Garmin Venu 2 Plus

Initially a great watch, but disappointed with battery life. I wanted to share my experience with the Garmin Venu 2 Plus after nearly three years of ownership. I’ve rated it 4 stars overall, as it served me well in that time. But recent issues have left me a bit disappointed, and I think there’s room for improvement. I received this watch as a… Read more

birthday gift from my partner. It’s been used gently—mainly for general fitness tracking, with many features turned off to conserve power. It was never overcharged, never submerged in water, and generally had an easy life.

Recently, however, the battery has started to fail. It will still charge, but only holds for about 2 hours with light use before shutting down entirely. Unfortunately, Garmin doesn’t offer a battery replacement service, and the warranty is only valid for one year.

We paid close to $770 AUD when the watch was first released, so naturally, we expected more from a premium product backed by a reputable brand. My previous device, a Fitbit Versa, cost less than half that (around $200), lasted longer, and came with a 2-year warranty. Fitbit even replaced it after that warranty had expired when the software failed.

After doing some research, I found that others have had similar issues, and the general consensus is that 3–5 years is a typical battery lifespan for Garmin watches. I’m now looking into third-party repair services, with quotes for battery replacement ranging from $165–$220. It’s still more affordable than replacing the watch entirely, but not ideal.

When this replacement battery reaches the end of its life, I’ll likely switch back to something more affordable, like a Fitbit. In my experience, they’ve proven to be more reliable and come with better warranty support.

I do understand that rechargeable batteries degrade over time, and that’s to be expected. But if you’re reading this and considering investing in a mid to high-end fitness watch, be cautious. Unless you truly need all the extra features, you might be better off choosing something simpler and more affordable. In the end, you’re often paying for features—not necessarily better build quality or support.

Good but issues syncing sometimes – Got this as a Mother’s Day present as I was trying to work in my steps/walking goals. Everything is working well but for some reason my messages do not show on my watch when they come through. I get phone calls just no messages. I have tried following instructions to sync correctly but nothing seems to work. It’s quiet a pricey watch for this feature not to be working! Show details

So many great features in one watch – I wanted a watch that could get phone calls and receive messages and notifications. I didn’t want the typical Apple Watch look The Garmin Venu 2 Plus has all the features mentioned and more. I can use it to pay for things. It’s really stylish on. The battery lasts so long It reads your health statistics, steps, heart rate, sleep activity and much… Read more

more. I’ve answered calls on it and can hear the other person clearly. I can’t reply to messages but can read them. Lots of different faces to choose from

Love this watch – I've had this watch for a week now. I decided to upgrade from the Fitbit Sense that I'd had for only 8 weeks and I'm so glad I did. I was nervous moving from Fitbit to Garmin as I was on my 4th Fitbit. I did so much research beforehand and I'm so glad I chose the Garmin Venu 2 Plus. I love everything about it. It's fabulous for tracking workouts… Read more

and bike rides and all the stats are interesting. The app is easy to use and allows me to track calorie intake too. The notifications are also great and it's an easy to see screen. Highly recommend this watch!

Excellent Watch – I bought this watch 3 weeks ago after deciding this was the watch I wanted. I waited over a month to see if there were going to be any discounts but when the screen protector I ordered arrived, I bought one from Johnny Appleseed with a $50 discount. The display is colourful and bright and responsive to my touches. The fitness tracking (for me… Read more

mainly just walking) is great. I love the fact that I can just start walking and after a kilometre, it automatically starts a session including the preceeding kilometre. (There are options to kick in at a shorter or a longer distance if so desired). I can also pay for my shopping using the watch. I haven't tried making or answering a phone call on it - I don't see much value in that.

After my last charge, the warning of 10% battery life left appeared after close to 9 days. This beats any of my previous watches by around twice, so I am really happy with that. I have a hard plastic screen protector that clips on so it should prevent any scratches.

The associated app records a lot of information about the fitness sessions; way more than I am ever going to need. There are lots of watch faces available to choose from.

It is an expensive watch, but compared to some of the top of the line smart watches around, it does seem a reasonable price.

Edit: June 2024. I've now had the watch for over 2 years and am still as happy with it as when I first bought it. Battery life is still excellent, and the screen protector has kept it looking like new!