I've had this watch for a year now and it's perfect for me. My favourite thing about it is it's battery life. It does everything I need such as telling the time, steps, weather etc.
I’ve had every generation and I’m big into fitness. It’s perfect for keeping track of your goals. You don’t need precise tracking and heart rate that’s all just gimmicky look at me crap. Just like scales it’s more about comparing results using the same device over time and improving on those results rather than getting to bogged down by what the actual numbers are.
you guys really arent getting the point. not even the video itself. have you noticed how many gadgets we have to Unload and hook up the Charger everyday when we get home? this wrist is NO-charging required. the activity tracking is above average as inherited from Garmin's years database. perfect for someone whos just at beginners level, couldnt be bothered too much, needs a little kick-start to get fit etc. old people, kids, or someone who hasnt gone out of house since World of warcraft came out. of course it doesnt have all the cool functions i want personally, but i since cant get my parents to "remember charge their watch everyday", thats where i found this wrist useful. plus its like half the price.
The biggest advantage of this is the fact that it has a battery life of the year. I do not want to have to charge my watch every couple of days and for distance and tracking that, this is all I need. I think the battery life should’ve been promoted in this video.
I still use vivofit 1. It’s got the same 1 year battery life feature, sleep tracking and its compatible with ANT+ / heart rate monitor thingy. So when i do swim, just wear em hr monitor
The main point of this tracker is 1. Doesn't need a charger (Perfect for people who always forget to charge their device) 2. It tracks steps and distance which is useful for beginners. I believe this is targeted at beginners who just want something to tell their avg active aka steps. Personally IMO, devices with wrist based heart rate are pointless for even those who are somewhat active. People just like to see numbers and those devices satisfy their curiosity. If you are real about getting in shape and tracking performance, a Polar H10 (as the exception) or any other heart strap will give the results you are looking for. Keep in mind Techy, that not all people are fitness activist. Some people just need to get off the couch and move!
I absolutely LOVE this device! It motivates me to move, sets goals, monitors my sleep, and yes it counts calories! If those calories are higher on other devices, it’s just a plus for me! No charging EVER makes it so easy to use 24/7!
Appreciate your review. But for my purposes, it's great. My vivofit & vivofit2 finally failed after using for years, so I went with this, specifically because it had fewer choices and gadgets. All I want in an activity tracker: Time, Date, No. of steps and perhaps basic sleep info. This one seems like it will fulfill those well. Based on how long my earlier vivofit (it didn't have a number) lasted (several years) I went with Garmin again.
I suspect you're a bit hard in not recommending the Vivofit 4 to anyone. I am considering it as a gift for a friend and want it to be quite durable and I note in that connection that the watch will take a shower / swim. My friend does not do the gym and does not jog. His main hobby is outdoor walking including hiking. Thank you for pointing out that the Vivofit 4 is reasonably accurate with counting steps and estimating distance. My friend is also not very computer literate, so as long as the device can be set up without another device (phone/ tablet or PC) or if it can be set up on another friends device then the Vivofit 4 seems perfect for my walking / hiking friend. Feedback welcome.
Please make a comparison between the garmin vivoactive 3 and the samsung gear sport. Im interested in the comparison of the accuracy of the heart rate monitors.
I was going to get this for my friend since it has great battery life.....but did not know it lacked heart rate monitor! Which one would you recommend with good battery life and critical features and slim profile (for girl)?
I've got a fitbit too, but I'm really glad I got this. High tech doesn't match everyone's needs. It's a great user experience insight. I've had 2 other fitbits, both had synching issues within 6 months. So, yea.
I got one of these as part of the VA’s MOVE program. The pros are that it’s really easy to use and doesn’t need to be charged. The cons are it’s very limited in what it has to offer as a fitness device. I personally think the $70-$80 price point is ridiculous. It’s a $20 piece in my opinion
I think you did a great job reviewing this product. I wish I had seen your review before I got it!!! Now I'm wishing I had gone with the Fitbit instead.
I like it as a secondary device just to track my steps when I am doing something like 4 wheeling where I don’t want to risk breaking or just don’t want to wear my fenix.
I disagree with your expectations of this watch. I’ve been using the vivofits for 5 years and they are a great device. Personally I don’t care about heart rate tracking or any of that junk. It can be individualized for distance, no charging, it has all that I need at a price I can afford. It’s perfect!
What is the size comparison of the Vivofit 3 vs 4 without the bands? I pop the 3 in a clip when I'm not wearing my Garmin watch to track steps for the day, and I'm curious if the 4 would also fit.
