Garmin Lily 2 Active vs Vivoactive 6
Size, specs & wrist fit compared
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Which one fits you
On wrists narrower than about 44mm, the Lily 2 Active is the safer pick — it stays proportionate down to roughly 40mm, where the Vivoactive 6 starts to hang over the edge. Above 44mm both sit cleanly, and the Vivoactive 6 gives you more presence.
The Vivoactive 6 wears larger than the Lily 2 Active (42.2mm vs 38mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
On the wrist the Vivoactive 6 feels lighter (23g vs 29g, case only).
The Lily 2 Active is middle-of-the-pack for thickness among the 356 38mm watches in the database.
Among the 694 42mm watches we hold thickness for, the Vivoactive 6 is thinner than 84%, so it wears flatter than its width suggests.
The Vivoactive 6 is 4.2mm wider, 4.2mm longer, 0.1mm thinner and 6g lighter than the Lily 2 Active. Both are circular.
Lily 2 Active
vívoactive 6
Switch or add watches
Garmin
Lily 2 Active
Garmin
vívoactive 6
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.
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)
Garmin vívoactive 6
Case 42.2mm · Lug-to-lug 42.2mm · Thickness 10.9mm · 23g
Balanced Fit
42.2mm 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 42.2mm, 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 wrist6.4mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist10.9mm off the skin
Normal sports-watch height for a wrist this size. (10.9mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~4.1mm under the rim
Seats well, with the case back following most of the wrist.
- Weight on the wrist23g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.4g per mm of wrist)
2D Dimension Schematics
Every case drawn to scale on a shared centre — from above, and in profile against the wrist.
- Garmin Lily 2 Active38mm · 11mm thick
- Garmin vívoactive 642.2mm · 10.9mm thick
3D preview
Lily 2 Active vs vívoactive 6 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 Vivoactive 6 lasts 1.2× as long as the Lily 2 Active (11 days against 9 days).
Lily 2 ActiveVivoactive 6
Smartwatch
9 days11 days
Specifications
The short version
7 key specs| Spec | GarminLily 2 Active | Garminvívoactive 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 38mm | 42.2mm |
| Thickness | 11mm | 10.9mm |
| Weight | 29g | 23g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Display type | Liquid Crystal | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) |
| Battery life | Smartwatch Mode: Up to 9 days GPS Mode: 9 hours See Details | Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days (5 days display always-on) Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 21 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 21 hours All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours All-Systems GNSS mode with music: Up to 8 hours See details |
| Released | 2024 | 2025 |
Every specification
201 specs| Spec | Garmin Lily 2 Active | Garmin vívoactive 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | Garmin | Garmin |
| General | ||
| Weight | 29 g | 23 g (36 g with included band) |
| Battery life | Smartwatch Mode: Up to 9 days GPS Mode: 9 hours See Details | Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days (5 days display always-on) Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 21 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 21 hours All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours All-Systems GNSS mode with music: Up to 8 hours See details |
| Display Size | 1.00” x 0.84” (25.4 mm x 21.3 mm) | 1.2" (30.4 mm) diameter |
| Case material | anodized aluminum | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Color display | no (16 level grayscale) | Yes |
| Lens material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 |
| Physical size | 38 x 38 x 11 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 110-175 mm | 42.2 x 42.2 x 10.9 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 125-190 mm |
| Bezel material | anodized aluminum | anodized aluminum |
| Memory/History | 7 timed activities; 14 days of activity tracking data | 8 GB |
| Strap material | silicone | silicone |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Display resolution | 240 x 201 pixels | 390 x 390 pixels |
| Quick Release bands | Yes | yes (20 mm, Industry standard) |
| Battery type | — | Lithium ion |
| Large font option | — | Yes |
| Sensors | ||
| Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Passcode | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+® | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
| Find My Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Morning report | Yes | Yes |
| Weather forecasts | Yes | Yes |
| Smart Notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | Yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | Yes |
| Find My Garmin (helps locate lost device) | Yes | Yes |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | Yes | Yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes |
| Stocks | — | Yes |
| Calculator | — | Yes |
| Garmin Share | — | Yes |
| Evening report | — | Yes |
| Red shift mode | — | Yes |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | — | Yes |
| Plays and controls watch music | — | Yes |
| Find My Phone during GPS activity | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | — | Yes |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | — | Yes |
| View images from notifications on watch (Android™ only) | — | Yes |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | — | Yes |
| Variant | ||
| Color | Lunar Gold with Bone Silicone Band | Lunar Gold with Bone Band |
| Available Colors | Jasper Green with Jasper Green Silicone Band; Silver with Purple Jasmine Silicone Band; Lunar Gold with Bone Silicone Band | Slate with Black Band; Metallic Pink Dawn with Bone Band; Cream Gold with French Gray Band; Lunar Gold with Bone Band; Metallic Jasper Green with Jasper Green Band; Metallic Pink Dawn with Pink Dawn Band; Slate with Pebble Gray Band |
| Clock Features | ||
| Sleep | yes (advanced) | yes (advanced) |
| Hydration | Yes | Yes |
| Breathwork | Yes | Yes |
| Meditation | Yes | Yes |
| Fitness age | yes (in app) | Yes |
| Sleep coach | Yes | Yes |
| All-day stress | Yes | Yes |
| Women's health | Yes | Yes |
| Health snapshot | Yes | Yes |
| Respiration rate | Yes | Yes |
| Resting heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| Breathing variations | Yes | Yes |
| Relaxation reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | yes (high and low) | yes (high and low) |
| Relaxation breathing timer | Yes | Yes |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate (constant, every second) | Yes | Yes |
| Health status | — | Yes |
| Nap detection | — | Yes |
| Sleep alignment | — | Yes |
| Lifestyle logging | — | Yes |
| Golfing Features | ||
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | Yes | — |
| Sun and moon information | — | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| Running Features | ||
| Digital scorecard | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | Yes | Yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | Yes | Yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | Yes | automatic |
| PinPointer | — | Yes |
| Tournament legal | — | Yes |
| Garmin AutoShot™ | — | Yes |
| Round timer/odometer | — | Yes |
