Verdict
The Garmin Lily 2 gleam with its graceful and discreet designing , reliable activity tracking , and decent battery life . It miss built - in GPS however , its display could be better , improvements could be made in terms of both sleep tracking and women ’s health tracking and for those training for something , there are beneficial option . For occasional exercisers looking for something smart and elegant to go after their activity , stress and general eudaimonia however , the Lily 2 is a great pick .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Garmin surprised everyone with the Lily smartwatch when it launch in 2021 , offer a sheer departure from the company ’s usual pattern .
The female - focused Lily was little , refined and a far rallying cry from the bulkysports watches the brandhad become synonymous with and it made for a refreshing alteration . Now , Garmin has update the gimmick with the 2d generation , the Lily 2 .
usable in two models – the Lily 2 and the Lily 2 Classic – the minor and dainty fitness tracker hold the elegance and heart features of its precursor , sum up a few key upgrade admit Sleep Score andGarmin Pay . But with so much contest – not least from Garmin ’s own portfolio – is the Lily 2 worth your wrist substantial acres ?
Design and Screen
My first impression of the Garmin Lily 2 Classic was not a in particular great one .
come from years with the verybest Apple Watchmodels , both the 41 mm and 45 mm model , I had become fond to a larger gadget as I do n’t have particularly small wrists . I found the Lily 2 too pocket-size , too dainty and too discreet . Fast forward a week into examination however and much to my surprise , the Lily 2 Classic grew on me importantly .
Its small and stylish build does n’t face anything like a distinctive fitness tracker and what I started thinking was too small , became passably witching . It ’s also exceptionally lightweight and elegant , pretty much disappear on my radiocarpal joint .
The anodize aluminium case offers a premium and substantial look , resulting in a gimmick that suits saucy outfits more than sportier ones . This makes for a gracious change , even if the Mulberry Leather Band ’s colour is n’t quite my cup of teatime . The standard 14 millimetre watch shoulder strap lugs meanwhile , are also a welcome advance over the original Lily ’s proprietary ones , with a much more established design overall .
The underside of the Lily 2 has a slightly raised heart charge per unit sensing element that contours comfortably to your wrist , while the top of the casing see the display sit beneath a patterned Gorilla Glass 3 lens . The patterned lens is a chip much for me – it ’s not something you may change like a ticker face , and easily an element you ’ll get tired of – but that ’s not to say some wo n’t appreciate the extra flair . It is more interesting than plain glass of course of study , but I would have appreciated plain ice as an option in the six model – made up of two standard Lily 2 models and four Lily 2 Classic variants .
The exhibit is a monochrome LCD with a pretty low resolve of 240 x 201 pixels . While it operate for a machine that is n’t mean to be tatty , it find a little flat , mayhap because of the aloofness between it and the surface created by the patterned lens .
It lacks the vibrancy ofAMOLEDdisplays and could be a touch bright for better legibility through the pattern . The display wakes up with a wrist raise , but it can be sulky to reply , much like the touch screen . antiphonal enough to get the job done , but not the smooth and fluent experience you get with a gadget like theApple Watch Series 9 .
Health and Fitness Tracking
designing away , where the Garmin Lily 2 is great is when it comes to activity trailing for casual exercisers .
While not as comprehensive as Garmin ’s higher - conclusion models like Vivoactive or Forerunner , it offers a good image of feature for those who enjoy walks , dancing grade , HIIT workout , or occasional cycling . Athletes or marathon trainees will be better fit elsewhere , and it ’s deserving note that there is no indoor cycling option , which I feel was quite a big deletion give there are choice for stair stepping and indoor rowing .
Activity trailing is exact , with the Lily 2 ’s heart charge per unit sensor responding apace to change in vividness . It even outstrip the Apple Watch Series 9 in registering heart rate spike during HIIT physical exertion on some occasions , even if only by a fraction of a second .
Automatic recitation catching is reliable too , kick back in for walks and adapting to different paces . There ’s no consecrate pause button for activity , requiring you to take for the single button at the bottom of the screen for a yoke of mo to stop an activity . you may then choose to save or take up the activity but it ’s a whole tone too many . Being able to just tap the screen to pause and hold the button to stop and save would make for a blank and more concise experience .
Perhaps the biggest drawback of the Lily 2 – certainly for more serious athletes – is the want of built - in GPS . You ’ll involve your telephone set for accurate distance and map data , which while is n’t a bargain breaker , it ’s a little annoying . Features like physical exercise welfare , recovery time , andVO2 Maxare also absent , and sleep coaching job is hold for other Garmin model like the similarly - pricedVivoactive 5 .
Elsewhere , the Lily 2 caters to char ’s health with period trailing , but it is basic compared to contender . You ’ll retrieve period predictions ground on your input signal during setup ( you could introduce your typical rhythm , average period duration etc ) , and you could add symptoms and note to the Connect app , as well as enter start and stop date for your period . The Lily 2 miss extras like a temperature sensor though , for more precise trailing and prediction enhancements .
The Lily 2 excels in focus monitoring however . It ’s fascinating to see daily stress magnetic declination and key out potential trigger – and while you do have to do that yourself , the datum is present simply and efficaciously in the Garmin app .
Garmin ’s Body Battery feature is a hugely valuable addition , promote eternal rest and recovery when your energy levels dip and it ’s just as habit-forming as stress monitoring . I ’d actually consider keeping the Garmin Lily 2 on alongside my Apple Watch Series 9 for the stress and Body Battery features alone I liked them that much .
Sleep tracking receives a small-scale upgrade with the Lily 2 , now including a sleep sexual conquest . However , it lacks the sleep coaching found on the Vivoactive , as I bring up . The sleep graph is also less substance abuser - favorable than those offered by Fitbit or Apple Watch , often underestimating sleep duration in my experience .
