Customer Ratings & Reviews

This watch was gifted to my husband. He is able to swim with it on track how far he has swam it's completely waterproof. He likes that he's able to monitor how well he sleeps through the night. He wears it 24/7 and only takes it off to charge. He enjoys tracking his heart rate and calories all in one watch. Very easy to use. Highly recommended

This is an amazing activity tracker! I have used Garmin, Polar, Jawbone, Fitbit, Timex, and Casio devices in the past 25 years and this one is perfect for me! Some background, I’m an avid cyclist and put in 10+ hours a week in the bike, have competed as an amateur, and participated in innumerable tours. That being said, I’ve used just about every heart rate tracking device there is and while nothing beats a Polar with a chest strap, this device could beat everything else in functions for cyclist/runner training. The customization even into the micro screens and data set is remarkable. The display has been markedly improved since 2016. The fit and finish are absolutely precise. After purchasing my first one I bought a second one as backup because I don’t want to be without one for any length of time. I compared it to the entire lineup of Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, and Polar and found that for my purposes and price range it couldn’t be beaten. If I were looking at more mountaineering activity I would have gone to a higher end Garmin. If I had wanted a training device only it would have been Polar and if I wanted something more fashionable I would have chosen Fitbit. Of course the Apple product is amazing but it’s too much in terms of cost, glam, and the fear I would have if I lost it. The Vivoactive presents the best balance of cost, training data, and functionality I could find for my purposes. I can’t speak to it’s durability just yet but I will as soon as I get a few more weeks with it.

The Vivoactive HR is an all-encompassing fitness tracker that offers a variety of functionality. The step counter seems fairly accurate, and heart rate monitor allows for constant monitoring, resting heart rate tracking, and exercise tracking. Although rather large, it's comfortable. I wear it 24/7 and have had no problems with comfort. However, there are some issues with this watch. The screen works really well in sunlight and brightly lit rooms, but when you need to use the backlight, it gets a little hard to read. There seems to be no backlight setting that makes it easy to see in a more dimly lit room. You can change the band if you want a different look, but there are two issues with that. For one, you have to use two screwdrivers, one on each end of the pin, and turn them in opposite directions. This takes exceptional dexterity to perform. The second issue is that for some bizarre reason, Garmin only offers three unattractive additional band colors--a reddish orange, a neon yellow-green, and white. What about blue or a true red color? The major drawback with this device is the sleep tracking. It seems to have a lot of difficulty in distinguishing between sleep and simply settling down and watching television at night. it usually shows I'm getting a couple of hours more sleep than I actually do. I've used Fitbit and Misfit before, and I've had no problems with their sleep tracking. So it's unacceptable for a device costing this much to perform so poorly in that area. This was almost a deal breaker, but since I'm more focused on tracking activity than sleep, I've just come to terms with the fact that I can't rely on the sleep tracking function. This isn't the most attractive device--it's basically a black plastic rectangle. Polar and Fitbit offer similar products that are more stylish.

I had the Fit bit Blaze for about a month before I saw that Garmin was coming out with this tracker. Ive now had the vivoactive HR for 5 days and I love it. The biggest plus' are that it has the built in GPS and that it is water proof (which Blaze does not have either feature). Battery life seems to be pretty good although I charge mine everyday. Some of the data that you get for runs is pretty cool and good for kicking your training up a notch like your step cadence, heart rate max and average, VO2 max, and your training efficiency rating. It works well with myfitnesspal app and mapmyrun app for tracking calories and also posting your runs. All of my activities have been for running so far on a trail, I have not tested it on a treadmill yet. The only thing that I wish it had was a workout activity option for general workout like weight lifting, HIIT, crossfit etc. Oh, another thing that I really like that the Blaze did not do is that the tracker can receive emails, social media noticfications, FB messenger, and for those using Verizon Messenger + it will work with that as well (Blaze it did not). Overall it is a great purchase, I am really happy with it and would recommend it for any athletic person.

