Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mm vs Garmin Lily 2 Active
Size, specs & wrist fit compared
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Which one fits you
On wrists narrower than about 47mm, the Garmin Lily 2 Active is the safer pick — it stays proportionate down to roughly 40mm, where the Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mm starts to hang over the edge. Above 47mm both sit cleanly, and the Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mm gives you more presence.
The Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mm and Garmin Lily 2 Active share a near-identical 38mm case, so wrist presence comes down to thickness, lug-to-lug and weight.
On the wrist the Garmin Lily 2 Active feels lighter (29g vs 51.5g, case only).
Both are middle-of-the-pack for thickness among the 38mm watches in the database.
The Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mm is 7mm longer, 0.3mm thinner and 22.5g heavier than the Garmin Lily 2 Active.
Apple
Watch Series 9 - Stainless Steel · 45mm
Garmin
Lily 2 Active
Switch or add watches
Apple
Watch Series 9 - Stainless Steel · 45mm
Garmin
Lily 2 Active
Watch Fit Tool
For sports watches, lug-to-lug (L2L) is what matters most — it decides whether a watch overhangs your wrist. Bulky is fine; overhang is not.
Measure at the point where you wear your watch — typically just below the wrist bone.
Flat width — lay your arm on a table, palm facing up, and measure straight across the top of your wrist with a ruler. Bone to bone; do not follow the curve down the sides.
Around — wrap a tape measure snugly round the wrist. No tape? Wrap a strip of paper, mark the overlap and hold the strip against a ruler.
Width ≠ circumference. They are different numbers — around 170mm is about 64mm across — so set the toggle to whichever one you actually measured before you type it in.
Apple Watch Series 9 - Stainless Steel · 45mm
Case 45.0mm · Lug-to-lug 45.0mm · Thickness 10.7mm · 52g
Balanced Fit
45mm on a 55mm wrist
Comfortably inside the edges of your wrist, and it seats and sits low enough to wear without thinking about it.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 45mm, so you could go bigger.
Measure where you wear it, just below the wrist bone. Either of these works — the tool converts between them.
- 1. Flat width — arm flat on a table, palm up. Measure straight across the top of the wrist, bone to bone, ignoring the curve down the sides.
- 2. Around — a tape, or a strip of paper marked and held against a ruler, snug the whole way round.
Leather: Attaches at the lugs, so the case back rests on your skin. Thins and softens with wear. Typical figures, not this model’s own.
Show the measurementsHide the measurements
- Across the wrist5.0mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist10.7mm off the skin
Normal sports-watch height for a wrist this size. (10.7mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~5.2mm under the rim
Seats well, with the case back following most of the wrist.
- Weight on the wrist52g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.9g per mm of wrist)
Garmin Lily 2 Active
Case 38.0mm · Lug-to-lug 38.0mm · Thickness 11.0mm · 29g
Understated
38mm on a 55mm wrist
Well inside your wrist on every measurement — you have room to go a size up if you want more presence.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 38mm, so you could go bigger.
Measure where you wear it, just below the wrist bone. Either of these works — the tool converts between them.
- 1. Flat width — arm flat on a table, palm up. Measure straight across the top of the wrist, bone to bone, ignoring the curve down the sides.
- 2. Around — a tape, or a strip of paper marked and held against a ruler, snug the whole way round.
Leather: Attaches at the lugs, so the case back rests on your skin. Thins and softens with wear. Typical figures, not this model’s own.
Show the measurementsHide the measurements
- Across the wrist8.5mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist11.0mm off the skin
Normal sports-watch height for a wrist this size. (11.0mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~2.9mm under the rim
Sits flat on the wrist with contact right across the case back.
- Weight on the wrist29g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.5g per mm of wrist)
2D Dimension Schematics
Every case drawn to scale on a shared centre — from above, and in profile against the wrist.
- Apple Watch Series 9 - Stainless Steel · 45mm38mm × 45mm · 10.7mm thick
- Garmin Lily 2 Active38mm · 11mm thick
3D preview
Apple Watch Series 9 - Stainless Steel · 45mm vs Garmin Lily 2 Active on a wrist
Sized to your own wrist, turned any way you like.
Shapes are built from published measurements, not manufacturer 3D models — accurate proportions, generic dial.
Battery life compared
Furthest apart in Smartwatch mode, where the Garmin Lily 2 Active lasts 12.0× as long as the Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mm (9 days against 18 hours).
Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mmGarmin Lily 2 Active
Smartwatch
0.75 days9 daysBattery Saver
36 hours—
Specifications
The short version
7 key specs| Spec | AppleWatch Series 9 - Stainless Steel · 45mm | GarminLily 2 Active |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 38mm | 38mm |
| Lug-to-Lug | 45mm | 38mm |
| Thickness | 10.7mm | 11mm |
| Weight | 51.5g | 29g |
| Shape | Rectangle | Circular |
| Display type | OLED/AMOLED | Liquid Crystal |
| Released | 2023 | 2024 |
Every specification
234 specs| Spec | Apple Watch Series 9 - Stainless Steel · 45mm | Garmin Lily 2 Active |
|---|---|---|
| Design | ||
| width | 38 | — |
| height | 45 | — |
| volume | 18.3 cm³ | — |
| weight | 51.5 g | — |
| thickness | 10.7 | — |
| resolution | 396 x 484 px | — |
| screen size | 1.9 inches | — |
| Display type | OLED/AMOLED | — |
| Has a display | Yes | — |
| pixel density | 329 ppi | — |
| water resistance | Waterproof | — |
| Always-On Display | Yes | — |
| has a touch screen | Yes | — |
| is designed for kids | No | — |
| waterproof depth rating | 50 m | — |
| Watch band is replaceable | Yes | — |
| Has sapphire glass display | No | — |
| Ingress Protection (IP) rating | IP68 | — |
| has branded damage-resistant glass | No | — |
| Battery | ||
| charge time | 1.2 hours | — |
| battery life | 0.75 days | — |
| has wireless charging | Yes | — |
| has a removable battery | No | — |
| Has a solar power battery | No | — |
| has a rechargeable battery | Yes | — |
| battery life in power save mode | 36 hours | — |
| Sensors | ||
| has GPS | Yes | — |
| has a compass | Yes | — |
| Has a barometer | Yes | — |
| has a gyroscope | Yes | — |
| Has a cadence sensor | No | — |
| has an accelerometer | Yes | — |
| Monitors perspiration | No | — |
| Has a heart rate monitor | Yes | — |
| Has a temperature sensor | Yes | — |
| Monitors blood oxygenation levels | Yes | — |
| Calendar | — | Yes |
| Passcode | — | Yes |
| Connectivity | — | Bluetooth®, ANT+® |
| Find My Phone | — | Yes |
| Morning report | — | Yes |
| Weather forecasts | — | Yes |
| Smart Notifications | — | Yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | — | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Controls smartphone music | — | Yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | — | Yes |
| Find My Garmin (helps locate lost device) | — | Yes |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | — | Yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | — | Yes |
| Features | ||
| RAM | 1GB | — |
| release date | 2023-09-12 | — |
| Has a stopwatch | Yes | — |
| Has smart alarm | No | — |
| warranty period | 1 years | — |
| Has call control | Yes | — |
| Has silent alarm | Yes | — |
| has HRV tracking | Yes | — |
| internal storage | 64GB | — |
| measures VO2 max | Yes | — |
| Has notifications | Yes | — |
| Has ECG technology | Yes | — |
| Locates your phone | Yes | — |
| has a front camera | No | — |
| has fall detection | Yes | — |
| has voice commands | Yes | — |
| Acquires GPS faster | No | — |
| Has vibrating alerts | Yes | — |
| number of microphones | 1 | — |
| shows readiness level | No | — |
| Can be used to answer calls | Yes | — |
| measures resting heart rate | Yes | — |
| has irregular heart rate warnings | Yes | — |
| has fast/slow heart rate notifications | Yes | — |
| Has a built-in camera remote control function | Yes | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| has NFC | Yes | — |
| SIM cards | 1 eSIM | — |
| Wi-Fi version | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) | — |
| supports ANT+ | No | — |
| supports Wi-Fi | Yes | — |
| supports Galileo | Yes | — |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 | — |
| has a cellular module | Yes | — |
| Is compatible with iOS | Yes | — |
| Is compatible with Android | No | — |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| has aptX | No | — |
| Has passcode | Yes | — |
| Has auto pause | Yes | — |
| has crash detection | Yes | — |
| Is compatible with Windows | No | — |
| Is compatible with Mac OS X | No | — |
| has an external memory slot | No | — |
| Compatible with smart scales | Yes | — |
| has a battery level indicator | Yes | — |
| has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack | No | — |
| Compatible with external heart rate monitors | Yes | — |
| App & Software | ||
| Ad-free | Yes | — |
| Free app | Yes | — |
| Has coaching | No | — |
| Has achievements | Yes | — |
| Has goal setting | Yes | — |
| Has exercise diary | Yes | — |
| Predicts ovulation | Yes | — |
| Can be personalised | Yes | — |
| Has weight tracking | Yes | — |
| Predicts start date | Yes | — |
| Tracks water intake | Yes | — |
| Has inactivity alerts | Yes | — |
| Has period notifications | Yes | — |
| Has temperature tracking | Yes | — |
| Provides activity reports | Yes | — |
| Counts how many calories you've burned | Yes | — |
| Activity tracking | ||
| Measures pace | Yes | — |
| Tracks distance | Yes | — |
| Tracks elevation | Yes | — |
| Designed for golf | No | — |
| Tracks your sleep | Yes | — |
| Tracks steps taken | Yes | — |
| Designed for diving | No | — |
| Has a route tracker | Yes | — |
| Has exercise tagging | Yes | — |
| Has multi-sport mode | Yes | — |
| Tracks calorie intake | Yes | — |
| Provides sleep reports | Yes | — |
| Detects activities automatically | Yes | — |
| Has a stroke counter for swimming | Yes | — |
| Overview | ||
| Family | — | Garmin |
| General | ||
| Weight | — | 29 g |
| Battery life | — | Smartwatch Mode: Up to 9 days GPS Mode: 9 hours See Details |
| Display Size | — | 1.00” x 0.84” (25.4 mm x 21.3 mm) |
| Case material | — | anodized aluminum |
| Color display | — | no (16 level grayscale) |
| Lens material | — | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 |
| Physical size | — | 38 x 38 x 11 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 110-175 mm |
