18% of 256 verified Garmin Venu 3owners don't recommend it, and 3 describe specific problems — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
For balance: 69% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score
“Garmin's pricing is insane to me. $450 for plastic watch.”— @MaxCaud on YouTube
“"The display is very responsive" *proceeds to show a laggy UI with delays*”— @danielmethner6847 on YouTube
“You can't buy a normal garmin watch under $500. Insane!”— @MrLudiSego on YouTube
“the only concern about this device is the launch price: 500 euros is a bit too much considering other brands...”— @GiuseppeSavo on YouTube
“500$ for plastic watch with great features what you cant find in other brands is still to much . 325 is the max”— @Cassadin1410 on YouTube
“These are a year old and the forums say they have had problems from day 1.”— @mikecar52 on YouTube
“I'm switching from Garmin venu 3 and Fenix 7s pro sapphire solar because these watches are too heavy and thick and have made a deep dent in my wrist.”— No_Breadfruit_7082 on Reddit
“I switched last werk from Garmin Venu 3 to an apple watch really missed that one! (Even apple watch with smart alarm like autosleep is doing a better job..)”— Michi_Diamandis on Reddit
“Comparing Apple Watch nine versus Garmin Venu 3, which I both owned, my experience is that Apple Watch is really the more accurate device in terms of sleep tracking.”— SilenceMuseum on Reddit
“I had a Venu 3 that I sold. It looks pretty, but isn't a great fitness tracker compared to other models from Garmin; especially considering the price.”— RemarkableAmbition54 on Reddit
“Although I am sure all the stats are on the Garmin app, the UI is horrible. It just doesn't surface and display the data in a quick informative way like the Whoop app.”— KeyEbb9922 on Reddit
“imho the software and the build quality are not worth the initial release price of 500€. Loved the fitness tracking and so but the software and build quality were a no go for me.”— DorKun on Reddit
Not complaints — practical notes from owners that didn't affect the score.
“Heart rate and oxygen sensors are as accurate as my Garmin.”— theorangecrush10 on Reddit
“The Fitbit and Venu would register between 500-1000 steps before I even got out of bed and a lot even washing dishes while the Amazfit shows about 70 steps before getting out of bed.”— Fugoola on Reddit
“I have a Garmin venu 3 and since the day I got the watch I’ve used a screen protector. I wouldn’t advise using a smartwatch without, because you can scratch it so easily.”— Turbulent-Phrase-419 on Reddit
“I use my Garmin Venu 3 turned off every notification except calls.”— vaikunth1991 on Reddit
“GPS lock slower, well same as Garmin venu 3.”— No_Breadfruit_7082 on Reddit
“It works with my Spotify, I'm able to download albums/playlists and such to my watch and connect my earpiece so I don't need to walk with my phone on my walks/runs.”— peridotjewel on Reddit
“My Venu 3 voice assist just shows "Connecting to voice assistant" when I trigger it but voice commands work after waiting for 1-2 seconds.”— Sensitive_Physics_84 on Reddit
“it doesn't seem very accurate to me. When compared to a finger pulse oximeter, V3 was more inconsistent and gave me lower values.”— Firm-Spare-9261 on Reddit