Customer Ratings & Reviews

Very happy after 30 days. PROS: 1. Phone synch with iP5 has been flawless, notifies you when phone out of range (great reminder if you leave it somewhere) but then re-synchs immediately. 2. Using notifications and "auto-on" charge lasts 5-6 days, but recharge fully overnight. The low battery indicator is nice, lets you finish the day before charging. 3. waterproof - no need to remove for shower. 4. band is a challenge to put on with one hand, but that makes it very study once attached. 5. The iOS notifications are as advertised, require you to set up level of notification on your phone. 6. You can easily calibrate the steps on a treadmill to get an accurate distance (separate for running and walking) 7. I do not notice any "extra counts" for arm motion, etc. It does work perfectly on the treadmill. 8. Sleep analysis is basic, but it does show the times when you are perfectly still in deep sleep, and total time (requires manual on/off for sleep) CONS (minor): 1. The App (on ip5 with iOS 8) is slow to refresh, sometimes delayed to show latest counts, eventually catches up) 2. Battery charger requires practice to attach perfectly 3. On rare occasion, notifications do not transmit immediately. Screen space for notifications is limited.

Haven't utilized a quarter of the options yet, but, having switched over after 18 months of dedicated Jawbone UP use, cannot say enough about the VivoSmart. Incredible design! After just two weeks, feels like part of my body. Ease of use is A+++, from easy checking of time underwater while swimming laps (ahhh!) to that same time check at 3am just by lifting your wrist (wow!) to step checks. Love the silent alarm function, easy sync with MyFitnessPal and Withings smart scales, goal setting, ...and like I said, I have only tapped a small number of the options so far. Adding a few every few days as I learn. JUST DO IT...LIGHT YEARS BEYOND THE OTHER BANDS!!!

I own both Fit and now the Vivosmart. I am actually wearing both at the same time to see how they compare in their tracking of steps, miles, caleries, sleep patterns. I have had Fit since July and other than the band coming apart (same day my shoe came unglued - 120 degrees on the turf field - referee soccer) no real issues with Fit. Vivosmart - Good, Bad, Ugly. Good - both the Fit and VIvosmart show similar results, although Garmin’s readings are slightly higher. I like having the time display as I don't have to wear a watch now. Data is displayed and can be modified to view vertically or horizontally. Comfortable band that looks nice. Easy recharging and syncing with computer. Bad - display is hard to ready in sunlight and although you can adjust it, even at brightest level still can't view it in direct sunlight (although cells have same issue#. Ugly – limited to just a few phone/tablet s because it uses the new Bluetooth Smart #pulse#. I cannot use with my new phone with it #limited to using the cable and my computer). Fit at least had docket that acted as interface for its Bluetooth. Bottom line is I can’t sync without hooking up the USB cable, which is also the charger.

I've had this tracker for several weeks now and I wear it 24/7. I've had several other fitness bands in the past including Fitbit, and I can say that this one is without a doubt, the most comfortable. Battery life is amazing. I charge it once on the weekends, even though it doesn't need it, and it's good for the entire week. The features are great and work well (alarm, text and email notifications, incoming call notifications, etc.). Having used a Fitbit for many years, I was doubtful that the web and mobile interface apps were going to be anywhere near as good. But both the mobile and web apps are actually set up quite nicely. I originally read a lot of reviews claiming that the web app was a bit lame, but I find it at least as good (maybe better) than the Fitbit web interface. It is well supported and I've noticed both firmware updates to the band and also web app updates. Your web account and stats can interface to other web apps like myfitnesspal and a host of others. The OLED touchscreen works really well, and even though the text for notifications can be small, it's clear and readable. I had no trouble at all Bluetooth pairing my Samsung S5 with this band. The one thing I would improve on is that if you select to receive notifications on the band, you should be able to turn them off at night so they don't wake you. Maybe they will add that option eventually.

It's purely a personal preference but it was awkward to read any information. I got rid of it and bought a FitBit.

