Is the Garmin Venu 4 good enough to lure my wife away from a Fitbit? I try to settle our debate

Generally speaking, there are two types of people you often come across in the world of smart fitness tracking. There are people who love a Fitbit, and there are people who love a Garmin. There are also people who like Apple watches, but we don't like to talk about them.

I'm firmly in the Garmin camp. I've tested a few Fitbits, I once owned a Google Pixel Watch, which has broadly the same tech built in, and I've never gelled with them as I have with the Garmins.

My wife, however, is in the Fitbit camp. She's had them for years, and loves her Versa 2. It's getting on a bit now, though, so she grudgingly let me challenge her to trying out a Garmin Venu 4, to see if we can settle the debate we often have over who wears the best watch.

I chose the Venu 4 because it's got Garmin's latest tech, it comes in two sizes, and there's a range of colours to suit each gender.

Initial impressions went well. Off came the Fitbit, and on went the Garmin. Her Ladyship seemed quite enamoured with the shiny new watch.

Then came the setup process. This, especially if you're new to Garmin, is quite involved. In fact, it took her most of the afternoon, evening, and several stints in the days that followed to get everything working the way she wanted it.

Garmins have a huge array of features built in, from the countless different activity trackers, the multitude of sensors, and complex lifestyle logging. That's before you wade into the smartphone features.

To be honest, Garmin's Connect app doesn't help with this setup process. It's a huge app, with so many different things to tweak and alter in it, and I don't think it's very well designed. Fitbit does this better, as do most brands.

Having said that, the Venu 4's touch screen makes it a million times easier than the button-based systems on other Garmin watches and, once it was set up, and with all her vital statistics plumbed in, my wife very quickly grew to love the Garmin.

From the watch face customisation that allows her to have a photo of her pet lizard, to the WhatsApp notifications that show images, it was quickly proving a far more comprehensive piece of tech than the Fitbit that was still sitting on her desk.

And then there's the fitness tech. The Garmin is significantly more advanced than the Fitbit at keeping watch on your activity, and the way your body responds to it. That's not to say it has more features than a Fitbit, but it definitely digs deeper.

The sleep tracking is arguably better on a Fitbit, but in just about every other metric, the Garmin trumps it.

And then there's the battery life. My wife was struggling to get to four days on her Versa 2, but the Venu 4 manages eight quite easily. The Fitbit's contactless charger is easier to use, but it's still a clear win for Garmin.

There is, however, one more thorny issue to address. Price. Mrs B's Fitbit Versa 2 costs around £150. And the newer Versa 4 can be had for a similar amount. Yes, the Garmin Venu 4 is better in most measurable ways, but it costs £469.99. And it's a price difference that's hard to ignore.

We discussed, over a post-run breakfast, what she would do if it were her own money. I presumed she'd choose the cheaper but still perfectly competent Fitbit but her answer surprised me. She'd be tempted to stump up for the Garmin.

It feels nicer in terms of quality, it looks nicer, there are more customisation options, its better battery life makes such a difference, and its smartphone features are just more functional.

Complexity aside, the Garmin does run rings around a Fitbit, especially if you're serious about keeping fit, which we both pretend to be. That's not to say the Fitbit is bad. If you're on a budget and you want a basic fitness tracker, I'd recommend one.

But the Garmin feels like a nigh-on £500 product. And, if you can afford it, it's the watch you'll be happier with.