GARMIN Venu 3 Smartwatch Review: How Different Is Battery Life Between Venu 3 and 3S, and Which to Choose

By the Store Manager

Compared with relying on scattered phone apps for steps and sleep, or wearing a smartwatch that needs a charger every day, this review of the GARMIN Venu 3 smartwatch gives a clearer direction if you want to track sleep, heart rate, daily activity, and the occasional workout all in one place. It is not the most hardcore sports watch, but it finds a pretty comfortable balance between health tracking, a nice display, long battery life, and everyday features.

GARMIN Venu 3 Smartwatch Review: Size, Display and Battery Life

The GARMIN Venu 3 / Venu 3S GPS smartwatch focuses on an AMOLED display paired with Garmin’s usual long battery life. The Venu 3 has a 45 mm case and a 1.4-inch display, while the Venu 3S has a 41 mm case and a 1.2-inch display. Garmin lists the wrist fit ranges as 135-200 mm and 110-175 mm respectively.

For slimmer wrists, the Venu 3S will usually look more natural. A 45 mm watch is not impossible to wear, but sometimes it shifts from “sporty” to “I strapped a small clock to my arm.” Photos are not always reliable for this, so it is better to measure your wrist circumference first.

Weight is also friendly. The Venu 3 body is about 30 g, or 47 g with the band; the Venu 3S body is about 27 g, or 40 g with the band. For people who want to wear it while sleeping for tracking, that weight is easy to live with and does not feel like a small sandbag on the wrist.

Battery life is one of the most attractive parts of this series. Garmin rates the Venu 3 for up to 14 days in smartwatch mode and the Venu 3S for up to 10 days. Battery saver mode goes up to 26 days and 20 days respectively. In GPS mode, the Venu 3 lasts about 26 hours and the Venu 3S about 21 hours, which is more than enough for daily jogging, walking, cycling or weekend exercise.

Of course, official numbers are ideal figures. A PTT user reported around 10-11 days, while a Reddit user mentioned around 7-9 days. The difference usually depends on always-on display use, GPS frequency and notification volume. The main point is that you do not need to charge it every day, so the anxiety of finding your watch at 5% in the middle of the night is much lower.

Health Features Are Its Main Stage

The Venu 3 series has a strong set of health features, including sleep coach, HRV, skin temperature changes and an ECG app. The sleep coach gives suggestions based on your sleep, stress and activity. Compared with only showing “how many hours you slept,” it feels more like a reminder of whether your body has been pushed too hard lately.

For heart-rate accuracy, a Reddit user compared the Venu 3 with a Polar H10 chest strap and said the data was quite close. Of course, wrist-based optical heart-rate sensors can still drift during high-intensity intervals, large wrist movements or loose wear. For general health tracking, strength training, jogging and daily activity records, though, it is already very practical.

There are more than 30 built-in sports apps, including running, cycling, swimming, yoga and strength training. The water rating is 5 ATM, so regular swimming is fine, but diving and high-speed water sports are not recommended. It can join you for a swim; that does not mean it should help you find Nemo.

Everyday Features: Calls, EasyCard and a Few Limits

The Venu 3 has a speaker and microphone, so when connected to your phone it can handle Bluetooth calls from your wrist. It also supports Garmin Pay with EasyCard, so you can tap your watch for MRT rides or drinks. Opinions on this feature depend heavily on the user: some people find it so convenient they cannot go back, while others buy the watch and never use it once.

One limitation is message quick replies. A PTT user noted that quick-reply input is mainly English, making Chinese use inconvenient. If you expect to reply to LINE smoothly from the watch, keep this in mind first.

Navigation is also fairly basic. For daily workouts and lifestyle tracking, it is fine. But if you often run mountain routes, walk long-distance trails or rely heavily on navigation for hiking and trail use, Garmin’s outdoor or running-watch lines may suit you better.

Wearing Feel and Things to Check Before Buying

The lens is Corning Gorilla Glass 3, paired with a stainless steel bezel. It does not look out of place with office clothes or gym gear. Pay attention to band width: the Venu 3 uses 22 mm bands, while the Venu 3S uses 18 mm bands. If you buy the wrong width, you cannot force it on; you can only stare lovingly at a strap that will not fit, which is a little awkward.

This series is better suited to office workers or general users who care about sleep and health data, exercise occasionally and dislike daily charging. If you train for running every day and care about training load, pacing and recovery status in detail, the Forerunner series may be a better match.

The store name was not fully shown when checked, so we cannot confirm whether it is brand-operated. Before ordering, check the seller rating, warranty terms and whether it is an official Taiwan unit. Prices start around NT$9,990, with size, colour and promotions affecting the final price, so please refer to the Shopee product page.

GARMIN Venu 3 Smartwatch Review: Forum User Feedback

On PTT’s MobileComm board, a couple shared their experience wearing the Venu 3 and Venu 3S at the same time (PTT MobileComm Venu 3/3S review). The original poster said battery life was about 10-11 days and daily health monitoring was very complete. The downsides were that quick-reply input was English-only and not very convenient, and navigation was fairly basic. In the comments, opinions on EasyCard were split, with some finding it useful and others saying they did not need it. On Reddit r/GarminWatches, there is also a long-term Venu 3 user report (Reddit r/GarminWatches Venu 3 review). That user reported about 7-9 days of real-world battery life and heart-rate data that was quite close to a Polar H10 chest strap, though the band irritated their skin at first. These are individual experiences, collected here for reference.

Similar Alternatives

• GARMIN vívoactive 5: also has an AMOLED display and is more affordable; specs should be checked on the Shopee product page.
• GARMIN Forerunner 265: more complete running training features for serious runners; specs should be checked on the Shopee product page.
• Apple Watch SE: strong iPhone ecosystem integration, but shorter battery life; specs should be checked on the Shopee product page.

Think Before Ordering

In short, the GARMIN Venu 3 / 3S is a health-and-lifestyle-focused smartwatch with an AMOLED display, 5 ATM water rating, sleep coach, HRV, Bluetooth calls and EasyCard. The Venu 3 lasts up to 14 days in smartwatch mode, while the Venu 3S lasts up to 10 days. It is well suited to anyone who wants more complete body-status tracking without being tied down by charging frequency. Please refer to the Shopee product page for current pricing.

Pre-purchase Checklist

• Confirm the size: Venu 3 (45 mm) or Venu 3S (41 mm)
• Measure your wrist circumference
• Confirm the colour and band style
• Use the Shopee product page as the source for pricing
• Check the seller, spec options and shipping location
• Read the return, exchange and warranty terms clearly

Specs

Pros

• Bright AMOLED display, up to 14 days in smartwatch mode
• Complete health data including sleep coach, HRV and skin temperature
• Bluetooth calls and EasyCard support
• Two sizes, with the 3S for slimmer wrists

Cons

• Quick-reply input is mainly English, making Chinese use inconvenient
• Navigation is fairly basic
• Not an entry-level price
• Real battery life varies by usage habits

Purchase Link

👉 Lowest-price buy link

Prices and specs: check the Shopee listing.

Compiled from official specs and user feedback.

Some images are AI-generated illustrations