Garmin Vivoactive 4 Smartwatch

I had a Fitbit Charge 5 that died within 8 months. Aside from the awful $9.99 a month subscription, it was also terribly inaccurate during exercises, which is kind of its main job. Thankfully, this fitness tracker by Garmin is 100x better and highly recommended.

Right out of the box this watch is better. It looks nice, has a sturdy build quality, and the wristband fits even my small wrist. I had to buy a 3rd party wristband for my old Fitbit. There’s no monthly subscription to access any of the data for the app. The app is easy to use, runs in the background and updates on my phone with no issues. It was easy to set up when I first started using it.

The exercise tracking is superb. My Fitbit would have extremely irregular heart tracking. I’d be in a full cardio workout and it would register my heart rate at 80bpm. This tracker has no issues – the heart rate tracker works well, doesn’t have wild drops, and steadily and accurately records my heart rate with no issues. I’ve used the walk activity tracker to track a 3 hour hike, and it recorded my route, heart rate, and calories burned.

I’ve read other reviews mentioning that the battery life doesn’t live up to the specs, but I haven’t seen this as the case. On my 3 hour hike using GPS, my battery only drained 15%. If you make sure that your Pulse Ox meter is off, you should get several days worth of battery. It also charges quickly, so if you take it off and charge it when you shower, you should have no issues.

Overall, I highly recommend this tracker. It’s very accurate, has a good battery life, lots of features, and it is visually appealing.

The Garmin vivoactive 4 is a remarkable fitness tracker that has impressed me as a former Fitbit user of over 10 years. Reluctant to switch brands initially, I found the Garmin to be a superior product, offering not only similar features but also a greater level of durability. This goes above and beyond as a fitness tracker, providing an extensive range of features that enhance both my workout routines and daily life. It boasts an accurate GPS tracking system, enabling me to monitor my outdoor activities with precision. Whether I’m running, cycling, or hiking, the vivoactive 4 consistently delivers reliable data regarding distance, pace, and elevation.

Furthermore, this device seamlessly integrates with my smartphone, allowing me to receive notifications for calls, texts, and other important alerts. The ability to stay connected without the need to constantly check my phone has proven to be incredibly convenient, especially during workouts when I don’t want to be distracted.

One aspect that truly sets this apart from other fitness trackers is its exceptional durability. Having used Fitbit devices in the past, I noticed a significant difference in the build quality of the Garmin. The vivoactive 4 is designed to withstand the rigors of an active lifestyle, making it an ideal companion for fitness enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike. Its robust construction ensures it can handle various environments, including harsh weather conditions and accidental bumps.

It features a user-friendly interface that is intuitive and easy to navigate. The touchscreen display is responsive and provides clear visibility, even in bright sunlight. The menu layout is well-organized, allowing quick access to various features and settings. I appreciate the simplicity of adjusting settings, creating personalized workout profiles, and tracking my progress effortlessly.

Another notable aspect I love is its impressive battery life. With regular usage, I found that the device can easily last up to 7 days on a single charge. This extended battery life ensures that I can rely on it for extended periods without worrying about constant recharging.

While the Garmin vivoactive 4 excels in many aspects, one feature that is noticeably absent is the smart wake alarm. Fitbit devices offered this convenient feature that gradually wakes you up with gentle vibrations, when you are in light sleep. Although the vivoactive 4 lacks this specific capability, its overall performance and durability more than compensate for this minor drawback.

Overall, the Garmin vivoactive 4 surpasses my expectations as a fitness tracker, proving to be a worthy replacement for my Fitbit Charge 5 device. With its extensive range of features, durable design, user-friendly interface, and impressive battery life, the vivoactive 4 has undoubtedly elevated my fitness journey. While the absence of a smart wake alarm is a minor inconvenience, it does not diminish the overall excellence of this top-tier product. I highly recommend the Garmin vivoactive 4 to anyone seeking a reliable and durable fitness tracker that goes the extra mile.

My older Huwaei watch wouldn’t synch to my phone or app anymore which was a shame especially for the price. Few years back I choose the Huwaei band over a Garmin since Garmin was out of my budget.

The first couple of days I wore both the watch and the band and compare what data I could since it wasn’t synching with my phone. They were still quite comparable and still would be quite happy with my Huawei if it still worked, but it does not.

