If you're looking for a new sports watch, the Garmin Venu 2 and Garmin Epix (Gen 2) are likely to be on your shortlist. These are definitely two of the most exciting Garmin watches thanks to their bright OLED displays, which are much easier to see in all lighting conditions than the Memory Pixel (MiP) displays on the Fenix series watches and Forerunner.
However, despite using the same display technology, they are two very different watches. The Venu 2 is a fantastic all-rounder with a good range of smartwatch tools for everyday use, as well as a great selection of sports tracking features. The Epix (Gen 2), on the other hand, is a watch for the serious athlete, with advanced training tools designed to help you reach your goals and break new personal records. This difference is also reflected in the prices of watches; the Epix is about double the price of the Venu 2.
These are just the basics, there are also many more differences to know, which we will see below. If you've already made up your mind, we've rounded up the best deals on both watches here.
Today's best Garmin Epix (Gen 2) and Garmin Venu 2 deals
Watch models and prices
See models
- Epix (Gen 2) available in two materials but only one size
- Venu 2 is available in 40mm and 45mm versions
- Venu 2 Plus has a 43mm diameter case
The Garmin Epix (Gen 2) only comes in one size (47mm) but comes in two variants: Standard and Sapphire. The standard version is a bit cheaper (which we'll explain in more detail shortly) and has a Corning Gorilla Glass lens, a dark gray reinforced polymer case with a stainless steel front and back. It is finished with a dark gray silicone band.
The sapphire edition has a titanium bezel and caseback, and a black or white reinforced resin case. The lens is tough sapphire crystal and you can choose a silicone strap or upgrade to leather for an additional fee. At the time of writing, the leather strap is not available in the United States.
The Garmin Venu 2 comes in two sizes (40mm or 45mm), the smaller of which is called the Venu 2S. Both models are more compact than the Epix (Gen 2), making them a better option for slimmer wrists.
Like the Epix standard edition, the Venu 2 has a reinforced resin case with a stainless steel back and bezel. It is available in a range of colours, with different options for both sizes.
In January 2022, Garmin released the Venu 2 Plus, which has a 45mm diameter case. It's made from the same materials, but there's also a premium version that comes with a leather strap in addition to the standard silicone strap. Again, the leather variant is not currently available in the United States.
Award
- Epix (Gen 2) is more than double the price of Venu 2
- Venu 2 Plus costs €50 more than Venu 2
- Premium materials available at additional cost
The Garmin Epix (Gen 2) is a premium smartwatch, while the Venu 2 Plus is a mid-range model, and that's reflected in its prices.
The Epix (Gen 2) is $899.99 / $799.99 / AU$1,399 for a model with a stainless steel bezel and Corning Gorilla Glass covering the face, or $999.99 / $899.99 / AU$1,499 for a sapphire crystal lens. and titanium bezel.
There's also a model with a sapphire crystal and titanium bezel, plus a brown leather strap instead of the standard silicone, priced at €999.99 / AU$1,549 (but not currently available in the US). .
The Garmin Venu 2 is $399,99 / £349,99 / AU$629 for the 40mm and 45mm versions, while the Venu 2 Plus is $449,99 / £399,99 / AU$699 for the Garmin Venu 449,99. standard and €749 / AU$XNUMX for the one with a leather strap.
Design, screen and battery life.
Integrated
- Epix (Gen 2) is more robust
- Epix has five buttons, while Venu 2 has two
- Venu 2 Plus has a third button for the microphone
Both the Garmin Epix (Gen 2) and Venu 2 have the round face typical of most of the company's watches, but the Epix has a more rugged look thanks to exposed screws on its metal-covered lugs.
We've already discussed the sizes and materials of the two watches, but the button layout is also worth mentioning. The Epix (Gen 2) has the five button setup that will be familiar to Garmin Forerunner and Fenix users. The on/off button on the top right is protected by a small metal shield to prevent accidental pressure or damage/
The Venu 2 only has two physical buttons on the right side of the case (one to select a menu option and one to go back). All other watch functions are performed via the touchscreen, though it's locked by default while tracking an activity to prevent accidental presses. The Venu 2 Plus has an additional button between these two, which activates the watch's microphone.
To show
- They all have bright OLED screens
- Venu 2S has lower resolution than others
- The touch interface is fluid and responsive.
