
From there, I was able to input my personal health information, select my preferences, and add a credit card for contactless payments (a great feature in an era when I’m trying to touch as few surfaces as possible).


I found setup to be a breeze, with an intuitive process that paired the watch with my iPhone via the Garmin Connect app. There are two navigational buttons on the right side of the face, but almost all of the Venu Sq’s features can be readily accessed by swiping on the face. While the Venu has a circular face, the Venu Sq has-you guessed it-a square face, making it look extremely similar to the Apple Watch in terms of design. With a 1.3-inch color LCD touchscreen protected by Gorilla Glass 3, the Venu Sq is a bit larger than more simple fitness trackers, but still inconspicuous and light enough that I often forgot I was wearing it. For an extra $50, that’s a pretty great added benefit if you want to go for a run or even an early-morning dog walk and jam out, but want to leave your phone behind.

They’re virtually identical watches except that the Music Edition’s built-in storage allows you to sync up to 500 songs using paid streaming services like Spotify, Amazon Music, or Deezer and play them through Bluetooth headphones. Garmin’s two new models-the Venu Sq and Venu Sq Music Edition-retail for $199 and $249 respectively, making them much more affordable options than the brand’s year-old Venu and newer models from competitors like Apple. The first thing that caught my eye about this smartwatch was its price tag. After a full week of testing, Garmin’s latest model may finally convince me to leave behind my bare-wristed ways and become a smartwatch convert at long last.

Sure, I’ve been curious about the supposed benefits afforded by wearables, but I always end up with a Goldilocks-ian dilemma: The smartwatches I can afford are clunky and lighter on features, while the sleeker, souped-up models I covet fall far outside my budget.Įnter the Garmin Venu Sq Music Edition smartwatch. I’ve lived the first 28 years of my life without owning a smartwatch and have been relatively content.
