{"id":90378,"date":"2025-10-20T16:41:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T16:41:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/90378\/"},"modified":"2025-10-20T16:41:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T16:41:12","slug":"a-more-mature-everyday-sports-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/90378\/","title":{"rendered":"A more mature everyday sports watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Verdict<\/p>\n

The Venu 4 offers a significant design upgrade, presenting a classier, more durable smartwatch with enhanced fitness tracking and a new flashlight, though it doesn’t drastically change the game from its predecessor \u2013 especially with a higher price point.<\/p>\n

12-day battery life is anxiety-relieving <\/p>\n

Superb fitness and health tracking capabilities <\/p>\n

Design is more refined than previous generations <\/p>\n

Garmin Connect app can be complicated for first-timers <\/p>\n

Only has two buttons for non-touchscreen control <\/p>\n

Quite expensive <\/p>\n

Key Features<\/p>\n

\"Trusted<\/p>\n

Review Price: \u00a3469.99 <\/p>\n

Redesigned form factor <\/p>\n

With a more refined design than proper sporty smartwatches, the Venu 4 looks more like a regular smartwatch.\n <\/p>\n

Top-notch fitness tracking <\/p>\n

Garmin has a reputation for great fitness tracking accuracy, and it’s very much the case here.\n <\/p>\n

Long battery life <\/p>\n

With up to 12 days of battery life, the Venu 4 just keeps on going.\n <\/p>\n

Introduction<\/p>\n

For a long time, the Venu series has been Garmin\u2019s most lifestyle conscious series: offering more of an everyday smartwatch feel to its product line than the other more outdoorsy models.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the latest model, the aim was to bring that same feeling, but in a more refined package that\u2019s just as capable a fitness and health-tracking device as the more expensive, bulky models. Has Garmin succeeded though?\u00a0Let\u2019s get into it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Design and screen<\/p>\n

Stainless steel<\/p>\n

Built-in LED flashlight<\/p>\n

1.2- or 1.4-inch display<\/p>\n

Garmin\u2019s Venu series has had something of a glow-up for its latest model. It\u2019s gone from being a relatively cheap and plasticcy device into being one made from stainless steel. It\u2019s the first thing you notice when you go from the previous Venu 3 to the Venu 4.<\/p>\n

\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also lost the third button (the middle one) on the right side, and has redesigned top and bottom buttons to make it feel that bit more sophisticated than the previous efforts. That feel is only helped along by the brown leather strap which comes with the most expensive version in the range.<\/p>\n

In my mind, it\u2019s a much needed improvement, with the previous versions always seemingly quite featureless and bland in the aesthetics department. It adds a splash of that premium feel typically reserved for the much more expensive Fenix models, but without changing the look to be as overtly outdoorsy.<\/p>\n

\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

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The end result is a watch that looks and feels more like a watch, and less like a glorified fitness tracker with a round body. Whether or not that change is worth the pretty high price point, that\u2019s up for debate, but it at least makes the watch better looking and more structurally solid.<\/p>\n

One curious addition, following the example of Garmin\u2019s other watch ranges over the past 12 months or so, is the LED flashlight built into the top edge. If you need to get dressed in the dark, or find something in a blackout, when there\u2019s a power cut, having that instantly available torch on your wrist can be super handy.<\/p>\n

You can also set it to flash red, using it to draw attention to yourself if you get lost\/stuck when out in poor visibility.<\/p>\n

\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

The only downside of the Venu\u2019s design is similar to previous models: it doesn\u2019t feature the five button control system used by many of Garmin\u2019s other more sports-focused models. So for a lot of interactions you do need to use the touchscreen, and that\u2019s not always convenient or intuitive. Especially if you\u2019re mid-exercise.<\/p>\n

As is pretty typical for any Garmin, you get solid waterproofing though. With 5ATM water resistance and swim-proof ratings, you\u2019ll be able to take this watch to track most water-based sports. It\u2019s not a diving watch, but for open water swimming or pool swimming, you should be fine.<\/p>\n

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\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

