Garmin Vivosmart review: where fitness band meets smartwatch

There are fitness trackers and there are smartwatches, but there’s only a small number of devices that attempt to be both. The Garmin Vivosmart is one such exception. It’s a $170 band that does everything you’d expect a fitness gadget to do: track your steps, calories burned, distance traveled and sleep. In a unique twist, though, it also has an OLED screen showing things like emails, texts, Twitter and Facebook notifications and incoming calls. In essence, it’s a full-fledged fitness tracker that also acts like a full-fledged smartwatch. The question is, can it do both jobs well?

 

Garmin Vivosmart review

 

  

 

 

PROS

  • One of the few fitness bands that also acts as a smartwatch
  • Long battery life
  • Adjusts your daily step goal based on recent activity
  • The “move bar” is an effective reminder to get up and walk around

CONS

  • Can’t delete or archive messages from the band; notifications aren’t actionable
  • Garmin Connect fitness app still doesn’t offer much in the way of motivation
  • Can be uncomfortable to wear after long periods of use
  • Scratches easily
  • Limited smartphone compatibility
SUMMARY Garmin deserves praise for being one of the first companies to develop a fitness band that does double-duty as a smartwatch. That said, the device suffers from some uncomfortable ergonomics and an app that offers little in the way of motivation. Meanwhile, the smartwatch-like notifications are not compelling enough to justify the Vivosmart’s relatively high price.

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https://www.engadget.com/2014-11-10-garmin-vivosmart-review.html