Garmin Lily vs. Garmin Venu Sq: Which should you buy?

Garmin Venu Sq

If you want a smartwatch that offers plenty of health and fitness features, you might be a fan of the Garmin Venu Sq. It has built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep tracking, stress monitoring, blood oxygen tracking, and NFC payments.

Garmin Lily

Those who care more about the looks of their smartwatch than the features will appreciate the Garmin Lily. It offers a stunning, feminine design that won't take over your whole wrist. It also has heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep tracking, and more.

Garmin Lily vs. Garmin Venu Sq: Pick your priorities

When comparing two watches from the same company, like the Garmin Lily and the Garmin Venu Sq, you might assume there aren't many differences to be found. In some cases, that might be true. However, these two wearables differ in a few important ways.

Do you want a stylish smartwatch with a feminine design that's geared toward women? If so, you'll probably be drawn toward the Garmin Lily. It's missing a few key features that seasoned smartwatch users may not want to live without. If you want the most features for your money, you'll be better off with the Garmin Venu Sq. Both of these devices are great Android smartwatches, but your decision will come down to picking your priorities. If it comes down to features, the Garmin Venu Sq is the superior option.

The Garmin Lily is the definition of luxury

If you know anything about Garmin smartwatches, one look at the Lily will tell you that this is a different kind of wearable. The company is known for its line of running watches among many other rugged devices that are geared toward serious athletes. While you get plenty of activity/health tracking features on the Garmin Lily, it's more for the casual user than anything else.

The main reason to buy this smartwatch is for the eye-catching design. The Sport model comes in a small 34mm case with an aluminum bezel. The available color options are Cream Gold, Rose Gold, and Midnight Orchid. Garmin went with 14mm proprietary silicone bands for this watch that come in White, Sand, and Deep Orchid. You can upgrade to the Classic model that offers a premium stainless steel bezel, which is slightly more expensive.

One of the key differences between the Garmin Lily and the Venu Sq is the display. Rather than a rich, colorful display, you get a liquid crystal monochromatic touchscreen. There are no physical side buttons, so you'll do all your navigating on the screen with a single capacitive button. The 1-inch display is smaller than most, but it's pretty easy to read and use. The Garmin Lily offers 5 days of battery life before it needs to be recharged.

The main features include activity tracking, heart-rate monitoring, stress tracking, sleep monitoring, and blood oxygen tracking. The Body Battery feature estimates your energy levels throughout the day, which is based on your metrics. You'll have a better idea of the optimal time to schedule workouts and rest. You can store up to 7 activities on the device, which can be managed in the Garmin Connect app. Some popular activities include walking, running, cycling, yoga, elliptical, cardio, breathwork, and more.

You're probably wondering what's missing from this stylish smartwatch. Other than the color display, the Garmin Lily also lacks built-in GPS, NFC payments, and onboard music storage. You'll also need to buy proprietary bands directly from Garmin. As of now, you have your choice of a few different silicone and leather options. This can feel a bit limiting, especially if you're used to buying bands from third-party sellers on Amazon.

The Garmin Venu Sq is perfect for daily fitness tracking

The Garmin Venu Sq was released not too long before the Lily. While they have some features in common, it's the differences that will impact your ultimate decision. One of the most obvious distinctions is that you get a nice color LCD touchscreen. The Venu Sq also has two side buttons, which makes it a little easier to navigate through the menus. The battery will last for 6 days on a single charge, which is a bit longer than the Lily.

It's easy to see that the Garmin Venu Sq design isn't exactly focused on a fashionable design. The unique square design is modern and attractive, but it's nothing too special. Fitness enthusiasts will appreciate how lightweight and compact it is. The 40mm plastic case is available in Slate, Light Gold, and Metallic Orchid. If you opt for the music model that's a bit more expensive, your color options are Slate, Light Gold, and Rose Gold. Both models use 20mm Garmin Venu Sq bands, which are interchangeable. This means you'll have tons of options when the time comes to change up the look and feel of your watch.

You'll have everything you need for a great fitness tracking experience, including onboard GPS, 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep tracking, stress monitoring, blood oxygen tracking, and Body Battery energy monitoring. You have multiple workout options, including more than 20 sports apps that are preloaded on the watch. Another option is to access your workouts on the Garmin Connect app. You can also choose training plans via Garmin Coach, which is ideal for those who prefer to create and customize their workouts.

While it definitely offers more perks than the Lily, the Garmin Venu Sq isn't exactly bursting at the seams with premium smartwatch features. You'll have NFC payments and you can pay more for the music model, but that's where the bonus perks stop. Although, given the affordable price point, the Garmin Venu Sq is successful in what it sets out to do. You get a watch that's perfect for daily fitness tracking.

Garmin Lily vs. Garmin Venu Sq: Which should you buy?

Considering that these two Garmin wearables are the same price, your choice will come down to style and features. The Garmin Lily is clearly the best pick for women who want to elevate their sense of style with an elegant smartwatch. With that said, you'll sacrifice some features with this choice. The Garmin Lily lacks a color display, built-in GPS, and NFC payments. You'll also be limited to proprietary bands and need to use the company's band replacement tool when swapping them out.

If you don't feel like compromising on any features and you want the most bang for your buck, you'll want to choose the Garmin Venu Sq instead. It has a color display, built-in GPS, NFC payments, and quick release watch bands that are easy to replace with a much wider selection. You get an additional day of battery life with Garmin Venu Sq, too. There's a music model available so you can store songs on the watch for offline playback, but it costs a bit more. It's easy to see that the Garmin Venu Sq has more to offer than the Lily.