Reviews

Garmin Vivosport : Test and Analysis

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Garmin is still determined to get the smallest GPS device on the market - that's what it's looking for with the Garmin Vivosport. Announced in late summer along with two other devices from the Vivo range (Vivoactive 3 and Vivomove HR), the Vivosport has been the most unnoticed. It is not a watch loaded with technology like the Vivoactive 3 nor does it have the design and aesthetics of the Vivomove HR, we can consider it the ugly duckling of the group. But that does not mean that it does not have its sales arguments.

On the contrary, with the Vivosport Garmin has achieved a quite impressive device in many aspects. Vivosmart HR+ (which served Garmin as a proof of concept), the Vivosport comes loaded with all the features you can find in the Vivosmart 3 (Repetition counter in the gym profile, VO2Max estimation, stress monitoring, higher heart rate recording rate...) together with features specific to this model.

After several weeks of testing it is time to put all the details into your specific test. As is often the case, the unit I have been testing has been temporarily loaned by Garmin, but once completed and published it will be sent back. What do I mean by this? That there is no brand fee for these tests.

Remember, if you want to support the site you can do it by buying through the links you will find in this test (either your new Vivomove HR or toilet paper). This is the only way to finance and pay part of all the work I do here. Don't forget that this works exclusively thanks to you and your trust.

Without further ado, let's go over all the details!

Garmin Vivosport

RATING

Overall - 9
Training possibilities - 7
Platform and applications - 9
Battery life - 8.5
Finishes and comfort - 7
Price/performance ratio - 7.5

8

TOTAL

User Rating: 3.33 ( 2 votes)


The good

  • Tracks a multitude of metrics, both on a day-to-day basis and in sport-specific mode
  • GPS, optical sensor, multiple activities... and all in a very small size
  • Colour display with good visibility, especially outdoors
  • In spite of its small size the autonomy is not bad at all (within what we can expect)
  • Allows pulse data to be transmitted to other devices via ANT+, acting as an external pulse sensor

The bad

  • The strap can't be replaced. Take care of it...
  • Optical sensor and cycling don't get along too well
  • Does not support external sensors

Summary

To summarize in a few words the Garmin Vivosport bracelet is simple. It is the most complete activity bracelet on the market, period, so much so that it even has more functions than a large number of watches of similar price.

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And the truth is that, within the segment it is aimed at, it is a device that works really well. Garmin has achieved an activity monitor with GPS aimed at sports users in general, and has done so without apparently offering any sacrifice in return.


Garmin Vivosport

Garmin Vivosport is an activity bracelet that tries to go a little further. Aesthetically it is identical to the Vivosmart 3, which has already a long history in the market. Only those with the fastest view will distinguish both models at a glance, and you will have to sharpen it quite a bit.

Garmin Vivosport and Garmin Vivosmart 3

It's not the first time that Garmin has put a GPS in the small space available. It's not an easy exercise, since in addition to the chip itself we need room to locate an antenna, and we must not forget that the battery will have to be larger to withstand the extra demand.

But as happened in the transition from the Vivosmart HR to the Vivosmart 3, the transition of Vivosmart HR + (which is the model that replaces) is equally large. But it is that Vivosport goes some steps further than Vivosmart 3:

  • GPS: Quite obvious, but that doesn't mean we can't remember it.
  • New screen: Garmin has opted for a transflective color display instead of the OLED display of the Vivosmart 3. It is always on and perfectly visible outdoors. It's not that the Vivosmart 3's display is not visible (it doesn't quite reach the Vivomove HR's point), but it can give the impression of having a somewhat "washed out" text.
  • More battery: While the Vivosmart 3 is capable of holding 5 days in activity monitor mode, the larger battery of the Vivosport allows it to reach 7. And keep in mind that recording activity with use of GPS and optical sensor is capable of holding up to 8 hours, a really good figure for a device of this type

Then there are some differences, but more related to the fact of having GPS than to the device itself.

Garmin Vivosport - Outdoor

As for the hardware, it is already an old acquaintance, although behind it there is a slight change when adopting the connector of the new Garmin models (FR935, Fenix 5, FR645, etc). It is a welcome change because the truth is that it is much more comfortable to use than the classic clip that accompanied the previous models.

Operation is decidedly simple. There are no buttons to press, all control is via the touch screen. By pressing, sliding or holding the screen, for example, if we want to enter the main menu, we must leave the screen pressed.

