TABLE OF CONTENTS
- At a Glance: Quick Ratings
- Where To Get It
- A Deep Dive Into The Vivosmart HR
- Main Features and Functions
- Garmin Connect – motivational APP support
- Automatic Daily Goal set (with manual override)
- Garmin Elevate – no more chest strap !
- Broadcast your Heart Rate (ANT+)
- Garmin Elevate Heart Rate Accuracy
- Technical Specification
- FAQs
- Top Alternatives
- Competitors Alternative?
- Review Summary
At a Glance: Quick Ratings
Heart Rate Functions
Fitness / Sport Features
Ease of Use
Battery Life
Where To Get It
A Deep Dive Into The Vivosmart HR
Back in 2021, when we first tested the original Garmin Vivosmart activity tracker, we concluded it to be a competent activity tracker with a good level of functionality.
If you don’t want to measure heart rate (HR), then it’s still a good option (significantly a more discrete fitness band than this new version).
However, if like us, you want to train within HR zones and ensure your training time is optimised, then we highly recommend this new device.
Incorporating Garmin Elevate strapless HR technology, this Garmin Vivosmart HR Review has been produced by Tristan Haskins aka CardioCritic.
Note > In April 2021 Garmin released the Vivosmart 3 reviewed here – replacing this model
Note > In August 2021 Garmin released the Garmin Vivosport with GPS, wrist based HR and full colour display – 5 Star Rated
If you're looking for a high quality ECG monitor that takes up very little space then you should see our review on the Alivecor Kardia Mobile.
>>Related Post: Check out the top Adventure Watches here!<<
>>Related Post: Forerunner 920xt Review, a watch for multi-sport exercisers?
Video Review
Pros
Cons
The customer most suited for this device is someone aiming to get fit by increasing their daily activity level and training within pulse limits.
They don’t need a high level of technical training feedback while training like speed and distance data, it does NOT have an internal GPS (those people should consider the Forerunner 235). They are probably NOT competing in running or cycling events but they may jog/ride for recreation & fun.
Maybe you are looking for a product to interface with their smartphone to provide motivation to keep fit and feedback on daily steps, calories and training sessions.
They may also have an interest in the Vivosmart HR’s ability to provide smart notifications eg. incoming call alerts etc. If you don’t fancy reading the entire review, then please jump to the video we produced, this is the best way to get a feel for this activity tracker.
NOTE > the Vivosmart HR is biased towards RUNNERS. It only has 3 x exercise profiles > RUN > CARDIO > OTHER… more about that later in this review.
Note: You may see EU and UK models on some sites. The only difference between the EU and UK models is the packaging & quick start manual. The EU manual comes with multiple languages. The UK Model has only English.
- Euro Model / Regular > ASIN: B0171NKAR6 (MPN: 010-01955-00)
- UK Model / Regular > ASIN: B0177V0H7K (MPN: 010-01955-06)
- Euro Model / XLarge > ASIN: B0177V0H52 (MPN: 010-01955-03)
- UK Model / X Large > ASIN: B0177V0PKY (MPN: 010-01955-09)
Garmin’s press release for this activity tracker sums up what this new product is all about “This is the first activity tracker from Garmin with Elevate off the wrist heart rate technology that monitors your pulse 24/7, offering more feedback on your daily activity, calories burned, workouts and sleep,”
NEW PRODUCT WARNING > If you are considering this great activity tracker, may I bring your attention to the Vivosmart HR+. The HR+ offers identical functionality as this model with the added benefit of a built-in GPS for speed & distance tracking.
For those people not too worried about 100% accurate speed and distance data then this model is still very highly recommended.
Note > In April 2021 Garmin released the Vivosmart 3 reviewed here – replacing this model
>>Searching for something sporty? Check out the Garmin Forerunner 35, check it here!<<
Main Features and Functions
- Built-in HR sensor – No chest strap required!
- Broadcast of HR to other Garmin devices (via ANT+) eg. to your Garmin Edge while riding
- Barometric Altimeter (gives accurate Stairs climbed data)
- Comfortable for all day wear
- Daily Step Target – automatically calculated by Garmin APP or manually set by user
- Features an “always-on” display – no need to shake your hand or swipe screen (tapping the screen / hand gesture will illuminate the backlight)
- Monitors steps, distance, calories, HR, floors climbed and activity intensity
- Smart connectivity. Get notifications when your phone receives texts, calls, email and even calendar alerts
- You can control the music your listening to – volume and track selection.
- Reminds you to stay active with move bar and vibration alert – don’t move for an hour and you’ll get a reminder to get up and MOVE
Garmin Connect – motivational APP support
The quality of a supporting APP can either make or break a fitness product. I won’t name brands and tell tales, but there have been a couple of APPs we have used in conjunction with fitness watches that have been quite frankly RUBBISH… Not the case with the Garmin APP.
It’s easy to use, clear to understand and navigate and clearly shows your daily progress and goals / achievements.
My personal favourite APPs are the Polar Flow one and this Garmin Connect APP. Very importantly, it is easy to register your new Garmin Bluetooth product (to both Android and iOs smartphones) and I have never had any issues get a new product registered and paired within just a few minutes.
Automatic Daily Goal set (with manual override)
This model (via the Connect APP) allows you to either utilise Garmin’s clever AUTOMATIC targets or override them yourself for setting your own goals. The automatic feature is great as it learns what you can / cannot achieve and sets a challenging, yet reachable target.
Garmin Elevate – no more chest strap !
In the Forerunner 225 Garmin broke ground with their FIRST fitness watch to incorporate off the wrist, strapless heart beat monitoring.
