

SpO2 and sleep tracking, but no new health features But runners or cyclists will probably want a watch that can track routes without a phone. If you're looking to track your steps, yoga, Pilates or stationary weights sessions, for example, the Lily is ideal. It was especially disappointing after just having reviewed the Garmin Venu Sq ( $170 at Amazon), which does have built-in GPS and costs the same as the Lily. This means you have to take your phone with you on an outdoor bike ride, run or walk.

Instead, it relies on connected GPS from your phone in order to track your distance and route information. Garmin's focus on size and simplicity also meant the Lily doesn't have onboard GPS, which is something I look for in a smartwatch, particularly one that's main focus is fitness. You'll be able to change out the band with a special tool that comes when you buy a replacement from. Unlike other recent Garmin watches that use the same charging cable, the Lily uses an alligator-style clip charger that clamps over part of the screen. I managed to get around 3.5 to 4 days out of the Lily before needing to charge. The sacrifices in screen quality meant that I didn't have to charge this watch every day like some of its competitors, which felt like a fair trade in my book. Text is legible, the icons are easy to recognize and the haptic button works as promised to bring up the main watch menu.

The screen quality is not as disappointing as I expected after reading the specs on paper, even if it's not as sharp as some of its competitors. There's also a haptic button in the lower part of the screen you can use to bring up the main menu to access workouts and settings. There's also a cool pattern that's etched in the background of the watch that gives it a unique look when the screen is on or off. Rather than a color OLED display like some of the smartwatches mentioned above, the Lily has a monochrome LCD touchscreen that disappears into the background when on standby. That said, I've never had an issue with reading text or interacting with the watch and I've mostly gotten used to the small size. The Lily is the first smartwatch I've tried that almost looks too small for me, so it would be perfect for even daintier wrists than mine. Even though I'm just shy of 6 feet tall, I have fairly small wrists and even "small" smartwatches like the 40mm Apple Watch ( $261 at Amazon) or 40mm Galaxy Watch Active 2 ( $211 at Walmart) seem to overpower them. I've been wearing smartwatches for so long now that I've almost forgotten how clunky they can look on me. I sometimes forget it's on my wrist because it's so light at 24 grams (0.8 ounces). I've been wearing the Sport edition for over a week and it's been comfortable to wear all day and all night. There are two versions of the Lily: a $200 Sport edition with a silicone band and aluminum bezel, and a $250 Classic edition with a leather band and stainless steel bezel. It's also a far cry from some of Garmin's other sports watches, which have thick bezels and multiple buttons. It looks completely different from any other smartwatch that Garmin (or any company, really) has made before.

The Lily is a petite 34mm circular watch with a simple touch screen and no physical buttons. It's missing a voice assistant, contactless payments, music storage and the ability to run third-party apps. It doesn't have built-in GPS and it falls short on smart features offered by many other watches in the same price range. But if you want the Lily to act as a true second screen for your phone, this is not your watch. If you want the fitness chops of a Garmin watch without the bulk, then the Lily is your jam. It offers SpO2 (or blood oxygen) readings, sleep tracking, workout tracking and 24/7 heart-rate monitoring with high and low heart-rate alerts. Despite its smaller footprint, the Lily doesn't miss out on key health features you'd expect from a watch released in 2021. That's because the $200 Garmin Lily is one of the first smartwatches designed specifically for women. The Lily's circular design and slim bezel comes closer to the look of a traditional women's wristwatch than any other smartwatch I've tested.