Comfortable, forget I have it on. I like the ability to see the clock, etc, always on and not those products you have to tap to turn on, or raise arm, etc. 24 hour heart rate is great feedback. Connect IQ has the ability to change watch faces and add all kinds of other apps, widgets, etc. Battery life is the best I've ever had with any activity tracker. Shocking how long it lasts, I really like that. It's waterproof, has GPS and GLONASS, counts steps, syncs with myfitnesspal or the apple health app on iPhones. I'm a little surprised at some of the other people's ratings, but it's such a subjective thing as to whether something works for you or not. I actually got the fenix 3 hr and sent it back because it looked ridiculous on my wrist. I don't have small wrists, but it is HUGE and imposing. The vivoactive HR looks like a fancier version of the fitbit surge. Overall, very happy with my purchase. The main thing is to get out there and exercise! This is I believe the first product that has garmin move IQ, which can automatically track exercises, like the fitbit. I like that because sometimes I just want to go for a short stroll and this will pick it up.

I tried several trackers before. None of them were accurate with monitoring my heart rate!. The Microsoft band 2 showed my heartrate ranging between 60 to 68 bpm while spinning. My heartrate typically exceeds 155 doing this activity. The Fitbit Blaze and the Samsung Gear also gave wild, inaccurate readings. The Vivoactive is pretty darn accurate over 90% of the time. I purchased the optional chest strap heartrate monitor. With this tool, I believe the Garmin is extremely accurate. The watch has it all: GPS, long battery life, big screen and water resistance. I love how it notifies me of incoming calls and text messages. I also believe the calorie count is more accurate than alternative watches. Plus, many great applications can be added. Garmin customer support has been thorough, friendly and helpful. Very easy to access. Accessing Microsoft's customer support was a nightmare. Fitbit has decent suppport. Why am I not rating it a 5? Well, this device has a few glitches.. For instance, when you move away from your phone for just a little while and then get back to your phone, you sometimes need to repair the device. Although this is simple, it shouldn't have to be done. When rowing on Concept 2 rowing machine, it will accurately show average strokes per minute, but then it gets total strokes completely wrong! Stair climbing and descending counts are are inaccurate. The one of now have is a replacement. The first one would seize up 8 times a day and a restart had to be done each time. Best Buy easily and cheerfully allowed an exchange for this watch. Watch also does not have a lot of memory to install many apps. Bear in mind, this watch does an amazing job for a device that is simply worn on your wrist. IF YOU WANT A GREAT FITNESS WATCH, DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME, GO BUY THE GARMIN VIVOACTIVE HR. I think you will be delighted.

I have been waiting on this watch to hit the stores for weeks so I am excited, but very disappointed. Size: It's a little big but not overwhelming and given all the features and information screens the size is understandable. It's pretty light so the vivoactive hr doesn't feel like a huge foreign object on your arm, you get use to it quickly. Features: The main selling point for me is that it's loaded with features. Multiple activities that can be tracked and it's waterproof (yes). Menu's are easy find and use. I haven't had any problems syncing it to my phone or with the phone interface. Love the watch and the features, although it does have more of a gadget feel than I expected. I would think a serious triathlete or someone would want something a little more serious. I used my S5 to compare steps, HR and distance and they are pretty close. For the average person that does multiple sports this is the watch to have..., on paper. Now for the bad. I can't see a thing!!! I turned the backlight all the way up and it's still a problem. It's fine if your in the sun or a well lit room, but in any other light I can't see a thing. I do a lot of walking and or jogging either in the morning or at dusk and I just can't see. It's absolutely horrible. If there were another option with the same features I would have returned it by now. I have only had it a few days, but every evening I am cursing at it because I can't see. I will keep it through the weekend to see if the features outweigh being able to see the data on the watch instead of on my phone and decide if I will be returning it or not. I really wanted this watch to work.

I'm 5 days into the watch and I love it. I had Jawbone Up products the last 4 years and find myself wearing my Up3 on my right wrist and the GVAHR on my left wrist. After calibrating the GVAHR they track steps identically. I was able to pair my Sigma cadence, power and speed meters via ANT from my road bike and love being able to track my rides on the GVAHR. I was also able to pair the GVAHR HR to my Sigma bike computer, bye bye chest strap. The GVAHR is a bit bulky but it's has much more functionality than the Up3. I really wanted the Apple watch but could not deal with the weak battery. I have about 25 miles of running and 60 miles of biking after 5 days and still have 49% battery life. The moveIQ technology may not be ready for prime time as it sense activities that I was not doing. I found I need to manually start each activity using the soft buttons. This has not been a problem but is an additional step over the Up3. I'm loving the display of the GVAHR and find myself looking at my iPhone less since I can check my activity on the watch. I must plug Best Buy on this as well. As another reviewer stated, I did pre-order and Best Buy shipped the GVAHR and I received it before it was even available from other e-tailers. I hope to ditch my Up3 soon and I'm absolutely loving the GVAHR!