The organization is done by widgets, and we can go from one to another simply by sliding our finger over the screen. In each one of them, different information is shown (steps, distance, floors climbed, minutes of activity, etc.).

Garmin Vivosport - Widget

And each one of them allows us to expand the information if we click on the screen. For example if we click on the stress widget it will allow us to see the graph of the last hour.

Garmin Vivosport - Stress Graph

All the information it collects is transmitted via Bluetooth to your smartphone (it's a good idea to check compatibility lists before buying, for example right now there are some synchronization problems with the latest Huawei models), and it does so constantly. So at any time you can open the phone's application and check all the activity data for the day.

Garmin Vivosport

Any of the data you can think of or see can be reviewed in much greater detail, including graphs of the day or week, for example the steps and when I was most active walking.

Vivosport Garmin Connect - Steps

Or for example, another new metric present in the new Garmin models, such as stress monitoring. To perform this measurement the bracelet uses the variability of the pulse and a Firstbeat algorithm (the same ones that take care of the algorithms for calculating calories or estimating maximum VO2, among other things).

In calculating stress, I don't just refer to daily stress, but also to sporting activity. For example, in this graph you can see perfectly how my day has been today.

Garmin Vivosport - Stress

You can see how my day has been very quiet while I was sleeping. I started cycling with interval training, ending up with very high stress figures and from there you can see how I am recovering little by little.

In short, Garmin Connect is a very complete application, especially when combined with devices as complete as the Garmin Vivosport.


In use

There are not many things that differ in the use of the Vivosport compared to other Garmin activity monitors, and even GPS watches. This is because Garmin's proposal is to offer a Vivosmart 3 I'm going to review all its functions below, but you can always read the original test if you want to have some deeper detail of any of its functions.

The vast majority of the parameters to be configured will be done from the application. The configuration options of the device are quite simple, so every time we want to change something we must go to the phone. However, the most normal is that you do not need to make too many changes once configured for the first time.

Garmin Vivomove HR - Configuration

On its screen you can see all the information it has to offer, which is wide and varied. It is organized through widgets, each one of which is a screen that we can move with our finger. In the application you can activate or deactivate those that do not interest you, leaving only those that you are going to use.

Garmin Connect Widgets

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Of course Garmin has included all the new features that came to the Vivosmart 3. For example the automatic activity log, strength training, repetition counting and exercise identification, 24-hour stress monitoring and even VO2Max estimation which is usually reserved for higher range models.

Garmin Vivosport - VO2

If you wear your wristband all day, you will be able to see your heart rate on the wristband display along with the average resting heart rate of the last seven days.

Garmin Vivosport - Heart rate

And if you click on this screen, also the graph of the last hour along with minimum and maximum of that period.

Garmin Vivosport - Heart rate 1 hour

As I said in the previous section, all this information was returned to Garmin Connect, where you can access graphs of the whole day and where you can also see any other activity you have done, both recording it as a sport (running and cycling in the mid-afternoon in bright green) and activities recorded automatically thanks to the Move IQ function (the walk at the end of the day in grey).

Garmin Vivomove HR - FC

Another novelty released in the Vivosmart 3 was the stress control. In the bracelet you can see at any time the detail at the moment.

Garmin Vivosport - Stress

As with the resting heart rate, all this information is transferred to the application, where you can access it in greater detail.

Vivomove stress

By practicing sports we have several sports, which can be configured independently. This means that you can create customized data screens for each of them, as well as different types of alerts or warnings (automatic lap or other alerts of time, distance, heart rate or calories). These are the profiles available:

  • Walk
  • Career
  • Cycling
  • Strength training
  • Cardio
  • Others

Each of these activities can be configured in a different way, both at the alert level and the data fields you will see on each of the screens.

Garmin Vivomove HR - Configuration

As we have GPS, all the outdoor activities will be saved with their corresponding track, with full details of pace/speed and distance as in any GPS watch and including data on meters ascended and descended as it has a barometric altimeter.

Garmin Vivosport - Activity

And finally, it is worth mentioning that we have the option of monitoring your training in the gym. When you activate this mode, the wristband will automatically identify both the exercise performed and the number of repetitions.

