Customer Ratings & Reviews

Great device. I highly suggest it. I love the integration with notifications and when my phone rings...as I miss it at times when it is in my pocket. Range is pretty good with the bluetooth; I get updates on my phone when I'm not too far from it. My only gripes are: 1) Fix the software to work with myfitnesspal...maybe its a problem with myfitnesspal but lots of people are having issues with the integration of the two apps. I use an iPhone. 2) Miss my fuel points from Nike Fuelband. Would be cool to have that licensed to use...however may cost more in the end I suppose. 3) A medium size. The large leave a lot of excess band and the small doesn't fit at all.

The quality control on these devices utterly precludes a favourable review. I've now had 3 of these things fail in less than a year. I purchased the first, and it was replaced twice by Garmin. The device just failed again, and I'll be looking for a different product this time. The failures have all been related to the display, and render the device all but unusable - the internals appear to continue working, so I suppose you could wear it like a fitbit and just sync results off of it, but this device's best features all have to do with its display. It's a watch, connects to a phone, tracks steps, connects to a heart rate monitor, all of which are very handy, and it comes in the least offensive smart watch appearance I've seen yet. All this plus about a week's use per charge should make it a great product, and it is while it's working, but they simply fail too frequently. Find something else, or wait for Garmin to work out the bugs.

This is 1 of the Best iOS fitness bands in 2014. Pros: call, email and text notifications Cons:frequent server sync errors occur when trying to sync.

As soon as the apple watch was revealed and the entire first generation of smart watches that included integrated heart rate monitoring (sorry pebble) was verified to be IP67 rated (good for the shower, but not for swimming), I decided to go the separate HRM & fitness band route. I was disappointed to learn that most of the fitness bands were also IP67. I can't stand chest straps for swimming, so I decided on the mio link wristband HRM paired with the vivosmart (on the same wrist). This specific use case is, admittedly, very niche. However, about the only thing it does not do for me is log swimming-specific metrics (laps/strokes/SWOLF/etc.)… the device has the necessary sensors for better swim tracking, but I'm guessing they do not want to cannibalize their swim watch or higher-end products. I now have a VERY basic smart watch in a fitness-band form factor that gives me alerts, allows me to do HRM training in the pool (while recording HRM data for later transfer)… allows me to skip songs while running while keeping my phone in my pocket and using my favorite earbuds (i.e. ones without these controls), all while recording steps/distance/pace/HR/calories. The Garmin Connect software is OK, but the integration with myfitnesspal makes it very usable. It would be nice to have more data options (e.g. raw accelerometer output) and export to CSV, as well as better training of activities/motions (recognizing different activities automatically), but that is a lot to ask for a fitness band. My watch has had no quality issues at all (vibrate works fine, etc.)… still learning the quirks of the device, so might need to update review after more use. For example, when the device is wet, the swiping on the oled touchscreen does not work easily (need dry screen and fingers), so best to have the 'activity' screen up and going before hopping in the water, or a towel handy poolside. Need highest brightness for outside daytime use, so I guess it could be a bit brighter as well. Overall, very pleased thus far.

After I brought, it worked fine, then the next day I could not get it to connect via Bluetooth with my phone. After 2 calls to the helpful folks at Garmin it works much better. It still has sync issues... When it reconnects to bluetooth after I leave the phone, I must manually sync the device 2 times to restore notifications. Still in my return grace period. This device has the fitness and notification features that are important to me, so I'm back and forth about keeping.

eASY TO SET UP AND USE. gREAT FOR MONITORING WORKOUTS. wATERPROOF AS WELL.

I have tried several activity trackers, and one that I liked most was the Fitbit Force. However, Fitbit Force was removed from the market due to some manufacturing problems and it also never delivered what the company promised regarding phone messages. Vívosmart, on the other side, has so many features that I believe it will be difficult to beat in the next year. It does what it promises to do, and the messages notification works just outstanding. I get vibrating call notifications and callerID every time. If the call is missed, the caller ID stays registered in the messages menu. It is also waterproof down to 5 ATM, which means you can theoretically use it in the pool/beach. The materials look really nice and feels very resistant to wear and tear. This is my first week with it, but so far extremely happy with Vívosmart. It is the best in the market now!

love tracking my steps and sleep daily, love that it reminds me to move

I bought this to replace a Jawbone Up I had had for a few years. I had been looking at the Apple Watch, but it just seemed like an awesome smartwatch with a built-in fitness tracker. I just wasn't sure that's what I needed. The Vivosmart though is more like a fitness tracker with some built-in smartwatch functions. It does a good job of tracking steps, sleep and all of that as well as letting you know when you've been idle too long. I haven't figured out how to set alarms yet, but I haven't really tried. Also, as a bonus, the misplaced phone feature is pretty slick. You click on it, on the band, and your phone makes a unique sound while a metered bar lets you know if you're getting closer. It's a little pricier than some of the others, but it feels solid and it has a good mix of features that are working well initialy.