Both the Garmin Epix (Gen 2) and Garmin Venu 2 have bright OLED touchscreens that look great in all lighting conditions and are much more eye-catching than the memory-in-pixel (MiP) displays most smartphones use. Garmin watches.
All versions of both watches have the same screen resolution, except for the compact Venu 2S, as shown in this listing:
- Garmin Venu 2S (40mm) – 360 x 360 pixels
- Garmin Venu 2 Plus (43mm) – 416 x 416 pixels
- Garmin Venu 2 (45mm) – 416 x 416 pixels
- Garmin Epix (47mm) – 416 x 416 pixels
The Venu 2 and Epix screens were smooth and responsive in our testing, but if you'd rather stick to the more traditional button navigation, you can choose to turn off the screen during workouts or at momentarily.
Battery duration
- Shorter battery life than Fenix and Forerunner watches
- The bigger the watch, the longer the battery lasts
- Using always-on mode significantly increases power consumption
The downside of an OLED display is that it uses much more power than a MiP display, so the Venu 2 and Epix have shorter battery life than the Fenix and Forerunner series watches.
However, its longevity should not be neglected, especially if you are an Apple Watch fan who is used to charging your watch every night. Generally speaking, the larger the watch, the bigger its battery and the longer it will last between charges. We've rounded up all the battery stats Garmin quotes here, but in our tests we found we could expect each watch to run a bit longer than that.
Maximum battery life Garmin Venu 2, Venu 2 Plus and Epix (Gen 2) ModeVenu 2Venu 2 PlusEpix (Gen 2)As with any sports watch or smartwatch, actual battery life will vary depending on the features you use, such as SpO2 monitoring, GPS, and music playback. Enabling always-on mode will also consume additional power and significantly reduce battery life (although it does make your watch look great).
There are no solar-powered variants of the Venu 2 or Epix, but recently filed patents suggest Garmin is working on a cost-effective way to incorporate photovoltaic cells into an OLED screen, so it could happen with a future iteration of either Look.
Smartwatch and fitness functions
Smart watch features
- Very similar range of smartwatch features
- Epix (Gen 2) has the Garmin Connect IQ store on the watch itself
- Venu 2 Plus has a microphone for calls and voice assistant
In terms of everyday smartwatch functionality, the Garmin Epix (Gen 2) and Venu 2 are very similar. Both can receive smartphone notifications, let you reject a call with a text (if you have an Android phone), and let you find your phone through your watch (or vice versa). They also let you control music playback on your phone or play music directly from the watch itself (although the Epix has much more capability).
Whichever watch you choose, you'll be able to download additional apps through Garmin Connect IQ, but if you opt for Epix (Gen 2), you can do so through the watch instead of using the mobile app on your phone.
The Venu 2 Plus has all the features of the original Venu 2, plus a microphone that lets you take calls from your wrist and use your phone's voice assistant when in Bluetooth range. In our tests, sound quality was surprisingly clear for a smartwatch, and we found ourselves calling on Google Assistant much more often than usual. This is not something you will get with Epix (Gen 2).
fitness tracking
- Two excellent multisport watches.
- Epix (Gen 2) has more advanced training tools
- Epix (Gen 2) offers a wide range of pre-installed maps
When it comes to fitness tracking, the Garmin Epix (Gen 2) is by far the more advanced of the two. It has the same feature set as the Garmin Fenix 7 multisport watch, but with the addition of that excellent OLED screen, it really shines for maps and navigation.
Both watches feature Garmin's exclusive GPS (which is extremely accurate even in built-up areas), all-day heart rate monitoring, stress tracking, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep tracking, and the ability to take a "health snapshot" to check your vital status. statistics at a specific time of day.
They also have an impressive range of sports tracking modes, but Epix has a full suite of advanced training tools, especially for runners, swimmers, and cyclists. Training load monitoring, heat and altitude acclimatization, real-time stamina meter, estimated finish times, swim pace alerts, and free water swim metrics are just a few of the features. tools at your fingertips.
The Epix (Gen 2) also comes with an excellent set of preloaded maps, with more available through the watch's built-in map manager. During our tests, we were particularly impressed with the topographic and cycling maps.
Today's best Garmin Epix (Gen 2) and Garmin Venu 2 deals