Garmin Vivomove HR - Gym

The results are variable, both by identifying the exercise and by counting the number of repetitions. And obviously speaking of exercises where the movement of the wrist in one direction or another is related. For example, you are able to identify squats (because the wrist goes up and down), but if for example you are doing leg exercises on a machine where you remain seated logically you have no chance of recording anything.


GPS Reliability

Since one of its main selling points is to have GPS, it is clear that GPS reception tests must be carried out. It would not make sense not to do so.

Garmin Vivosport - GPS

My way of doing the tests is always the same. Instead of trying to establish a route and make scores based on it I prefer to compare the records with other models I carry during the same training. The reason for doing it this way is simple: the results from different days cannot always be extrapolated.

The GPS signal is affected by a multitude of uncontrollable variables: clouds, atmosphere, tree density, location of the satellites in their orbits, etc. Therefore I cannot say that a device tested today works better than one tested 3 months ago. The test conditions have not been the same. Therefore when I test all of them on the same day I worry about the tracks of the devices, and not about the conditions that affect the signal reception.

I have done a lot of training with the Garmin Vivosport, both using it separately and in combination with other devices to compare heart rate records (which we will see below) as a GPS signal.

I'll start with this race training in one of my most common areas, and as usual I know exactly where there can be trouble spots, so this time I'll bring along two more Garmin devices, a Forerunner 230 and a Forerunner 935.

Garmin Vivosport - GPS Analysis

The start of the training is parallel to the road, without any obstacles, which means that there are three tracks practically superimposed.

Garmin Vivosport - GPS Analysis

When you enter a more urban area (Puerto Banús) the conflicts start. The 3 devices make the first turn correctly, but when the curve is over the Vivosport prefers to run on the opposite sidewalk. It rejoins when it reaches the roundabout, but again switches to the other sidewalk when it exits. Only the FR230 makes the whole urban route perfect, because the FR935 also gets slightly lost at the exit of the roundabout.Garmin Vivosport - GPS Analysis

It's only temporary, a little later, still by urban area, everything is reunited and show the overlapping tracks.

Garmin Vivosport - GPS Analysis

Let's go with a bit of bike. Turns on the same circuit, which is a test that I like very much for the analysis of the GPS by making turns always in the same points.

Garmin Vivosport - GPS Analysis

I'm widening the three pivot points.

Garmin Vivosport - GPS Analysis Garmin Vivosport - GPS Analysis Garmin Vivosport - GPS Analysis

I chose this on purpose in order to show you the impact of the intelligent data recording made by the Vivosport compared to the every second recording of the FR935 and Edge 520.

The intelligent recording makes records at variable intervals, usually 3-4 seconds, and this is what is recorded to make the track. The result is the one you see above, instead of making clean turns you can see many cuts in the track. There are no round turns, they are seen more like polygons.

Let's get on with cycling. Higher speeds certainly help tremendously with GPS logging.

Garmin Vivosport - GPS Analysis

In these circumstances the record is virtually perfect on all three devices. The only point where there is some discrepancy is in the slower areas, such as this stretch of road called "Los Caracolillos" (those of you who come to Ironman 70.3 Marbella will enjoy it).

Garmin Vivosport - GPS Analysis

Again the difference is made by the way of recording data, but the rest of the training is recorded perfectly.

All in all I see a good level of registration by the Vivosport. It has its slight faults here and there, but exactly like any other GPS watch. But I don't see anything catastrophic or any situation where I can say that the small footprint of the bracelet on the wrist leads to concessions to an antenna that is too small or ineffective.

The only strange situations are due to software criteria and the way it records data. That's the only thing you have to assess, and if you are going to do activities in situations where there are many changes of direction (e.g. trail), you might notice the impact of the intelligent data recording and lose some important points. But for running on asphalt or taking walks in the mountains I don't think you will have any problems at all.


Optical heart rate sensor

Garmin Vivosport - Optical sensor

As you have seen before, the Garmin Vivosport allows you to monitor your heart rate 24 hours a day. In this mode of operation, I do not see any problems or strange records when I check the graphs. That is, the daily minimums are very similar to each other, there are no peaks of heart rate outside of sports activities and the graphs never show strange things.

But as I always say, in the end what matters most to me is how the sensor works while we're playing sport. In the end we buy this kind of device for this use.

Garmin again has the Elevate sensor for this model. It differs slightly from what is mounted on watches as it has one less LED illumination, although the rest is identical. The footprint of the device is also smaller as it is obviously narrower.