I purchased one of these devices right after Christmas and it died less than 30 days later. BestBuy said I should contact Garmin, but Garmin said to take it back to the retailer, so I had to argue with customer service to get it exchanged. This was after I had to wait over a week for Garmin customer service to respond with a canned "Thanks for contacting us" email. Yes, they really do take a week or more to answer emails, which is outrageous. So, I got my replacement VivoSmart from BestBuy on January 28 and yesterday (February 28) the new device started failing in the same way—flickering or disappearing display, and the display was no longer responding to swipes, double taps or long taps. The touch sensitivity had been going on for a few days but I didn't take much notice until the OLED started flickering and fading yesterday morning, after which I knew it was dead. (Yes, I updated and was on the latest firmware and the device had plenty of charge.) No way was I about to deal with Garmin "customer service" again, and wait for days for a generic response. I took it straight back to the store. This time I was just looking to get a refund. I don't shop that much at BestBuy so a store credit doesn't do me much good (BB has my money and I don't). I figure it's well inside the warranty period and I'm not about to give this a third try after being bitten twice. BUT, all the BestBuy "service" people would do was a store credit. Despite the "We stand behind your satisfaction" sign on the counter, the manager refused to budge. He was borderline rude and inflexible, and even when another employee suggested that we could use the store credit to get gift cards, he blew her off. I really just wanted to take my business elsewhere, and from now on I will—I've learned my lesson about Garmin and BestBuy both. Poor customer service once you have my money doesn't translate into repeat business. As for the device itself, I really wanted to like, even love it. It paired with my existing Garmin HR strap, a big plus, but my Garmin cycle computers pair directly with Strava, while the fitness tracker forces me to user Garmin's Connect app, which has an awkward UI and is clunky. The alarm feature is nice (I loved having a silent, vibrating alarm on my wrist) and never failed to wake me without disturbing my wife, but it lacks the ability to set multiple alarms or have flexibility in the alarms themselves. It's a single time for either weekdays or every day only. The FitBit allows multiple alarms and you can select the days you want. The lack of flexibility in the alarm setting would be excusable if you didn't have to drill so far into the Connect app to change it. Also, the app needs to be periodically restarted to rediscover the device, perhaps 2 times a week, when it just decides it doesn't want to connect, or if you're using multiple Garmin devices (I also have an Edge cycle computer). So it doesn't seem to have been well thought through. On a positive note, the battery life was exceptional. Even with Bluetooth on, it would last for 6-7 days, making charging an infrequent and quick process. But that doesn't overcome the obvious manufacturing defects, short lifetime, and poor customer service on both Garmin and BestBuy's part. I don't have any confidence in Garmin's ability to produce or support the products they manufacture, nor in BestBuy's commitment to their customers, so not only will this be my final Garmin purchase, it will be the last purchase of any product through BestBuy. With so many options available to consumers, vendors must compete on service, and too many others will gladly and cheerfully accept a return and refund your money within the warranty period. Had I purchased my VivoSmart up the street at REI they would have done a refund with no questions (I've returned defective electronics there in the past where a direct refund or gift card was offered) and there is no difference in price. Why would I patronize a store where a problem is treated as an annoyance instead of an opportunity? Thanks for the memories BestBuy, and learn the lessons taught by so many other big box electronics retailers like Circuit City who treated customers as an endless, disposable commodity.

This is a great device. After some minor difficulty and about a half hour of trying, I finally was able to sync to my iPhone. Laptop sync no problem. The connection system is nice and it is great to see messages, text, phone calls, etc., really nice while in meetings with the phone on mute. However, the biggest drawback and still nagging at me to return the unit is that there is no way to really figure out how to get the display to come on easily. Although I have set it to come on with a hand motion, it is impossible to figure out what hand motion to really make. The help desk was great and they helped me with some simple issues, but even the fellow who helped me was surprised at how odd the motion has to be ("pretend you are asleep and your hand is at your side, now bring it to your face and the display should go on" - not really). A software fit that would allow you to adjust the sensitivity would be wonderful, even if it detracted from the batter life. I got this based on a reviewer pointing out how easy it was to look at the display since it was essentially on all the time, because with just a small movement of the hand it would come on, but that certainly isn't true for my unit. Wandering around waving my arm, shaking my wrist, or whatever to try to get it to come on, however, is nice because I gain a few steps. However, if this last problem could be fixed, this would be a clear 5+.

