Garmin Venu 3, Forerunner 165, and Whoop 4.0
When it comes to staying active, your gear matters — and that includes the watch on your wrist. Because was it really a workout if you didn’t track it? Fitness wearables are more than just gadgets; they’re tools to help you track progress, improve recovery, and make smarter decisions for your health. We’ve tested some of the most popular options on the market, including the Garmin Venu 3, Garmin Forerunner 165, and the Whoop 4.0, to give you the lowdown on what each has to offer. Whether you’re into fitness competitions or simply looking to level up your daily activity, there’s something here for everyone.
Whoop 4.0
Whoop 4.0 offers a unique take on fitness tracking, focusing on advanced analytics for sleep, recovery, and overall fitness. Its lightweight design makes it easy to wear opposite another watch, so you can keep your stylish timepiece while monitoring your health. The lack of a display is something to consider before deciding on it. Unlike the Garmin Venu 3, which lets you monitor metrics like heart rate in real-time during workouts, Whoop relies entirely on post-workout analysis (unless you’re staring at the Whoop app on your phone mid exercise). If your focus is purely on analytics and you don’t mind the subscription (HSA/FSA eligible, by the way), it’s a solid choice. For anyone aiming to train smarter during high-intensity workouts or competitions, the ability to see metrics mid-session could be a game-changer. But, for those looking for a distraction-free/screen-free sesh, the Whoop could be the solution you’ve been searching for.
Garmin Venu 3
If you’re transitioning from an Apple Watch but want a fitness-focused wearable, the Garmin Venu 3 is a stylish and seamless choice. Built with fitness, recovery, and sleep in mind, it’s packed with features that go beyond step counts. The Sleep Coach recommends how many hours of rest you need based on your activity, while the Recovery Tab tells you whether to push yourself or take it easy. Other standout features include the Sleep Score, Body Battery (to track energy levels), and the delightfully motivating “Fitness Age” metric, which decreases as your fitness level improves. Bonus points: it’s incredibly lightweight, making for easy all-day wear.
Garmin Forerunner 165
For those new to fitness wearables, the Garmin Forerunner 165 is an affordable and reliable entry-level option. While it’s a little less sleek and more functional in appearance than the Venu 3, it delivers everything you’d expect from a high-quality fitness tracker without the need for a subscription. Like the Venu 3, it’s lightweight — a bonus if you’re used to the heft of an Apple Watch. For fitness enthusiasts on a budget, this watch checks all the boxes, though we’d recommend it specifically for runners.
The Takeaway
Garmin’s Venu 3 and Forerunner 165 deliver a more immediate, hands-on experience for fitness tracking, while Whoop excels in post-workout, sleep, and stress analytics for a deeper dive into recovery and performance. Your choice comes down to how you train, your goals, and whether you’re willing to trade real-time monitoring for next-level data.
