Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 3: Which is best for you?

Garmin is extremely prolific when it comes to smartwatches, constantly churning out new models and updates. With the arrival of the Vivoactive 5, we see a very different watch to a line that hadn’t been updated since 2019, one much more akin to the Venu 3.

If you’re in the market for a new Garmin watch, you might have a tough time making a decision between these two. So which should you buy? Let’s take a look in this Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 3 comparison.

The Vivoactive 5 and Venu 3 share a lot of the same DNA with an almost identical design. There are a few differences, including the number of buttons on each device, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference at a glance. Size-wise, the Vivoactive slots in between the Venu 3 and Venu 3S, coming in at 42.2mm. In contrast, the Venu 3 is 45mm, while the S model is 41mm.

Despite the similarities, there are some key differences aside from size. The Vivoactive 5 swaps the Venu 3’s stainless steel construction in favor of aluminum. This detracts from the premium look and feel to some degree, but the Vivoactive 5 is still a very attractive watch. Due to the difference in materials, you’re also more likely to scratch and ding the Vivoactive.

On the positive side, the Vivoactive 5 is 4g lighter, so it may actually feel a bit more comfortable on your wrist. Garmin’s new watch also has the same 5ATM water resistance and Gorilla Glass protection found on the Venu 3 family.

The overall footprint of the Vivoactive 5 isn’t too much different from the Venu 3S, it’s just a tad bigger.  You also get the same AMOLED screen type, as well as the same screen size and resolution.

The Vivoactive offers a similar experience to the Venu, minus a few sensors and features. There’s no built-in microphone or speaker here, though you can still listen to music via a Bluetooth device. If we’re honest, the speaker was pretty limited anyhow, and we didn’t find this a hindrance during our review. You also still needed to connect to your phone to take calls. You’ll still get notification alerts about an incoming call, you’ll just have to dig out your phone to take it.

Beyond this, you’ll find the storage is cut in half at just 4GB. That said, unless you store a lot of music or audiobooks, this won’t really matter. There’s also no barometric altimeter, which can record steps taken or elevation climbed. That’s a bummer for hiking enthusiasts who want the most accuracy here.

Avid cyclists might prefer the Venu 3 as the Vivoactive cuts some of these features, such as the ability to control turbo trainers or connect to power meters. Thankfully, you can still connect to speed and cadence sensors.

Probably the biggest downside is the heart rate sensor. While the Vivoactive still packs this feature, it uses the previous generation of Garmin’s technology known as Elevate 4. The E4 is also still a very capable sensor with two LED blocks and four light sensors, just the latter has six LED blocks and four light sensors. The Venu 3 family is going to be a bit more accurate, but the Vivoactive 5 is still a great choice for most.

The good news is you’ll still have access to all the same sleep features as the Venu 3. You’ll also get Body Battery, Pulse Ox, menstrual tracking, stress tracking, and more.

Battery life is also slightly better than the similarly sized Venu 3S at 11 days versus 10. The Venu 3 still manages to one-up the Vivoactive here at 14 days, but that’s really just down to its larger size.

As previously mentioned, there are two case sizes available for the Venu 3. Both models come in at $449.99. The former comes in just two colorways: a Silver bezel with a Whitestone case or a Slate bezel with a Black case. The latter comes with a Soft Gold bezel and either French Gray, Dust Rose, or an Ivory case. Not interested in Gold? Conversely, you can get a silver bezel with a Sage Gray case or a Slate bezel with a Pebble gray case.

Turning to the Vivoactive 5, there’s just one size available for $299.99. As you can see, that makes it $150 cheaper than the Venu 3 series. There are also a few different color choices on offer. There’s a model that comes with a Metallic Orchid bezel and case, a Slate bezel with a Black case, a Cream Gold bezel with an Ivory case, or a model with a Metallic Navy case and bezel.

The Venu 3 has a premium design, more advanced sensors, and a some key smart features you won’t get on the Vivoactive 5. But does that make it worth $150 more? It really depends. If you’re a cyclist, absolutely. If you do a lot of uphill activities like hiking and want that altimeter, yes again. The vivoactive 5 is a solid fitness companion but it doesnt offer features like voice assistance or onwrist phone call support. For those tools, we recommend the Venu 3.

If none of these features are that important to you, the Vivoactive comes very close to matching the Venu 3 family. In many ways, it feels more like a Venu 3 Lite than a successor to the aging Vivoactive 4, and that’s meant as a compliment. You’ll save a good chunk of change with the Vivoactive and you’ll still get a great watch out of it. Either way, you’ll find the same incredible fitness tracker experience Garmin is known for minus a few features.