So with those differences in mind I have to make some comparisons. I'll start with this steady pace running training. Besides the Vivosport I'm joined for the occasion by a FR230 with HRM-Tri sensor and a FR935 with its own optical sensor. The sensor of the Forerunner 935 is the same Garmin Elevate, but with an extra LED and with a bigger device size, which blocks better the external light.

Garmin Vivosport - Optical Pulse Sensor

The start, as always, is a bit dubious between the three sensors, but once everything is stabilized there are no more problems. There is a slight difference in the middle of the training when I do a small drop in pace. It seems that the Vivosport is temporarily blocked at a certain pace but it is a matter of seconds.

Garmin Vivosport - Optical Pulse Sensor

The rest of the training is three perfectly aligned graphs. The period where there are slight differences? It is common in heart rate recoveries for optical sensors.

Then another short training, coming from doing some cycling. In this case I only have two sensors (because the third one was the one recording with the computer on the bike), but we see repeated the previous behaviour.

The start is somewhat irregular in the Vivosport, which starts somewhat high. The FR935 does not present any problems and goes up gradually while the Vivosport needs a few seconds of adjustment, is common at the beginning of all training. Again you can see how halfway through the training there is a drop in heart rate where the Vivosport is somewhat slower to react.

Garmin Vivosport - Optical Pulse Sensor

Let's take a look at the interval training, typically the most complicated for all optical pulse sensors. In addition to tracking the heart rate correctly during the interval, where you most often see failures is at the start and end of the interval, trying not to have delays of any kind.

Garmin Vivosport - Optical Pulse Sensor

The training consisted of 8 tests, but with the Vivosport I only have 7 recorded. Things of running out of battery in the middle of the training. But it gives more than enough information. The other two devices I had for the test were the FR935 (only with optical pulse sensor) and the Suunto Spartan Sport WHR (paired with the chest pulse sensor).

The start is especially complicated in the case of the Suunto chest sensor. The one that should be the most reliable sensor shows a completely wrong data, because it starts in a dry environment. As soon as I start to sweat a little the conductivity increases and the correct reading starts, although after about 3 minutes it has another strange peak (probably caused by moving it to adjust it correctly.

But let's go to the intervals. I'll start with the first four enlarged ones (you can click on the image to see it bigger).

Garmin Vivosport - Optical Pulse Sensor

If we trust the data from the Suunto chest sensor we can see that in the four intervals the Vivosport is always a little bit delayed, but not as much as the Forerunner 935 that takes much longer in the whole process. But after those seconds of delay the three sensors mark exactly the same (except for a short period in the third interval, in which the FR935 is slightly lost).

The last intervals show a similar behavior, except that in the passage from the fourth to the fifth, and from the fifth to the sixth, the Vivosport is lost in the recovery (and FR935 does so also in the following).

Garmin Vivosport - Optical Pulse Sensor

But in the rest of the training we see the same behaviour, with a slight delay in the climbs and descents although the graph during the working period records correctly.

In short, in running exercises the behavior is as expected. Perhaps it can be criticized for the slight delay of the sensor when there are sudden changes in intensity, considering that I am comparing it with a "sister" optical sensor. All this is at the level of software management, so the small difference at the hardware level should not be the source of these delays.

In cycling, there are no surprises either, in the negative sense of course, because devices with optical sensors continue to arrive on the market, but none of them can find the key to accurately record cycling training.

First of all I leave you this training of more than 3 hours of duration. Seen "from a distance" it seems to be more or less correct, but the truth is that the variation in both optical sensors is remarkable.

Garmin Vivosport - Optical Pulse Sensor

During the whole training the record is similar, but it is not accurate. And data that is not accurate is useless.

There are days when the behavior is slightly better, but that doesn't mean it's good. Here's another cycling workout.Garmin Vivosport - Optical Pulse Sensor

Although it seems to be a little better, we still don't have any accuracy. We can zoom in on any area and see how there are times when all three sensors coincide, but many other points where the records have nothing to do with it.

Garmin Vivosport - Optical Pulse Sensor

The pity is that the Vivosport does not support external sensors. Apart from the bike training the truth is that I have not seen any problems with the optical sensor, and I could use it with complete peace of mind.

If you usually train a lot on the bike it is a factor to take into account, although if your main use is more focused on running, gym or riding you should not have anything to worry about.


