Garmin Venu 2 vs. Venu 2S: What's the difference and which size should you buy?

Garmin Venu 2

We never know quite what to expect when a successor hits the market, but the Garmin Venu 2 is here to impress. The new features include fitness age, sleep score, Health Snapshot, new activity profiles, a battery saver mode, and more. It's also got a large and vibrant AMOLED display.

Garmin Venu 2S

If you're expecting the Venu 2S to be wildly different than the Venu 2, you'll be surprised. The only difference here is the size of the watch. You still get all of the same great features on this smartwatch. Keep in mind that due to the smaller size, the battery life is a bit shorter.

Garmin Venu 2 vs. 2S: Does size matter?

Finding the best Android smartwatch depends on a few factors. In many cases, size will play a part in your decision, like choosing between the new Garmin Venu 2 and 2S, for example. The company is introducing an assortment of new features that can be found on both models. The only difference to be concerned about is the size. The Venu 2 comes in a 45mm case, while the Venu 2S comes in a smaller 40mm case.

When the original Garmin Venu was released nearly two years ago, it was only available in one size: 43mm. However, it's not unlike Garmin to release a smartwatch that comes in two sizes. One example is the Garmin Vivoactive 4, which also offered the 40mm and 45mm variants. There are plenty of new features to cover when it comes to the Garmin Venu 2 and 2S. Fortunately, both models offer the same features. Therefore, your decision will come down to your size preference.

The Garmin Venu 2 is larger than life

Sometimes, a company will release a successor and call it an upgrade, but it barely has any new features. The good news is that the Garmin Venu 2 is actually quite an improvement. Not only are there two size options to pick from, but there are many new features to look forward to.

As far as the design goes, not much has changed aside from the introduction of two sizes. Much like the previous models, the Garmin Venu 2 comes in a 45mm polymer case with a sleek stainless steel bezel. These variants are compatible with 22mm straps. That means you'll have your pick of Garmin Venu 2 bands when you want to change up your look. The two color options are Granite Blue with a Silver bezel and Black with a Slate bezel. Both variants come with a silicone band.

One of the biggest improvements on both the Garmin Venu 2 and 2S is the battery. The predecessor only offered five days of battery life, which is still pretty good for a smartwatch with an AMOLED display that comes with the always-on feature. Now, battery life has doubled. There's also a new rapid charging feature, which will bring your watch to a full day of battery life after just 10 minutes of charging.

The Garmin Venu 2 offers 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. There's also a new battery saver mode that allows you to adjust settings that impact battery life. You can get an extra day of juice thanks to this new feature. The battery life alone makes the Venu 2 one of the best Garmin smartwatches you can buy.

Another upgrade you'll have on both the Venu 2 and 2S is improved sleep tracking with a sleep score. This is powered by Firstbeat Analytics, which provides users with a sleep score based on both the quality and quantity of the previous night's sleep. Not to mention that you can also view your sleep stats directly on the watch now.

As usual, you'll have access to plenty of sports apps. Both models offer more than 25 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, golf, Pilates, yoga, pool swimming, and more. You also get some new ones such as HIIT (including AMRAP, EMOM, Tabata, and custom timers), indoor climbing, bouldering, and hiking.

The fitness age feature can estimate if your body is younger or older than you are. It uses your chronological age, weekly vigorous activity, resting heart rate, and BMI or body fat percentage to make this estimation. You'll also receive tips for lowering your fitness age.

The health tracking suite on the original Venu was already packed with features, but Garmin added more. The Venu 2 and 2S both have the company's new Health Snapshot feature. This allows users to log a 2-minute session that will record key health stats. Once complete, you can generate a report to share with your healthcare provider.

As far as fitness tracking is concerned, you'll enjoy the new advanced strength training profile and workouts. This feature is designed to put weight scaling and strength personal records (PRs) directly on the device rather than having to open the app. It also includes graphics that show you which muscle groups were worked during a session.

Other smartwatch features are present on the Venu 2 and 2S as well. For starters, both models are equipped with NFC for Garmin Pay. You also get built-in music storage for up to 650 songs, including playlists from apps such as Spotify. You'll also appreciate the seamless notification support on these watches that are clear and easy to read.

The Garmin Venu 2S is tiny, but just as mighty

When it comes to features, the Venu 2S is identical to Venu 2. The size of these watches is the only thing that sets them apart. Similar to the Venu 2, the 2S comes in a polymer case with a stainless steel bezel. It's slightly smaller at 40mm, and the band size is also different. The Venu 2S is compatible with 18mm interchangeable bands, so be mindful of this when choosing your replacements.

One benefit of the Garmin Venu 2S is you have more color options to pick from. You can choose from Graphite with a Slate bezel, Light Sand with a Light Gold bezel, Mist Gray with a Silver bezel, and White with a Rose Gold bezel. All of the variants come with a silicone band.

This is probably clear by now, but it's important to reiterate that the Venu 2S has all the same features as the Venu 2. You get onboard GPS, activity/sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, new activity profiles, blood oxygen tracking, Health Snapshot, Body Battery, Garmin Pay, music storage, and more.

Garmin Venu 2 vs. 2S: Which size should you buy?

When you consider that the Garmin Venu 2 and 2S are the same price, the only factor left that will affect your decision is size. Do you want a big smartwatch with a bright and beautiful display? If so, you'll want to opt for the Venu 2. This will likely be the preferred option for most people. However, keep in mind that you only get two color options with this variant.

If you want a smaller size for your dainty wrist or you like having more color options, you might prefer the Venu 2S instead. Sometimes, the battery life will be vastly different on a smaller watch. Luckily, the Venu 2S still offers a whopping 10 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. Again, it's the same price and comes with the same features as the Venu 2, so you won't miss anything important.