Garmin Lily 2 Active Review: Big Improvements in a Small Package
Garmin Lily 2 Active features built-in GPS, expanded sports modes, and a stylish design with great battery life. A perfect mix of style & function!
Stylish smartwatch Garmin Lily 2 Active has undergone a significant update. With its integrated GPS, customers can now track their outdoor exercises without using a phone.
One of the key improvements is the addition of physical buttons, making it easier to use, even with sweaty hands or gloves. During my runs, I found this feature helpful since I didn’t have to struggle with the touchscreen.
Garmin Lily 2 Active is an upgraded version of Garmin Lily 2 and the original Garmin Lily, which was first released in 2021. It now supports pairing with heart rate straps and introduces new sports modes, including skiing, snowboarding, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and padel.
Despite its classic, elegant design, Lily 2 Active offers more advanced features than its predecessors. To test its capabilities, I wore it on my wrist during runs, walks, and daily activities. Here’s what I discovered.
Garmin Lily 2 Active – Key Specs
| 🔹 Feature | 🔸 Details |
|---|---|
| 📏 Screen Size | 33mm |
| ✋ Touchscreen | Yes |
| 📱 Compatible With | Android, iOS |
| ⚙️ Operating System | Garmin |
| 📍 GPS Support | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS |
| 🔋 Battery Life | Up to 9 days |
| 💦 Water Resistance | Up to 164 feet |
| 💾 Storage | 1GB |
| ⌚ Band Material | Silicone |
| 🖥 Display Type | Digital, Gorilla Glass 3 |
| 💳 Mobile Payments | Garmin Pay |
| 🔔 Notifications | Calls, Texts, App Alerts |
| ❤️ Health Tracking | Heart Rate, SpO2, Sleep, Stress |
| 🏃 Fitness Features | Steps, Running, Cycling & More |
| 🛠 Sensors | Heart Rate, Compass, SpO2 |
| ⚡ Charging Time | 2 hours (USB-C) |
| ⚖️ Weight | 29g |
| 🛡 Warranty | 1 Year |
| 🎨 Color Option | Silver with Purple Band |
Garmin Lily 2 Active Price and Availability
Garmin Lily 2 Active costs $299, which is $20 more than Lily 2 Classic and $50 more than the standard Lily 2. With added features like built-in GPS, more sports tracking options, and physical buttons for easier use, the price increase seems reasonable.
It comes in three colors: purple with a silver case, cream with a gold case and dark green with a matching dark green case.
Garmin Lily 2 Active Design and Display
Lily 2 Active has a sleek and minimalist design, featuring a 38mm aluminum case and a scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 3 display. This makes it both stylish and durable for everyday use.
Although it is 3 mm broader and 1 mm thicker than the original Lily 2, it is still small and light (29 vs. 24.4 g). Because of this, wearing it for extended runs, workouts, or even sleep is comfortable.
Because of its high contrast and lack of full color, LCD display is simple to read both indoors & out. Screen is still viewable and clear even in direct sunlight.
One drawback is the lack of an always-on display. To check the time or view data, you need to raise your wrist or tap the screen. While this helps extend battery life, it can be inconvenient when you want a quick glance at the time.
Garmin Lily 2 Active Health and Fitness Features
Lily 2 Active has improved health tracking with more sports modes, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking and Garmin’s Body Battery feature which helps you track your energy levels throughout the day.
This feature is useful for planning workouts based on how much energy you have. It’s great to see it included in this model.
The watch also tracks stress, sleep, menstrual cycles and pregnancy. While it doesn’t have an altimeter to measure floors climbed, it still provides elevation data after syncing with the Garmin Connect app.
When compared to Garmin Fenix 7 during a 5K run, heart rate and distance tracking were nearly identical, proving that the Lily 2 Active performs well even against pricier models.
For safety, it includes incident detection and emergency alerts. If something goes wrong during a workout, the watch can send your location to emergency contacts. Holding down the top button during an activity also shares your location, similar to the Check-In feature on Apple Watches.
Garmin Lily 2 Active Smartwatch Features
Garmin Lily 2 Active lets you receive notifications for calls, texts, and app alerts. You can customize these settings, which is useful if you run or cycle often and want to check messages without taking out your phone.
You can choose to see all notifications, only texts, only calls or both. This control helps avoid unnecessary distractions from emails or app alerts.
Watch also has music controls, so you can adjust the volume or skip tracks without touching your phone. However, it doesn’t store music, so you’ll still need your phone if you want to listen while working out.
Like other Garmin watches, Lily 2 Active supports Garmin Pay for contactless payments. This is convenient but if you already carry your phone for music, you may prefer using Apple Pay or Google Pay instead.
Garmin Lily 2 Active Battery Life
The Garmin Lily 2 Active has a significantly longer battery life than its predecessor, lasting up to 9 days in smartwatch mode as opposed to just 5 days. Actual battery life, however, varies depending on settings and usage.
Even after monitoring several GPS runs during testing, the watch impressively lasted two weeks without needing to be recharged.
The replacement of the outdated clip-on charger with a regular Garmin charging cord is another helpful improvement. This facilitates charging, particularly if you wish to share chargers with other Garmin devices that you own.
Pros and Cons of Garmin Lily 2 Active
| ✅Pros | ❌Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Built-in GPS | ❌ No always-on display |
| ✅ Many sports modes | ❌ No music storage |
| ✅ Stylish design | ❌ |
| ✅ Long battery life | ❌ |
Should You Buy Garmin Lily 2 Active?
Garmin Lily 2 Active is a big upgrade from the original Lily. It has built-in GPS, more sports modes, and a long-lasting battery, all in a stylish design.
It doesn’t have an always-on display or music storage, but it still offers great features. For just $20 more than the previous model, which lacked GPS, it’s a better deal—even if you don’t work out outdoors often.
- Powerbeats Pro 2 Review: Big Improvements, Big Sound
- Netgear Orbi 870 Review: A Deep Dive into Long-Range Wi-Fi 7 Performance
- Roborock Qrevo Curv review: Smart, Stylish and Does It All
Conclusion
Garmin Lily 2 Active is a big upgrade from the original Lily and Lily 2. It now has built-in GPS, more sport modes, and physical buttons for easier use. With its stylish design and long battery life, it’s a great choice for those who want both fashion and function in a compact watch.
