When it comes to activity tracking, there are smartwatches, and then, there is Garmin. The Swiss-based company has, over the years, honed its craft in making some of finest fitness trackers. The Venu Sq2, launched a couple of months ago in India, is no doubt a resource-packed wearable that doubles as a smartwatch. This could be the one device someone interested in switching to a fitness lifestyle might want to have. It could lighten your wallet as it costs as much as a mid-range smartphone, but it may definitely help you achieve your new year fitness goals.
In the last three weeks, I practically analysed every aspect of Venu Sq2 (non-music edition). I wore it when I went for a run, did high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts and Pilates, and swam in a 50-metre pool. I used it to track my sleep for a few days. And I even tested the watch’s 5 ATM water rating by wearing it when I went for a 12-metre-deep scuba dive.
The days when I did not wear it while sleeping, I kept it by my side on the bed. Not because I wanted to use it as an alarm piece, which of course, is a feature in the Garmin watch that lets you set bed time and wake up alarms that vibrate the device.
Specifications
- Screen: AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 3
- Case material: Aluminium Bezel
- Display dimension: 40.6mm x 37.0mm x 10.9mm
- Water rating: Swim, 5 ATM
- Battery Life: Up to 12 days on battery saver mode
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+
The reason it found a place near my bedside is because of the watch’s subscription-free breathing exercise feature. Most premium smartwatches do not provide this option. The breathwork function offers four options. Garmin has given it fancy names like, Coherence, Relax and Focus modes (two modes: one short and one long), and Tranquillity. Each of these has a specific use.
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Breathwork
For instance, Coherence is a breath-hold interval exercise that helps expand lung capacity. The exercise is recommended for increasing oxygen efficiency in athletes. Venu Sq2 helps you do three- and four-second intervals of breathing in and hold, and then breathing out and hold. The breathing and hold sections are marked by a gentle vibration. The former has a slightly longer vibration. This helps keep the focus on just the exercise. The Relax and Hold modes are designed for regular breathing in and breathing out exercises.
Breathwork feature shows Coherence option here
| Photo Credit:
John Xavier
‘Coherence’ is the reason Venu Sq2 found a spot near my bedside, which is otherwise gadget-free. The device gently signals me to breathe in, hold, and breathe out. The short and long vibration makes it easy to focus. And before going to bed, I use the ‘Tranquillity’ mode to unwind. This is built on the 4-7-8 breathing technique that makes you relax before going to sleep.
The AMOLED display is a step ahead of its predecessor, Venu Sq, which came with an LCD screen. This one’s display is larger and it has a quieter vibration motor. The glance screen and text notifications have a large font and messages are easy to read. Pre-set messages can help you reply to text and messaging app notifications without picking up your phone.
Overall health tracking
Before Garmin started making smartwatches, it was a GPS tracking devices leader. And it has not taken its first-mover advantage for granted. The watch’s GPS tracking is quite accurate. The first time when I used it for a run, it took about 30 seconds to get the signal. After that, the connection was much faster as the location was saved. The watch’s dial showed a small map of the distance covered, along with information on heart rate.
Health snapshot on the watch
| Photo Credit:
John Xavier
Venu Sq2 comes with a host of health tracking features like oxygen saturation, respiration tracker, fitness age, and sleep monitor. The health snapshot lets you get a quick update on your body’s basic health parameters. Within two minutes the device captures this information and shares it both on the smartwatch and the Garmin Connect app installed on the smartphone.
The one aspect that I’d love to check but could not was the VO2 Max score. The device manual says that when the user goes for a run, or walks for more than 15 minutes, their VO2 Max score is calculated on the watch. This did not happen for me. So, when I wanted to know what the cardio efficiency score was, Venu Sq2 asked me to go for a 15-minute brisk walk or run to get the data. Until the time of this review, I did not check this aspect.
Touch interface and sleep tracking
I personally liked the device’s touch interface. In the swimming pool, it tracked lap measurements accurately and it was also easy to operate even when it was immersed in water. While Garmin provides a Swolf score, I took it with a pinch of salt as the score was not accurate. That’s because when it comes to swimming, the device gave two different scores when worn on the left and right wrist respectively.
Screenshots of the Garmin Connect app showing user insights and swimming data
| Photo Credit:
John Xavier
Several triathlete coaches point out this issue with smartwatch-based Swolf tracking as these devices may not take the full impact of the swim. For instance, the leg kick factor cannot be captured from the arm movement. Though I did not take the Swolf score in full confidence, the accompanying graph with the number of strokes and heart rate data was helpful in getting to know how good or bad the workout session was.
Sleep tracking in Venu Sq2 is almost accurate as it effectively tracked my sleep for a few days. Just as with other smartwatches, I took REM and deep sleep splits to be cautiously optimistic. Otherwise, the data output I got on the Connect app synced with my natural sleep experience the previous night.
Garmin Venu Sq2 taken underwater 12 metres deep
| Photo Credit:
John Xavier
Verdict
Garmin Venu Sq2 is a far more improved fitness device compared to its predecessor. The smartwatch offers a range of useful fitness trackers and subscription-free workouts for those interested in building a new fitness lifestyle. Beyond the health and fitness tracking insights, the one reason this is a great wearable is because it won’t let you go to that charger for at least a week after a full charge. Venu Sq2 is built like a camel in the desert. It can go on for more than a week without needing to be charged. While it does cost as much as a mid-range smartphone, it is definitely a useful tool for someone looking to achieve their new year fitness goals.