Front and centre is a superbly bright and vibrant 1.4-inch AMOLED display (or 1.2-inches if you have the smaller model). Details are nice and crisp, and animations are smoother than older Garmin models, giving you more of that feeling that this is, indeed, a smartwatch.<\/p>\n

Outdoors in bright daylight, the glass on the front can be quite reflective, but the screen is bright enough that it\u2019s easy enough to read and see the time or your workout stats as you\u2019re on the move. <\/p>\n

And, if you want to, you can enable the Red Shift feature that\u2019s become popular in recent years. You can switch it on manually, or schedule it for certain times like night time. It turns the entire interface a red\/orange colour to reduce glare, but make it easily visible in the dark.<\/p>\n

Just like the Venu 3, it has a loudspeaker playing loud chimes and alerts when you start and stop activities, or hit the 1km lap marks on runs and walks. It gives the Venu a bit more of a playful feel, and also means you can answer phone calls from your wrist and the audio will come through that speaker.<\/p>\n

\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

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Sadly, despite being a fairly pricey watch, there\u2019s no sapphire crystal glass over the display. It\u2019s Gorilla Glass 3, which isn\u2019t close to being even Corning\u2019s most durable or scratch resistant coating. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re someone who regularly does scrambling, rock climbing, bouldering or anything where you know your watch will regularly collide with hard objects, you might want to consider a different watch.<\/p>\n

Software and features<\/p>\n

Updated software and UI<\/p>\n

Works well with iOS and Android<\/p>\n

Some polish still needed<\/p>\n

It seemed inevitable when I reviewed the Vivoactive 6<\/a> earlier in the year that the Venu would be updated to the newer software system used by the latest Vivoactive. And that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s happened with the Venu 4.<\/p>\n

Swiping down from the watch face gets you to your notifications, a bit like a smartphone. That means if you want to get to your Glances (or the data widgets that appear in a list) you need to swipe upwards.<\/p>\n

\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

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And those Glances are much richer, graphically, than the previous Venu, with coloured gradient backgrounds and a smoother animation as you scroll through them. It gives the watch software a more coherent hierarchy, which the older version of Garmin software was missing. Although, it does take a little time to get used to.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s loaded with all the usual features you\u2019d expect from a Garmin smartwatch. Garmin Pay exists for contactless payments, at least for those banks and services that support it. <\/p>\n

You can also download offline playlists from popular music services like Amazon Music, Spotify and Deezer. If you want to leave your phone at home, you can, and still listen to music with a pair of earbuds while out on your run, and pick up milk from the shop on the way home too.<\/p>\n

\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

It still lacks a little in terms of third-party app support, so you don\u2019t quite get that same feeling of smartness as if you were to buy an Apple Watch or a Pixel\/Samsung Galaxy Watch. But you do get something none of them offer: cross platform support. It doesn\u2019t matter if you use an Android phone or an iPhone, you can use a Garmin.<\/p>\n

Still it\u2019s lacking in a couple of areas when compared to some of the other fully-featured smartwatches. <\/p>\n

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\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t always feel like the interface is well suited or easily controlled with the touchscreen, especially since sometimes the touchscreen responsiveness can be a little lacking. Getting into some settings and menus is more cumbersome, because it doesn\u2019t have the five button control system adopted by the likes of the Fenix, Epix and Forerunner models.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s the built in voice assistant, which can be handy for doing things like setting timers, but it\u2019s not as fully featured as Siri or Google\u2019s Gemini or Google Assistant. Still, at least you can activate your phone\u2019s assistant instead and use the microphone and speaker to pass through control to the phone instead.<\/p>\n

Fitness and Health Tracking<\/p>\n

Multi-band GPS support with great performance<\/p>\n

Excellent tracking capabilities<\/p>\n

Companion app needs a better way to display data<\/p>\n

Garmin\u2019s reputation has been built on tracking location and routes reliably. And so it\u2019s no surprise to see the boat pushed out when it comes to GPS tracking capability here.<\/p>\n

