I remember strapping the original Apple Watch to my wrist way back in 2015 and being amazed that I could track my heart rate, read a text, or listen to music with the tiny device. It set the standard for smart watches, and it looked pretty damn cool with its understated, minimalist design. Since then, I’ve owned several versions of the Apple Watch, but I converted to Garmin’s more adventure-focused smartwatches a couple of years ago. Of the dozens of smartwatches in my drawer, I choose to put on the Garmin Fenix 7 everyday because it’s easy to use, has a lengthy battery life, and contains a suite of features I rely on every day. There have been times when I missed the understated design of the Apple Watch—Garmin’s bulky designs don’t pair as well with wedding guest attire. Enter Garmin’s new Venu X1.
The Venu X1 is a fully featured smart watch that comes equipped with Garmin’s signature approach to tracking adventure, fitness, and overall health, but has the understated style of the Apple Watch. Sounds perfect, right? Not quite. While the Venu X1 nails the sleek aesthetic that allows it to be worn in almost any situation, it falls short on a couple of key factors that made me fall in love with Garmin in the first place.
The post Garmin Venu X1 Smartwatch Review: Sleek Design Meets Garmin Functionality (Mostly) appeared first on Outside Online.
