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Garmin has been a star in wearable tech for a long time, and its fitness trackers and smartwatches are well known for its high-performance. Although the company is known for making devices for tough, performance-focused individuals, things took a slight turn when it released the Garmin Lily, a smartwatch made just for women. Fast forward, the Garmin Lily 2 is now available. This smartwatch improves the best features of the original to make it more stylish, elegant, and easy to use.
We’ll take a close look at the Garmin Lily 2 in this review, comparing its key features, sleek design, fitness tracking abilities, and how it stacks up against other smartwatches on the market.
Why You Can Trust Garmin As a Brand
Garmin has earned a reputation as a trusted and reliable brand, primarily due to its long-standing commitment to innovation, quality, and user-focused design. Since its founding in 1989, Garmin has consistently delivered high-performance products across various industries, including aviation, automotive, marine, fitness, and outdoor recreation, which has solidified its status as a global leader in GPS technology and wearable devices.
Garmin’s core strength lies in its ability to combine precise GPS technology with health and fitness tracking, catering to athletes, adventurers, and everyday users alike. Their products are well-regarded for their durability, accuracy, and long battery life, making them ideal for extreme environments and rigorous activities. There are different types of Garmin watches and devices for different sports and fitness activities, such as running, cycling, hiking, and swimming.
The company has also developed a strong presence in the wearable technology market with popular series like the Forerunner for runners, Fenix for adventurers, and Venu for lifestyle users. These smartwatches are equipped with advanced features such as heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, stress management, and women’s health tracking, positioning Garmin as a competitor to other tech giants like Apple and Fitbit.
What is Garmin Lily 2: Overview and Features
The Garmin Lily 2 stands out as one of the most aesthetically pleasing smartwatches in the Garmin lineup, aimed at women who want to balance fashion with function. The watch features a 35.4mm case, significantly smaller and lighter than many other smartwatches, which makes it perfect for smaller wrists. The refined design includes elegant patterns and textures on the display, along with a wide variety of band options to match different styles and outfits.
While the Garmin Lily 2 is stylish, it doesn’t sacrifice functionality. It comes equipped with an array of fitness and wellness tracking features, from heart rate monitoring to sleep tracking and even stress management tools. With smart notifications, connected GPS, and compatibility with the Garmin Connect app, the Lily 2 is designed to meet the needs of women who want a chic device that helps them stay connected and keep an eye on their health.
Design and Aesthetics
One of the most striking aspects of the Garmin Lily 2 is its design. It’s clear from the moment you see it that Garmin paid special attention to creating a watch that appeals to women who prioritize both style and technology.
1. Size and Fit
Women with smaller arms will love the 35.4mm watch case because it is sleek and compact. Whether you’re in the workplace, hanging out with friends, or going to the gym, its lightweight and slim design make it easy to wear all day. The watch’s 14mm thickness makes it feel minimal and fits in with your outfits easily.
2. Display
The Garmin Lily 2 features a 1-inch LCD touchscreen display. While it’s smaller compared to other smartwatches like the Apple Watch or the Fitbit Versa, it’s big enough to display essential information clearly. The unique patterned design on the display gives the watch an added touch of sophistication, and it reflects Garmin’s attention to detail in blending fashion with tech.
While the display is not AMOLED, the resolution is still decent, offering good readability indoors and outdoors. One downside is the lack of an always-on display, which is common among Garmin devices to conserve battery life, but this may disappoint users accustomed to always seeing the time at a glance.
3. Bands
Customization is another key strength of the Garmin Lily 2. The watch comes in both Classic and Sport models, with a variety of band materials, including leather and silicone, to suit different occasions. The bands are interchangeable, making it easy to switch up the look of your watch depending on your outfit or activity.
Health and Fitness Tracking
The Garmin Lily 2 excels in fitness and health tracking, making it much more than just a pretty face. Garmin has packed this sleek watch with powerful features that help users stay on top of their physical and mental well-being.
1. Heart Rate Monitoring
The watch features 24/7 heart rate monitoring, allowing users to keep track of their resting heart rate, activity levels, and intensity minutes. The data is constantly synced to the Garmin Connect app, where you can see detailed graphs and insights about your heart health. The Lily 2 also offers abnormal heart rate alerts, so if your heart rate goes above or below a certain threshold, the watch will notify you.
2. Blood Oxygen (Pulse Ox) Sensor
The Pulse Ox sensor is a significant addition to the Lily 2, providing readings on your blood oxygen saturation levels. This feature can be particularly useful for people interested in tracking their sleep quality or those who want to monitor their oxygen levels during high-altitude workouts or while traveling. The data is easily accessible in the Garmin Connect app, which gives an in-depth analysis of your body’s oxygen levels.
3. Sleep Tracking
One of the standout features of the Garmin Lily 2 is its ability to monitor sleep. The device tracks your sleep stages, including light, deep, and REM sleep, providing a comprehensive view of how well you’re resting. It also offers sleep scores and suggestions to help improve your sleep habits.