Purchased six months ago and I waited to review until I had an ample amount of time to use the Vivoactive HR. Here is my assessment: Pros: Long battery life - I use GPS and sensors when working out and I still get 5+ days out of it. Truly Multifunctional - This is not a gimmick where it does one thing well and claims to do other things well. I use it for workouts/boot camps, running, spin classes, cycling, and golf. It does everything really well. It is also a nice daily fitness tracker. Wrist HR - works better than I thought it would. I admit, when working out, I still pair it with a Garmin chest strap. But, it does the job if I do not have one. Also, does well when tracking sleep. Golf - Once paired/synced, it works great. I've played a dozen different courses with it and it is very accurate. I have used a laser for pin placement and while it does not know where the pin is, it does a very good job of finding front/middle/back of the green. Watch Faces - I like the options for different watch faces. I use Vivo LCD which is fully customizable. It shows time/date, HR, Steps, calories, miles/distance, move indicator, battery monitor, etc. Great for wearing as a fitness tracker and everyday use. Battery charging - it charges quickly. Less than an hour. The cons: I have had an issue 3-4 times with it locking up. Usually when searching satellite for GPS and golf. This can be annoying. Touch screen for score-keeping in golf is pointless. Not sure if it is temperature or what, but I cannot use the touch screen during a round to enter up or down for the score. I like to walk when I play and not having to keep a separate scorecard would be nice...but I still have to with this watch. I also own the Garmin S4 and the score-keeping function is much better. BUT, that is an expensive GOLF SPECIFIC watch. It should do everything great for golf. Syncing & Golf Courses - Sometimes have an issue downloading golf courses to the app and then syncing to the watch. Ive found it's best to delete from the app (on the phone) and re-download prior to playing. (This only applies if you are playing a course you previously played but havent in a while.) If you are playing the same course over and over (country club, etc.), it is not necessary to re-download every round. That's it in a nutshell. I've used Polar, Fitbit, and Garmin products. In my opinion, Garmin blows them away. Polar does some things nice and has good products, but if you want a device to "do it all," this is it. Just know going into it that it "might" get a little finicky sometimes. I guess that is to be expected from a very small watch with a plethora of capabilities (and within the current price point.)

Love it! Bought a Samsung Gear Fit2 originally, since I thought it was almost as functional, better looking and less money.. However, since it didn't measure steps or stair flights very accurately, I returned it for the Garmin VivoActive HR. I was a bit concerned because I read one review that said the screen is dim, especially in the sun.. HOWEVER, the sun is where this screen is the brightest! Unlike other smart watches, this thing uses non-backlit LEDs (or some other kind of LED technology... I don't really know what it is, but it's similar to old Casio watches, except in color and better resolution.) Anyway, the point is, these LEDs reflect light, so they are brightest when you are in a well lit room or in the sunshine. I think the fact that Garmin uses these is why the watch has a 6-8 day battery life... What's really cool is that, since they are not back-lit, the watch face is always on and always readable if you are in the light. If you are not, then there is a backlight, but viewing it in the dark is not so great... In fact that is one of its biggest drawbacks is that you cannot see small fonts (if you use them) that well in the dark.. The ONLY OTHER MAJOR DRAWBACK is that this watch is not at all user friendly to set up. When I bought mine, the Best Buy sales rep said it came with a free setup with Geek squad (not sure if that is normal, or if it was a promotion?).... Anyway, I am usually good with electronics, so I said I didn't need it. I wish I had taken the help, could have saved me some hours of frustration. I almost took it back the next day, but then I finally figured out that updating it through the smartphone works much better than using the computer-based upload app, especially when setting up preferences for apps, widgets, etc... On the positive side, this thing is super accurate. Now that I finally set it up the way I like it, I am already changing some of my habits. Can't wait to do other exercises and check out all its features. There are a good number of apps to use with it, and it seems especially useful when paired with the smartphone app. Basically, I think THIS IS THE BEST FITNESS TRACKING WATCH with some smartwatch features on the market for anywhere near this price. That is why I gave it 5 stars, even though there is a lot of room for improvement in terms of user-friendliness. Also, THIS IS NOT THE BEST SMART WATCH. If you are looking for a watch that does both, good luck. I wanted one that does both, but all the true smart watches have a battery life of 2 days max (with light use). I really want to track my sleeping habits, so need a longer battery life than that. This thing does have an SMS app you can add to view and send and receive texts, and stuff, but it's quite basic.