Your competition

There is not much direct competition for the Vivosport. I can logically think of the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ as the device it replaces, but the Vivosport has improved in every single detail of the bracelet. From the finish, to the display, to the autonomy, to the software possibilities it offers, it is simply better.

An indirect competitor could be the Polar A370It has no built-in GPS and relies on the mobile phone connection to provide reliable pace and distance data.

The Garmin Vivoactive HR is another similar option although the format is somewhat larger, and is more like a watch than a bracelet. A last option could be the Fitbit Charge 2 which, like the Polar A370, allows you to use the phone's GPS for data logging, but its possibilities are quite limited compared to what the Vivosport is capable of.


Conclusion

I'll be honest, my first opinion of the Vivosport is that it was an extra device in Garmin's range. It felt like just another one they had put in to expand the already huge product range. But over time I have come to appreciate it more and more.

Of course, always considering your target audience. The Vivosport is not intended for the most demanding users who will be doing interval training, connecting sensors or running in the mountains day in and day out.

It is an evolution on the Vivosmart 3 with all its specific functions, and Garmin has managed to improve it without having to make any apparent concessions. The autonomy does not suffer from having GPS, the screen is better for many to remain on (and be in color) and simply works.

There are things I don't like, such as continuing to maintain a design where you can't change the strap. This already created a lot of headaches on the Vivosmart HR, and will likely cause them on the Vivosport. The plastic "unibody" design has not been leveraged to give the Vivosport an aesthetic that is going to win many design awards, so if it's not pretty at least it should be functional. In this aspect Garmin has a lot to learn from Fitbit.

Despite this and my initial inclination, I have come to like the Vivosport, mainly because of its good performance and the amount of things it allows despite its small size. Of course I will still prefer a full watch, but that is my particular case and I understand that there may be people who are not looking for a big watch but a wristwatch, but do not want to do without GPS. And all this while tracking a lot of performance metrics both in activity and in everyday life. And when I stop to think, the truth is that no other device can offer the same.

 

Eduardo Mateos

I've been surrounded by electronic devices of all kinds for more than 25 years. Using them, testing them, taking them apart and dissecting them. Long distance triathlete: I swim, run and cycle for a long time. Maybe too much.

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54 Comments

  1. Hi Eduardo! In your opinion which is the bracelet or watch that has the best optical pulse measurement?
    I'm not talking about a sporting activity, but for everyday life.

    1. For day-to-day use I don't see much difference between the different models, beyond the registration rate. In that sense, all new models have constant registration.

    2. Hey, Fran, good evening.

      Regarding your question if it helps you ..... the Vivosport is light years away from fitbit hr in the data you ask (the Fitbit I had failed more q q a shotgun fair and I gave it away), above you have a thousand more data in the Vivosport that help you monitor your health day by day. Axte all this you have gps watch features, baro altimeter, pool use, control music helmets, etc etc.. The bracelet fits the wrist better than most models because it is somewhat elastic and even if your wrist swells on hot days it will not bother you and will not move as much as other more rigid models.

      Greetings

      1. Thank you very much for answering Caelon! Yes! It's one of the ones I've looked at and I see more complete and I'm sure I'll take that one.
        Greetings

  2. Hello, good evening.
    I agree with you in your assessment, I didn't like it either at first, but I soon realised that as the Vivosport is not on the market today, so I kept it but in yellow. Not pretty, but it's a great little beast for everyday life and for all kinds of activities, including swimming. The data you get from exercise doesn't stay far from the Forerunner models.
    That said, the despotic has some BUT, the first is the time it takes to detect sudden variations in heart rate during the series (although in the end it shows the same graphs as Forerunner with chest band), the second is the theme BAROMETER and weather warnings xq the Vivosport directly invents them (a shame xq is a feature that can avoid more than one scare especially in the mountains), and the third is that it can not be used as external pulsimetro bluetooth iPhone aunq if through ant + with other Garmin, incredibly is not compatible with chest bands.

    If anyone knows how to set up the weather alerts theme correctly ... I'd really appreciate the help.

    Greetings

    1. The Garmin Vivosport does not have weather warnings based on the barometer, the data is through the Garmin Connect application so there must be a constant connection with the phone, and are obtained from the same servers from which all these services come.

