Should you buy this highend body fitness smartwatch – Garmin Venu 2 vs Fenix 6? Use preloaded workouts that include cardio, yoga, strength, HIIT and Pilates, create your own in the Garmin Connect app on your compatible smartphone, or try Garmin Coach free adaptive training plans to help you prepare for your next running challenge. Even never miss a call, text or social media alert with smart notifications delivered right to your wrist. Know about more benefits in Garmin Venu 2 vs Fenix 6 comparison chart.
Pros & Cons – Garmin Venu 2 vs Fenix 6 comparison
Garmin Venu 2
Pros
- Bright, sharp display
- Attractive design
- Easy-to-use interface
- Ten-plus days of battery life
Cons
- No onboard maps
- Fewer supported workout types compared to other Garmin watches
- Not as many smartwatch features as an Apple Watch
Garmin Fenix 6
Pros
- Fantastic battery life
- Many sports tracking options
- Versatile feature set
- PacePro is hugely helpful for training
Cons
- Very expensive
- Heart rate readings can be off
Specifications – Garmin Venu 2 vs Fenix 6 comparison
Garmin Venu 2
- Screen: 1.1 or 1.3in AMOLED
- Case size: 40 or 45mm
- Case thickness: 12.1 or 12.2mm
- Band size: 18 or 22mm standard
- Weight: 38.2 or 49g
- Storage: 2,000 songs or about 7GB
- Water resistance: 50 metres (5ATM)
- Sensors: GPS/Glonass/Galileo, compass, gyro, thermometer, altimeter, heart rate, pulse Ox
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+, wifi
Garmin Fenix 6
- From $599
- Available in 6 and 6 Pro models
- 47mm case
- 1.3 inch, 240 x 240 display
- Available with steel, titanium bezel
- Interchangeable 22mm bands
- Up to 36 hours GPS battery
- Includes Pulse Ox sensor
- Waterproof up to 100m
- 24/7 activity tracking
- Multisport profiles
- PacePro running feature
- Battery saver mode
Garmin Venu 2 vs Fenix 6 price comparison
At $400/£349.99 the Venu 2 goes head-to-head with the Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm) on price and features, although there’s no ECG on the Venu. That means Apple-curious shoppers could opt for the distinctly cheaper Apple Watch SE (£269) if you’re willing to forgo SpO2 as well.
The price varies accordingly with the cheapest one being $550 Fenix 6S and 6 to $700 Fenix 6X. These watches are also launched in Sapphire (with a sapphire glass) and Solar (with the lens to harvest solar energy). For the sake of a fair comparison, we will compare only the base variants of Fenix 6 and 6S.
The Garmin Fenix 6 comes in multiple flavors and price points, so we’ll just break them down here first.
- Garmin Fenix 6/Pro/Pro Solar – The standard 47mm version, adds music, Wi-Fi, maps – $599/$699/$849.99
- Garmin Fenix 6S/Pro/Pro Solar – A smaller 42mm case with slightly lower battery life, adds music, Wi-Fi, maps – $599/$699/$849.99
- Garmin Fenix 6X – Bigger screen, slightly better battery, music, Wi-Fi, maps as standard – $749
- Garmin Fenix 6X Pro Solar – Solar panels for extra battery life, music, Wi-Fi, maps as standard – $1149
Garmin Venu 2 vs Fenix 6 comparison chart
| Features | Garmin Venu 2 | Garmin Fenix 6 |
| Shape | Round | Round |
| Dimensions | Venu 2S : 40.4 x 40.4 x 12.1mmVenu 2: 45.4 x 45.4 x 12.2mm | Fenix 6S: 42 x 42 x 13.8 mmFenix 6: 47 x 47 x 14.7 mm |
| Colors | Venu 2:Silver bezel with Granite Blue case, Slate bezel with Black case venue 2S: Slate bezel with Graphite case, Light Gold bezel with Light Sand case, Silver bezel with Mist Grey case, Rose Gold bezel with White case | Fenix 6S: Silver with Black Band, White with white band Fenix 6: Silver with Black Band |
| Casing Material | fiber-reinforced polymer with Stainless steel bezel | fiber-reinforced polymer with Stainless steel bezel |
