The Garmin Lily 2 was the tracker I wanted on trip

On my final day of trip, I sat on a pristine seaside, sipping on a piña colada whereas looking at a turquoise Caribbean Sea. In 4 days, I’d charged my Apple Watch Extremely 2 3 times, and I used to be right down to about 30 %. On the opposite wrist, I had the extra modest $249.99 Garmin Lily 2 Sport. It was at about 15 %, however I hadn’t charged it as soon as. Really, I’d left the cable tons of of miles away at dwelling. Whereas pondering this, the Extremely 2 began buzzing. My telephone could have been buried beneath towels and sunscreen bottles on the backside of a seaside bag, however Peloton was having a foul earnings day. The way in which that watch is ready up, there was no approach it could let me overlook. The Lily 2 additionally buzzed now and again. The distinction was studying notifications on it was too bothersome and, subsequently, simply ignored.

That tiny slice in time sums up all the things that makes the Lily 2 nice — and maybe not so nice.

My 10 days with the Lily 2 have been break up into two dramatically totally different weeks. The primary was a chaotic hell spent zipping right here and there to get 10,000 issues executed earlier than trip. The second, I did my best to be an untroubled seaside potato. That first week, I discovered the Lily 2 to be cute and cozy however missing for my specific wants. On trip, its limitations meant it was precisely the type of wearable I wanted.

I wasn’t shocked by that. The Lily 2 just isn’t meant to be a mini wrist pc that may sometimes sub in in your telephone. It’s meant to look stylish, let you know the time, and hey, right here’s some primary notifications and health monitoring. That’s ideally suited for informal customers — the type of people who beloved health bands and Fitbits earlier than Google began mucking round with the method.

The primary factor with the Lily 2 is you need to settle for that it’s going to look good in your wrist however be a bit of finicky to truly use. The unique Lily’s show didn’t register swipes or faucets that properly. It’s improved a smidge with the Lily 2, however only a smidge. Studying notifications, navigating by way of menus, and simply doing most issues on the watch itself I discovered to be nowhere close to as handy as a extra full-fledged touchscreen smartwatch. This further friction is a giant motive why the Lily 2 simply didn’t match my wants in day by day life.

As a health tracker, the Lily 2 is middling. The primary additions this time round are higher sleep monitoring and some extra exercise sorts, like HIIT, indoor rowing and strolling, and meditation. There are additionally new dance health profiles with varied subgenres, like Zumba, afrobeat, jazz, line dancing, and so on. That mentioned, the Lily 2 isn’t nice for monitoring your knowledge mid-workout. Once more, fiddly swipes and a small display add an excessive amount of friction for that.

I additionally wouldn’t advocate attempting to coach for a marathon with the Lily 2. Because it makes use of your telephone’s GPS, my outcomes with outside runs have been a blended bag. One four-mile run was recorded as 4.01 miles. Nice! One other two-mile run was logged as 2.4 miles. Much less nice. It’s a tracker greatest suited to an lively life, however not one the place the small print actually matter. Working example, it was nice for monitoring my basic exercise splashing round and floating within the ocean — but it surely’s probably not the tracker I’d attain for if I have been attempting to trace laps within the pool.

At 35mm, it’s a skosh larger than the unique Lily however a lot smaller than simply about each different smartwatch available on the market. It’s lighter than most at 24.4g, too. That makes this a supremely comfy lil watch. Most days, I forgot I used to be sporting it.

Whereas I’m no fashionista, I didn’t really feel like my lilac evaluation unit was exhausting to fit into my day by day wardrobe. But when playful colours aren’t your factor, the Traditional model is $30-50 extra and has a extra elegant really feel, a extra muted coloration palette, and nylon / leather-based straps. (It additionally provides contactless funds.)

As a girl with a small wrist, the 35mm measurement is a plus. However whereas I personally don’t suppose the Lily 2 has to be a girls’s watch, it’s undeniably dainty. If you would like one thing with a extra impartial vibe or a barely larger measurement, Garmin has the Vivomove Development or Vivomove Sport. Withings’ ScanWatch 2 or ScanWatch Gentle are additionally compelling choices.

In the end, the Lily 2 is nice for folk who wish to be extra lively whereas attempting to chop down on notifications. It’s additionally an amazing various if you happen to miss the outdated Misfits, Jawbones, or Fitbit Alta HR. Deep down, I want that have been me, however the actuality is I’ve an excessive amount of gadget FOMO and care approach an excessive amount of about my operating knowledge. That mentioned, the following time I’m going on trip — or really feel the urge to disconnect — I believe I’ll attain for the Lily 2 and strive to depart the remainder of my life at dwelling.