
Garmin Venu 3 Vs Vivoactive 5 – Check Which One Is Best & Why?
Garmin Venu 3 & Vivoactive 5 share many similarities, but there are also important differences, such as quality, performance, features & design. If you want the best one between them, I Would recommend the Garmin Venu 3 rather than the Garmin Vivoactive 5.
Why Do I Recommend The Garmin Venu 3?
- The Garmin Venu 3 has a 1.4” Larger Display, which allows for easier navigation in detailed maps, animated workouts, and settings compared to the Vivoactive 5’s smaller 1.2-inch display.
- It has a faster custom-designed processor, which navigates through menus, loads apps, and uses advanced features quickly and smoothly. The Vivoactive 5s processor is slower.
- The Venu 3 has more advanced health tracking features like Health Snapshot and Sleep Coach that help improve overall fitness routines, which are absent in the Vivoactive 5.
- It comes with advanced Body Battery monitoring, which offers a more detailed breakdown of energy levels and recovery throughout the day. The Vivoactive 5 has basic Body Battery features.
- The Garmin Venu 3 has both a speaker and a microphone to receive phone calls directly from the watch and interact with voice assistants like Siri or Google Assistant. In contrast, the Vivoactive 5 lacks a speaker.
- It has Wheelchair Mode, which tracks wheelchair pushes as part of the activity metrics. This feature is absent in the Vivoactive 5.
- The Venu 3 includes animated on-screen workouts, which guide visually through exercises like yoga, strength training, and cardio, while the Vivoactive 5 does not include animated workout guidance.
- Garmin Venu 3 offers up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode for longer intervals between charges, whereas the Vivoactive 5 provides up to 11 days.
- Additionally, The Garmin Venu 3 provides 8 GB of storage, allowing for more music, apps, and data storage, whereas the Vivoactive 5 offers 4 GB of memory.
Maybe the Garmin Venu 3 price can make you comfortable because it’s a little bit cheaper than the Garmin Vivoactive 5. But you have to compromise all the above-mentioned features. Now the Decision is Yours. I hope it was helpful to choose the right one.
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Side By Side Comparison
Feature | Garmin Venu 3 | Garmin Vivoactive 5 |
Display Size | 1.4 inches | 1.2 inches |
Display Type | AMOLED with always-on option | AMOLED with always-on option |
Resolution | 454 x 454 pixels | 390 x 390 pixels |
Battery Life | Up to 14 days | Up to 11 days |
Battery Saver Mode | Yes (extends up to 20 days) | Yes (extends up to 14 days) |
Weight | 46.6 g (Venu 3) | 37.5 g |
Dimensions | 45.6 x 45.6 x 12.0 mm | 42 x 42 x 11 mm |
Case Material | Fiber-reinforced polymer with stainless steel bezel | Aluminum bezel with fiber-reinforced polymer |
Strap Type | Silicone (quick release 22 mm ) | Silicone (quick release 20 mm) |
Health Snapshot | Yes, 2-minute summary of key health stats | No |
Sleep Tracking Features | Advanced with Sleep Coach and nap detection | Basic sleep tracking, no Sleep Coach |
Heart Rate Sensor | Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor (latest version) | Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor |
Pulse Ox Sensor | Yes (with advanced monitoring during sleep) | Yes (with basic monitoring) |
Body Battery Monitoring | Advanced with more detailed breakdown | Basic body battery feature |
Wheelchair Mode | Yes (tracks wheelchair pushes as part of activity metrics) | No |
Speaker | Yes (for calls, alarms, voice assistance) | No speaker |
Microphone | Yes (for voice assistant and calls) | Yes (but only for voice assistant, no calls) |
Preloaded Sports Apps | Over 30 sports apps | 25+ sports apps |
Onboard Music Storage | Yes, supports up to 650 songs | Yes, supports up to 500 songs |
Animated Workouts | Yes, with step-by-step animated guidance | No |
Memory | 8 GB | 4 GB |
Price | Check Venu 3 Price | Check Vivoactive 5 Price |
What Common Both Can Do?
- AMOLED Display with Always-On Option: Both the Garmin Venu 3 and the Vivoactive 5 feature vibrant AMOLED displays that offer crisp visuals, with an always-on display mode available for users who prefer to have the watch face visible at all times. The AMOLED technology provides rich colors and high contrast, making it easy to read in various lighting conditions.
- Touchscreen Interface: Both models come equipped with a touchscreen, enabling intuitive navigation through menus, settings, and apps. The interface is user-friendly, allowing you to interact directly with the watch using simple swipes and taps.
- GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo: Both watches support multi-GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems), including GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo, for accurate positioning during outdoor activities like running, cycling, and hiking. This allows for precise tracking of your location and routes in a variety of terrains and environments.
- Garmin Elevate™ Wrist Heart Rate Monitor: Both devices are equipped with Garmin’s Elevate™ wrist heart rate sensor, which continuously monitors your heart rate during various activities and throughout the day. This feature helps track your fitness levels, optimize training, and monitor stress levels.
- Pulse Ox Sensor: Both the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 come with a Pulse Ox sensor, which measures your blood oxygen saturation levels. This feature is useful for sleep tracking, altitude acclimation, and monitoring how well your body is absorbing oxygen, especially during intense workouts or in higher altitudes.
