✓Hikers, divers, and outdoor athletes who want rugged multisport tracking with solar/long battery options
✓Upgraders from older Fenix/Forerunner models wanting AMOLED or MIP display choice, buttons, and a bigger sunlight-readable screen
✓Users who value the flashlight, mic/speaker, and offline voice commands for daily and outdoor use
✓Owners who prioritize build quality and QUICK-FIT strap swapping over chasing every new smartwatch feature
Skip it if
Buyers on a budget, since many feel the price hike isn't justified by the incremental upgrades
Anyone needing built-in LTE/cellular, which the Fenix 8 lacks and reviewers repeatedly flag as a dealbreaker
Get the Garmin Venu 3 if
✓Switchers from Apple, Samsung or Fitbit craving long battery life
✓Casual athletes wanting fitness plus everyday smartwatch balance
✓Health trackers who value subscription-free HRV, stress and body battery data
✓Swimmers and multi-activity users wanting accurate metrics
Skip it if
Buyers who need best-in-class sleep tracking
People wanting full smartwatch features and app ecosystem
What Fenix 8 owners think
Most Fenix 8 owners are genuinely happy, praising its reliability (many report zero bugs or issues), strong battery life on the Solar/MIP models, a sharp AMOLED or sunlight-readable MIP screen, scratch-resistant build quality, and small surprise wins like the built-in flashlight. A vocal minority pushes back hard, though, centered mainly on price — repeated complaints that the cost, often north of $1,000, isn't justified by what's actually new. That group also cites launch-period software bugs and glitches, the lack of cellular/LTE, accuracy regressions in heart-rate and GPS versus older Fenix and Forerunner models, and a sense that the upgrade over the Fenix 7 is too incremental to bother with. In short: owners who bought in love the day-to-day experience, while skeptics are mostly staying on older watches over price and diminishing-returns concerns rather than any single hardware failure.
What Fenix 8 owners say
“Its amazing especially because it is an extremely dangerous sport when being a type 1 diabetic”
Fenix 8 vs Garmin Venu 3: frequently asked questions
Is the Fenix 8 or the Garmin Venu 3 better?
Real owners lean toward the Garmin Venu 3: 69% of 256 owners recommend it, vs 59% of 110 for the Fenix 8.
Who should get the Fenix 8?
Owners point the Fenix 8 at hikers, divers, and outdoor athletes who want rugged multisport tracking with solar/long battery options, and upgraders from older Fenix/Forerunner models wanting AMOLED or MIP display choice, buttons, and a bigger sunlight-readable screen.
Who should get the Garmin Venu 3?
Owners point the Garmin Venu 3 at switchers from Apple, Samsung or Fitbit craving long battery life, and casual athletes wanting fitness plus everyday smartwatch balance.
What do owners complain about?
The most-cited downside of the Fenix 8 is price is the single biggest complaint — many call the cost (often $1,000+) unjustified given how minor the upgrade feels. For the Garmin Venu 3, it's unreliable, inconsistent sleep tracking.