When it comes to activity tracking, we have smartwatches and we have Garmin. Over the years, the Swiss-based company has honed its craft of producing top-of-the-line fitness trackers. His Venu Sq2, which launched in India a few months ago, is definitely a resource-packed wearable that doubles as a smartwatch. This could be his one device that anyone interested in making the switch to a fitness lifestyle could have. It’s about the same price as a mid-range smartphone, so it can lighten your wallet, but it could definitely help you reach your fitness goals for the new year.
Over the past three weeks, we’ve really analyzed every aspect of Venu Sq2 (non-musical version). I’ve worn it while going for a run, doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) training, Pilates, and swimming in the 50m pool. I used it for several days to track my sleep. Additionally, we tested the watch’s 5 ATM water resistance while wearing it while scuba diving to a depth of 12 meters.
On the days I didn’t wear it to bed, I kept it by my bed. Not because I wanted to use it as an alarm, of course, but it’s a Garmin watch feature that allows you to set a bedtime and wake up to an alarm that vibrates the device.
specification
- screen: AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 3
- Case material: aluminum bezel
- Display dimensions: 40.6mm×37.0mm×10.9mm
- Water rating: Swim, 5 ATM
- Battery life: Up to 12 days in battery saver mode
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+
The reason I found a spot near my bedside is because of the watch’s subscription-free breathing exercise feature. Most luxury smartwatches don’t have this option. There are four options for the Breathwork function. Garmin has fancy names like Coherence, Relax and Focus modes (two modes: one short and one long), and Tranquillity. Each of these has specific uses.
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breathwork
For example, coherence is a breath-holding interval exercise that helps increase lung capacity. This exercise is recommended to increase oxygen efficiency in athletes. Venu Sq2 helps you inhale and hold, then exhale and hold for 3-4 second intervals. Breathing and holding sections feature gentle vibrations. The former has a slightly longer vibration. This allows you to focus solely on your exercise. Relax and Hold modes are designed for regular inhalation and exhalation exercises.
Breathwork function shows coherence options here | Photo credit: John Xavier
“Coherence” is why the Venu Sq2 has found a spot near my gadget-free bedside. The device gently cues you to inhale, hold, and exhale. Easy to focus with short vibration and long vibration. Unwind in Tranquility mode before bed. It is based on the 4-7-8 breathing technique that helps you relax before bed.
The AMOLED display is a step ahead of its predecessor, the Venu Sq, which had an LCD screen. This one has a larger display and a quieter vibration motor. Glance screens and text notifications are in large fonts and messages are easy to read. Preset messages let you reply to text messages and Messages app notifications without picking up your phone.
Overall health tracking
Before Garmin started making smartwatches, it was the leader in GPS tracking devices. And, as a matter of course, they do not enjoy the first-mover advantage. His GPS tracking on the watch is very accurate. The first time I used it for a run, it took about 30 seconds to acquire a signal. After that the location was saved so the connection was much faster. The watch face displayed a small map of your distance traveled, along with information about your heart rate.
Watch Health Snapshot | Photo Credit: John Xavier
The Venu Sq2 comes with tons of health tracking features like oxygen saturation, respiration tracker, fitness age, sleep monitor and more. Health snapshots allow you to quickly update your body’s basic health parameters. Your device will retrieve this information within two minutes and share it with both your smartwatch and the Garmin Connect app installed on your smartphone.
One aspect I wanted to check but couldn’t do was the VO2 Max score. According to the device manual, the VO2 Max score is calculated by the watch when the user runs or walks for more than 15 minutes. This didn’t happen to me. So when I wanted to know my cardio efficiency score, Venu Sq2 asked me to brisk walk or run for 15 minutes to get the data. Until the time of this review, I hadn’t checked this aspect.
Touch interface and sleep tracking
Personally, I like the device’s touch interface. In the pool, it tracked my lap measurements accurately and was easy to maneuver even when submerged. Garmin provides Swolf scores, but I added a little salt because the scores weren’t accurate. This is because when it comes to swimming, he gave two different scores when the device was worn on each wrist.
Screenshot of the Garmin Connect app showing user insights and swim data | Photo credit: John Xavier
Several triathlon coaches have pointed out issues with smartwatch-based Swolf tracking. These devices may not be fully affected by swimming. For example, you can’t capture leg kick elements from arm movements. I’m not entirely confident he got a Swolf score, but the accompanying graphs, including stroke count and heart rate data, helped him know how well his session worked out.
The Venu Sq2’s sleep tracking is pretty accurate as it effectively tracked my sleep for several days. As with any smartwatch, I took a cautiously optimistic view of the split between REM and deep sleep. was doing.
Garmin Venu Sq2 photographed underwater at a depth of 12 meters | Photo credit: John Xavier
verdict
The Garmin Venu Sq2 is a much improved fitness device compared to its predecessor. This smartwatch offers a variety of convenient fitness trackers and subscription-free workouts for those interested in building a new fitness lifestyle. Beyond health and fitness tracking insights, one of the reasons this is a great wearable is because you can’t go to its charger for at least a week after a full charge.The Venu Sq2 is like a camel in the desert is made. You can use it for more than a week without charging. It costs about as much as a mid-range smartphone, but it’s definitely a handy tool for anyone trying to hit their fitness goals for the new year.