Garmin Venu 2 versus Apple Watch Series 7 for cycling - battle of the almost sub-$300 smartwatch Amazon Prime Day deals

Garmin Venu 2

$399.99 $269.99 at Amazon

Apple Watch Series 7 [GPS 45mm]: $429 $309 at Amazon

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The slightly cheaper Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm) is no longer available from Amazon US – but you can still get it for $290.97 from Walmart. That's about $10.00 more than the Apple Watch previously was on Amazon.

Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm)

$399.00 $290.99 at Walmart for a renewed product

We've seen some really strong deals on this years Amazon Prime Day for cycling smartwatches. 

When it comes to Apple watches, these have been selling like hotcakes, with deals in and out over the past two days. We've already found a replacement one for the original deal directly comparing the Garmin Venu 2 and the Apple Series 7 (41mm), and have now just seen the slightly larger Apple Series 7 (45mm) now come on board, but in case that too soon disappears, head over to Amazon Prime Deals directly to check for the latest offerings.  

Amongst the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals across bike computers, smartwatches, power meters, bone conduction headphones and more – the sheer volume of great discounts on smartwatches has certainly stood out. The devices have been coming into their own in recent years, with the features becoming ever more developed and with excellent crossover for cyclists.

A smartwatch offers adaptability across activities, and is a reason why smartwatches can be a better value option than a cycling computer for cyclists.

So it’s great news that there’s such a wide range of models currently available with significantly reduced prices on Amazon. But it can also be overwhelming and difficult to narrow down on the best option for you. 

If you’re looking for a top-end smartwatch for use when cycling and off the bike too, there are options from both Garmin and Apple that each look equally enticing – both of which are now almost sub-$300. So which fantastic deal is the best one to go for? 

Garmin’s Venu 2 smartwatch is on a 33 per cent discount, from $399.99 down to $269.99, while Apple’s Watch Series 7 (45mm) is on a 28 per cent saving, bringing the smartwatch down from $429.00 to $309. This deal isn't quite as good as previous offerings in the smaller 41mm version that can still be found hovering at the sub $300 mark over at Walmart is significantly better than the mere 18% saving on Memorial Day. Please note, however, that this is a renewed product and colors are restricted. 

So, depending on exactly what version you go for, there's around a $20 to $40 price difference between them currently, which might make up your mind, but, if not, how to they fair when it comes to comparing cycling specific features? 

Data and fitness metrics

Garmin’s Connect app has useful health tracking features, including ones which analyse your body’s energy levels throughout the day, and others that are specifically for women, with the ability to be able to track and monitor your menstrual cycle. 

We’ve certainly been impressed with the brand’s huge suite of fitness insights and metrics on the Garmin Fenix 6 we reviewed. 

As well as being able to track rides, 25 pre-loaded sports apps are included. Plus animated workouts can be followed directly from your wrist – which is a useful touch if you’re looking to complement your riding with off the bike exercises such as yoga or pilates to help you stay injury free.

The Apple Watch Series 7 is also packed with premium health and fitness-tracking features, including blood oxygen monitoring, ECG and notifications on irregular heart rhythms. “The ECG app can indicate whether your heart rhythm shows signs of atrial fibrillation — a serious form of irregular heart rhythm — or sinus rhythm, which means your heart is beating in a normal pattern,” Apple explains. This functionality is quite unusual on a wearable device, and could certainly provide you with peace of mind. 

The Apple Watch Series 7 can automatically detect when you start riding and so will helpfully remind you to start a workout in these situations. Alongside tracking rides, Apple also covers you for a wide range of activities including pilates and tai chi workouts.

Apple has also recently worked on its algorithm to more accurately calculate calories on e-bike rides, which is a really great addition.

Apple does have its Apple Fitness+ package which provides new strength, pilates and yoga workouts to follow every week, from five to 45 minutes. But you only get three months free, to continue you’re tied into paying $9.99 per month or $79.99 annually.

Safety features

If you feel unsafe or if the smartwatch senses that you’ve taken a tumble, Garmin’s assistance and incident detection features send your location to emergency contacts.

The Apple Watch Series 7 also has a fall detection feature, with the ability to alert the emergency services if you hit the deck – so there’s not much between the two watches here.

Apple’s offering also has a voice feedback feature which announces workout milestones such as distance, which could be very useful for keeping your eyes on the road. 

Battery

If you’re using the smartwatch across all your activities you’re going to want a particularly good battery life.

The Apple Watch 7 Series model charges with a fast-charging USB-C cable, taking just 45 minutes to go from zero to 80%, and just eight minutes will cover you for eight hours of sleep tracking. 

The Venu 2 lasts up to a claimed 11 days in smartwatch mode, up to 22 hours in GPS mode and up to 8 hours in GPS mode with music.

Style

Another decision maker for many will be the design difference between the two watches. Being circular in design, the Garmin Venu 2 does loose some screen visibility at the top and bottom of the face,  while the Apple Series 7 being a rectangle provides a constant screen width. However, when using as a dress watch, the Garmin Venu 2 is more akin to a traditional analogue watch, so probably slightly subtler when wearing to the office.  That said, there are currently eight colours available for the Apple, as well as additional straps to swop out, which could make teaming with your favourite outfit a breeze.  

Operating systems 

This is a big one for many. Garmin Venu 2 is Andriod and Apple Series 7 is iOS. If you are an Apple user, this will harmonise all your accounts seamlessly and you'll probably find you are intuitive with using the watch from the get go. If, on the other hand you're not, you might find some of the Apple features defunct, and slightly clunky to pair with your fitness tracking systems.

Conclusion

In all, the two watches are pretty close in terms of performance. The biggest separator between them is really whether you are already plugged into the Apple ecosystem – if so, then you’d probably get the most out of the Apple watch and all of its integrations. Those outside of Apple’s ecosystem would likely be best off going for the Garmin Venu 2.

Find more great deals this Amazon Prime Day from brands such as Wahoo, Oakley, Shokz, Poc, Fizik, Gore and more over here.