The Apple Watch is usually the go-to gadget for health nuts who want to track their fitness routines and reach new goals. However, there’s a far superior fitness tracker for those who want in-depth health tracking and fitness data – the Garmin Venu 4. There’s a reason we called it one of the best smartwatches of 2026.

Both the Apple Watch and the Garmin Venu have plenty of features and apps, but let’s focus on the fitness side first. The Garmin Venu 4 offers a more in-depth look at your workout routines and results. It is like having a trainer right on your wrist, counting your reps and timing your rest between sets. Whether you’re running or lifting at the gym, this fitness tracker offers training insights that include analyzing how your sleep will affect your workout and how long it will take you to recover. 

This fitness tracker also lets you compare your workouts over time, tracking your distance, speed, heart rate, and more. This is also available on the Apple Watch, but the Garmin Venu 4 shows more detail on all the stats on screen. Going even further, this tracker has a lifestyle logging feature that shows how small choices throughout the day — like drinking a cup of coffee or taking a nap — affect your health status. It may be a bit more complex to figure out than the Apple Watch, but it’s worth the learning curve if you want the extra data. 

While the fitness features of these smartwatches are the biggest selling point for health nuts, there are other features to consider. The Apple Watch 11 starts at $399, while the Garmin Venu 4 is more expensive, starting at $549.99. If you’re on a tighter budget, the Apple Watch 11 can most definitely get the job done, providing everything from sleep data to notifying you when your breathing or blood pressure is irregular. 

However, the Garmin Venu 4 has many bells and whistles that could give it an edge. Its LED flashlight, speaker and mic, voice notes, and live sports scores all come in handy (although the Apple Watch has plenty of features as well). But one of the biggest upsides is the Garmin Venu 4’s battery life. The Apple Watch offers up to 24 hours of battery, although many users will tell you it’s far less than that. Meanwhile, the Garmin Venu 4 claims it can last up to 12 days, which makes it a lot more useful for tracking sleep and being more on the go.