Garmin Lily vs. Fitbit Versa 3: Which should you buy?

Fitbit Versa 3

It took a few tries, but Fitbit hit the jackpot with the Versa 3. The latest edition comes with plenty of new perks that make it a worthwhile investment. The notable upgrades include improved heart-rate technology, Active Zone Minutes, Fitbit Pay as a standard feature, and a built-in mic/speaker.

Garmin Lily

When you're more concerned about how your watch looks than what it does, the Garmin Lily will meet your needs. That being said, it still offers some nifty features for a great experience. Aside from the stunning design, you'll have activity/sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, Pulse Ox, and Body Battery.

Garmin Lily vs. Fitbit Versa 3: Pick your priorities

Finding the best Android smartwatch for your needs is easier than you might think. You'll want to consider your priorities before choosing a model, and you'll quickly find that watches like the Garmin Lily and Fitbit Versa 3 set out to accomplish different goals.

If you're seeking a wearable that will serve as an attractive accessory while still providing a good set of activity tracking features, go for the Garmin Lily. It might not be as sophisticated as some other devices on the market, but it's great for basic activity tracking. If you want more than a fashion accessory with basic perks, you should buy the Fitbit Versa 3 instead. It has all of the essentials and detailed tracking that's ideal for casual athletes.

The Garmin Lily focuses on fashion first

If you haven't figured it out by now, the Garmin Lily is all about style. The company has referred to this device as the smartwatch women have been waiting for. This might be true for some women, but not that's a pretty ambitious blanket statement if you ask me.

With that in mind, the Lily does cater to a specific demographic of women who want a small but efficient wearable that offers a feminine design. The case size is just 34mm, which is the smallest Garmin smartwatch yet.

Each model has a shiny bezel, which is either aluminum or stainless steel depending on the model you pick. The Sport model is aluminum and comes in Cream Gold, Rose Gold, and Midnight Orchid. The Classic model has a stainless steel bezel that's available in Light Gold, Cream Gold, and Dark Bronze.

Unfortunately, these models use 14mm proprietary bands, so you won't have tons of options when you decide to make a change. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy to replace the bands on your Garmin Lily smartwatch.

If you're an experienced smartwatch user, one discernable difference between the Garmin Lily and other models is the display. You get a liquid crystal monochromatic touchscreen rather than a rich, colorful display. You also won't have any physical side buttons to rely on, which means you'll have to navigate via the touchscreen and a single capacitive button. The Garmin Lily can last for 5 days on a single charge.

While the design is inarguably the main attraction, there some features under the hood that you might find useful. The Garmin Lily can track your activities, heart rate, stress levels, sleep patterns, and more.

You can store your seven favorite activities on the watch, which can be changed any time in the Garmin Connect app. Some of the popular activity profiles include walking, running, cycling, elliptical, cardio, and yoga. The Lily also offers women's health tracking for menstrual cycles as well as pregnancy.

So, what will you be missing? If you're looking for juicy smartwatch features, there aren't many to be found here. The Garmin Lily doesn't have onboard GPS, contactless payments, or music storage. As we mentioned earlier, the lack of color display is another disappointing factor. There's also the proprietary band issue, which limits your options a bit when you want to change your style. If these drawbacks don't bother you, the Garmin Lily might be perfect for you.

The Fitbit Versa 3 prioritizes health and fitness

The Fitbit Versa 3 is a massive upgrade from its predecessor. While the Versa has always been one of the best Fitbit watches in the company's lineup, the latest model takes the experience to a new level. Not to worry, you'll still have all of the essentials that the past Versa models offered, including multiple exercise modes, heart-rate tracking, advanced sleep monitoring, female health-tracking, cardio fitness level, automatic workout recognition, and more.

Not surprisingly, the Versa 3 maintains Fitbit's signature squircle design. This time, the company made an effort to provide a larger display area, improved comfort, and increased responsiveness. This model is available in a 40mm aluminum case that comes in Soft Gold and Black. While the Fitbit Versa 3 bands are interchangeable, this means you won't be able to use any previous Versa bands you might have lying around.

Another benefit of the Fitbit Versa 3 is a full 6 days of battery life. What's more, you can take advantage of the fast charging feature when you're in a hurry to get it charged back up. You can charge your smartwatch and reach a full day of battery life after having it plugged in for just 12 minutes.

Some other improvements worth noting include the new Active Zone Minutes feature and the improved heart-rate technology. The Active Zone Minutes feature alerts you when you've hit your personalized target heart rate zone during an activity. You also have the new PurePulse 2.0 technology, which Fitbit claims is the most advanced heart rate technology available on a wearable.

Many people will also appreciate that the Fitbit Versa 3 offers both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. These voice assistants are accompanied by a built-in microphone and speaker for a more seamless experience. Not to mention that you can also take Bluetooth calls directly from your wrist.

Garmin Lily vs. Fitbit Versa 3: Which should you buy?

While the Garmin Lily and Fitbit Versa 3 are both outstanding smartwatches in their own unique ways, your decision will come down to what you're hoping to accomplish with your wearable. If fashion is at the top of your priority list, you'll likely be drawn to the dazzling Garmin Lily. If you're content with basic activity tracking, then you might not be missing much. However, those with bigger goals won't get everything they need from the Lily.

If you really want to commit to your fitness tracking, you'll be in much better hands with the Fitbit Versa 3. Not only does it offer more advanced features and more detailed insight, but it offers a better all-around experience. You won't miss out on key features, either. If you can stretch your budget a bit, the Fitbit Versa 3 will be money well spent.