The Venu 4 features multi-band support for route-tracking along with support for several systems. It means, as far as tracking distances, route accuracy and how quickly it logs on to your location at the beginning of the session, it\u2019s up there with the best.<\/p>\n

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\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

It locks on to GPS within a few seconds of starting a walking or running activity, with distances measured consistently in line with what I\u2019d expect them to be on my regular routes. I saw fewer inconsistencies than I did with either the Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro<\/a> or the Apple Watch Series 11 that I tested alongside it for most of my activities.<\/p>\n

Even under tree covering, it kept a solid connection and traced the route along the road.<\/p>\n

I had a similar feeling with heart-rate measuring. We\u2019re past the point where intense activities seem to throw off the HR sensor, and so even during activities with lots of arm movement and abrupt jumps in intensity, the tracking stays solid.<\/p>\n

\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

During kettlebell sessions the heart-rate data on the watch screen consistently responded quickly to changes, most noticeable between warm up and the first set of reps. It didn\u2019t take an age to catch up, and kept the signal clean and clear through the whole workout.<\/p>\n

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Of course, any accurate tracking requires a snug fit and a clean signal, but Garmin\u2019s Elevate 5 sensor on the underside of the Venu 4 is among the strongest on the market. I\u2019ve experienced it on several models now, and have generally found it to be really reliable and only a beat or two per minute behind a chest strap.<\/p>\n

All of this is important when it comes to Garmin\u2019s health app, called Garmin Connect, which looks after importing, understanding and then presenting the data in a way that\u2019s helpful. For metrics like Body Battery, Training Readiness and Training Condition, being able to accurately detect your effort levels can make a huge difference.<\/p>\n

\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

With consistent, reliable readings it can better inform you whether or not today\u2019s a good day to train, or how much energy you have left in the tank, or even if your training is helping you get fitter, or if you\u2019re overtraining. All of it ties together into a system that can give you a lot of insight.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important for the sleep coaching feature which guides you on how much rest you might need depending on the intensity of physical strain throughout the day.<\/p>\n

Garmin\u2019s only issue here is that the Connect app isn\u2019t the most newbie-friendly approach to data presentation. It\u2019s easy to get bogged down in data, and get lost in a multitude of sub menus and categories to find the exact data you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n

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\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

Credit where it\u2019s due, the situation is much better than it used to be, allowing you to choose which data gets pride of place on the Home Screen and seeing what you want to see on the first page. Still, I feel apps like Oura\u2019s and Fitbit are far more user friendly.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a sports data enthusiast who wants all those metrics, Garmin\u2019s approach definitely suits more. But by the same token, it feels like the Venu series isn\u2019t really designed for you. So while the Venu series has long been the more lifestyle, average consumer type device, Garmin\u2019s app can seem a bit too data-driven to match those ambitions.<\/p>\n

Sleep tracking was generally okay, but as I\u2019ve found with a few Garmin watches now, not as reliable as the sleep tracking on an Apple Watch or the Oura Ring 4<\/a>. Especially when it comes to detecting periods of restlessness, or awake times. There were several nights when sleep stages showed very little time awake, even when I\u2019d had struggles getting down to sleep or knowing that I woke up several times in the night.<\/p>\n

Otherwise, the times shown between getting down to sleep and getting up were pretty consistent. It\u2019s just a shame the stages weren\u2019t accurate, because it feels like those are necessary to also feed into the training readiness and body battery features.<\/p>\n

\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

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And you do get a lot of very useful insight into every fitness and health. Things like your fitness age, respiration rates and all-day stress are all there. As are features like meditation, breath work and nap detection. You also get women\u2019s health features for cycle tracking. It\u2019s a very thorough all-round system.<\/p>\n

There is, of course, the optional premium Garmin subscription which gives you a bit more insight if you want to pay for AI to analyse your data and explain it to you in a way that makes sense. But, I\u2019ve personally not found the need to pay for that to get the information I need from Garmin. And given the price of the company\u2019s watches, that\u2019s something I feel should be included as standard.<\/p>\n

