Garmin - Vivosmart Activity Tracker (Large) - Blue

I purchased my first Garmin Vivosmart close to a year ago. Since that time I have returned it 4 times for the same reason, the OLED screen will go out. I read that OLED screens go out 4 times faster than standard LED screens. Also they are more sensitive to water, even if the vivosmart is supposed to be waterproof to 50 meters. Other than that one major flaw, it is an awesome device. The only problem is without the screen it is basically useless. The OLED does allow the device to be thinner and sleek, which makes it one of the most attractive fitness bands on the market, but not at the expense of not having a display at all. My wife's and my sister in law's have also gone out. So that is a total of 6 devices that I know of that have this issue. I feel like it is a much broader issue, yet I don't think Garmin has addressed it publicly. They really should do a recall on all of them.

In addition to reading steps, this activity tracker does my heart rate accurately, notifies me of text messages, telephone calls, facebook posts, speed when riding bicycle, and can even find my phone.

I am very disappointed in the Garmin Vivosmart fitness tracker. I bought it in March 2016 and enjoyed using it until the display pixels started to fade out. I've never gotten it wet or damaged it. I didn't know this was a know issue or I would have selected a different tracker. I would like to know how I can get a replacement or different fitness tracker.

If you need an everyday watch to work with this will be the right watch to workout and to use in a workplace

So I'm someone that does A LOT of research before I buy anything which include talking to people that have used a product to all the information online. When I wanted a fitness tracker that was affordable, comfortable and can do the job well, the Garmin Vivosmart was the way to go for me. 1 - SUPER comfortable, I totally forget I have it on and it's snug on me. 2 - Waterproof. I shower with it, shampoo, soap and all passes it and nothing. 3 - Connects seamlessly with my Samsung S5 cellphone. 4 - The bluetooth connection itself tells me when I forgot my phone since it vibrates on my hand and says "bluetooth connection lost". It's great because you get notified within seconds after moving too far from it and it saved me from leaving it at a friends office to in my car where someone could have broken into it for it. 5 - Controls music volume and selection 6 - Hear rate monitor if you have the garmin chest strap on 7 - Simple data collection for Sleep Monitoring - How long you slept and looking at the graph online or through the App, you can see whether you were in deep sleep or tossing and turning a lot. 8 - Accurate calorie burn - steps walked - goals reached 9 - I get my in-coming calls, texts, facebook, twitter, instagram notifications on it too! 10 - Good battery life, I have the charger at home and another at work. longest I gone without charging was 5 days. Pretty much has it all and more. Great price for what it can do. It is NOT a smartwatch so remember that.

Pros: +Has a screen compared to older FitBit models like the Flex +Vibrates and displays calls for caller ID/can read texts +Battery lasts about 5-6 days +Waterproof and great for casual wear +Hidden screen makes it look like a basic wrist band Cons -Charging cable is a little short if you're planning on charging it in a wall outlet, it'll probably have to sit on the floor

I chose this model because it's waterproof, and I work in water daily and participate in a lot of outdoor and water-based sports. I take it off only to charge it, and wear it bathing, swimming, kayaking and at work in the field, and can attest to its toughness and waterproof-ness. I also love that it buzzes you when its time to move, and that you can get text messages, etc when its linked with your phone. Another great feature is the "find my phone," but that only works if your phone is in close proximity (within bluetooth range) which is great if youve dropped your phone in the couch or in your car and need to figure out where to start looking. I'm deducting a star because I had to replace my first one when the display started breaking up, so I do recommend getting the geek squad protection on this item.

I research a lot before I make purchases especially ones I'll plan on using daily and for years to come and the VivoSmart met all my criteria; durable, long battery life, comfortable to wear and accurate. Honestly, what's the point of a fitness tracker if it can't do just that. It's been two weeks of constant use and I only just recharged my band, not because it needed it but that the timing was best for me. I have a medical condition that makes activity difficult but also nessisary and this is helping me to achieve the movement I need to engage in as well as the other very important aspect of better managing my health of tracking my sleep. When you medically require around 10 hours of sleep daily just to stay out of the hospital you really want to know if it was quality sleep or not and this device has really helped. I now can see a snapshot of my sleep and have a better understanding of if I'll need to run an IV or if I can manage my symptoms with less aggressive approaches. Obviously most individuals looking for this unit aren't going to have major medical conditions, what they want is functionality, and this certainly has it. I have been impressed with the accuracy of the units tracking, the comfortable fit and the slim style. I wasn't sure I'd care about the syncing to my phone calls, text, or emails but it's really proven handy especially when a call comes in when you're busy and don't want to, or shouldn't pull out your phone. The light vibration is just enough to get your attention but not annoy you, that also includes that the buzz isn't too long either. For my needs this has been a perfect fit and with the Black Friday sale it was a great value. I'm really glad I got this, it's been even better than I hoped it would be and I can't wait for warmer weather so I can take it with me on long hikes through my favorite red rock country.