Venu 3

I have a 45mm Venu 3 that I wear year round. I use it to track my outdoor cycling and that ends up being around 10 hours a week of stressful activity tracking. I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything,.

I have been using [this](https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Stainless-1-4-Inch-Touchscreen-Silicone/dp/B0CDC6H66Y?crid=2CFHYCWFO2I11&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KPZrWBDXTPtf8BJ9pl72JP8AIVwDS0r_R2j__0WESSdqKUQLglyndtbCln8LdXhChJreFFKBAvcM41Si74gpxwmddoj9Fw2RaKXBvTmGI0dvU4G6xtmSglDECN4N29jb8TMlyvWre9ySDp3xPJXLgiAph-54XtiP2iat4FYjJ68fDku4JSlcI94C2yOFquI6GfjsweiHqBRPsDmEwGDOkgwxigoIy5rZg-atHvpvm4glhD3mUxav-303JyD3l_gsocWdNYgJyFywpJrwbdGYxvhsHDGIFp2y6QdlwnQnww0.wLF4fFIPe7H9BDDD8ZXQ6P-lpss7Vv_ySq8LKaYvY0s&dib_tag=se&keywords=Garmin%2BVenu%2B3&qid=1770287538&s=electronics&sprefix=%2Celectronics%2C819&sr=1-1&th=1&linkCode=ll2&tag=grok43-20&linkId=379af54e753ad96b0c501887152c09e0&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl) from garmin for sometime now and it has been working pretty decent for me.I think it will be a pretty decent option for you to choose from . It fits directly into your usecase.  It's designed for athletes who care about health, provides the data you need to optimize muscle growth and recovery, and you only have to charge it once a week. Pair it with a proper BP cuff, and you have a complete, reliable health monitoring system.

I use the Venu 3s and its a DREAM for monitoring sxs. I was able to use it to catch a flare up right before my exam and showed my Proctor and got permission to keep it on so I can monitor when to pop more salt/electrolytes more exam

From my experience I recommend not buying the Venu 3 for swimming. Extremely inaccurate lap and distance measurements, a random stroke count, can't recognize swimming styles. Sometimes reboots while saving an activity. The auto-rest screen does not show heart rate, and there is no way to edit it.

I have venu 3. I use it for many things. Monitoring sleep. It's able to keep up with my inconsistent (n24) sleep schedule. I keep my HR below 100 (hard limit of 120). It helps me determine how much propranolol I need and when I need to immediately lay down. Stress score tries to assess stress of the nervous system based on hrv and hr I think. It's very responsive for me and it highlights activities which are harsh on my body (mainly standing and eating). If stress is particularly high after a meal I take it extra easy. If it instantly jumps to 95 when I get up, I avoid standing for a while. If it only goes up to like 75 (rare) then it's a sign of a good day. Any activity that might lead to exertion gets a custom activity in the watch. So instead of running/cycling, I have cleaning/dishes. I get an alert if hr gets too high or if enough time passed to take a break (a few min). At the end I can look at the chart and see how quickly the hr jumped up. The slower (and lower) it raises, the more it indicates that I'm doing ok and in this case I can do a second activity. Overnight HRV correlates with PEM. I'm always stuck in rage between 25 and 39. If it's under 35, I try to be extra careful. It takes a long time to raise after a crash, can take weeks. On the other hand, it can drop very quickly after even minor exertion. I track water intake because I forget to drink otherwise. And lastly, I link it with an app where I track the meds and supplements and pem symptoms, so I can check correlations. App is called Guava and you can track other things as well, like blood work. Or link other health apps and devices to have a complete overview. (Ref link: https://guavahealth.com/refer/2H8ZQH93)

When it comes to your budget, Garmin's premier value offering is the [Forerunner® 165](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1055469/pn/010-02863-20/#specs). It's sleek, well-made, has an AMOLED display, and has solid gym profiles: Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing. A step up from the FR165 is the [Forerunner® 265. ](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/886785/pn/010-02810-00/)It's right there at the top of your budget, has a more premium construction, but offers minimal additions to gym profiles compared to the FR165. For a more rugged offering, the [Instinct® 2 Solar ](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/775697/pn/010-02627-10/)is a great choice, and has the same gym profiles as the FR165/FR265. As a step up from the Instinct 2, The [Instinct® 3 ](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1315317/pn/010-02934-00/)does everything the Instinct 2 does, but has a flashlight. And the flashlight is AMAZING. I use mine daily. For a sleek, lifestyle watch that also provides the same gym capabilities as every other watch, the [Garmin vívoactive® 6 ](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1555457/pn/010-02985-02/)is a great choice. If the Vivoactive 6 doesn't quite scratch your itch, then the next step up from there at the top of your budget is the [Garmin Venu® 3](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/873008/pn/010-02784-01/#specs). It has a more premium construction than the Vivoactive 6, and it has the same gym/strength profiles as every other watch listed here. All these watches are under $450. Your considerations would be: 1. Do you want a middle-of-the-road watch with respectable gym capabilities? The Forerunners meet that criteria. 2. Do you want rugged, solar-charging capabilities and a design that looks good on a thick wrist? Check out the Instincts. 3. Do you prefer a premium build that looks great in the gym, at the opera, or on the beach? Go for the Vivoactive 6 or the Venu 3. Just in case you wanted ALL the data, here's a side-by-side comparison of these watches. You can toggle the "Show only differences" option for a more summarized view: [Garmin | Product Compare](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=1055469&compareProduct=886785&compareProduct=775697&compareProduct=1555457&compareProduct=873008) Have fun checking out your options--and early welcome to Garmin!

I don't take it off the other 6 days. Part of having a nice fitness watch is that it is shower-proof. My Venu3 when I wear it comes off my wrist once a week. My instinct when I wear it comes off my wrist once a month

My fully charged Instinct, after a 5 hour hike, would go from 28 days to 24 days of battery left. My Venu3 would go from 100% to 75%, so no, I would be fine without a charger over the weekend. Your AWU wouldn't be.