I've had this product for a week now, and I love it. It does everything I want it to do, count steps, monitor sleep, receive notifications. Some fitness bands give out way too much data, I like the simple data this one provides. The ability to receive notifications is my favorite part of this fitness band. It's nice to just be able to glance at your wrist when someone is calling or sends you an email or text. Any smart band that uses an accelerometer isn't going to be 100% accurate, but when I entered my stride length I found the numbers to be pretty close. The device was easy to connect through bluetooth with my phone (Galaxy Note 4). Some people say it doesn't give enough sleep data, but I think the data it gives is fine. When you wake up you can look at the app and see how much you were moving during the night, if you had very little movement that's a pretty good indication that you had some good sleep. Looking forward to see how well the band holds up. Best Buy offered a very reasonable $25 service plan for 2 years. Hopefully I won't need to use it. In my opinion this is a pretty cheap alternative to the Apple Watch that will be out soon. If you want one of those, you better be willing to shell out at least $500. I'll pass on the Apple Watch, this band will do just fine.

This is good for a smart watch/activity tracker. It vibrates when you get a text or call. It will show you your text message. It doesn't say it on the box, but it also tracks your sleeping. It also vibrates when you are not being active for a long period of time (other than sleeping). The best battery life of any smartwatch in the market---its holds a charge of a full 6-7 days before having to recharge. The app is not the most user friendly, but I've also had a fitbit and fitbit's app was worse. Overall, its doesn't get in the way, is comfortable and fully function as both a fitness tracker and smart watch.

The features on this devise are perfect!! I love the "Move" feature to remind you to get up and move. I love that no only does it track how many steps you've taken but also how many you need to reach your goal. The screen on the band works great but I will say that to wake it up you may need to tap it 4 times. The Garmin app isn't that great but it pairs w/ My Fitness Pal and I have been able to track my food and activates and have that info sync between the two apps.

For the most part, the hardware on this device is excellent. It's lightweight, waterproof (not just water resistant), and is subtle in design. Great for wearing 24/7. However, there is one major issue. I bought this for my husband after I had a small version myself for nearly a year, even though my screen started to go bad. I worked with Garmin to have mine replaced - in fact, I ended up having it replaced 3 times, and in each one the screen failed. Now, my husband's is having the exact same issue. Since I've seen this in 4 different devices, I now believe this is not just a "lemon" or a "fluke," but a fatal flaw in the design of this watch. Garmin eventually replaced my device with the vivoactive (much more reliable screen, as far as I can tell). We have Geek Squad protection on my husband's, so we'll see what happens next. But I sincerely hope it will not be this same model. Garmin does have quality products - just not this one. Go with the newer version (the vivosmart HR) or the vivoactive. Avoid the original vivosmart.

I have not explored all of the features, but these were my top criteria - 1) Sleep tracking - check 2) Steps - check 3) Calories burned - check 4) Move alert - check 5) Notifications for emails, texts, calls - check!!! (my biggest reason for buying this) Cons - Bluetooth range is only 20-25 ft with iPhone 5. Wish it was at least 50ft

Overall nice product, I would give it a 4.5 if I could but it is ahead of the competition IMO right now at least. I had a Fitbit One and Force before; I like this much better. Look: streamlined and attractive, it works well with a button long sleeve dress shirt and looks fine with a suit. Setup: For anyone having issues setting up, it's probably due to Bluetooth interference. I tried to set it up in my office and it failed, most likely since I have about 8 Bluetooth devices in a 10 ft radius. I took it to my dining room (no Bluetooth) and the sync worked first time. Make sure you take both steps of the installation, one is software on your phone, and the other is on your Mac/PC. Note that there are two pieces of software for your computer; Garmin Express is the one that updates the software, while Garmin Connect is the one that tracks your activity (mostly identical to the one on your iPhone). Make sure you use Garmin Express to update the software; mine just was delivered but had 2.2 installed; 2.4 is apparently the current version of software. Usage: The one negative I have is the menu for setting the alarm is buried way into the software on the iPhone; open the app, then select Devices, then Settings, then Device Settings, then Alarm. Note that unlike Fitbit, there is only one alarm which is unfortunate. Minor points and should both be easy to fix in a future software release. Ease of use is good, pretty intuitive, once you know you have to double tap to have the screen turn on. Swipe with your finger to go through menu options. Best Feature: The move alarm. This uses the motion sensor a timer to buzz you when you've betting sitting for 1 hour; it says "Move." Which is great advice, especially when you're stuck at a desk or a computer and lose track of time. The alerts are also very nice; when there is an alert, or text or call on your phone, it buzzes the Vivosmart and gives you the same info which is nice. If you get a lot of alerts, you will want to change the settings to cut back I think. Have not checked accuracy of the pedometer, but seems to be very similar to my now dead Fitbit so I suspect it's fine. Future concern: you're supposed to wear this while exercising. What happens when you exercise? You sweat, and what might that do to the contacts on the back of the unit? My Fitbit corroded so badly in 8 months that I could no longer charge it. So beware of that issue longer term, hopefully they picked a good non-corrosive material for the contacts. Overall, a nice product. Highly recommended.