Thank you so much for your help I didn't know about all of this I was thinking about getting this but after seeing this I won't be getting it I agree with you about the how they made it thanks for saving me from disappointment.
Jewels M don’t listen to this guy, he’s just saying all the things from a bad perspective, this watch is gr8 it does a lot but if you’re looking for heart rate and good activity get the Fitbit Charge 3, if you’re looking for a basic starter one, get this
Hi.. Thanks for the review.. I'm in need of a tracker that will track stationary equipment (elliptical), waterproof. GPS would be nice but not required. What do you recommend? :) Im going crazy trying to researching all these. Thanks in advance. :D
Love of sewing get the vivofit 3, not the vivofit 4 (the one on this video) and also buy the garmin chest strap heart rate sensor, currently on amazon the vivofit 3 is $55 and the garmin heart rate chest strap is $18
I want to be able to compare calories burned and maybe heart rate between different activities - like spin class to swimming to circuit training to cardio workouts at the gym. Also need one to track steps. Would you recommend vivofit 2 for that?
disagree with you! I don't need what do you need. The most important for me is to do NOT charge the device every few days. I have many tasks for a day, I don't need an extra task every day to charge a fitness tracker (change only once a year the battery)
I'm with you on this - I don't need another device to manage everyday. I had my Garmin Vivofit 3 for a couple of years, and debating if I should upgrade. I LOVE the long battery. I basic use it for the timer feature & step counter.
I find this device useful as a watch to play sports in, especially kayaking. The sleep measurement didn't work for me. It frequently understated my sleep time by a couple of hours - perhaps because I toss and turn a lot, it didn't recognize that I had gone to bed. It's useful as a step tracker.
I know this video is old so maybe you won't know or I won't get a reply, but I use a Vivoft 4, and I was wondering if you know of any way to pause a walking activity and restart, or is it only possible to end the activity and start a new one (I know it claims to track time you've actually been moving vs time you are still, but I find that wildly inaccurate as I do activities with clearly no stop in movement and yet it always claims there at least a few minutes where I was still).
One reason why you should buy this is because of 1 year battery life! thats the reason why I'm getting it because I hate charging these things every few days
That is exactly my point. Eric spent 11 min shooting down the device and said nothing about the battery life and which other devices have a heart rate monitor with a 1yr battery life. Having to remember to put the device on after not wearing for awhile is a big dissatisfier for me. I went to the vivofit for after having to continually charge my cheaper device with heart rate monitor.
That's the main reason I just ordered one. My fitbit died, and I'm sick of having to charge it every few days. I have enough tech to keep up with as is. Plus, the only reason I need a fitness tracker in the first place is so I can earn wellness points at my work- which gives me cheaper insurance premiums. I personally have no need for GPS, heart rate monitor, etc...
Thanks for the review! I really don't understand this decision by Garmin. The older models are still available, but when they're gone from the supply chain, there's nothing in their lineup for a super slim, long battery life tracker that has HR monitor pairing. Conversely, many of the nicer standalone HR monitors have built in memory for store-and-sync, so it seems like a better option to just buy a good HR monitor and use a phone app to me. (Then you'd have GPS tracking on the phone anyway.)
Exactly, a lot of these chest straps and arm bands now have built-in memory that allow you to pair it with an app and sync the data later. I’m not really sure who Garmin was trying to appeal to with this product. There are many options that are better for the price!
Hi Eric, I disagree with you that it isn't a good device. Some people such as my mum, may only want a basic device with a long battery life. This would be perfect for that purpose. I guess it really depends on what the purchaser is after. I still really enjoyed your review! Thank you!
One thing I noticed right away is that the first night I had this, I forgot to put it back on after taking a shower before going to sleep, but then when I got up and checked the app, it had data saying that I'd gotten 7.9 hours of sleep. The customer service rep told me over the phone that since it doesn't measure your heart rate, that when there is no motion detected at all, it assumes that you've gone to sleep based on a bedtime that you've entered in the app. oh well, this was worth trying for my first activity tracker Oh, I'm sure I'll eventually get a more expensive kind.