I have had this watch for a week and no complaints about any of it. It is as advertised and like other reviews have stated, if you are looking for an item to monitor steps, there are less expensive products on the market. As far as the GPS for running purposes, it connects almost immediately and is dead on perfect with the distances and course feedback. I have read some complaints about the brightness of the screen especially at night or during cloudy/darker times but there is a back light that comes on when you push the power button and works fine. If you are looking for a fitness monitor and watch with a built in Heart rate monitor, i would highly recommend this product.

Purchased this Garmin to track my fitness, heart rate and step count among other features this smart watch has. I also own the Garmin Index Snart scale and it syncs seemlessly with the Garmin connect so I can keep track of my goals. Also like that it is waterproof so I don't need to take it off when I get in the pool. Very comfortable to wear and I am very pleased with this smart watch.

I have owned this product for about two weeks, and so far it has been great. The heart rate sensors, sleep and step tracking, and everything else has been working fine. The heart rate has worked very well for running, and other cardio activities I have done. The battery life is also very good as it has lasted around 6 days on full battery life with constant use. Overall, I really liked the product and would definitely recommend this product to a friend.

I debated buying this watch versus a more dedicated running watch or the upcoming Samsung Gear S3, which will have built in GPS, optical HR, etc. I'm glad I pulled the trigger on the Vivoactive HR. It was less expensive and does pretty much everything I want it to do. The menus are straightforward and readable. I'm primarily a runner, and this watch connects to GPS very quickly and gives me the information I really want while I'm running. I would have preferred built-in capability for setting up an interval running workout, but I was able to buy a third party app in the Connect IQ store to accomplish this. I also wish the Strength Training app was better. It doesn't track reps at all, essentially just time and heart rate, along with calories expended (I guess based solely on those two parameters). At first I was a little disappointed by the display brightness. It's really only easily visible in bright light; however, the backlight intensity can be adjusted upward to make the face more visible in low light or dark conditions. ALSO - the conservative brightness of the display helps battery life, which is really great on this watch. I appreciate not needing to charge this device constantly; in fact, I'm on day 9 with the watch and charged it for a few minutes a couple of days in since I was sync'ing over my computer anyway, and just gave it a full charge this morning (took about one hour). And I have used the GPS several times, albeit with no runs longer than 4 miles. I find the Garmin Connect experience to be fairly disorganized and chaotic with far too many menus, options, etc. That's certainly an area than needs improvement, but overall this is a great device. I also like the smart notifications and don't personally need more than that in a watch right now.

I had initially bought the Fitbit Blaze (my first fitness band I've ever had) and after a month of grief, trial and error and smart alec comments from fitbit support it was time to change because it was obvious that I had made the wrong choice. Before purchasing the Vivoactive HR I wanted to test the Garmin support and courtesy to make sure I wasn't jumping from the frying pan and into the fire. I made some phone calls, several actually, to Garmin and let's just say that it was clear that the Vivoactive HR was for me. Not only by the specs but also the support that I was getting even before purchasing it, support reps are very kind and understanding. For what I was getting with both the Vivoactive HR and Garmin Support I figured if there are any glitches or bumps in the road it'll be worth it, unlike what I had gone through with Fitbit. As a matter of fact, I asked a local Best Buy manager to read the posts in Fitbit help forums and the emails exchanged between fitbit and myself. The manager immediately offered me to return the blaze and get something else and also apologized for fitbit. Even though it had nothing to do with Best Buy and I had the blaze for a month already. The manager also said that because what he had read and seeing for himself what fitbit had done, he took care of the difference in price between the blaze and Vivoactive HR. We were actually laughing in disbelief at some of the fitbit support comments. Best Buy and Garmin hit a home run, our local Best Buy has always been pretty good. I've had my Vivoactive HR since May 3rd and I'm still learning it and it's still learning me which is all part of the process. I'm very satisfied and you get a lot more bang for your buck with the Vivoactive HR. And every call I've made to Garmin support has been exactly the same as the first one before I bought the Vivoactive HR. Kind, courteous, helpful and if they didn't have an answer they didn't hesitate to immediately start working on a resolution and thinking outside the box.

