how do you integrate the data of the Venu in your other workouts? i guess you have a bike computer? I liked the Venu2 but hated that garmin kept all the advanced training metrics out of it. so then I had my bike training recorded by my edge and the rest by the venu. no chance to have it integrated into one training load information.
That’s because your jumps are not long enough to get through to the New Testament part, I assume.
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I use an Apple Watch off the bike. It can use an external HR monitor if you want. I don’t need to track many metrics for strength training, rowing, etc. I do have a Garmin 935 which I use for swimming and running.
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Indeed this is probably the main question i still had after all the ‘research’ i did on the topic. And specifically for a cyclist and TR user.
That’s why i am considering a Garmin in the first place, thinking it would integrate and add to what I’m getting (and liking) from the 530.
If that’s only the case with a Fenix and the rest does not really integrate, might as well give up on the idea or look at something else outside of Garmin.
After all, on most of my harder efforts i have a chest strap on and the 530 connected.
745 and 945 do
I didn’t want a training watch as such else I would have gone with the more advanced ones that do what you say. I wanted something to track health, sleep, steps as I didn’t run at the time. Wanted good battery life, something to play music via, it just ticked the boxes for my requirements.
External HRM is a bonus, I really didn’t expect it to perform so well there.
Only recently started running and for me it’s more than adequate for that for what I want to record. I only do that for pleasure now.
Health data I view via Garmin connect.
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Fenix 6x - 3 weeks battery in smart watch mode is the killer feature for me.
I was really happy with my vivoactive 3 music and I would probably recommend something like the vivoactive 4 for the op? Personally I value battery life over the better screen on the Venu series.
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I have the 935 as the Fenix 3 I had (2nd hand) was too big. I went for the 935 solely for the battery over the 735/745. It is probably overkill features wise. If you don’t swim and don’t run. you have all that you need. I used a 520 with a power tap and it was great on a ‘dumb’ trainer.
If you want day-top day metrics sleep etc then you can get cheaper models. A warning over Apple. The screen is great but it needs charging almost daily. I can’t see how sleep metrics can be consistently recorded when it’s on charge but that’s just me.
Bottom line, what do you need a watch for?
For what i do, indeed i have most of the training metrics in TR and GC; only weight training is not there, but i do it 2 or 3 times a week and only body weight for cycling. For yoga and stretching i don’t even think you could track anything 
So the ‘need’ (i should better say ‘use’) i might have is for tracking everyday metrics; i’m thinking it might be helpful especially since i’m adding volume; and to succesfully do that mid and long term i have to carefully balance life activity with training.
With zero experience on these devices, i want to better understand the value of the information from a TR user point of view - hence my asking around here.
When asking about training with a PM and TR outside, i got good information, decided it could be for me, and in fact it has improved my enjoyment quite a bit; the expense for both the PM and the 530 is more than justified since i got more value out of it than i thought i would.
I’m trying to determine if that could also be the case with a Venu 2, a Vivosmart or a Vivomove; or another ecosystem altogether; or simply not.
What i’m sure i’m not interested in is smartphone connectivity; the damn thing intrudes in my life too much already, so the less it does so in my sporting endeavours the better 
In fact, on the plus side i also consider the ability to check time letting the phone alone; you know, like a watch!
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You charge it during the day and wear it when you sleep. When I had one, I just kept the charger at my desk and charged it once a day when in a long meeting. Don’t get me wrong, I wear a Fenix now and charge it once a week, but that’s how you do it with Apple.
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so you should go for a watch with Wifi. that way you dont need the phone and bluetooth close by.
Many features dont work well without a phone or internet connection, like the hydration tracking. Without regular sync during the day the thing is just a mess.
I have similar sentiments like you: I leave the phone away wherever possible. Even TR workouts I pushed to my Edge 530 and ignored the phone and app completely.
Ironically with such a watch you will again have something close by on your wrist which is constantly seducing you to have a look, check your data, analyse the values, look into your body battery etc. and makes you think if you need to change something.
In my case I felt more stressed out looking at my “high” stress level, although such higher level is perfectly normal during the day at times.
So eventually I ended up having the watch telling me how I should feel 
But maybe this is just me.
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I don’t know why anyone above has recommended a multisport watch!
I think the shout for Apple Watch is a good call.
If you just want general activity tracking, and to leave your phone out, and to stay in the Garmin eco system, I would look at the cheapest Forerunners, probably a secondhand Forerunner 45.
Cheap enough that you won’t regret it, functional enough for your reqs.
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As for connectivity, i’ts not that i don’t want to sync with the phone via BLE; i actually do with the 530. It’s that i don’t care for extra features, messaging, getting and making calls through it etc. Don’t want it to encourage me to interact with the phone besides syncing.
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that is a good advice. actually the FR 55 seems to be resonable and nicely priced, Connect IQ compatible (45 is not) and very new, so probably features might be added
Funny enough I just walked by a store today and saw the 55 on sale. Bought it and will give it a try. The HR measuring seems to be quite well, hopefully as good as the Venu2.
Besides missing the Venu2s fancy looks and display, Wifi and Garmin Pay, Music, and the senseless Health Snapshots the FR55 offers everything else as well. And the highly marketed Animated workouts did not really work well on the Venu2.
Granted: the display quality and overall appearance is nowhere close to the fancy Venu2 but maybe this way I am not constantly worried it gets banged up. For roughly 160€ it seems to be ok.
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I have an 830 and a Fenix 6 Pro. The Fenix is definitely overkill for me. I used to use it for all day health tracking but I found that it would rub on my wrist and I’d get sores. Now I just wear it for a silent morning alarm and for notifications at work. Obviously for running as well. In hindsight I’d have been better with a FR 45 or 245 perhaps.
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Wow!, now, there’s a thought. using it as a watch. 
It is possible to turn notifications off during exercise. I never really got the yoga recording. Part of the point of yoga was, for me, the release of the mind over tech.
I don’t use my Garmin watch , Edge 820 with my Wahoo kickr on TR. I’d rather stop using the Phone but it seems the only way i can get the Kickr Snap to be controlled well. It’s the best it has ever worked too.
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Boom…
having used the Forerunner 55 for roughly a week and a couple of trainings I quite like it. Cheap, reliable, dont have too much expectations and those were more then met:
the watch offers reliable Wrist HR, it has all the necessary profiles and offers custom workout setups, it offers breathing exercises, health stats (if wanted) and most of all, broadcasts the HR very reliable and at almost no battery usage to my edge.
So far I am very satisfied, dont need much more and will stick with it.
After having tried a range of Garmin watches ironically the cheapest of their current lineup makes the crack. Btw it is also very light, good size and no hassle on the wrist. I hate heavy watches.
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Nice to know!
I went to a store yesterday to check out the Venu 2 sizewise; they did not have the 2s, but the 2 looked too big for me: i don’t have a small wrist and i’m not used to wear a watch, but at that size it would bother me wearing it 24/7.
As for the 55, it is a bit smaller, so it could be ok; Venu 2s though is even smaller.
Not being a runner, it seems very run-centric for my use; but maybe it would work? Would it recognize and use the data from a cycling ride, for example?
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yes, all cycling data except power meter, same as 245 or venu2. Only 745 and up can connect to a power meter. No navigation though.
about your concerns of being too running oriented as a watch:
i am using the indoor cycling profile to setup custom workouts for rowing. I do my workout and then in garmin connect i edit the workout and change from cycling to rowing. same with Yoga. I use the cycling profile to setup custom yoga stretching sessions with instructions and edit later to Yoga.
I do not need more and the Venu2 was too bulky and did not offer anything better.
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