| Bezel material | — | anodized aluminum |
| Memory/History | — | 7 timed activities; 14 days of activity tracking data |
| Strap material | — | silicone |
| Charging method | — | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Display resolution | — | 240 x 201 pixels |
| Quick Release bands | — | Yes |
| Variant | ||
| Color | — | Lunar Gold with Bone Silicone Band |
| Available Colors | — | Jasper Green with Jasper Green Silicone Band; Silver with Purple Jasmine Silicone Band; Lunar Gold with Bone Silicone Band |
| Clock Features | ||
| Sleep | — | yes (advanced) |
| Hydration | — | Yes |
| Breathwork | — | Yes |
| Meditation | — | Yes |
| Fitness age | — | yes (in app) |
| Sleep coach | — | Yes |
| All-day stress | — | Yes |
| Women's health | — | Yes |
| Health snapshot | — | Yes |
| Respiration rate | — | Yes |
| Resting heart rate | — | Yes |
| Breathing variations | — | Yes |
| Relaxation reminders | — | Yes |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | — | yes (high and low) |
| Relaxation breathing timer | — | Yes |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | — | Yes |
| Heart rate (constant, every second) | — | Yes |
| Golfing Features | ||
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | — | Yes |
| Running Features | ||
| Digital scorecard | — | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | — | Yes |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | — | Yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | — | Yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | — | Yes |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Timer | — | Yes |
| Stopwatch | — | Yes |
| Time/date | — | Yes |
| Alarm clock | — | Yes |
| Touchscreen | — | Yes |
| Display type | — | Liquid Crystal |
| Water rating | — | Swim, 5 ATM |
| GPS Time Sync | — | Yes |
| Garmin Pay™ | — | Yes |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | — | yes (spot-check and optionally in sleep) |
| Sleep score and insights | — | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | — | Yes |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | — | Up to 9 days |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Assistance | — | Yes |
| Incident Detection during select activities | — | Yes |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| HIIT workouts | — | Yes |
| Yoga workouts | — | Yes |
| Cardio workouts | — | Yes |
| Pilates workouts | — | Yes |
| Strength workouts | — | Yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| % HR max | — | Yes |
| HR zones | — | Yes |
| HR alerts | — | Yes |
| HRV status | — | Yes |
| Manual lap | — | Yes |
| Auto scroll | — | Yes |
| HR calories | — | Yes |
| Custom alerts | — | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | — | Yes |
| VO2 Max (Run) | — | Yes |
| Interval training | — | Yes |
| GPS speed and distance | — | Yes |
| Customizable data pages | — | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | — | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | — | Yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | — | Yes |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | — | Yoga and Breathwork only |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | — | Yes |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | — | Yes |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| Gym | — | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing, Dance Fitness, Jump Roping |
| Swim | — | Pool Swimming |
| Cycling | — | Biking, Indoor Biking |
| Wellness | — | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Meditation, Breathwork |
| On the water | — | SUP, Rowing |
| Racket sports | — | Pickleball, Tennis, Padel |
| Indoor running | — | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running |
| Outdoor running | — | Running |
| Snow and winter | — | Skiing, XC Classic Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing |
| Outdoor recreation | — | Golfing, Disc Golf |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| GPS | — | Yes |
| BeiDou | — | Yes |
| Compass | — | Yes |
| GLONASS | — | Yes |
| Galileo | — | Yes |
| Accelerometer | — | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | — | Yes |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | — | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | — | Yes |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | — | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | — | Yes |
| Step counter | — | Yes |
| Calories burned | — | Yes |
| Distance traveled | — | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | — | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | — | Yes |
| Move Alert movement options | — | Yes |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | — | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | — | Yes |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | ||
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | — | Yes |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | — | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mm
Sits best on wrists ~47–64mm wide (≈ 12.6–17.1cm circumference).
Garmin Lily 2 Active
Sits best on wrists ~40–54mm wide (≈ 10.7–14.4cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mm bigger than the Garmin Lily 2 Active?
Both have a 38mm case. Compare their thickness and lug-to-lug above to judge wrist presence.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mm or the Garmin Lily 2 Active?
The Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mm suits wrists around 47–64mm wide, and the Garmin Lily 2 Active around 40–54mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Apple Watch Series 9 Stainless Steel 45mm and Garmin Lily 2 Active side by side at true scale?
Yes — the schematics and photos above show both watches at matched scale, and our fit tool overlays each on your wrist width.