Since the Apple Watch arrived, it seems that every company in the wearables market has been hell bent on making a device that can handle it all – from fitness tracking to Twitter notifications – while also looking like a high-end fashion item.
The result has seen some slightly odd hybrid fitness trackers, such as the Fitbit Blaze and Moto 360 Sport, which look nice enough, but don’t quite cut the mustard for hardcore fitness fanatics.
Enter the Garmin Vivosmart HR+, a device that puts substance over style. Featuring built-in GPS, a waterproof design and week-long battery life, the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ is a fitness-focused tracker designed for hardcore runners, swimmers and cyclists.
Garmin Vivosmart HR+ – Design and Setup
If you’re after a device that resembles a classic timepiece, the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ is unlikely to be the right fit. Unlike the Fitbit Blaze and Moto 360 Sport, the Garmin Vivosmart HR+is unashamedly a fitness tracker first.
The basic black unit I reviewed has a tiny rectangular 1.0 x 0.42-inch E Ink touchscreen that’s housed in a rubber strap. Some people will find the design boring, but I’m a big fan. Too many of the trackers I test these days focus heavily on looking snazzy, and as a result make too many compromises when it comes to functionality. Key offences include a lack of waterproofing and the absence of key sensors, such as a heart-rate monitor and GPS.
The Vivosmart HR+, on the other hand, makes none of these compromises. Garmin has loaded the wearable with a heart-rate monitor, GPS, accelerometer, barometric altimeter and pretty much every other sensor that you could possibly think of. It’s also pretty darn rugged and has been designed to survive submersions at depths of up to 5 ATM (50 metres). This makes it one of a select few activity trackers with basic smartwatch functionality that can be worn 24/7.
The only negative of the device’s design is that the main unit is fairly chunky, with a thickness of 192mm. This isn’t a deal-breaker for me, but it could be a sticking point for fashion-conscious buyers or people with thin wrists. Placed on a friend’s slender wrist, the Vivosmart HR+ looked comically chunky
Also disappointing is the fact that charging of the device is handled using a proprietary dock. On numerous trips abroad I’ve forgotten to pack dedicated charge cables, and as a result I’m not a fan of any form of proprietary charger. But considering few wearables are charged using regular Micro USB or USB-C cables, the inclusion of a proprietary dock isn’t actually a massive surprise. In addition, considering the Vivosmart HR+’s solid five-day battery life, it shouldn’t prove too much of an issue.
Once charged, setting up the Vivosmart HR+ is pretty straightforward. Simply download the Garmin Connect app to your smartphone (iOS and Android) and set up, or sign into, your Garmin account. From there you just have to turn on the handset’s Bluetooth and follow a series of on-screen commands to pair the Vivosmart HR+ to your phone and account.
Garmin Vivosmart HR+ – Tracking and Software
Once paired, the Vivosmart HR+ offers a few useful smartwatch services, such as a music player controller and basic notifications and weather alerts. But its main focus is health tracking.
The Vivosmart HR+ automatically tracks your step count, heart rate and calories burned, alongside distance and time walked. However, you need to manually notify the device when you’re about to embark on a specific exercise. You do this by accessing a second menu that activates when you press the Vivosmart HR+’s front physical button. From there you have to press the exercise icon and select the workout you want it to track.
I’ve always been a big fan of trackers that can automatically detect what exercise you’re doing – the Basis Peak and Withings Go are good examples. But considering the sheer volume of exercises the Vivosmart can track and how much data it offers thereafter, I can forgive the manual controls.
Testing the Vivosmart HR+ against a Basis Peak and Microsoft Band 2 on a run I know is 5km long, the Garmin performed well. The Basis Peak and Band 2 are two of the most accurate trackers I’ve tested and the Garmin’s distance measurements were consistent with them.
The heart-rate reading also remained consistently accurate and, unlike the Blaze, never once told me my heart was beating at a humming bird’s pace. The Vivosmart is also able to detect when its user is running up elevations, which will be useful for those like myself who occasionally do stair sprints.
Once you’ve completed your workout, you can view all the information on the Vivosmart’s screen. To access it all, however, you need to activate the Garmin Go app. Within the app you’ll be treated to charts showcasing everything from your overall activity for the day to performance breakdowns of specific workouts, and how you slept the previous night.