| Hazards and course targets | — | Yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Golf app | — | Yes |
| Green View with manual pin position | — | Yes |
| CT1 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | — | Yes |
| CT10 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | — | Yes |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Timer | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Time/date | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm clock | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Display type | Liquid Crystal | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) |
| Water rating | Swim, 5 ATM | Swim, 5 ATM |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Pay™ | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | yes (spot-check and optionally in sleep) | yes (spot-check, and optional all-day and in sleep) |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 9 days | Up to 11 days (5 days display always-on) |
| Music storage | — | Yes |
| Wheelchair mode | — | Yes |
| Smart wake alarm | — | Yes |
| Sunrise/sunset times | — | Yes |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Assistance | Yes | Yes |
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | Yes |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | — | Yes |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| HIIT workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Yoga workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Pilates workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Strength workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Running Coach | — | Yes |
| Garmin Coach - Strength | — | Yes |
| Garmin Running Coach Experts | — | Yes |
| On-screen workout animations | — | Yes |
| On-screen workout muscle maps | — | Yes |
| Workouts for wheelchair users | — | Yes |
| Garmin Coach - Prebuilt Cycling Plans | — | Yes |
| Daily suggested workout - Walking (duration based) | — | Yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| % HR max | Yes | Yes |
| HR zones | Yes | Yes |
| HR alerts | Yes | Yes |
| HRV status | Yes | Yes |
| Manual lap | Yes | Yes |
| Auto scroll | Yes | Yes |
| HR calories | Yes | Yes |
| Custom alerts | Yes | — |
| Physio TrueUp | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max (Run) | Yes | Yes |
| Interval training | Yes | Yes |
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | Yes | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | Yes | Yes |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | Yoga and Breathwork only | yoga, breathwork and meditation only |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | Yes | Yes |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | Yes | yes (using ANT+ or BLE) |
| Voice alerts | — | Yes |
| Recovery time | — | Yes |
| Training effect | — | Yes |
| Workout benefit | — | Yes |
| Advanced workouts | — | Yes |
| Touch and/or button lock | — | Yes |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | — | Yes |
| HRM running pace and distance | — | Yes |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | — | Yes |
| Improved interval (includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection) | — | Yes |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing, Dance Fitness, Jump Roping | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing, Jump Roping |
| Swim | Pool Swimming | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
| Cycling | Biking, Indoor Biking | Biking, Road Biking, Gravel Biking, Bike Touring, eBiking, Handcycling, Indoor Handcycling Indoor Biking, Cyclocross |
| Wellness | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Meditation, Breathwork | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Indoor Walking, Mobility |
| On the water | SUP, Rowing | Stand Up Paddleboarding, Kayaking, Rowing, Snorkeling |
| Racket sports | Pickleball, Tennis, Padel | Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball |
| Indoor running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running |
| Outdoor running | Running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Obstacle Running |
| Snow and winter | Skiing, XC Classic Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, XC Skate Skiing, Ice Skating, Snowshoeing |
| Outdoor recreation | Golfing, Disc Golf | Hiking, Horseback Riding, Golfing, Mountaineering, Disc Golf, Archery |
| In the ring | — | Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts |
| Team sports | — | Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Football/Soccer, American Football, Lacrosse, Rugby, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Softball, Baseball |
| Motor sports | — | Motorcycling, Overlanding, Motocrossing, ATVing, Snowmobiling |
| Other activity profiles | — | Inline Skating |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| BeiDou | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| GLONASS | Yes | Yes |
| Galileo | Yes | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes |
| QZSS | — | Yes |
| Gyroscope | — | Yes |
| Thermometer | — | yes (tempe™ sensor required) |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | Yes | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | Yes |
| Step counter | Yes | Yes |
| Calories burned | Yes | Yes |
| Distance traveled | Yes | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | Yes |
| Move Alert movement options | Yes | Yes |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | Yes | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | Yes |
| Weight shift alert | — | Yes |
| Wheelchair push tracker | — | Yes |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | — | Yes |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | ||
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | Yes |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | Yes |
| Run workouts | — | Yes |
| Race predictor | — | Yes |
| Foot pod capable | — | Yes |
| Running dynamics | — | Yes |
| Run/Walk/Stand detection | — | Yes |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | — | Yes |
| Cycling Features | ||
| Time and distance alerts | — | Yes |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | — | Yes |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | — | Yes |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | — | Yes |
| Outdoor Recreation | ||
| Back to start | — | Yes |
| Mapping & Navigation | ||
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | — | Yes |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | — | yes (using ANT+ or BLE) |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | — | Yes |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | — | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Lily 2 Active
Sits best on wrists ~40–54mm wide (≈ 10.7–14.4cm circumference).
Garmin Vivoactive 6
Sits best on wrists ~44–60mm wide (≈ 11.7–16.0cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Lily 2 Active bigger than the Garmin Vivoactive 6?
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is bigger — 42.2mm vs 38mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Lily 2 Active or the Garmin Vivoactive 6?
The Garmin Lily 2 Active suits wrists around 40–54mm wide, and the Garmin Vivoactive 6 around 44–60mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Lily 2 Active and Garmin Vivoactive 6 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.