  3. Hi Eduardo, I have a question for you. I am a regular sportsman and I am looking for a watch that has the following features: bike, swimming and running, and that also has the possibility of storing music and connecting some airpods. At first I have only seen the TomTom (discarded due to problems in its division and design) and the new Garmin that is quite out of price and the design does not convince me. Unless I have looked badly, I think that neither Suunto, Polar nor Garmin have more models or simply models that meet my requirements. Let's say that the best fit in design, price and performance is a Garmin Forerunner 735XT, but it is a model that has been around for a while and does not have the capacity to store music. What can I do? Do you expect Garmin to present something in the short term with music?

    Warm greetings and congratulations on the page.

    1. In fact, right now there are only the models that you indicate, without going into intelligent clocks. I'm sure that FR645 will not be the only model with music, but I can't tell you when there will be more models that offer it.

  4. Hi Eduardo, I have the Vivo3 and I'm doing great for the day to day, however I was thinking of buying a gps heart rate monitor to go running and Crossfit, my question is as follows, in the Vivo3 or this is its next evolution, if to run wear another heart rate monitor also Garmin, add that activity and all its parameters to those you wear with the corresponding bracelet, are they synchronized? or how is the issue.

    1. Yes, Garmin already synchronizes all activity monitor data at the Garmin Connect platform level. For example, you can use Vivosmart 3 on a daily basis and then a GPS clock for running, and when you synchronize the clock you will have the activity data from Vivosmart 3.

  5. I don't recommend it. I made a crossfit and bought it a month ago. Jumping out of the drawer, I fell down and the strap broke!!! now I call and it turns out there's no replacement. I mean, 180 lukas thrown away.

  6. hello, I am looking for a bracelet to give to my mother, I would like that she could at least take a shower with her, that would have heart rate measurements included for without using the band go, and monitor sleep and heart rate all day, a poder be that measures steps but the Garmin vivosport is going out of price, any suggestions?

  7. Good evening Eduardo, congratulations on your analysis I'm Carlos Fernando Lopez of Colombia, a month ago I bought a Vivosport, a couple of days ago stopped working the floor counter is the barometer, ask this can be damaged? The Garmin tells me to clean the hole where it goes, but even they do not know where it is, you could tell me where it is or I can do in this case, thank you very much Eduardo for your help.

  8. Good afternoon,

    I'm looking for a tool to help me measure my pulse and count calories. I only do exercise biking and walking. I'm not an athlete, but for various reasons I need something to motivate me to move around a little bit. To date, do you still think this bracelet is recommended or has a similar model come out that can change the strap in case it breaks?

    Greetings and thanks for your reviews.

  9. Hi Eduardo! First of all I wanted to thank you for this review, it's the best I've seen and you can see all the work behind it. My question is this: I've been wanting to buy an activity bracelet for a while now and I'd like to know if it works well with strength training. I usually do free weights (open bar, weights, Russian weights), I don't sit on the machines, or hiits, and I walk as much as I can. I train between 5 and 6 days a week.

    Thank you very much for everything!

    1. If you are referring to pulse data, for that type of exercise you should use a chest strap because the optical sensor is not reliable.

  10. Well, first congratulations on the article, very well explained everything. I write for the following, and see if you can give me a little help. The sport that I practice more is football and I would monitor especially speed and distance traveled during training and games. I had thought about the garmin you talk about that incorporate GPS, but reading your analysis of the reliability of GPS I'm not sure if I would tell accurately the distance and speed in a place as small as a football field 7. What would you recommend to accurately monitor these parameters in football? A greeting, and thank you very much.

    1. GPS is not the best solution for measuring distances when there are so many changes in direction and variation in pace. A footpod would be best, but it is clearly not feasible.

      Otherwise, the Vivosport is very similar for that use as any other watch.

  11. Good morning Mateo
    I just bought a Vivosport Gray bracelet and my question is: Can I take a shower with it and also, among other activities, I do kayaking in lakes and fjords, can I wet it when I get in the water with it, without it altering its operation?
    Thank you very much and I send you a hug from Patagonia, Chile.

  12. Hi, I've been thinking about getting a watch or a bracelet for a few weeks now, after looking at your site, congratulations on the best one, without a doubt. I'm between the vivoport bracelet and the Forerunner 35, and I can't make up my mind. I go out for a run 2 days, I train climbing in the climbing wall 2 days a week, at least, and another day I go out to the countryside, to climb or kick. I don't want to go crazy and leave a pile of rubbish. I think that for me it would be the Gps and the cardio, I like the intervals, for some of the climbing training it seems useful.
    Any help or suggestions are welcome.
    Thank you

    1. In both cases you'll be well served, but if size is not an objection I'll take the Forerunner 35 by screen visibility, especially in climbing. The Vivosport's can be made a little smaller.