| Strap Size | Venu 2S: 18 mm fits a wrist of 110-175 mm circumference menu 2: 22 mm, fits wrist of 135-200 mm circumference | Fenix 6S: 20 mm fits wrists with the following circumference: Silicone band: 108-182 mmSuede band: 108-175 mm Fabric band: 108-189 mm Metal band: 108-180 mmFenix 6: 22 mm fits wrists with the following circumference: Silicone band: 125-208 mmLeather band: 132-210 mm Fabric band: 132-210 mm Metal band: 132-215 mm |
| Strap Material | Silicone (quick release) | Silicone (QUICKFIT™ WATCH BAND COMPATIBLE) |
| Weight (with/without strap) | Venu 2S: 38.2 gramsVenu 2: 49 grams | Fenix 6: 57 Garmin Fenix 6S: 41 grams(Both without straps) |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM (Safe for both pool and open-water swims) | 10 ATM (Safe for both pool and open-water swims) |
| Screen Size | Venu 2S: 1.1 inchesVenu 2: 1.3 inches. | Fenix 6: 1.3 inchesFenix 6S: 1.2 inches |
| Screen Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Screen Technology | AMOLED | sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Resolution | Venu 2S: 360 x 360 pixelsVenu 2: 416 x 416 pixels | Fenix 6: 260 x 260 pixelsFenix 6S: 240 x 240 pixels |
| Always-on-Display | Yes | No |
What are the differences – Garmin Venu 2 vs Fenix 6 ?
Lightweight
Garmin Venu 2
Gramin Venu 2 is lightweight and tips the scales at just 49g thanks to a plastic build, which undeniably impacts on the overall look and feel.
Whether you go regular Gramin Fenix 6, pro or solar, it weighs in 83g for the steel version or 72g with a titanium case to make it lighter than the Fenix 5
Design
There are two sizes to choose from. The standard Venu 2 comes in at 45mm (1.77 inches), and the Venu 2S is 40mm (1.58 inches). Both watches cost the same $400 and are effectively identical, but the 2S has a slightly smaller screen (1.1 inches versus 1.3 inches) and a nominally shorter battery life.
Fenix 6 although the latest in its lineup is 2 years old. Launched in November of 2019, Fenix 6 was launched in 3 case sizes; 42mm was called the Fenix 6S, 47mm was called the Fenix 6 and the 51mm one was called Fenix 6X.
Controls
There are only two physical buttons, both on the right side of the watch. The top button is the activity start / stop button, and long-pressing will get you right to you a circle of shortcuts for settings and apps. The bottom button is the back button, but it also doubles as a manual lap / set trigger, and long-pressing will get you into your settings.
The buttons feel subtly more premium too, and at last the Fenix 6 doesn’t feel like a beast on the wrist and will suit a variety of wrist sizes and shapes.
Resolution
Venu is superior when displays are concerned with its top-notch 416 x 416 pixels (360×360 for Venu 2S) AMOLED Touch display along with the always-on feature. All the major controls are touch-focused and you can navigate through the menus with touches and swipes.
The resolution is quite low too at 260×260 (Fenix 6) and 240×240 (Fenix 6S). This also comes as a hurdle in making it a touch screen.
Mapping
TOPO mapping is a major feature of the Fenix range, and while it’s been given some new themes on the Fenix 6 (high contrast, popularity, marine, dark, and outdoor), it’s still lacking as a proper mapping experience.
When out on an activity you can navigate to a map of your surroundings, to add a little context to what’s around you. It’s basic stuff though, which shows major trails and roads, but doesn’t have the full detail of an Ordnance Survey map, and isn’t too helpful when really off the beaten track.
In Garmin Venu 2, mapping works in limited scale.
Music
Fenix 6.is capable of controlling the music on your phone but there is no physical storage for music. On the other hand, Venu 2 can store up to 650 songs along with the support of offline Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio, etc. Meanwhile to get the support for such apps you have to buy the Pro version of both 6 and 6S.