I have been using the Fitbit, but it died. After reviewing all of the activity monitors I chose the Garmin Vivosmart. It count's my steps, links with myfitnesspal and makes sure I stay active. The bonus features are that I get notifications from my phone, I can control my music, I get caller ID, and I have a watch again. All without pulling my phone out of my pocket. The only drawback I can think of is that the display is a little dim. It saves battery power though.

I have been a longtime Vivofit user and was so excited to see that the Vivosmart was being released, and that it was fixing many of the features the Vivofit lacked. I preordered one, with the hopes of doing a side by side comparison of the two. When the Vivosmart showed up and I opened the box, I was certain I was returning my Vivofit. Setup was a breeze, and all the functions worked as promised. The notifications can get a bit annoying if you get a lot of emails and texts, but that setting can be changed. As for battery life, that was the only negative I could CURRENTLY see between the Vivosmart and the year long battery in the Vivofit. I set the Vivosmart up with my Garmin Connect account and put it on my right wrist. I really liked how you could change the wrist orientation and landscape versus portrait views of the stats. I put the Vivofit on my left arm and was ready to do a side by side comparison of accuracy. I went outside, and then it hit me...this thing is unreadable in bright sunlight! Even moderately bright sunglight! I am a runner and an avid cyclist...I need to be able to glance down quickly and see my heart rate. I set the display as bright as it could go, and I still had to look so closely to see the numbers it was useless, not to mention on that setting the battery would never last for the stated 7 days. So I stopped, took off the Vivosmart, packed it up, and returned it to Best Buy. The price range is perfect, the looks are magnificent, the features worked flawlessly and were plentiful, and it was very comfortable. Were it not for the OLED screen being useless in the sunlight, this would be a five star review. I wavered between two stars and three stars for my review, and realized that many who wear this will be outdoors, so I gave it a two. Garmin, if you can get that display to be readable in the sun, you've got yourself a winner.

When I first bought this i wanted a some what cheap but good bracelet. I saw it had 4 stars online but never really read the reviews. My first one stop working after having it for 3 weeks. So i exchanged it. After 2 months that one as well started glitching where the screen would have weird lines all over but would still vibrate if i got a text or phone call. So i then exchanged that one. Now on my third bracelet about 4 months later and I didn't use it for a few weeks, it is glitching out once again. I never wear it in the shower. I do not use it at the gym during lifting. I don't do rough activities with it through out the day. So this time I am returning it and will not be getting a new one. When it works its a great bracelet but it definitely needs to have the glitches fixed in it.

Okay, so I've only had this for 24 hours, but I think it's pretty great! I read reviews and searched the Web for two weeks trying to decide which fitness tracker I wanted. I knew I wanted a display with a clock and the ability to view my progress without opening an app on my phone, as well as wanting water resistant so I don't have to worry if I forget to take it off before washing dishes. The smart notifications and smart alarm are just bonus! The only thing I had to do was download Garmin Express so it would update the software on the band, because the move bar wasn't working right at first. After some research I realized it was a simple update to fix the issue. This band is perfect so far. I will update if I notice anything new.

Gave as a gift and it was love at first sight. The Garmin Vivosmart is just perfect for quick notifications, looks great on the arm, has great battery life, and is very comfortable to wear.