Brand new and excited to try this product. After the first day, it is going back. You can't use many of the basic functions without the entire thing freezing. I attempted to use the walk/run interval alerts today (day 1 of using). The entire thing froze. The time stood still (literally, wouldn't even keep track of the time of day) and nothing worked, except the vibrations. I did a restart (even that wouldn't work for a while) to get past it. Lost all data for the day. I have attempted to run some interval test runs. Each time the whole thing freezes. It may be user error, but I will never know b/c you have absolutely ZERO access to ANY customer support. You can review a very basic user manual (not user friendly) online and try to find a youtube video but that is IT. The link to "contact us" on their webpage is broken. I have yet to find a contact number. I tried to post to their online tech forum but, even with an account, you can't get posting privileges. I am a small framed female and had decided to suck up the very unattractive look for features I wanted. Yes, it is waterproof (I think haven't tried yet). Yes it has GPS (again, I think, I have yet to have my GPS turn green indicating a true tracking). And yes, you can control music from it (this does work). The HR monitor and sleep tracking seems adequate at this point but no better than my FITBIT. I am RUNNING back to the store tomorrow to return this freezing, unworking, unreliable, unsupportive, piece of garbage. Five hours of frustration is not worth $250.

I have been waiting for this watch since Feb, and my overall impression when I received it yesterday, was that I was not disappointed. I love it. I knew it was going to be a little big so I was prepared for that. And when I put it on, it was very comfortable and didn't feel bulky. -So far I would have to say my only issues with it are definitely the screen brightness. Even on the highest setting it is quite dim and can barely see it when just glancing down at the watch face. I get the higher the brightness, the more the battery drains, but they should at least give you the option. - And also, the manual says you can tap the screen and view a full message. However, whenever I get a message, it just says I have a message-does not display the name of who the message is from-and then only gives me the option to dismiss the notification. So the only info I get is that I have a message--but content and sender is unknown. -And also, when i receive a phone call, there is no notification at all on the watch of it like it claims it should do even though all my notification settings are turned on for everything.

I do a lot of hiking so I wanted the GPS that was NOT relying on my phone. I chose to sync only with my computer which allows a larger screen to look at for the activities. Good information to review on the activities. I have not done any all day hikes yet to see if the battery does last 13 hours in GPS mode which is excellent if it does, but the battery life does seem really good.

I purchased this product at Best Buy on 12/11/2016. After much on-line research and several tries I settled on the Garmin Vivoactive HR. It worked fine right out of the box and paired with my Google Pixel XL which the other brand did not. I spent the whole day Sunday putting it through every test I could imagine. All features worked as advertised. I love how it automatically syncs with the cloud through my cell phone on Garmin Connect. I can pull up all the stats on any computer and I can allow my family to monitor my stats. Phone stores 15 days worth of stats before dumping. You can go that long without syncing to your phone but I leave my sync on auto so that I get my cell phone notifications. So far there isn't anything about this watch that I don't like. The display could be brighter but that would drain the battery quicker. It is adequate under all light conditions and I can live with it. Waterproofing was my main issue and this product works fine. I would recommend this device to anyone. It is definitely worth the price!! You can download the user manual on Garmin's website and check it out before purchasing. A feature I found most enlightening. Some of the other bargain brand junk doesn't have a site or readable manual in English.

Part of my disappointment could be the result of exceedingly high expectation. I preordered the watch the first week and March and could not wait for it to get here. This watch is extremely easy to use and sync with iPhone. Phone notifications are very seemlessly relayed to the watch, this part of the watch is great. The hrm is a little inconsistent, especially when driving with your watch hand remaining on the steering wheel, seems like this could be fixed. The screen is very VERY fragile, I barely bumped it on a filing cabinet and cracked the glass screen. In garmin's defense, they cut the repair cost in half to $50 for me. In addition, the screen is VERY disappointing in brightness and overall quality and reaction to touch. I expected the picture and resolution and brightness to be at least close to the iPhone and iwatch, it is not close. Indoor running distance is in accurate by .2 per mile or more. I don't think this can be calibrated although I know your walking step length can be. Also, it would be nice to be able to calibrate the distance ran by using a foot of along with the watch just one time. I like the overall look and feel of the watch, I can see where some would say it's bulky but I mainly wish it was just a little lower from the top of the wrist to the watch face, the band width and watch size isn't the problem for me. It literally hits on everything due to its height. All and all, I would recommend the watch although it needs some major improvement that I felt like could have easily been worked into this version without having to wait for later and greater versions of the watch.