Water Resistance
Water protection is where Fenix 6 takes a lead. It is rated for 10 ATM of underwater protection compared to 5 ATM of Venu 2. 10 ATM basically means that your watch is safe even when there is a water column 100 meters above you.
Strap
The straps situation is also a bit different on both of them as the Venu supports the standard quick release straps, while Fenix has its own rendition of it called the QUICKFIT. Both bands are readily available though, in their respective sizes. Fenix also comes with the option of titanium, leather, Fabric, and standard Silicone.
Sports – Garmin Venu 2 vs Fenix 6
On the sports watch side, there are about 30 activities you can choose from, including running, walking, hiking, pool swim, strength training, snowboarding, skiing, and others, but it doesn’t come anywhere close to the offerings from most dedicated sports watches, including the Garmin Enduro or Fenix 6. For example, there is no option for trail running, open water swimming, or surfing (which are some of my most common workouts), and there isn’t really a good reason why. The Venu 2 has all the necessary sensors, and it has plenty of storage for those tiny apps.
The Venu 2 also lacks not only maps but even a simple track-back feature for runs and hikes to help you find your way back to your starting point, something I sorely missed when I got lost on a run and ended up straining my knee while finding my way back. It does have a “Back to Start” feature
Battery life
Fenix 6 can last for 14 days while the 6S lasts for 9. Venu 2 underperforms a little bit in this mode and gives an endurance of 11 days while the 2S can keep its juices up for 10 days. The S version of Venu performs a tad better than the Fenix 6S.
In battery saver mode, Venu 2 lasts 12 days and 2S lasts 11 days, Fenix 6 lasts 42 days and 6S lasts 34 days. Now there is a visible disparity among the 2 models which can be justified by the use of AMOLED display in the Venu 2 which is more power-hungry.
What atre the Similarities – Garmin Venu 2 vs Fenix 6 ?
Notifications
Both of the watches offer the notification alert. You can see the notifications as well as respond to them using the predefined responses. There is no limit as to what app notifications can be shown, if it is in your watch, it shows. This is customizable though and you can set up what notifications you want to see.
GPS
The GPS situation is quite similar in both watches in question. Both are backed by a multi-satellite system pairing with GLONASS and GALILEO. The GPS quality is premium and the connectivity both the devices offer is immaculate. Talking about the accuracy, Fenix 6 and Venu 2, both are fairly accurate when it comes to tracking.
Running
Venu 2 lags a bit with its limitation of tracking Running, Indoor Track Running, and Treadmill Running only. On the other hand, Fenix 6 records Trail Running and virtual running too for those who are concerned. Both watches show the real-time cadence (steps per minute). Fenix 6 also goes up by providing a comparison of your real-time fitness after a 6-20 minute run to your average fitness.
Sleep tracking
Sleep tracking is one of the best in Garmin watches. Garmin provides a lot of data when it comes to your sleep tracking. The features are identical in both the Venu 2 and Fenix 6. At the end of each sleep cycle, you receive a sleep score on the basis of the quality of your sleep, how many times you woke up in your sleep, restlessness, total duration of sleep, time of sleep, etc. A welcome feature for those having trouble organizing their sleep schedule.
Stress tracking
Hectic moments and stressful feelings can be instantly seen on the wrist, if you head to the stress widget, and it kicks out a live score, as well as showing peaks over the 24 hours.
The sensitivity means the daily stress score is now of more interest, and it’s worth keeping an eye out for high numbers. It’s also linked directly to the Garmin breathwork feature, so you can undertake some guided breathing if you need to.
Respiration tracking
The Garmin Venu 2 uses an SpO2 sensor, that can measure both blood oxygen saturation and breathing rate. Unlike Fitbit, which only measures breathing rate during sleep, the Venu 2 will measure it during the day and night.
Respiration rates tallied with results from Fitbit breathing rate metrics, and we averaged the same 13 breaths per minute we’re used to seeing in the Fitbit app. Again, it should be noted that you can only see 7 days of data without Fitbit Premium, while you get full tracking in Garmin Connect.
