Apple Watch Series 11 vs Garmin Venu 3
Apple Watch Series 11 (#1, best overall) vs Garmin Venu 3 (#4): in our Health Monitoring scoring the Apple Watch Series 11 totals 9.3/10 and the Garmin Venu 3 8.4/10, the Apple Watch Series 11 leading on Health Sensors and FDA Clearances and the Garmin Venu 3 on Battery Life.
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TopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| Apple Watch Series 11 | Garmin Venu 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $329 | $349 |
| Display | Always-on OLED | 1.4" AMOLED |
| Chip | S11 | — |
| Battery | 18 hours | 10-14 days |
| Sensors | ECG, HR, SpO2, temperature, BP trends | HR, ECG, SpO2, temperature |
| Water Resistance | 50m | 5 ATM |
| Music | — | Spotify, Amazon Music offline |
How they differ in real use
Built from our health monitoring smartwatches scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Garmin Venu 3 made our Top 5 Health Monitoring, at #1 (best overall) and #4. Most comprehensive FDA-cleared health platform. Industry-first hypertension notifications monitor blood pressure trends over 30 days. ECG achieves 98.3% sensitivity, 99.6% specificity for AFib detection. Best battery life among full smartwatches at 10-14 days. FDA-cleared ECG, Sleep Coach with nap detection, and Body Battery energy management. Works with both iOS and Android.
We score health monitoring on Health Sensors (35%), FDA Clearances (25%), Continuous Monitoring (20%), Battery Life (10%) and Ecosystem (10%). On that basis the Apple Watch Series 11 totals 9.3 out of 10 and the Garmin Venu 3 8.4. The widest gap is Health Sensors, where the Apple Watch Series 11 scores 10 against 8 for the Garmin Venu 3 — eCG, SpO2, BP, temperature. FDA Clearances also separates them: 10 for the Apple Watch Series 11 versus 8 for the Garmin Venu 3. The Garmin Venu 3 claws back ground on Battery Life.
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Display — Always-on OLED on the Apple Watch Series 11 versus 1.4" AMOLED on the Garmin Venu 3; Battery — 18 hours on the Apple Watch Series 11 versus 10-14 days on the Garmin Venu 3; Sensors — ECG, HR, SpO2, temperature, BP trends on the Apple Watch Series 11 versus HR, ECG, SpO2, temperature on the Garmin Venu 3; Water Resistance — 50m on the Apple Watch Series 11 versus 5 ATM on the Garmin Venu 3.
Pricing as of January 27, 2026: $329 for the Apple Watch Series 11 and $349 for the Garmin Venu 3, a $20 difference in the Apple Watch Series 11's favor. Owners praise the Apple Watch Series 11 for fDA-cleared hypertension monitoring and ECG 98.3% sensitivity; the most common complaint is 18-hour battery life. Owners praise the Garmin Venu 3 for 10-14 day battery and fDA-cleared ECG; the most common complaint is no blood pressure.
Apple Watch Series 11
- FDA-cleared hypertension monitoring
- ECG 98.3% sensitivity
- Temperature sensing
- Crash/fall detection
- 18-hour battery life
- Requires iPhone
- Premium pricing
Garmin Venu 3
- 10-14 day battery
- FDA-cleared ECG
- Sleep Coach with nap detection
- Body Battery energy tracking
- No blood pressure
- Higher price for Garmin
- Limited app store
Which should you buy?
The Apple Watch Series 11 is the better fit for health-conscious iPhone users and aFib monitoring — it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for Health Sensors and FDA Clearances. The Garmin Venu 3 is the better fit for long battery priority and cross-platform users, and the stronger choice if Battery Life matters more to you than the overall score. Since the Apple Watch Series 11 is both the higher scorer and $20 cheaper, the Garmin Venu 3 only makes sense for long battery priority. The Apple Watch Series 11 is a poor fit for android users; the Garmin Venu 3 is a poor fit for blood pressure monitoring.
Choose the Apple Watch Series 11 if
- Health-conscious iPhone users
- AFib monitoring
- Blood pressure tracking
Skip it if
- Android users
- Long battery life needs
Choose the Garmin Venu 3 if
- Long battery priority
- Cross-platform users
- Sleep tracking focus
Skip it if
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Compact watch preference
Common questions
Is the Apple Watch Series 11 better than the Garmin Venu 3?
In our Health Monitoring ranking the Apple Watch Series 11 scores higher overall, 9.3 to 8.4, with the biggest advantage in Health Sensors. The Garmin Venu 3 is stronger on Battery Life, so it is the better pick if that matters most to you.
How much more does the Garmin Venu 3 cost than the Apple Watch Series 11?
$20 more as of January 27, 2026: $349 for the Garmin Venu 3 against $329 for the Apple Watch Series 11. Prices move, so the merchant page shows the current figure.
What is the main difference between the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Garmin Venu 3?
The headline spec difference is Display: Always-on OLED on the Apple Watch Series 11 versus 1.4" AMOLED on the Garmin Venu 3. In use, the gap that matters most is Health Sensors (10 vs 8 in our scoring): eCG, SpO2, BP, temperature.