, and women’s health monitoring. However, the Venu 2 Plus features an ECG (electrocardiogram) app that can detect irregular heart rhythms, which could be a sign of atrial fibrillation, or AFib.
Other than that, both have a body battery, which measures your energy level, and a health snapshot, which measures vital health metrics in two-minute sessions. Plus, they can also perform other activities such as steps, calories burned, distance travelled, floor climbed, auto goal (assigns step goal), and intensity minutes.
If we talk about activity tracking, both can track various sports activities, including running, swimming, cycling, walking, biking, and much more. For a full comparison, check the chart below.
| Category | Garmin Venu 2 | Garmin Venu 2 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing |
| Multisport | — | — |
| Wellness | Walking, Pilates, Yoga | Walking, Pilates, Yoga |
| Indoor Running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running |
| Outdoor Running | Running | Running |
| Outdoor Recreation | Hiking, Indoor Climbing, Bouldering, Disc Golf | Hiking, Indoor Climbing, Bouldering, Disc Golf |
| Cycling | Biking, Indoor Biking | Biking, Indoor Biking |
| Swim | Pool Swimming | Pool Swimming |
| Racket Sports | Tennis, Pickleball, Padel | Tennis, Pickleball, Padel |
| On The Water | Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing | Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing |
| Motor Sports | — | — |
| Snow & Winter | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, Snowshoeing | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, Snowshoeing |
| Team Sports | — | — |
| Ring Sports | — | — |
| Others | — | — |
Apart from this, both have on-screen workout animations and muscle maps. Plus, both offer VO2 max tracking, downloadable training plans, heart rate zones, and much more.
Additionally, they offer some features for PC gamers, such as stress monitoring, break time reminders, energy monitoring, personalised recommendations on when you are game-ready, and more.
Smartwatch Features
This is where the one major difference we are getting is in the smartwatch section. Only a few Garmin smartwatches come with a built-in speaker and a microphone that give you the ability to make Bluetooth calls, which is available in the Venu 2 Plus, but the Venu 2 lacks this feature.
Other than that, both feature text, app, and email notifications, calendars, weather forecasts, find my phone, find my watch, and smartphone music control. Both have Connect IQ to download watch faces, apps, and widgets, but you will need your phone nearby for this feature to work.
They also let you make contactless payments via Garmin Pay and stream music from your own digital files or download it via Spotify or Deezer.
In terms of connectivity, both have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ANT+, plus they can connect to a wide range of iOS and Android devices.
Battery Life
In smartwatch mode, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus can last for up to 9 days, compared to 11 days in the Garmin Venu 2. They also have battery-saving smartwatch mode, which adds one day of additional battery life to both smartwatches.
However, with GPS enabled, the Venu 2 Plus takes the lead and can last for up to 24 hours compared to 22 hours in the Venu 2. With GPS plus music, both last the same for about 8 hours, but who listens to the music on the smartwatch anyway?
Both come with a Garmin proprietary plug charger, which takes 1-2 hours to fully charge the device.
Verdict
The features and overall watch experience you are getting from these devices are quite similar, and they are also the best in Garmin’s collection, so you are definitely getting a good deal. However, if you want to pick between the Garmin Venu 2 and Venu 2 Plus, then:
Who should buy the Garmin Venu 2?
If you are looking for a cheaper watch with a bright and crisp AMOLED display, basic health and fitness tracking, and longer battery life that can last for days, then the Venu 2 would be the way to go.
Who should buy the Garmin Venu 2 Plus?
But if you have a budget to spend an extra $50 and want a built-in speaker and a microphone, Bluetooth calling, voice assistant support, and longer battery life in GPS mode, then the Venu 2 Plus would be a better choice for you.