I use it because I swim and hate charging...when I leave a tracker on I leave it on for months...the store assistant told me there was no other tracker that was swimproof that I didn’t need to charge...are there any trackers with at least those 2 features apart from this one?
hi rob here Ireland,great video,I have a unique challenge late in the year a 4000 sq mile walk around a desert in Bolivia,some 2 months i basically need a step tracker,however i believe data is only kept for a month,any suggestions as to keeping date for 2 months plus duration of the challenge,
As long as you store the data using the Garmin app, It will be stored for much longer than a month, it should store it for up to a few years But if you are not syncing the data from the watch to the app, you will only get a couple weeks of storage on the device at most
i do not own this device anymore, but if you go to device settings and find some timer move IQ thing, you can select what you want to see, after finishing your activity it sill show you the distance you have ran
Could you please help me with choosing the best heartrate watch? Im confused between apple and samsung? My main concern is the heartrate tracking all day and at the gym
The display is hard to see in dim light (unlike the 3) & it has a software defect as of Feb 2018 that caused the display to stop working. Happened to me & I had to return. Garmin said it was a known issue
Techy Agent yes, I got a replacement (the 3). Pleased with my purchase thus far. Only issue with the 3 is that the wristband can move to unlocked position by accident. Ironically, this was fixed on the 4 with a new lock system
I agree with you. I cycle and swim and that information would be great. I will miss the HR as well. I only have this device because it was an option for free from my Medicare plan and so it will be good for my walks and hikes. Thank you for opinion and information.
Yes, you just have to link your garmin account with your strava account and all data from garmin will go to strava. Every time sync any garmin device, I immediately get a notification from strava
This one will be in your wrist for a year with no charge . Consistency matters when tracking sleep and steps . Other trackers stay for 7 days maximum .
The Garmin app does not require you to pay, no. And all of the applications that are part of the Garmin store are free. However this watch won’t be able to take advantage of most of those applications because of its inherent limitations
The screen of this device is far too dim for me. Even with the backlit on, it is still too dark. Additionally, I need a something on my wrist that tells me the time when I look at it. I don't want to be pushing buttons. I want to know what time it is. So my iphone goes back in my pocket to count steps and my watch goes back on my wrist to tell time.
When I went from a vivofit 3 to a Forerunner 35, my calorie consumption skyrocketed! I don't know about the Apple Watch, but TBH it's probably for the fact that this thing isn't able to track calories by heart rate, since the algorithms that Garmin's uses seem a bit far fetched...
All those things the reviewer wants like heart rate and gps requires regular battery charging, which you can get in the Vivosmart watch, but for many people that just want accurate cardio activity tracking and 1 YEAR battery life this is the perfect device. The only comment I have is that I liked the larger display of the Vivofit 2 but the Vivofit 4 is very sleek and nice looking.
Thx for the review but even though I agree with the analysis I cant help but feel that you are missing the main upside of the product; batterytime. This is made for people who forget the tracker in the charger when they leave for work in the morning. That’s the same reason it’s waterproof, so you wont forget it in your bathroom after showering. This is a problem that few other trackers adresses and for these users (non- or semiactive forgetful or stressed people in a hurry) this is essensial if the product is not going to end up in a drawer after 3 weeks.
I can't even read this device. Trying to figure out how to change the display either so can't lighten up the face. I got this through Silver and Fit program and wish I'd chosen something else. Its useless forme.
Tell me a reason to get this when all iPhones already tell you how many steps you have taken on the health app using the same technology with the accelerometer ?
It’s more convenient. It’s so light I forget I’m wearing it. Easier to look at than a phone. Just pull your wrist out no Need to open an app for details. Day 1 I love it.
Yeah, but, the massive battery life is noteworthy. The only thing that seemed to have ever come close to this was several of the Misfit devices that are no longer in production. They were simple also. Step tracking and sleep. I don't know how people deal with a fitness/sleep tracking device that they have to charge nearly every day.
Well not all of us can afford fitbits as a solo mum who has worked hard so far to lose 31 pounds and still going it's god for consistency and tracking steps . For a basic one I think it's good.
🙁I've had my garmin Vivofit 4 for about 24 hrs now. I agree with your review 100%. Not at all with some of the advertised and even available settings on the watch. I wouldn't recommend it for ppl who do some intense hikes such as rocky mountains, where I would've been really interested in heart rate and distance. Don't know how this product calculates intensity, but it isn't even close. Maybe I have a defective product when it comes to that. Otherwise, if you'r a hiker doing moderate/advanced intencity hiking, this product is probably not for you.
Mine recently died because of water damage, however i don’t blame the watch. I was wearing the watch 24/7 under showers in bed... for 2 years long. Now i have upgraded to the samsung galaxy active 2. The vivofit 4 served a 2 hard years for me at the price tag of 90 euro’s so i can recommend this watch to anyone with a smaller buget for a sport watch!
OH i HOPE YOU READ THIS..... Hi, I am visually impaired. I CAN see of I get close up or with a visual aide. I was given this garmin vivofit 4. Wow. SUPER TINY. I do not care about the price.....which one do you recommend to me? I need the largest firbit, garmin , or any fit tracker that can measure my steps.
