Garmin Vivosmart

Fitness trackers / Built-in data readout

The Garmin Vivosmart is a band based fitness tracker with a 1.6 inch monochrome OLED display, compatible with iOS, Android and includes, Step counting, Sleep tracking, and Calories.

Unlock to see our ratings and compare products side by side

CR Expert Take

How did it perform in our expert lab testing?

Overall Score

The Overall Score for this model is derived from our expert lab test results.

Unlock ratingswith membership.

Current Range of Tested Fitness trackers

What goes into the Overall Score?

Ease of use

/ 5

Step count accuracy

/ 5

Heart-rate monitor accuracy

/ 5

Versatility

/ 5

Ease of interaction

/ 5

Readability in bright light

/ 5

Readability in low light

/ 5

Ease of pairing

/ 5

Water resistance

/ 5

Detailed Test Results

Overall this model was somewhat easy to use, very accurate for counting steps. With recent version iPhones, our experts found it very difficult to pair, very easy to synch, very easy to interact with, and likewise for recent version Android phones, somewhat difficult to pair, very difficult to synch, and very easy to interact with. It is somewhat difficult to attach to the body, very easy to recharge the battery, and claims to be water resistant down to 164 feet; however, we confirmed it is water resistant down to 98 feet.

About

The Garmin Vivosmart is a band based fitness tracker with a 1.6 inch monochrome OLED display, compatible with iOS, Android and includes, step counting, sleep tracking, calories. It has a touchscreen display that is backlit for use at night. The manufacturer claims a battery life of 7 days. An (optional) chest strap is required to get real-time heart-rate readings. It comes in black and is available in small and large sizes. It has an accelerometer sensor. It has notifications for phone calls, texts and emails. It includes inactivity alerts which remind you to move if you are sitting for a long while. It has a find my phone feature. It can control playback of music from your smartphone. It has extra features such as: uses Garmin Connect to pair with a heart rate monitor/sensor (available separately). Can control a Garmin VIRB action camcorder. Has biking feature (if paired with optional biking speed sensor). Has auto goal which analyzes your previous activities and provides suggested goals. Also has a stopwatch. Included accessories: USB charging clip. Its dimensions are 0.6 x 0.4 inches (width/thickness) and it weighs 0.6 ounces.

Features & Specs

Features

Activity results read from device

Yes

Displays time

Yes

Touch screen

Yes

Color display

Display type

Monochrome OLED

Backlight

Yes

Real-time heart-rate monitor

Heart-rate monitor type

Active

Heart-rate monitor requires chest strap

Yes

Step counting

Yes

Inactivity alerts

Yes

Multi-sport tracking

None

Sensor types

Accelerometer

WiFi

Music controls

Yes

Standalone GPS

Connected GPS

OS compatibility

iOS, Android

App name

Garmin connect

Battery life (days)

Battery removable

Notifications

Yes

Notification types

Incoming calls, text messages, emails

Socialization

Yes

Socialization features

Track progress, earn badges, join online challenges

Sleep tracking

Yes

Sleep sensing method

Manual

Floors climbed

Alarm type

Vibration

Included accessories

USB charging clip

SpO2 sensor

GPS tracking

Bluetooth USB dongle

Food tracking

Specs

Type

band

Sizes

Small, large

Display size (in.)

1.6

Width

Depth

Weight (oz.)

0.6

Warranty (yrs.)

Dimensions (WxD)

0.6 x 0.4

Color

Black

Price & Shop

Garmin Vivosmart

CR Expert Take

Overall Score

What goes into the Overall Score?

Detailed Test Results

About

Features & Specs

Features & Specs

Features

Specs

Price & Shop

Price & Shop

More From Consumer Reports