I've been wearing the Garmin Venu X1 for the past few weeks, and honestly, this watch has surprised me. It's Garmin's thinnest watch ever at just 8mm thick, yet it packs in a massive 2-inch AMOLED display and most of the sports features you'd find on a $1,000 Fenix 8. At $799, it's not cheap, but you're getting a lot of watch.
Design & Display
Let's talk about that display first because it's stunning. This is the biggest screen Garmin has ever put on a watch - bigger even than the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The 2-inch AMOLED panel is incredibly bright and crisp, with colors that pop. It's genuinely the best display I've seen on any Garmin watch.
The form factor is what really makes this watch special though. At just 8mm thick and 34g without the band, this is one of the thinnest GPS watches on the market. Compare that to the Venu 3's 12.5mm thickness or the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and you can literally fit two Venu X1s inside the thickness of that Apple watch. It disappears on your wrist in a way that chunkier sports watches simply can't match.
The build quality is solid with a titanium caseback and sapphire crystal glass protecting that beautiful display. The included nylon band is comfortable and has velcro adjustment, though like all fabric bands, it does hold onto moisture after swims or sweaty workouts.
One interesting design choice: this watch only has two buttons. That's fewer than the Venu 3 (three buttons) and way fewer than the five buttons you'll find on Forerunner or Fenix watches. You'll need to use the touchscreen more often, but I found the moisture rejection works well even with sweaty hands.
Features & Software
This is where things get interesting. Despite being a "Venu" watch, the Venu X1 runs software that's closer to a Forerunner 970 or Fenix 8. Here's what's included:
Navigation:
- Full offline TopoActive mapping - fully routable, not just a base map
- Round-trip routing and course loading
- Turn-by-turn directions through the built-in speaker
- ClimbPro for hiking
Training:
- Training Readiness score
- Training Status
- Endurance Score and Hill Score
- Race planning with predicted finish times
- Voice notes (yes, you can record voice memos from your wrist)
Other goodies:
- Built-in LED flashlight with white and red modes
- Speaker and microphone for Bluetooth phone calls
- Garmin Pay NFC
- About 100 sport profiles
The watch launched missing some features that the Forerunner 970 had (Running Tolerance, Running Economy), but Garmin added those via firmware updates after launch. That's a good sign that they'll continue supporting this watch - something the Venu series hasn't always been known for.
Battery Life
Here's the honest truth: battery life is the Venu X1's weakness. With always-on display, I'm getting around 3 days. Without AOD but with regular use including GPS activities (40-60 miles per week), you're looking at 3-5 days. Garmin claims 8 days in default mode, but that's pretty optimistic unless you're barely using the watch.
For GPS activities specifically, you get about 16 hours with default settings. You can stretch that to around 24-28 hours if you really maximize battery savings (lowest brightness, GPS-only mode, no AOD), but that's a far cry from the week+ battery life you'd get from a Fenix 8.
If you're coming from other Garmin watches, the battery will feel short. If you're coming from an Apple Watch, it's probably fine.
What It Misses
At $799, there are some notable omissions:
No ECG: The hardware simply isn't there, and Garmin has confirmed it won't be added. That's a miss for a premium watch in 2025.
No dual-band GPS: This is unusual. Most Garmin watches at this price point have multi-band GNSS. The good news? Garmin's single-band GPS is still typically excellent - I wouldn't stress about this unless you're running in dense urban areas or canyons.
5 ATM water rating: That's 50 meters, fine for swimming but less than the Fenix 8's 10 ATM.
The Verdict
The Garmin Venu X1 is a fascinating device. It takes almost everything great about the Fenix 8 lineup - the software, the mapping, the training features - and squeezes it into a dramatically thinner and lighter body with a better display.
Who's it for? If you want the most advanced Garmin sports features but hate chunky watches, this is your watch. The form factor is genuinely revolutionary for a sports watch this capable.
Who should skip it? If battery life is your top priority, get a Fenix 8 or Forerunner 970. And if you need ECG, look elsewhere.
For me, I've genuinely enjoyed wearing this watch. The combination of premium features in such a slim package is compelling. Yes, the battery is a tradeoff, but for everyday wear and reasonable training loads, it's been enough.
Best for: Athletes who want Fenix-level features in a Venue-sized package, or anyone upgrading from older Venu models who wants the best display Garmin makes.
What do you think - is the Venu X1 worth the premium over a Venu 3, or would you rather save up for a Fenix 8? Let me know in the comments!