For months I had been researching activity trackers that were also fairly decent in tracking heart rate and sleep, and could fit my small (5.5") wrist. (I say "fairly decent" here because it's important to keep in mind that this is a wrist-based piece of technology - it's not a moving treadmill with wires and electrodes and a team of scientists measuring every muscle twitch.) I've had the HR+ for almost two weeks now, and I love this thing! A lot of the features are already described in the specs and in other reviews, so I'll just add some things that stood out to me.
Awesome features:
1) The device and the Garmin Connect iPhone app are intuitive to use (not dumbed down), and both are customizable. Tapping the app screen leads to even more information, and I'm still finding out more everyday! I sync it twice a day - once in the morning to check my sleep (deep sleep, light sleep, and awake states, which are based on movement), and once right before bed to see how much I've accomplished throughout the day. A single charge has lasted me 6-7 days.
2) The HR+ really motivates! After 1 hour of inactivity, it buzzes and the MOVE! bar appears on the time screen. Every 15 minutes after that, it adds a minibar (up to 4) so you know when you've been sitting still for 2 hours. It takes about 200 steps (or 100 jumping jacks or 5 flights of stairs...) to clear the bar when it is maxed out, but fewer steps the sooner you clear it. There are also fireworks on the screen and a triple buzz when a fitness goal (e.g., steps per day, floors climbed, etc) is achieved. You even get virtual trophies :) I took it backpacking last weekend and it was awesome feeling the buzz and seeing the screen show "3x GOAL" with fireworks.
Some aspects that are slightly less desirable, but still acceptable:
1) The size is not too overwhelming, but the device definitely is a bit large for smaller wrists (see pics). Although I have the band on almost the tightest setting, I can still stick my thumb through. This isn't as drastic as it seems, though, because the extra space gets distributed between both sides of my wrist. Due to this wiggle room, the heart rate tracking sometimes gets wacky and spikes when doing anything that involves a lot of wrist-twisting (e.g., putting away dishes). But, this is the best fitting HR tracker for smaller wrists that I've tried including the Jawbone UP3 and Fitbit Charge HR.
2) The sleep stages are automatically calculated based on movement, and I've found that when I sync the device in the morning, they are pretty on-point. However, sometimes during my nightly sync, the calculations re-adjust and say I've slept for longer. This is an easy fix as the sleep and awake times can be edited, but this has happened quite a few times (though not enough to be that annoying).
3) The number of floors climbed is still a bit of a mystery. Sometimes it tracks it perfectly, other times it misses a couple of floors. This isn't horrible, though, because it just makes me move more to make up for those untracked stairs.
Overall, the HR+ isn't perfect, but it does its job pretty well!
Update 6/17/16:
I still love this thing! Here are a few new things I've learned about the device:
1) I've now gone 8 days on a single charge (without taxing the device w/ GPS or continuous HR during a workout). The empty battery icon appears for approximately 15 hours on the time screen (see pic) before it says "Battery Low" (see pic). Steps/HR/etc are still being tracked, but "Battery Low" remains on the screen so you can't see the time. Note: the MOVE! bar in the pic shows that I've been idle for 1.5 hours (1 hour for the big bar, and two 15 minute minibars).
2) The vibration alarm can be snoozed for 10 minutes.
3) For those who have been having issues with syncing, I plugged my HR+ into my laptop to fully charge it as soon as I received it, and then logged into Garmin Connect (online) before pairing it with my iPhone (5s). The website is a bit clunky, but I've rarely used it, and I've had no issues with syncing. In terms of syncing with the iPhone app, bluetooth on both the device and the phone must be turned on, and there must be some sort of internet connection - it does not sync with bluetooth alone, since Garmin Connect is a web-based app (very little data is actually stored on the phone). The device automatically syncs when the app is open, or it can manually be synced via the device button (sync icon) or through the app (More>Garmin Devices>Sync icon).