The reason for using an activity tracker might have a lot to do with your expectations. I use a tracker as a tool toward my goal of weight loss. I want it to be able to tell me how many calories I burned for the day and from calories consumed what my net burn is. Being accurately able to track movement (steps/exercise) gives a more accurate burn. Previous tracker was a BodymediaFit (BMF) Link which is what I use for my personal comparisons. However I did not like the need to wear the BMF on my upper arm. It was big/bulky/ugly. It displayed no data so information could only be accessed on PC or mobile device and you had to pay for the site. But the data was good and I felt reliable. (Maybe you do get what you pay for.) Thus the purchase of the Vivosmart. The main features I wanted was 1. watch capabilities: the ability to have date and time so did not need to wear an additional device. 2. the ability to view data at any time without the need for PC or mobile device. 3. Waterproof 4. Good battery life 5. Accuracy (expectations were not for 100% accuracy but believable accuracy) Now the review: Wrist band--seems more like rubber than plastic. I bought the band in purple. The color in the picture is bright and vibrant but in actuality it is a very muted color. The berry (red) and blue are probably brighter. Also as the color is on the underside of the band it really doesn't show. I wish the entire band came in colors. It is easy to put on Secure. Comfortable. Waterproof. A couple of taps (well sometimes more like a several repeated pair of taps# brings the band to life. Display is bright enough #yes, a little hard to read in sunlight# but great in room light or in the dark. As can be expected the letters/numbers are extremely small so if reading tiny print #old age eyes?# is a problem you might have to reach for your reader glasses. Also I found text to be a little blurry. Have not been able to actually assess battery life as I have only had the tracker for a few days but I am sure it is dependent on how often you wake it to view the data. It has a USB charger that clamps onto the band and must be connected to your computer to charge. It is also used to initially set up the band. For your PC to recognize the band you must be sure that the USB icon is showing on the band. I am not addressing all the features. I have not used the music capability or the exercise capability #HRM#. But I am disappointed in the most basic features: steps, sleep, calories. First, steps. I am not a very active person so every step counts. On an hour car trip the band said I "walked" 150+ steps while sitting in the car# On the same drive home I "walked" 350+ steps# I was sitting# No walking involved# It is a good day if I walk 5000 steps# So this is a 10% inaccuracy #the Fitbit One which was my first tracker did the same thing# Drove me crazy so I returned it## The ride was not particularly bumpy so I don't know what causes it to record steps# Then while shopping I activated 2 phone apps for step comparisons: Runtastic Pedometer and Walking Mate from Samsung S Health# Both these apps recorded 2230+ steps and were within a few steps of each other but Vivosmart showed only 750 steps# 750! Could holding onto a shopping cart affect it? In any case, not good# The next feature: sleep# Easy to set sleep on/off# However the data gives much #or less# to be desired# To see information you must go to Garmin's data site: Connect# What you get is what time you set sleep on and off = how many hours you "slept". And a graph that shows peaks and valleys which indicate movement. In my case lots of peaks and valleys. I am a restless sleeper. But I know this. There is no interpretation of the graph. BMF actually gave a percentage of actual sleep versus time in bed which was useful information. Calories--you can sync to My Fitness Pal #MFP# but the only data you receive is your calories consumed minus activity calories equal net calories, how many calories remain and % of net calorie goal. Vivosmart does not give as much information as you can obtain from MFP. The one feature that BMF excelled at for me was telling me how many calories I burned: TDEE. Made it very clear what my calorie expectations needed to be if I had any hope in losing weight. Vivosmart keeps a running total of the burn for the day on the band but no where can I find how to access this information on Connect or where it is stored to find a final daily record of my burn. Or to check it over time. With BMF I could actually take the weekly total from the daily burn and subtract my total weekly consumed calories to see if I could expect to see weight loss. For me this is a very important information. So in my opinion if you are looking for a useful tool to aid in efforts for weight loss I feel the Vivosmart falls short. If you are looking for a fun toy you might like Vivosmart.

Looks really cool, I'll grant that. I bought the purple one and it looks nice. Obstacle 1: No USB/AC adapter included. Obstacle 2: Wouldn't pair to my Galaxy S5 despite reinstalling app multiple times. Obstacle 3: Won't sync properly w/o a computer. What's the point of having a mobile device if a computer is needed? Obstacle 4: I spent too much time on FAQs, tech forums, researching questions... I'm returning mine, alas.

Really nice product, easy to use and very reliable.

Bought the device in January, it made it three months before failure. Garmin replaced with a refurbished unit. The second one failed 3 months later. Both failed the same way, display went nuts. I think it has to do with the width of my wrist. The molded strap started to separate on one side or the other, then a few days later they failed. Trying to get the second replaced, but not expecting it to make it more than three months.

