Garmin has become one of the top players in the smartwatch market, offering a wide range of stylish and feature-packed devices. Two of their popular options are the Lily and Venu models. But with different designs, features and price points, how do you choose between them?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare the key factors you need to consider when deciding between Garmin Lily and Venu, so you can pick the right smartwatch for your needs and preferences.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Specs | Garmin Lily | Garmin Venu |
| Display | 0.9” diameter, 200 x 200 pixels | 1.2” diameter, 390 x 390 pixels |
| Size | 40mm case | 43mm case |
| Design | Slim, tapered, feminine | Sporty watch style |
| Colors | Light gold, rose gold, silver | Slate, silver, rose gold, black |
| Onboard GPS | No | Yes |
| Heart rate tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Menstrual/pregnancy tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Blood oxygen monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Smart notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Pay | No | Yes |
| Offline music | No | Yes, up to 500 songs |
| Battery life | Up to 7 days | Up to 6 days |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Price | $249 | $399 |
Overview And Design
The Garmin Lily takes a delicate, minimalist approach with its slim tapered band and petite circular display. It comes in a 40mm size option only, offered in light gold, rose gold and silver bezels.
The Venu has a more traditional sporty smartwatch look, with a round 1.2” display and 43mm case size. You can choose between slate, silver, rose gold and black color options. It has a deeper resolution at 390 x 390 pixels Vs. 200 x 200 pixels on the Lily.
So when it comes to design, the dainty Lily is aimed at women who want an stylish accessory, while the Venu has broader unisex appeal for its larger size and sportier aesthetic.
Health, Wellness And Fitness Tracking
Both watches pack extensive health and activity monitoring, including:
- 24/7 heart rate tracking
- Menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking
- Sleep monitoring with sleep stages
- Blood oxygen saturation levels
- Stress tracking through body battery energy monitoring
- Hydration logging
- Breathing exercises
For fitness, they cover all the essential metrics:
- Steps
- Calories burned
- Floors climbed
- Intensity minutes
- VO2 Max estimates
The Venu however includes on-board GPS, allowing you to track pace, distance and route without a connected phone. The Lily lacks built-in GPS, relying on connected GPS from your smartphone if you want to map outdoor activities.
So when it comes to health stats, the Venu and Lily are quite evenly matched. But the Venu pulls ahead for outdoor runners and cyclists who want untethered GPS tracking.
Smart Features
Both watches offer basic smartwatch functionality like notifications, music controls and weather forecasts. You can also change out the watch face to suit your style.
But the Venu opens up more advanced smart features including:
- Downloadable apps, watch faces and widgets from Garmin’s Connect IQ store
- Contactless payments with Garmin Pay
- Voice assistant integration for Alexa or Google Assistant
- Store up to 500 songs for offline listening
The Lily does not support Connect IQ customization, contactless payments or offline music storage. However, its petite size is more comfortable for 24/7 wear.
So the Venu certainly packs more smartwatch capabilities, while the Lily focuses on a slimmer everyday wear design.
Battery Life
Battery life is a significant point of difference between the two models.
The Lily promises an impressive 5 days of usage in smartwatch mode, extending up to 7 days in basic watch mode without heart rate tracking.
The Venu on the other hand musters about 5 hours in GPS and music mode, or 6 days in smartwatch mode without GPS.
For multi-day use without constant charging, the Lily easily wins out with its slimline profile and optimized power efficiency. The Venu offers more advanced features but requires more frequent charging, especially if you utilize the onboard GPS regularly.
Also Read: Comparison Among Polar, Fitbit And Garmin.
Price And Value
The Garmin Lily retails at $249, positioning it as an affordable smart accessory.
The more fully-featured Venu has a higher $399 MSRP.
When it comes to value, the petite Lily punches above its weight with an impressive feature set for the price. But the Venu adds built-in GPS, music storage, Garmin Pay and Connect IQ expandability to justify the higher cost.
So the Lily offers great bang for buck, while the Venu packs more tech at a premium price point.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The key differences are the design (Lily is smaller and more stylish, Venu is larger with sporty look), built-in GPS (Venu yes, Lily no), advanced smart features like Garmin Pay (Venu yes, Lily no), and battery life (Lily gets 5-7 days, Venu 5-6 days).
If you want a budget-friendly smartwatch in a petite stylish design, the Lily is definitely worth considering. It packs an impressive array of health and activity tracking in a slim and comfortable profile. Lack of GPS is the main compromise for the lower price.
Yes, the Lily is water rated to 5 ATM so you can wear it in the shower, pool and swimming without issue. It can handle submersion down to 50 metres. Just avoid pressing the buttons underwater.
The Vivoactive is Garmin’s more affordable GPS watch at $249, competing directly with the Lily. It has onboard GPS, apps and payments like the Venu, but lacks the Venu’s AMOLED display and more advanced health monitoring. So the Vivoactive sits between the Lily and Venu for features and price.
Also Read: Is Garmin Instinct Better Than Instinct Solar?
Conclusion
To recap, the main differences are:
- Design: Lily is petite and stylish, Venu is larger with sporty appeal
- GPS: Venu has onboard GPS, Lily relies on connected GPS
- Smart Features: Venu has more advanced capabilities like apps and payments
- Battery: Lily promises 5-7 days, Venu manages 5-6 days
The svelte Lily is aimed at women who want an everyday smart accessory at a budget-friendly price.
The Venu appeals to active users who want built-in GPS and smartwatch functionality, but costs $150 more.
Ultimately, it depends on your style, budget and feature needs. The Lily keeps it simple as a slimline health companion, while the Venu packs advanced tech for fitness and smartwatch convenience. Hopefully this rundown helps steer you towards the right Garmin for your lifestyle!