Wristband tracker and Smart Watch Hybrid.
After the successful release of their first wrist-worn activity band earlier this year, Garmin launched yet another cool product. Their second fitness band, the Garmin VivoSmart, has many of the advanced features the previous one had, like the inactivity reminder, but also some nice new ones like Smart Notifications which makes it look more like a smart watch than other fitness bands.
Also check out my updated article about Vivosmart HR. It’s with built-in heart rate sensor.
The main focus for fitness trackers like these is to track movement with motion sensors and give you feedback on how well you are doing. As with most other similar health monitoring devices, this one works best for tracking walking and running. But accompanied by an optional heart rate monitor this gadget is on top of my list when it comes to functionality and design. This health monitor is designed to be worn both day and night and sleep monitoring is an essential part of the 24/7 activity recording. It records for up to seven days before it needs to recharge and can hold up to three weeks of data.
The VivoSmart is waterproof down to 50 meters so you don’t need to take it off when swimming and showering which I think is essential for these kinds of products.
=> Previous post: Withings Pulse O2 Activity Tracker<=
Garmin VivoSmart and optional, and recommended, Heart Rate Sensor
Design
The VivoSmart comes with a brand new, simple but stylish, design. The black single piece band is very lightweight and comfortable to wear with its smooth silicone finish. It has resemblance with Fitbit Flex and Jawbone Up24. There are no grooves and texture to gather dust and dirt in around the band.
When the device is off you don’t see a screen at all, but when tapping the surface, the letters light up on the OLED display. The small button the VivoFit has has been omitted and all interaction with the band is done by tapping or sliding your finger left and right over the display.
Garmin VivoSmart Fitness Band
VivoSmart comes in two sizes, Small and Large. No Medium here, so be careful ordering the right size. Small is between 127-172 mm and large 155-221 mm. If you think you have a medium wrist you probably want the large one, but double check the measures. The basic outside color is black but you get different variants of the inside color like blue, grey and purple. I always think it’s strange when the designers choose to have different inside colors which are difficult to see when worn, like the Nike+ FuelBand SE, but on VivoSmart, at least some of the colours are visible on the side.
Some people have reported that the band can come unloose and fall off but a piece of plastic called the Vivokeeper, that follows in the package and is attached around the band, make sure that this is not possible. You probably won’t need to use this part, but if you are uncertain that the pegs on the clasp will hold your tough activity level this is a great extra backup. It’s your choice.
Neat Smart Notifications Function
When hooked up to your smart phone via Bluetooth, VivoSmart has a vibration alarm that let you know when you get text messages, calls, emails and calendar events like meetings. These messages also appear on the display and you can, for instance, call back.
This new function is called Smart Notification and I like how this exercise gadget takes the next step to be a useful tool for other things than just monitoring activity. It makes the gadget smarter and feels like a smart watch lite.
Move Bar Reminder
The inactivity reminder on the band lets you know by a vibration if you have been inactive for an hour. This is shown as a long streak on the Move Bar display. After that, it adds on a short bar every 15 minutes and gives you a new reminder after a new hour. To reset the bar just walk around a bit which is not difficult to do at all. It’s a great reminder to get up and be in motion which can easily be forgotten during a long work day in front of the PC for instance.
Remember that a healthy body is happy when it gets used. It’s proven that your body’s production of fat-burning enzymes decreases when you are still.
Health monitor that reminds you to move more
Cycling through the Display
Cycling through the OLED display on the fitness tracker with finger movements and tapping lets you see all the information and things it record. As you will notice this training gadget is filled with features.
Tap two times to get to the first screen:
- The first screen shows the time, day and date which is useful as you can wear it as a watch.
- The second screen shows you the Smart Notifications like Facebook messages, SMS and calls among other things.
- The third screen lets you control media on paired smartphones or tablets.
- This screen shows the distance.
- Calculated estimate on calories burned.
- Here you’ll see the Move Bar explained above.
- Displays the Smart Goals, also called AutoGoals. These are the number of steps the Garmin device automatically have chosen for you on the background of age and weight info you have set in the app. This will be adjusted after some time considered your activity level.
- The eight screen shows the steps you have taken.
To reach the following functions hold your finger on the display for a couple of seconds:
- A handy stop watch feature.
- Here you can activate sleep mode when going to bed.
- Brightness controls. Turn brightness down when you want to save batteries, but keep in mind that it will be even harder to see the screen in bright sunlight.
- Privacy settings for Smart Notifications on or off.
- A cool Find Your Phone feature that sends a tracking signal that makes your phone make a beep.
- The last screen is for the synchronization settings.
VivoSmart vs VivoFit
VivoSmart to the right versus VivoFit to the left
Time goes fast in the fitness tracker business these days. Even if Garmin VivoFit is not a year old yet, it almost feels like an old product already. But don’t look at it that way, it’s still a great product. But the sleek VivoSmart has a couple of more features and is naturally more expensive.
The main differences between the products are battery life. While VivoFit’s battery lasts for a year because of the reflective letter display with very low energy consumption and ordinary clock batteries, you’ll have to charge your VivoSmart.
The Move Bar which is always on display on VivoFit is accessed after cycling through a lot of screens on the VivoSmart.
Look out for my in-depth comparison article of these two products soon.
Software and Apps
The fitness band is wirelessly connected and configured through the free Garmin Connect app on iOS and Android. It’s the same app VivoFit utilises. Here you will find detailed statistics and graphs on your movements and be awarded badges when you reach your goals. You can sync with apps like My Fitness Pal to log food.
