Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Garmin Venu – Which One Should You Choose?

Design & Display

Both the Garmin Vivoactive 4 and the Garmin Venu are stylish smartwatches with very similar sizes. The Venu (€330) is slightly smaller at 43mm compared to the Vívoactive 4 (€270–€290), and both have a similar thickness. The Vivoactive 4 features a smooth bezel, while the Venu has a textured, ribbed edge for a more distinctive look. The Vívoactive 4 comes in two colors, while the Venu offers three.

The Venu stands out with its vibrant AMOLED display, delivering sharp visuals and great video playback with constant brightness. The trade-off is battery life: around 5 days in smartwatch mode. The Vivoactive 4 uses a transflective touchscreen, which is easy to read even in bright sunlight, without needing to increase brightness, extending battery life up to 8 days in smartwatch mode.

Both watches have interchangeable straps, making it easy to match your look. We offer a wide range of Garmin Venu straps and Garmin Vivoactive 4 straps in various colors and materials.

Sports & Health Tracking

Both smartwatches excel in sports and health tracking, offering animated workouts like strength training, yoga, cardio, and Pilates directly on the display. With built-in GPS, they can monitor and track your activities across 20 preloaded sports modes, including walking, cycling, swimming, and running.

Health features include a step counter, stress tracker, sleep monitor, and Body Battery energy meter. Women can also track their menstrual cycle. The LiveTrack feature allows you to share your workout route with selected contacts, who will also receive an emergency alert with your location if the watch detects a fall (with location services enabled).

Garmin Pay – Contactless Payments

Both models include Garmin Pay for fast, contactless payments, perfect for grabbing a coffee after your morning run. No phone or wallet needed. Currently, supported banks include Rabobank, ABN AMRO, BNP, KBS, Fintro, and Hello Bank. ING customers cannot yet use Garmin Pay.

Conclusion – Which Should You Buy?

The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is the more budget-friendly option, making it ideal for beginners. It shares nearly all the same features as the Venu, plus a longer battery life of up to 8 days. However, if you value a bright, sharp, and colorful display, the Garmin Venu is worth the extra cost.

Pros & Cons at a Glance