  13. Can you tell me how to change the battery of my Vivosmart HR+, it doesn't even last 12 hours.
    Thank you

  14. Hello, I would like to buy a running bracelet that has a reliable heart rate monitor, the only use I will give it will be for running, so it is not necessary to support swimming, cycling or similar. What would you recommend? Thank you very much in advance and congratulations for the work you do!

    1. If it has to be in bracelet format yes or yes, then Vivosport is the best option because it has GPS. The optical sensor is not bad, but being so narrow it is easy for light to enter and distort the readings.

      You have the Forerunner 35 which is not much bigger and the optical sensor has a better performance (in addition to offering more autonomy).

      1. Good morning Eduardo! Thanks for your answer. I really don't care if I have gps, I want to listen to music so I'll have to carry a mobile phone under my nose. With this in mind you still recommend the Vivosport?

        1. They leave me a fitbit charge 2 with a two year guarantee for 30 euros, I don't know what such an option is...

          Thanks in advance!

          1. My choices are:

            Vivosmart HR Plus for 50 euros
            Fitbit charge 2 for 30 euros
            Garmin vivoport for 60 euros

            I really want her just for running and daily monitoring

  15. Hi Eduardo, first of all I want to congratulate you for your analysis, I have read several and it is the most complete.
    I have a Vivosmart HR plus with which I am very happy but it is already very deteriorated and I need a new one. I consider that the performance it offers is very good for me, I use it daily and for training. I see that the evolution would be in a way the Vivosport but the issue of the strap is a problem. Do you know if they will soon release a successor to this one? Thank you very much ☺

    1. What you link is not the bracelet itself, it's the platform, in this case Garmin Connect. And yes, it can be linked without any problem.

  16. Hello, good Eduardo,
    first of all tell you to open a youtube channel or something, you are a professional of analysis you can tell there is work behind it.
    I'm looking for a multisport bracelet with gps to go hiking to measure the route, running, strength, play paddle and if it can be swimming. What do you recommend? or any product that comes close?
    a greeting and thank you in advance

    1. Thanks Jaime. I have a Youtube channel... that I don't use, because while my days are still 24 hours long the truth is that I have to prioritize a lot.

      You can take a look at the recommended activity bracelets at this link: https://www.correrunamaraton.com/mejor-pulsera-actividad-2020/.

      But yes, basically the Vivosport would be a good choice, although with that variety of exercises would see more interesting a clock.

  17. Congratulations on the review, it is a very detailed analysis, for a product that would be good for not being the strap that is a real M ... for durability, in my case and with the care of the case ... not always use it (which should be done so) broke. I have searched for alternatives to change the belt and I can't find any, except for someone's advice.

    Advice for the blog and for the post... don't recommend something that, no matter how good it is in terms of specifications, has an accessory that is so bad that it ruins the equipment, you risk your reputation.

    CONCLUSION... DON'T BUY THIS BAND, IT'S TERRIBLE, IT WON'T LAST FOR THE BELT.
    GARMIN... They screwed up... I don't buy anything from them ever again.

  18. Hello if you had q choose between vivoSport or forerunner 35 or or some heart rate monitor Maximum 100 euros preferably in buscaba Garmin that ten gas gps incorporated to run and q measure well what would it be ?

  19. I care a lot that it does not break because I would not like the bracelet to break when it does break.

  20. Hi!

    I have a Forerunner 235 and I am considering changing it for this wristband. What is the difference in performance between these two products? I mean... what 1TP11I would miss from the FR235 if I finally change it for the Vivosport?

      1. But if I'm just an occasional runner (3 or 4 times a week), just for health and weight control, without competing and so on... Would both products work for me? Or would the FR 235 still be more suitable?

  21. Hi, a question, does the garmin vivosport have the option to program interval training, and is it useful to measure the heart rate in real time during this type of training, or in any case which one would you recommend for this type of training? Thanks

  22. Hello, a doubt, the bracelet gives you the height and the positive difference in altitude. Having barometric altimeter I see it feasible ... but it does not indicate it anywhere ... Thank you very much.

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