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Garmin has an enviable reputation among endurance athletes – from amateurs to the elite – for its sports tracking, but it hasn’t made as much headway when it comes to fashionable fitness smartwatches where Apple and Fitbit are still the most recognisable names.
On the face of it that’s a surprise, because Garmin matches and often surpasses the features on those devices. On the other hand, Garmin devices are more likely to be chunky and black, which can limit the appeal. Garmin has been attempting to address that for a few years with devices like the Vivomove and Venu sq, which have developed the aesthetic side of the brand.
The new Lily smartwatches take those efforts a step further. They are specifically designed for women, with a small case and a more attractive look than Garmin’s other smartwatches like the Venu or Vivoactive 4.
There are two Lily watches: the Sport (pictured above) has a silicone band and an aluminium bezel and costs £179.99, while the Lily Classic (pictured below) has an Italian leather band and a stainless steel case and costs £229.99. Both watches have a 34mm case and T-bar lugs, and come in a range of colour combinations with a different background pattern on the screen.
As for what it tracks, the Lily leans away from sports and towards health. It offers 24/7 heart rate monitoring, has a pulse oximeter to measure your blood oxygen saturation, and also keeps tabs on your stress levels. As you’d expect given how Garmin is marketing the device, it also offers menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking.
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The Lily also has Garmin’s Body Battery feature, which provides a rating of your overall energy levels out of 100, and guided breathing sessions to help you relax.
Despite its focus on health, the Lily does offer connected GPS sports tracking for outdoor activities when linked to a phone, and it will also automatically record your daily activity like steps and calories burned.
The watch has a 240x201-pixel touchscreen to control all of this, and it will last up to five days on a single charge, though this number will come down if you enable the pulse oximeter to enhance the sleep tracking it offers.
Both styles are available now on the Garmin website, along with a range of bands.
Buy from Garmin | Lily Sport £179.99, Lily Classic £229.99
