Garmin Venu 3S vs Vivoactive 5 – Which Should You Buy?

Choosing the right smartwatch depends on how you balance fitness tracking, lifestyle features, and daily comfort. The Garmin Venu 3S and Garmin Vivoactive 5 cater to slightly different audiences within Garmin’s ecosystem. The Venu 3S offers a refined AMOLED display and advanced wellness tools designed for active users who value both style and performance. The Vivoactive 5 focuses on practical fitness tracking with strong battery life and affordability. This comparison highlights their key differences in design, functionality, and performance to help you decide which model best fits your goals.

Side by Side Comparison

Detailed Feature Comparisons

Design and Construction: The Venu 3S features a premium stainless steel bezel with a polished look, offering more color options suited for lifestyle wear. The Vivoactive 5 uses an aluminum bezel that feels lighter and more casual. Both have similar sizes, but the Venu 3S feels slightly more refined on the wrist, making it appealing for both fitness and formal settings.

Display Quality: Both models use a vivid AMOLED touchscreen, but the Venu 3S provides richer color calibration and slightly better outdoor readability. The Vivoactive 5 matches resolution but lacks the same dynamic contrast, which makes the Venu 3S display feel more premium during workouts or daily use.

Performance and Processing: The Venu 3S benefits from a newer dual-core processor that speeds up interface transitions and app responsiveness. The Vivoactive 5 performs smoothly for daily tracking but may feel slower when handling multitasking features like music control and advanced metrics.

Health and Wellness Tracking: Garmin’s Venu 3S offers enhanced wellness metrics including nap detection, HRV-based stress tracking, and advanced sleep analytics. The Vivoactive 5 covers all standard metrics such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, and respiration but does not include the deeper recovery analytics found in the Venu 3S.

Fitness and Training Tools: Both watches support Garmin’s signature activity tracking for running, cycling, swimming, and yoga. The Venu 3S adds features like workout animations, adaptive training plans, and body composition estimates. The Vivoactive 5 provides a simpler approach focused on essential data without in-depth coaching support.

Battery and Power Management: The Vivoactive 5 holds a slight edge in battery longevity, lasting up to 11 days compared to the Venu 3S’s 10 days in smartwatch mode. However, the Venu 3S optimizes charging speed and includes better energy management during heavy usage like GPS tracking and music playback.

Smart Features: The Venu 3S supports voice assistants, phone calls, and text replies when paired with a smartphone, making it more functional as a connected device. The Vivoactive 5 offers notification mirroring and music playback but lacks microphone and speaker integration.

User Interface and Accessibility: The Venu 3S introduces accessibility tools such as on-wrist wheelchair mode and audible prompts, expanding inclusivity. The Vivoactive 5 focuses on streamlined navigation and simple menus, appealing to users who prefer minimal setup and ease of use.

Sensors and Accuracy: Both models feature Garmin’s Elevate heart rate sensor, but the Venu 3S includes the newer fifth-generation version that improves low-light accuracy and HRV readings. The Vivoactive 5 still performs reliably for everyday health tracking but can be less precise in high-intensity sessions.

Connectivity and Ecosystem: Both devices integrate seamlessly with the Garmin Connect app, supporting data sync, workout analysis, and third-party app connections. The Venu 3S offers slightly faster wireless transfer speeds through its dual-channel connectivity, while the Vivoactive 5 stays consistent for standard syncing tasks.

FAQ

Is the Garmin Venu 3S better than the Vivoactive 5 for everyday wear?
The Venu 3S feels more premium due to its stainless steel design and compact elegance, making it a great fit for both workouts and office wear.

Does the Vivoactive 5 have the same display quality as the Venu 3S?
Both use AMOLED technology with equal resolution, but the Venu 3S display offers deeper contrast and slightly better visibility in bright conditions.

Which watch lasts longer on a single charge?
The Vivoactive 5 has a modest lead with up to 11 days of battery life, while the Venu 3S averages around 10 days under similar use.

Can I take phone calls from the Vivoactive 5?
No, the Vivoactive 5 does not include microphone or speaker support, while the Venu 3S allows phone calls when connected to a smartphone.

Is there a major difference in fitness tracking accuracy?
Both are accurate for general fitness use, but the Venu 3S uses a newer heart rate sensor that improves accuracy during intense training.

Does either watch support voice assistants?
Only the Venu 3S supports voice assistants through your phone connection, while the Vivoactive 5 focuses on basic notification support.

Which one is more comfortable for smaller wrists?
The Venu 3S is designed with smaller wrist sizes in mind, featuring a more compact and lightweight profile.

Do both watches include Garmin Pay and music storage?
Yes, both models support Garmin Pay and music playback, though the Venu 3S offers double the internal storage capacity.

How do their health insights differ?
The Venu 3S includes advanced wellness tools like HRV-based recovery and nap tracking, while the Vivoactive 5 provides standard daily metrics.

Who should buy the Vivoactive 5 instead of the Venu 3S?
The Vivoactive 5 is ideal for users seeking reliable fitness tracking and long battery life at a lower price without the extra smart features.