The 225 used Mio’s HR sensors. Garmin now have their own Garmin Elevate sensors that you can currently (Jan 2021) find in the Forerunner 235 and this model. We’ve tested the Elevate system in the 235 and can confirm its highly accurate and immensely convenient.
If you want to know more, please read our report comparing chest strap versus optical heart rate sensors.
Heart Rate off the wrist is something we will see in a vast majority of fitness training watches in 2021 – resigning the traditional chest harness to the “we really did used to wear those” bin*
A Note on Accuracy
Personally, I’m quite happy to see the back of a chest strap. I still use on for HRV (Heart Rate Variability) testing on my smartphone, but I rarely wear one when exercising.
I have extensively tested the Garmin Elevate against a Garmin Edge or Forerunner with a traditional chest harness.
YES… there are erratic readings, occasional spikes and even a few times when your pulse is not picked up at all...however, for 95% of the time, the pulse readings are 95% consistent with those achieved from the HR strap.
In my opinion, the convenience of strapless monitoring far outweighs the inconvenience of a chest harness.
*Note – some top level monitors like the Forerunner 920XT and Polar V800 will always use a chest harness as the ECG HR data they recover is an essential part of the training load and recovery algorithm. They work on far more than simple pulse rate to calculate training effect.
Broadcast your Heart Rate (ANT+)
Garmin Elevate Heart Rate Accuracy
Sizing Chart – get it right.. please
Like many modern activity trackers, this activity tracker comes in a couple of sizes.
Getting the wrong size, especially if too big, will give problems getting accurate pulse checks as the back of the watch will not sit snug.
Just use a piece of string to measure your circumference.
There are two sizes to choose from:
- Regular – 13.7 cm to 18.8 cm
- X Large – 18cm to 22.1 cm
Technical Specification
User Manual
To see all the details on how to use your new Vivosmart HR/HR+, please read the user manual here.
Running Features | |
| Accelerometer (calculates distance for indoor workouts, without need for a foot pod) | Yes |
Performance Features | |
| HR monitor | Yes (wrist-based) |
| HR-based calorie computation | Yes |
| Calculates calories burned | Yes |
Activity Tracking Features | |
| Step counter | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes |
| Move bar (displays on device after a period of inactivity; walk for a couple of minutes to reset it) | Yes |
| Sleep monitoring (monitors total sleep and periods of movement or restful sleep) | Yes |
Garmin Connect™ | |
| Garmin Connect™ compatible (online community where you analyze, categorize and share data) | Yes |
| Automatic sync (automatically transfers data to your computer) | Yes |
Additional | |
| Additional |
|
FAQs
Can I shower with my Garmin Vivosmart HR?
Absolutely! Like the rest of Garmin activity trackers, this model is waterproof up to 50 meters. You can shower and even swim in it!
Does Vivosmart HR have GPS?
Unfortunately, the HR model does not. However, the upgraded HR+ does!
How do I charge my Vivosmart HR?
Very easy! Just connect your device to the charger! You can either charge on your computer or use a standard wall plug.
Depending on if you’re using your laptop or wall to charge, it can take anywhere from 4-8+ hours to fully charge. You can tell when it’s 100% recharged by looking at the battery strength meter on the screen.
How long does the Vivosmart HR Battery last?
On one single, full charge, it can last for up to 5 days.
This, of course, depends on how much you use it and how many functionalities you have turned on.
What's the difference between Vivosmart HR and HR+?
HR+ is the iterative model of HR. While quite similar, the main difference is that HR+:
- has GPS built-in,
- a few extra functionalities, and
- is slightly more expensive.
Check out our review of Vivosmart HR+ here!
Top Alternatives
Next Model UP
The model up from this one would be the Vivosmart HR+ (released Aug 2021, with added GPS functionality).
Next Model DOWN
The model below the Vivosmart HR is…. ready for it … the Vivosmart (released in 2021).
Very similar with regard to functionality (no HR and no stair climbing) however, with a different design.
Competitors Alternative?
The Vivosmart HR is a very competent activity tracker / fitness band with built in HR. After using it for many months I’d be happy to have it as my sole fitness band if that was my only option.
The activity tracker from leading competitors that closest reflect the functionality of the Vivosmart HR are the Fitbit Charge 2, Polar A360 and the innovative Mio Slice.
- The Polar A360 has a colour display and comes in various coloured belts, however, it does NOT track flights climbed.
- While the Fitbit Charge 2 does keep a log of floors scaled, has a bright OLED display, it's modular design means it can be housed in dozens of different stylish belts.
- The Mio Slice is the world’s first activity tracker to incorporate PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence). More advanced than simply counting steps the Slice wants to see elevated pulse for extended periods throughout the day.
I have used the Slice for several weeks and, trust me, you have to put in some real effort to satisfy the 100 PAI per week target.
Review Summary
Testing the Garmin Vivosmart HR for several weeks was a pleasure. Garmin’s fitness products just seem to get better and better.
The inclusion of stairs climbed, 24/7 pulse trend tracking and wrist based HR make it a worthy candidate for a rating of 5/5 stars.
It’s not just the activity tracker itself that has been considered when awarding the best possible ratings, it also the brilliant Garmin Connect app (iOs and Android) and the ease of use and Bluetooth connectivity.
If you think the Vivosmart HR is just missing a built-in GPS, fear not, there’s the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ with precisely that. In summary, the Vivosmart HR is a brilliant product that I would happily recommend to anyone looking for a top level slimline fitness tracker.
Note > In April 2021 Garmin released the Vivosmart 3 reviewed here – replacing this model
