OK Ok OK!
You got it right—the title is a little dramatic, as I didn’t throw away my Apple Watch, but I have discarded it. If you know anything about me, I enjoy being a minimalist and love having only high-quality goods, products, and services.
Recently, I’ve been looking into my biohacking stack, and I realized that what I’m not doing right is measuring my health data appropriately. As it is, I’m not a big fan of keeping a lot of electromagnetic-wave-rich devices close to me, but last year I decided to get an Apple Watch to support my step count and sleep monitoring.
Being part of the Apple ecosystem, the Apple Watch was an easy choice. I did get an Oura Ring for my Mrs., but I was largely using Apple ecosystem devices. However, recently I started upgrading my tech and biohacking stack, as it makes more sense to invest a little more in this body, as it enables everything else in life.
Also, at a recent biohacking summit, I learned that there are two data points that matter the most for body health:
- VO₂ max
- HRV and nervous system health
Moreover, I’m really interested in understanding my body’s stress level and readiness for workouts. I was using an app called Welltory on iPhone and found it to be highly effective. If you’re not looking to change your Apple Watch, do try the Welltory health app on your phone. Visit Welltory website
Got a Garmin Watch: Venu 4
Initially, I was thinking of replacing my Apple Watch with a combination of a Garmin Watch (Venu 4) and an Oura Ring, but after doing a lot of research, I realized that at this stage I’m happy with just the Garmin watch. In fact, it provides me with all the data I need right now. And if, for some reason, I need an Oura Ring later, I can always get one.
But why did I choose a Garmin watch over an Apple Watch?
Battery — It just makes sense
There are many reasons, and the first and foremost is battery life. With a single charge, the Garmin watch can provide up to 10 days of battery life, which is insane. I can’t count how many times I couldn’t measure my health data because my Apple Watch battery had died.
Here, I’m sharing my research data from my AI assistant so it can help you save time and make a better decision. Since this data is generated by AI, I would suggest cross-checking it using your own AI before making a final purchase decision.
Do note: I was initially considering the Fenix 8 model, as it also comes with an underwater dive feature, which is great for a scuba diver. However, I found the watch to be a little big for my wrist, so I purchased the Venu 4 instead. It looks more modern and offers almost 90% of the features of the Fenix 8.
The Apple Watch has critical limitations:
• HRV underestimation (~8.31ms average error per peer-reviewed research)
• No autonomic nervous system analysis (essential for stress/recovery understanding)
• Limited sleep architecture data compared to Oura Ring
• No recovery readiness metrics (Body Battery, Readiness Score)
• Daily charging requirement breaks 24/7 data collection
• No circadian rhythm tracking (no body temperature measurement)The Garmin + Oura combination addresses all these gaps with complementary strengths:
Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED 47mm ($700-750)
• Real-time HRV Status and autonomic nervous system analysis
• Body Battery (0-100 energy reserve metric answering “where is my body?”)
• Advanced stress tracking based on validated nervous system science
• VO2 Max tracking and training load metrics
• 11-16 day battery life
• Display for real-time metric checking
VENU 4S vs APPLE WATCH SERIES 11 – HEALTH FEATURES
The Game-Changers (What Venu 4S Has That Apple Watch Doesn’t)
- HRV Status Interpretation ✅ • Venu 4S: Interprets as Balanced/Unbalanced/Low/Poor
• Apple Watch: Raw data only (requires 3rd party apps)
• Impact: Venu 4S tells you your nervous system state; Apple Watch doesn’t - All-Day Stress Tracking ✅ • Venu 4S: Built-in all-day monitoring
• Apple Watch: No built-in stress tracking
• Impact: Venu 4S shows when your nervous system activates - Body Battery ✅ • Venu 4S: 0-100 energy reserve
• Apple Watch: No equivalent
• Impact: Venu 4S answers “where is my body?” - Advanced Sleep Coach ✅ • Venu 4S: Personalized sleep recommendations
• Apple Watch: No sleep coaching
• Impact: Venu 4S optimizes sleep; Apple Watch just tracks it - Sleep Alignment ✅ • Venu 4S: Circadian rhythm tracking (NEW in Venu 4)
• Apple Watch: No circadian rhythm tracking
• Impact: Venu 4S shows if you’re aligned with your natural rhythm - Training Readiness ✅ • Venu 4S: Training readiness score
• Apple Watch: No training readiness
• Impact: Venu 4S guides training decisions - Breathing Variations ✅ • Venu 4S: Breathing pattern analysis
• Apple Watch: No breathing variation detection
• Impact: Venu 4S detects sleep disorders - Lifestyle Logging ✅ • Venu 4S: NEW feature to log activities and correlate with health
• Apple Watch: No lifestyle logging
• Impact: Venu 4S identifies health patterns - Battery Life ✅ • Venu 4S: 12 days (continuous 24/7 data)
• Apple Watch: 24 hours (requires nightly charging)
• Impact: Venu 4S collects complete data; Apple Watch has gaps
What Apple Watch Series 11 Has That Venu 4S Doesn’t
- Hypertension Notifications ✅ • Apple Watch: NEW feature to detect chronic high blood pressure
• Venu 4S: No hypertension detection
• Impact: Apple Watch detects serious health condition
VENU 4S vs FENIX 8 – HEALTH FEATURES
What Venu 4S Has That Fenix 8 Doesn’t
- Sleep Alignment ✅ • Venu 4S: Circadian rhythm alignment (NEW)
• Fenix 8: No circadian rhythm tracking
• Impact: Venu 4S optimizes sleep timing - Advanced Sleep Coach ✅ • Venu 4S: Advanced personalized recommendations
• Fenix 8: Basic sleep coaching
• Impact: Venu 4S provides better sleep optimization - Readiness Score ✅ • Venu 4S: Health-focused recovery metric (NEW)
• Fenix 8: No readiness score
• Impact: Venu 4S provides holistic health metric - Lifestyle Logging ✅ • Venu 4S: NEW feature to log and correlate activities
• Fenix 8: No lifestyle logging
• Impact: Venu 4S identifies health patterns - Better Wrist Fit ✅ • Venu 4S: 41mm (smaller, lighter)
• Fenix 8: 43mm (larger, heavier)
• Impact: Venu 4S better for smaller wrists - Lower Price ✅ • Venu 4S: $549.99
• Fenix 8: $700+
• Impact: Venu 4S saves $150+
What Fenix 8 Has That Venu 4S Doesn’t
- Advanced Training Metrics ✅ • Fenix 8: Hill Score, Endurance Score, Lactate Threshold
• Venu 4S: Basic training load
• Impact: Fenix 8 for serious athletes - Longer GPS Battery ✅ • Fenix 8: 25+ hours GPS mode
• Venu 4S: 11 hours GPS mode
• Impact: Fenix 8 for ultra-long activities - Microphone & Speaker ✅ • Fenix 8: Can answer calls
• Venu 4S: Cannot answer calls - Scuba Diving Features ✅ • Fenix 8: Full scuba support
• Venu 4S: No scuba features - More Rugged Design ✅ • Fenix 8: Outdoor/adventure focused
• Venu 4S: Health/wellness focused
It’s been just a few days, but I’m already happy with this purchase.
Let me know — which health watch are you using and why? And if price wasn’t an issue, which health watch or ring (or combination) would you choose for yourself and why?