Unlike many other fitness trackers, the Garmin Lily 2 can also track respiration and blood oxygen levels during sleep, giving you an even clearer picture of your nightly recovery.
4. Stress and Hydration Tracking
The stress tracking feature on the Garmin Lily 2 monitors your heart rate variability (HRV) to provide an accurate measure of stress levels throughout the day. It helps you become more mindful of your emotional and mental health by offering breathing exercises to reduce stress when the watch detects heightened stress levels.
The watch also allows you to track your hydration levels, helping you stay on top of your water intake. You can set a daily goal, and the watch will remind you to drink water throughout the day, making it a useful tool for maintaining proper hydration, especially during workouts or busy days.
5. Women’s Health Features
One thing that makes the Garmin Lily 2 stand out is its women’s health tracking features. The device allows users to track their menstrual cycle or pregnancy, offering personalized insights and reminders. This information is particularly helpful for women looking to monitor their cycle for fitness and wellness reasons or for those who want more control over their reproductive health data.
Smartwatch Features
Although the Garmin Lily 2 is best at tracking exercise and health, it also works well as a basic smartwatch. The watch is easy to connect to your phone, and you can get smart alerts for calls, texts, and social media apps right on your wrist.
1. Notifications and Connectivity
Call, text, email, and social media updates can be received on the Garmin Lily 2, but they can’t be changed or adjusted in many ways. You can see messages, but you can’t answer texts or use apps like you could on a more advanced smartwatch like the Apple Watch. But this simple method might work for people who like things to be less distracting.
2. Connected GPS
While the Lily 2 does not have built-in GPS, it uses connected GPS, meaning it relies on your smartphone’s GPS to track outdoor activities like running or cycling. This feature may be a slight drawback for users looking for a more independent experience, but for those who carry their phone with them during workouts, it’s a minor inconvenience.
3. Music Controls
Another useful feature is the ability to control music from your wrist. While the device does not store music directly on the watch, it allows you to control music playback from your connected smartphone. This means you can play, pause, skip tracks, and adjust volume from your wrist when your phone is paired with the watch. This feature is useful during workouts or when you’re on the go, as it allows you to manage your music without needing to pull out your phone from your bag or pocket.
4. Battery Life
One of the strong points of the Garmin Lily 2 is its impressive battery life. Despite its small size, the watch can last up to five days on a single charge, depending on usage. This battery life is significantly longer than most smartwatches, which typically need daily charging. However, using features like the Pulse Ox sensor or connected GPS will drain the battery more quickly.
Garmin Connect App
The Lily 2 does its best work with the Garmin Connect app. You can see all of your fitness, health, and movement data in the app, which gives you a full picture of your progress. The app helps you improve your health and exercise routines by giving you charts, insights, and suggestions. It also works with health apps from other companies, such as Strava and MyFitnessPal.
1. Fitness Tracking
The app tracks your daily steps, calories burned, heart rate, stress, hydration, and more. It offers comprehensive insights into your activity levels, making it easy to spot trends and areas for improvement.
2. Sleep Insights
Sleep tracking data is displayed in the app, where you can see your sleep stages, blood oxygen levels, and overall sleep score. The app also provides personalized suggestions to improve sleep quality based on your data.
3. Customization
Through the Garmin Connect app, you can customize your watch faces and choose the notifications you want to receive. You can also set up challenges and connect with other Garmin users to stay motivated.
Pros
- Sleek and stylish design
- Comprehensive fitness and health tracking features
- Women’s health tracking (for menstrual cycle and pregnancy)
- Lightweight and comfortable for all-day wear
- Smart notifications and music controls
- Connected GPS
- Long battery life (up to 5 days)
Cons
- Lack of built-in GPS
- Limited interaction with smart notifications
- Small display size may not appeal to everyone
- No always-on display
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Is the Garmin Lily 2 Worth It?
The Garmin Lily 2 is the ideal combination of fashion and function for women looking for a smartwatch that suits their style while also providing advanced fitness and health tracking capabilities. It’s ideal for those with small wrists who find larger smartwatches uncomfortable or bulky.
While it doesn’t have all the advanced features of high-end smartwatches like built-in GPS or the ability to reply to notifications, the Garmin Lily 2 excels in providing all the essentials most users need in a sleek, lightweight package. The women’s health features, along with the variety of health tracking options, make it a standout choice for women looking for a fashionable yet functional wearable.
The Bottom Line
Women who want more than just an exercise tracker should definitely get the Garmin Lily 2. It’s a sleek and trendy smartwatch that can go from the gym to a night out with friends and still keep you connected and on track with your health goals.
The Garmin Lily 2 proves to be more than simply a smartwatch, whether it’s being used for business, fitness, or play. It’s a versatile lifestyle companion that seamlessly combines fashionable design with functional technology.
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