- Respiration and Stress Tracking: Both watches provide respiration tracking, which monitors your breathing rate throughout the day and during sleep. They also feature stress monitoring, helping users manage their stress levels by using heart rate variability data to estimate current stress levels and offer guided breathing exercises.
- VO2 Max Estimation: Both the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 provide VO2 Max estimates, a critical metric for understanding cardiovascular fitness. It measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise, helping track improvements in endurance and fitness.
- Preloaded Sports Apps: Both smartwatches come with a wide range of preloaded sports apps, covering activities like running, swimming, yoga, cycling, and more. This makes both devices ideal for multi-sport athletes or individuals with a diverse fitness routine.
- Garmin Pay: Both devices support Garmin Pay, allowing users to make contactless payments via NFC directly from their wrist. This is especially convenient for users who don’t want to carry their phone or wallet during workouts or while on the go.
- Music Storage and Controls: Both the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 support music storage, allowing users to save songs directly on the watch for phone-free listening during workouts. They can store playlists from services like Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music, and also control music playback.
- Smart Notifications: Both models offer smart notifications, which allow you to receive calls, texts, emails, and app notifications on your watch. You can customize which notifications come through based on your preferences.
- Safety & Tracking Features: Both devices feature Incident Detection and Assistance. In case of an emergency, the watch can automatically detect incidents (like a fall during a run or bike ride) and send your location to emergency contacts, providing an extra layer of safety during outdoor activities.
- Water Resistance (5 ATM): Both the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 are water-resistant up to 5 ATM, meaning they can be worn while swimming or showering, and are safe in water up to 50 meters deep. This makes them suitable for tracking swimming activities as well.
- Battery Saver Mode: Both watches have a battery saver mode, which helps extend battery life by reducing certain features when not needed. This allows users to maximize the time between charges, especially during extended trips or heavy usage.
- Customizable Watch Faces: Users can customize the watch faces on both models by choosing from a wide range of designs available on Garmin Connect or even creating their own. This adds a layer of personalization to the watch’s interface.
- Compatibility with iOS and Android: Both smartwatches are compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, enabling seamless syncing of health and activity data, notifications, and other smartwatch functions regardless of the operating system of your phone.
- Garmin Connect™ Integration: Both the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 sync with Garmin Connect, Garmin’s health and fitness platform, where users can track their workouts, sleep, and wellness metrics. Garmin Connect also offers challenges, insights, and the ability to share progress with friends or groups.
- Health and Fitness Insights: Both watches provide in-depth health and fitness insights, including workout suggestions based on your fitness goals, recovery times, and overall wellness metrics. This helps users maintain a balanced fitness regime and improve their performance over time.
- Multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo): Both watches support multi-GNSS tracking for highly accurate location data, whether you’re running through a city or hiking in remote areas. Using multiple satellite systems ensures precise positioning even in challenging environments.
- Barometric Altimeter, Accelerometer, and Gyroscope: Both the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 include sensors like a barometric altimeter for tracking elevation changes, an accelerometer for detecting movement, and a gyroscope for motion detection during activities like swimming and cycling.
Common Features
Feature | Garmin Venu 3 | Garmin Vivoactive 5 |
Display Type | AMOLED with always-on option | AMOLED with always-on option |
Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | Yes | Yes |
Heart Rate Sensor | Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor |
Pulse Ox Sensor | Yes | Yes |
Respiration Tracking | Yes | Yes |
Stress Monitoring | Yes | Yes |
Sleep Tracking | Yes | Yes |
Body Battery Monitoring | Yes | Yes |
VO2 Max Estimation | Yes | Yes |
Preloaded Sports Apps | Yes | Yes |
Garmin Pay | Yes | Yes |
Music Storage | Yes | Yes |
Smart Notifications | Yes | Yes |
Safety & Tracking Features | Yes (Incident Detection, Assistance) | Yes (Incident Detection, Assistance) |
Water Resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
Battery Saver Mode | Yes | Yes |
Customizable Watch Faces | Yes | Yes |
Compatibility | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
Garmin Connect™ Integration | Yes | Yes |
Health and Fitness Insights | Yes | Yes |
Multi-GNSS | Yes | Yes |
Barometric Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
Price | Check Venu 3 Price | Check Vivoactive 5 Price |
FAQ
Q: Do both watches have an AMOLED display? A: Yes, both the Garmin Venu 3 and Garmin Vivoactive 5 feature an AMOLED display with vibrant colors and high contrast. Both displays also offer an always-on option, making it easier for users to see the screen at a glance without having to activate the display.Q: Are the Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 waterproof? A: Yes, both the Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 are water-resistant up to 5 ATM, meaning they can be submerged up to 50 meters. This makes both watches suitable for swimming, showering, and other water-based activities.Q: Do both the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5 have GPS? A: Yes, both watches come with GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo support. This allows for accurate location tracking during outdoor activities like running, cycling, and hiking, ensuring precise route data. Q: Can I make phone calls with both Garmin Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5? Q: Do both watches support music storage? Q: Are the health tracking features the same on both watches? Q: Can I use Garmin Pay on both the Venu 3 and Vivoactive 5? Q: Which watch is better for detailed sleep tracking? Q: Are both watches compatible with iOS and Android? Q: Do both watches have preloaded sports apps? Q: Which watch is lighter and more comfortable for daily wear? Q: Can I customize the watch faces on both models? Q: Are there any safety features on both watches? |