I like the idea of the product but I have had to exchange the Vivosmart 3 times now within 6 months. The smart function was useful and worked well - I was getting notifications before they even showed on my phone!!! The band itself is pretty robust, stays secure and looks good. However the screen has now failed on 2 occasions and 1 time the band just completely died and wouldn't charge. Overall fine if you want something that works but isn't built to last - at this price point I would find an alternative

I decided to buy VS since its small and has little longer battery life than VS HR. Device is nice and has a comfortable fit in my wrist. I noted that there are too many complains about the OLED screen going bad but decided to try my luck. Right out of the box after charging, I noted that some pixels to the right top and bottom lines are too low in intensity compared to rest. So it is clear that all the complains are true and it is amazing that Garmin does not do anything about their product. This seems like a poor design issue. Since this is a known popular issue, I purchased the BestBuy protection plan (2 years) but not sure how many times will they keep replacing this ? I showed it to BB customer support and they asked me to return for a replacement. (ha ha less than 5 hrs since purchase) I will replace this device soon and will try the next replacement. Garmin, why are you selling this product knowingly they are flawed ?

I purchased the Garmin vivosmart over the FitBit ChargeHR after using the FitBit Flex and Garmin Forerunner 310XT for the past year and half. I chose the vivosmart because of Garmin's reputation for being industry leader for GPS and tracking capabilities. I've done 3 runs with the vivosmart and Forerunner 310XT on at the same time for a side by side comparison and wow was I shocked. The vivosmart was off by a range of .56 to .88 miles per run (+). In addition, to get to 10,000 steps, I had to get to over 6 miles each of the 3 days which isn't correct. I also found the GarminConnect App not syncing calories burned and I had to press the sync button several times on the vivosmart before seeing the correct stats show on the App. Hopefully Garmin will help me calibrate the vivosmart on Monday or else it's going back to BestBuy for a Fitbit ChargeHR. On the plus side, the phone, text, and notification alert on vivosmart is quite incredible. It's a great fit too. Hopefully the issue is a quick fix.

This product when it works is great. Key phrase is "when" it work. It does a horrible job of finding the bluetooth when it disconnects. I usually have to uninstall the app and then re install it. Then when it does pair up, you can't take it too far away from the phone because it will loose connection again. You will then be prompted to re enter a 6 digit code. If you are lucky enought to get synced again, you will find that the software that comes with it isn't synced. Yes Garmin, I do have the latest version of android software, and the most updated Garmin vivosmart software. It really is ashame because this band, WHEN it does work is awesome. Reality is, it's a 200 dollar watch with features that rarely work. I will be taking it back tomorrow and getting the polar loop I think. If you take time to read other posts, you will find that the biggest gripe with the Garmin Vivosmart is the connectivity issues via bluetooth and it's software. PLEASE FIX THIS!! I would keep this band if they did....please anyone reading this.... IF they don't fix it you will be just as frustrated as I am. Don't say I didn't warn you...If anyone from Garmin can resolve this, I would gladly change my opinion of this product but it's almost impossible to get through to anyone via their customer support number.

If you are buying this device because Garmin says you can swim with it to track your activity, don't bother. It will record your time, you change the activity to swimming, but it can't calculate the calories burned. I then go to the app I use (myfitnesspal) and have to manually enter the swimming, then delete the Vivosmart activity. It's become not much more than a timer for swimming. The app is horrible, please read app store reviews first because I wish I had. it has constant updates that fix one thing but then break another. It has some other great features, the move bar, alerts, and vibrating alarm. But now after having it only 6 weeks it's dead. No power, not charging. I'm sure I will have to ship it back to Garmin but I would like to continue to use this device for the features. I would definitely NOT recommend this product to a friend.

Getting a third replacement from Garmin for a display issue in less than a year. The first two had broken displays where vertical lines appear. They sent a replacement the first time knowing this was an issue and not yet having a solve. So my third Vivosmart had a complete display failure after about three months. I'm exasperated in dealing with Garmin and tired of being told they are doing me a favor by paying for me to ship the defective merchandise. They fail to understand they are taking a bad situation and making it worse. Will never buy a garmin product again. I understand products fail but Garmin puts too much responsibility on the customer to fix Garmin's error.

The concept behind this device is great. It provides fitness tracking functionality, smart notifications from a phone, and provides a minimalistic look. As the summary states, the Garmin Vivosmart has terrible durability. In the year that I have owned this produce, I have gone through three units. Each unit experienced a different issue. Unit 1 - The band cracked in several spots after around 6 months Unit 2 - Refurbished Unit - Screen died after a week Unit 3 - New Unit - Rows of pixels failed on the top and bottom on the right side of the display. There will not be a forth unit as I have transitioned to a different unit. Hopefully this is helpful to some.