Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Super slim design
- Large, bright display
- User interface is a joy to use
- Outstanding heart rate monitoring
Cons
- Other Garmins last longer
- Raise to wake can be a bit slow
- Single-band GPS
Our Verdict
A true rival to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Garmin Venu X1 is now the premium fitness-focused smartwatch to beat for its large display, tracking metrics, and quality of life features. It would have been nice to see longer battery life, but it’s a fair trade-off given just how comfortably it can sit on your wrist.
Price When Reviewed
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Best Pricing Today
Price When Reviewed
$799.99
Best Prices Today: Garmin Venu X1
$799.99
More so than any other watch in the company’s range, the Garmin Venu X1 takes the fight directly to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with some fantastic results.
As much as I love Garmin watches, I do think that there is an issue with the amount of wearables the company currently puts out. It’s different if you’re someone who has their pulse on the latest developments in the smartwatch world, but I’d imagine that the average person doesn’t know what it is that makes the Forerunner, Vivoactive, Venu, and Fenix ranges different from one another – it’s confusing, even for a tech journalist.
With that in mind, it’s always been tricky to recommend a specific Garmin watch over the rest, in the way that you can for the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, knowing that they’re just great options for most people. This time, Garmin has figured out a way to position its latest watch as a more direct competitor to the one wearable it should be worried about: the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
After spending a few weeks testing the Venu X1, I can safely say that Garmin has finally made the all-in-one device that I’ve been waiting for.
Design & Build
- Very lightweight on the wrist
- Tough, partial-titanium build
- The slimmest Garmin watch yet
If you’re at all familiar with the Garmin Venu range then you’ll already know that the X1 doesn’t follow the same design language as most of the other watches that bear the same branding.
There’s no circular chassis here! Instead, the X1 has reverted to the square-like panel previously seen on the Garmin Venu Sq.
one of the slimmest smartwatches I’ve ever worn
Thomas Deehan / Foundry