The gadget holds 3 weeks storage of data before it needs to be synced. If you use a heart rate sensor it holds 2 weeks of data.
A fun feature is that you can run segments of routes in your vicinity and compete with others. If you are you happy with your results, you can compare and share results with them via Livetrack on social media like Twitter and Facebook.
Battery
A charged battery last for between 6-7 days. Charging is done by placing the device into a charging clip, or cradle if you like, connect to a USB port.
There are a few tricks you can do to increase battery life like adjusting the brightness level, turn of vibration and turn off Bluetooth when you don’t need it.
Garmin VivoSmart colors – Slate, Berry, Black, Blue and Purple
The Verdict
Even if the VivoSmart is a bit more expensive than it’s predecessor go for this one if you can afford it. You get a few more functions and I personally like the sleek design on this one better. As usual, I recommend using a heart rate monitor on running exercises with this gadget since it’s possible. It can be bought together with the gadget, or you can use heart rate sensors with ANT+ technology if you already have one.
| Pros + | Cons – |
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What’s In The Box?
- VivoSmart activity band (Large OR Small, depends on what you bought)
- Vivokeeper clip for better fastening
- USB Charger clip
- Manual
=> Read more about: Maximum Heart Rate and Training Zones <=
Where Can I Buy VivoSmart?
US: Purchase this gadget on Amazon.com. Click buy button for latest price!
UK: Purchase this gadget on Amazon.co.uk. Click buy button for latest price!
If you are in or close to the USA use the top link. If you are in or close to the United Kingdom, click the bottom link.
More Info or Questions
If you want more info before buying, check out more Amazon user reviews. Some other customers say that:
“Very cool product.” By Tracy Anderson
“Fantastic alternative to “smart watches”. Better for exercise, still pretty smart.” By S. Lewis
“This is the band that currently stands out above the rest.” By Nicholas Alexander Dragon “Lone Wolf” (St. Petersburg, Florida USA)
Do you have any questions or comments on my Garmin VivoSmart Activity Band review, do not hesitate to leave a comment below.
Technical Details
Here are the most common technical spesifications:
| General Design: | |
|---|---|
| Type | Wristband |
| Weight | 19 g |
| Dimension | 21,8 cm x 2,54 cm x 1 cm |
| Size | Small = 127-172 mm Large=155-221 mm |
| Materials | Silicone plastic |
| Interaction | Tapping and sliding your finger over the display |
| Interface | OLED touch screen 128 x 16 pixels (3,44 cm x 0,35 cm) |
| Battery Type | 1x Lithium ion battery |
| Battery Life | 7 days |
| Charge Time | 1-2 hours |
| Colors | Black main colors – Inside colors Berry, Black, Blue, Purple and Slate |
| Water-Resistant | Yes |
| Water-Proof (depth) | WR50 (50 m) |
| Sensor | Accelerometer |
| It Tracks: | |
|---|---|
| Steps Taken | Yes |
| Flight of Stairs | - |
| Distance | Yes |
| Activity time | - |
| Calories Burned | Yes |
| Sleep Duration and Quality | Yes |
| Heart Rate | Yes (with seperate HR sensor) |
| Pulse Oximeter | - |
| 24/7 (All day) | Yes |
| Other features: | |
|---|---|
| Inactivity/Idle Alert | Yes |
| Time | Yes |
| Silent Vibration Alarm | Yes |
| Auto Goals | Yes |
| Smart notification | Yes |
| Music Control | Yes |
| Trophies/Rewards | Yes in App |
| Connectivity: | |
|---|---|
| Wirelss or USB | Wireless |
| Device Compatibility | Windows, Android and iOS |
| Sync Method | ANT+ and Bluetooth |
| Mobile App | Garmin Connect Mobile |
| Web service | Garmin Connect |
This gadget has definitely got some very cool features…. I really like the subtle display and how it doubles as a watch.
As far as price goes, it’s a bit up there, but not unreasonable for an activity tracker.. the fact that it looks nice enough to be used as a watch makes it a bit more worthwhile! Great review, thanks!
Completely agree Jolie and thanks for you comment. 🙂 The prices is higher than other fitness bands but then again it’s a very useful tool for both training and everyday use and the design and features justify the price I think.
Great review of the VivoSmart. Probably one of the most in depth product reviews of seen, too. I like the design and it seems to have not missed a feature that is needed for a fit tracker.
Thanks for your comment Dave. The VivoSmart is definitely on top of the list of favorite fitness trackers because of its features and nice stylish design. Glad you enjoyed the review. 🙂
Thanks for the information! I am looking for a wearable and your review has given me good information to help make my decision.
Hi Dave! Glad I could help. 🙂 I’m so looking forward to see what kind of wearable gadgets the activity tracker companies come up with in 2015.
I had no idea Garmin were involved with making these. The VivoSmart looks super cool. It looks much nicer than the VivoFit. It’s important a product like this looks good, especially if you’re wearing it all the time.
Thanks for the review.
Cheers, Tony.
Hi! I completely agree. I’m very satisfied with how they have designed the VivoSmart. It can be worn quite anonymously which I think is great for everyday use. I guess they learned a lot from their first band and listened to the customer on this one.
A really cool gadget! You have given lots of relevant and quality information!
I especially like your creativity with the table of contents! Nice use of images and comparison table too!
Keep up the good work! Thanks for sharing.
Will be coming back for more! Cheers! 😀
Thanks for the kind words Srijan! I’m glad you found the post and product interesting. 🙂