I compared the price of the watch through many sites and including the website for Garmin. Amazon was by far the cheaper option even through it was going through Amazon Garmin store. Also, what made this an easier transaction was the payment plan over 5 months with no interest. . . .I was very tempted to buy more of an expensive watch with that option.

It wasn’t an easy option of which band to purchase. I could’ve gotten a newer style for around the same price. Thankfully I found a website that asked multiple and more in depth questions than the Garmin website and it kept pairing me up with this watch style with two other options which were the others I was looking with, so I purchased the Vivoactive 4s.

I was quite apprehensive since there was such a broad spectrum of reviews, where people either loved it or hated it. Also, people were complaining the watch strap was too small and I don’t have a delicate wrist. My wrist circumference is about 6.75″ and the band definitely fits with a fair bit of holes leftover. Although I feel like I’m in between holes. I feel like the smaller face looks good on my wrist. It’s not too big or small. I didn’t want a computer on my wrist. It’s super light and comfortable except for the between the hole sizes and my wrist does swell depending on heat etc. I’ve tried on a Fenix before and I’m not exactly sure which model it is, but its heavy and seems massive on my wrist.

This watch has the transflective vs the newer amoled display. I actually wanted the transflective over the amoled. My old watch was amoled and I hated it outside in the sun. I’d have to shade it and move around my arm just to see it. While I understand that other watches you can set up the always on display or have it turn on when you touch the screen, but I had that before and I’ve found my gloves wouldn’t wake up the watch and I’d have to remove my gloves. I really like that it looks like a watch and depending on the face it just looks like a real watch. Even with the washed out screen as people have complained about I really enjoy it. I have it set at about 30% brightness and find it decent inside under lights and I can tap the screen if it’s dark inside. I love the screen outside which I spend alot of time.

The face of the watch doesn’t look good with high detail and isn’t as rich. It looks pixelated. Thankfully I found several I really like on the IQ app. I like simple and clean so there are quite a few I can use. BUT I still love it, especially outside!!

As for the features. It’s like a hybrid watch. It is touch screen but has two buttons, which I love this. I really do like touch screen. It linked perfectly with the older Samsung phone. This is being used as a fitness tracker and not as a smartwatch, so all features of texting, emails etc have been deactivated. The only thing I kept was if someone calls me it vibrates to my wrist. The stress and body battery is a nice new feature. I have pulse ox turned off to save battery but do plan on activating it around monthly for about a week to measure my advancement or any changes during my sleep. As for sleep it doesn’t do naps, and isn’t super correct, but this isn’t a medical device but something to help me to become healthier and just keep basic records. There is so many features….it’s hard to review all of them. Love that I can set my goals of stairs, steps, active mins etc. I deactivate the iq move option since I do not want to “add” extra active mins because I’m walking to my car but want to focus on my actual exercise I add daily. The move option if you’ve been sitting a long time actually takes a few mins of walking to deactivate vs just getting up and walking to the fridge. I find it helpful with the buttons and I can move my activities around. Couple pushes of the buttons and I’m recording the activity at the top of my list with no touching of the screen. This is perfect for me since right now I’m just doing elliptical.

It hasn’t added steps when driving to work. I use a rideon and it will add a few steps, but not many. It’s not really an issue to me because I push now for about an hour and it doesn’t read any of those steps. It also read vigorous weeding as a few steps. It doesn’t bother me, since it isn’t adding 1000’s of steps and it’s just a tool to become active and hold myself accountable.

The battery isn’t super long, but it’s way longer than my old band which I charged everyday while in the shower. It generally is around the 4 or 5 day mark that I’m putting it on the charger. It has around 30% battery left and about an hour to charge fully. Now I’m not using alot of features so battery life will differ.

Unfortunately I have not used the GPS for a walk yet, or my hikes. I did connect to the GPS a few times just to see how fast it connected. I’m very happy. Way quicker than my last watch. I’m not sure if it shows a map in the app once the activity is completed. I hope so. My outdoor activities are seasonal, which may seem weird, but I do lots if hikes and walks in the cooler seasons along with other fitness activities and summer time is mostly gardening and maintaining the property along with indoor fitness.

I cannot give a review on the music aspect since I have no intentions of using it. The watch has everything and more.