The Lily 2 gathers a wide-cut range of sleep data ( Body Battery , substance rate , Pulse Ox , respiration rate ) , but like many fitness trackers , there could be more so that ’s an arena where there ’s some elbow room for betterment . I ’d love my fitness tracker to say , “ You slept badly , maybe it ’s because you did n’t move enough or did n’t toast enough water system the day prior ” .
Software and smartwatch features
Beyond the Lily 2 ’s attractive excogitation and great fitness features , it packs a surprising punch when it comes to overbold features outside of wellness and action trailing .
I previously mentioned Garmin Pay on the Lily 2 , though this feature film is restricted to the Lily 2 Classic good example so keep that in psyche . There ’s something else to regard here too – money box compatibility in the UK is very limited . If you are with Santander , Revolut or Starling , you ’re all good , but if you ’re a loyal Barclays , Natwest , Lloyds , or HSBC customer you ’ll be disappointed .
Thankfully , other features are less restrictive and some of them are excellent . A couple really tolerate out include Morning Report , which is a handy summary of your sleep duration , step goal for the 24-hour interval and weather that go far on your wrist joint every cockcrow , and “ witness My speech sound ” , which is a lifeguard if you lose your sound regularly .
The Lily 2 will also pop the question control of your smartphone ’s music – you ca n’t download euphony to it however – and there are weather forecasts too , which is handy if you ’re consider steer out for a perambulation .
Smartphone notifications are also available , but they mirror your phone – whatever pings on your phone pings on your Lily 2 . Customising notification for specific apps is n’t possible within Garmin itself either , you ’ll need to adapt them now on your phone so like me , you might find your Lily 2 just buzzes that little act too much .
Do Not Disturb musical mode on the Lily 2 silences apprisal , but unlike Fitbit , you ca n’t choose which apps get silenced . Control over notice is limited to Garmin - specific I , such as reach a new badge or make a new connection , both of which can be toggled on or off separately but if you want to hold back Google Home tell you there ’s motion at the front door , that ’s asking too much I ’m afraid .
For iOS users , smartphone notifications are further qualify . While Android grant responding to texts and turn down calls with a message , these features are unavailable with iPhone , making notifications on the Lily 2 a turn redundant . You get an alerting , see your phone ringing , but still need your phone to interact with it .
Battery life
When it comes to assault and battery life , my experience with the Lily 2 aligns perfectly with Garmin ’s advertised 5 - days . I wore the Lily 2 Classic 24/7 for week , tracking daily activities and kip alongside a constant flow of smartphone notifications , music control , and even Pulse OX ( known for draining battery ) , but it stood secure at 5 days , sometimes offering slightly longer .
Charging the Lily 2 utilize proprietary pins on the underside of the case , ditch the convenience of USB - degree centigrade that you ’ll find on smartphones . This is passably normal – all Fitbit gadget have their own cable television , as does Apple Watch and other smartwatches . It imply you have to remember to mob the cablegram if you travel , but it ’s not run low to hold back you buy this tracker .
What is deserving mentioning however , is that charging is dull compared to devices like the Apple Watch Series 9 – even when using the same plug . The Apple Watch needs a nightly top - up , but it offers libertine charging so you’re able to get around 70 per centime in 30 minutes . The Lily 2 gives you around 30 per centime in 30 minutes so you need to report for a little turn additional clock time when charging for Garmin ’s gimmick to attain full capability .
That is of course a minuscule damage to pay for nearly a week ’s worth of succus so while the slower charging might be a consideration , the extended bombardment life is in spades a win . That said , keep in mind that the Vivoactive 5 offers 11 days battery so if battery life is what you ’re looking for , there are devices out there that adept the Lily 2 .
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Should you buy it?
If you prioritise aesthetic , a good battery life story , and basic natural action tracking with a few handy extra features , the Lily 2 is a good choice to believe .
If you ’re a more serious athlete , you ’re training for something or you want some more of Garmin ’s more ripe features , other Garmin model will be better become to you . Ourbest Garmin watchlist has all the top choices .
Final Thoughts
The Lily 2 deliver the goods on comfort and design , making it a sodding tantrum for those seeking a subtle tracker with some of Garmin ’s skilful feature film . It ’s not flawless , though . The deficiency of built - in GPS , the monochrome exhibit ( a little dim and could be more responsive ) , the ungainly workout pause routine and the fact that both log Z’s tracking and woman ’s health trailing could use improvements , harbour it back .
For those after a streamlined tracker with reliable bodily process tracking however , the Lily 2 is great . Its unequaled purpose sets it aside , characteristic like Body Battery and stress monitoring are rattling , activity tracking is precise , and it ’s incredibly well-off to wear 24/7 . If you ’re a training enthusiast , theVivoactive 5might be a salutary convulsion given it ’s also a similar price point . For those with small wrists who prioritise simplicity , good accuracy , and substantial features though , the Garmin Lily 2 is a great choice .
Trusted Score
How we test
We thoroughly test every smartwatch we reexamine . We use industry - received testing to compare features properly and we use the vigil as our chief machine over the recapitulation period . We ’ll always tell you what we detect and we never , ever , accept money to review a product .
FAQs
The Garmin Lily 2 looks almost identical to its predecessor , though it has slenderly different lobworm to hold the 14 mm straps , whilst also insert Garmin Pay and Sleep Score . Additionally , the 2d - coevals gadget add a few supernumerary sports mode , admit dancing , and it can ping emergency contacts should something happen during certain activities . Elsewhere , there ’s an anodise aluminium body instead of stainless blade , and there ’s a more ripe spunk rate sensor .
The biggest deviation between the Lily 2 and the Lily 2 Classic are the shoulder strap options and the Classic model offer Garmin Pay .