Battery life<\/p>\n

Up to 12 days on a charge<\/p>\n

Four days with always-on display active<\/p>\n

As is typical for Garmin watches, the stripped back smart feature list compared to the likes of Apple Watch and Wear OS smartwatches means you get very strong battery life.<\/p>\n

Even though it\u2019s got a bright, fluid display, the battery can get up to 12 days of use on a full charge. That\u2019s with just using it as a regular smartwatch, with notifications popping up from your smartphone whenever those land.<\/p>\n

\"GarminImage Credit (Trusted Reviews)<\/p>\n

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Of course, the more you use it for workout or activity tracking (particularly those with GPS) the more it drains. And if you have the always-on display enabled the battery will only last about four days. Those promises from Garmin are just about accurate too. And exact battery life varies based on your lifestyle and usage.<\/p>\n

On weeks where I did 3-4 activities, with at least two of those being hour-long walks, using multi-band all-system location tracking, I\u2019d estimate somewhere around the 10-11 day mark was possible. Still, regardless of how you use it, the battery will comfortably outlast even the most long-lasting Apple Watch, and that\u2019s even if you have the always-on screen enabled showing the time constantly.<\/p>\n

Should you buy it?<\/p>\n

\n You want a Garmin that doesn’t look like a Garmin\n <\/p>\n

With an updated design that gives it more of a classic smartwatch look, the Venu 4 is among the more stylish Garmin-branded options.<\/p>\n

\n You want the best smartwatch experience\n <\/p>\n

Garmin\u2019s UI has come a long way, but there are still limitations in smarts compared to the likes of the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/p>\n

In the end, the biggest change with the Venu 4 is arguably the glow-up it\u2019s had in design. It still very much looks and feels like a Venu, but one with a bit more class and a price tag to match.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s still an exceptionally capable fitness and health tracker, but one that brings more of that lifestyle smartwatch feel to your wrist than other Garmin series. And you get a flashlight on the top too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, I don\u2019t think it changes the game massively compared to the last Venu. So if you can find that available for cheaper, and are happy with the more plasticcy build, you\u2019ll get a lot of the same qualities from that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I think that, largely, the aim Garmin was going for, is here. The leather trap and stainless steel case certainly make for a more style-conscious and durable watch. And you still get all the features you\u2019d expect from a Venu, and without that pointless third voice assistant button the last one had. It certainly seems lessons have been learned, so I\u2019d argue that it is a success.<\/p>\n

How We Test<\/p>\n

We thoroughly test every smartwatch we review. We use industry standard testing to compare features properly and we use the watch as our main device over the review period. We\u2019ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.<\/p>\n

Worn as our main tracker during the testing period Heart rate data compared against dedicated heart rate devices<\/p>\n

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FAQs<\/p>\n

Is the Garmin Venu 4 waterproof? <\/p>\n

It has both an IP68 rating and 5ATM water resistance, making it well suited to watersport tracking. <\/p>\n

Do you need a subscription for the Venu 4? <\/p>\n

While Garmin does offer a monthly subscription, it\u2019s not a neccesity, instead adding AI-powered features to the experience.<\/p>\n

Full Specs<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\n Garmin Venu 4 Review<\/p>\n

UK RRP
\n \u00a3469.99 <\/p>\n

USA RRP
\n $549.99 <\/p>\n

Manufacturer
\n Garmin <\/p>\n

Screen Size
\n 1.4 inches <\/p>\n

IP rating
\n IP68 <\/p>\n

Waterproof
\n 5ATM <\/p>\n

Size (Dimensions)
\n 45 x 12.5 x 45 MM <\/p>\n

Weight
\n 38 G <\/p>\n

Release Date
\n 2025 <\/p>\n

First Reviewed Date
\n 20\/10\/2025 <\/p>\n

GPS
\n Yes <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Verdict The Venu 4 offers a significant design upgrade, presenting a classier, more durable smartwatch with enhanced fitness…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":90379,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[356,111,139,69,145],"class_list":{"0":"post-90378","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gadgets","8":"tag-gadgets","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nz","12":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}