This is a lengthy review to give my complete experience. So pardon me for the same.. I have been using Fitbit One for the last 2 years and have been pretty happy with the device. However, I was planning for an upgrade mainly for 2 reasons. 1) I sometimes forget to carry the device with me and 2) Most important of all, it did not have an inactive (Idle alert) to let me know that I have been stationary for a long time. So I decided to go in for a new one. To take care of the first issue of always carrying it, I decided to go in for a device in Band form. Based on reviews, the choices I had were Fitbit Flex HR, Garmin Vivosmart and Polar Loop 2. But since the Flex HR did not have the inactive alert, my choices narrowed down to Vivosmart and Polar Loop 2. I liked the Polar Loop 2 for its features and also its online App. However, I was not too comfortable with the form factor of the device (cutting to adjust length and also the thickness of the Band). So finally my only choice was the Vivosmart. I bought this device from Best Buy in September. I was initially impressed with the form factor and also its accuracy in terms of Heart rate (I bought the device + HR Band). My everyday exercise is just brisk walking for about an hour or so and I average at the rate of about 128 – 130 steps per minute during the 60 minutes of exercise that I do. After the first day of exercise (in the morning after I woke up), I found the vivosmart showing I have finished 4200 steps at the end of the 1 hour exercise whereas it should have showed atleast 7500 steps (assuming I walked only 125 steps for 60 minutes). I thought that I might not have worn the band properly and adjusted the band tight to my wrist. For the remaining portion of the day, it did show a correct pattern in terms of the steps I took for the rest of the day. Next day back to my exercise with my band tight in my wrist and did my exercise. At the end 1 hour, it showed 4000 odd steps. Lower than previous days. Again the same story… pattern Ok for the rest of the day. Third day I tried the bank loose around my hand. No luck again… 4000+ steps. There seemed to be a pattern. Fourth day I went to the gym and tried it on the Treadmill for an hour with walking and running. The device showed 3800 steps. I tried all possible combinations for about 20 days and nothing seemed to work. In the mean time, I observed that the sleep data was not showing up correctly. Also in between on a Sunday, I was sitting like a couch potato in front of the TV and I did absolutely no walking at all the whole day (except the bare minimum). I would not have crossed more than 1000 steps on that day. By 6 PM on that day, the band said I have reached my goal of 8300 steps for the day. I contacted Garmin Vivosmart customer service thru mail and told them about the issue I am facing and said that the device is not calculating the steps properly. I gave the complete background like how I have given above and let them know that it was showing lower number of steps. Next day I get a mail back from them explaining to me how sometime steps shows are “Higher” than the actual and then went on to give me instructions on how to configure step distance. I responded back to them again letting them know to read my mail properly and repeated that the issue was NOT showing HIGHER number of steps , but the device is showing Lower than the actual steps taken. I also let them know that I am not too worried about the distance aspect. I got a response back again from Garmin saying how to configure the step distance again. Frustrated with their customer service, I finally decided to find out what was the issue behind this and started suspecting my shoes. I wore another old shoes (not Sports but formal) and went for an hour’s walk and compared the steps at the end of 1 hour. To my surprise, the device showed a number close to the steps I had taken. Finally I found out who the culprit was. I had to replace my old sports shoes recently as I started getting back aches and heel pain. I substituted it with the New Balance 990 and ever since I started using the shoes, it has been a blissful experience and I have not been having after that. Next day I tried the band again with my well cushioned 990s and there it was, the device was showing lower number of steps. Now I can either New Balance for making great shoes and taking care of my health problems or I can blame Garmin which does not have effective sensors in their device. It was completely frustrating. Now I had to make my choice. Blame New Balance, use an old shoes for my exercise and ensure Garmin Vivosmart shows correct data (even if I have to get my back aches and Heel pain again) or I can blame Vivosmart and return the device and be happy with my existing Fitbit One. The choice was obvious for me. I decided to return the band and contacted Best Buy. I did not realize that Best Buy had changed their return policy from 30 days to 15 days (My Bad). So, they refused to take it. Now I am stuck with a $ 150 worth black bracelet in my hand which also my SMS, alerts, Play songs, shows sleep data in a crude form in their app. All it does not show properly is my health data. Ironical… Again, It could be that I faced these issues and they might not be applicable to others. But I just wanted to share my experience here.

I bought the Nike tracker then 2 from fit bit but all had some ting missing. Then I saw this one. I connect it to my open and the connection is fast. I can see who is calling me, get emails and txt messages. The tracing is very accurate. I do not use the sleeping option. I like that nothing happens if it gets wet. The charge last about 5 days. I highly recomend it.