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From the manufacturer
Beat Yesterday, Every Day
vívosmart HR+ learns your current activity level, then assigns an attainable daily step goal. As you meet your milestones, it will adjust your goal for the next day, gradually nudging you toward a healthier lifestyle.
vívosmart HR+
Smart Activity Tracker with Wrist-based Heart Rate plus GPS
Turn your steps into strides with vívosmart HR+, the GPS activity tracker with Elevate wrist heart rate technology. Not only does it count steps, calories, floors climbed and intensity minutes, it uses GPS satellites to track how far and how fast you go during almost any activity — from running to rollerblading. Also includes a move bar that gives you a vibrating reminder to get up and move when you've been inactive for too long. Stay connected with smart notifications that include email, text, call, social media, calendar alerts and more, right on your wrist.
Activity Tracking with GPS
vívosmart HR+ is different from our other activity trackers — not because it lacks any of their features, but because of what it includes that they don't. Having a device that uses built-in GPS to monitor your activity makes for more accurate data. vívosmart HR+ quickly acquires satellite signals to track you during your favorite activity or workout, giving you precise data about how far you traveled, how fast and where — even under tree cover.
Garmin Connect
vívosmart HR+ automatically syncs with your smartphone throughout the day to save your stats to our free online community. Simply download Garmin Connect Mobile to your phone or log on to Garmin Connect via your desktop, where you can save, plan and share your activity and beat yesterday in your daily step count. Connect with other users to challenge and compete. For detailed calorie tracking, you can create an account at MyFitnessPal and link it to your Garmin Connect account. This allows you to compare calories consumed to total calories burned, which vívosmart HR+ records throughout the day.
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| vívomove | vívofit 3 | vívosmart HR | vívosmart HR+ | vívoactive | vívoactive HR | |
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| Customer Reviews |
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| Steps | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Distance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Step Goal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Battery Life | 1+ year | 1+ year | Up to 5 days | Up to 5 days | Up to 3 weeks | Up to 8 days |
| Touchscreen | ✓ | ✓ | Color | Color | ||
| Smart Notifications | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Connect IQ Apps | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Wrist-based HR | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Intensity Minutes Tracking | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| GPS Enabled | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Reviews with images
Good for running, tracking activities, and motivating you to move more
I am a previous MIO Fuse owner, and after my cat destroyed it I was in the market for a new fitness band. I wavered between the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ and the Fitbit Charge 2, my goal being to find a band for daily wear with an HRM to track my daily movement, running and strength training activities, and calories burned - bearing in mind that no wrist band (especially the HRM feature) is entirely accurate and should be used for ballpark measurements. The Fitbit Charge 2 has better overall reviews, but I ultimately went with this device due to the fact that it's waterproof and has a built-in GPS (neither of which can be said about the Fitbit Charge 2), meaning you don't need to bring your phone with you to use the GPS feature. I've worn it day and night for the past few weeks and overall I'm pleased with my purchase. Here are the pro and con highlights:PROS:- Fit: I have a pretty small wrist and this fits well with a couple notches in the band to spare. While it's not the most comfortable thing I've ever worn it's not too bad, especially since I switch wrists each day. I read some people thought it was too bulky but I don't find it to be overly so. The only time I find it uncomfortable at times is while sleeping, but if you don't care about the sleep tracking feature you can take it off at night.- Waterproof: I'm a klutz and will forget to take the band off before showering or will splash water on it when washing my hands. Additionally it makes it easier to keep clean. This was a must for me.- Altimeter: calculates (roughly) stairs climbed- GPS: Built-in so you don't need to carry your phone while running. When you sync with the app it shows a map of your route within in app, along with all kinds of data - pace, distance, calories burned, etc. Unfortunately where I live in Seattle it's pretty much cloudy all the time, so I can't always use the GPS function. On a clear day however, the GPS finds a signal in less than a minute.- Ease of use: I'm no old fart, but I also don't keep up on state-of-the-art technology. I found this device easy to set up, personalize, and use. The accompanying Connect app is also simple to use, and while some people say the information it and the online software provide are overkill, I love data and find it to be useful and fun to scroll through. There are lots of graphs, statistics and what not, tracking your current day and historic data; even if you're only in it for your step count and calories burned, you can find that information easily.- Features: There are some great features on this band including but not limited to: activity tracking, optional vibrating alarm, syncing of phone notifications (you can choose which to include such as phone calls, texts, Twitter, Facebook, and others), a vibration reminder to move after being idle, and weather notifications. The same is true for the app and online software where you can earn badges for meeting and beating activity criteria, challenges you can participate in against other users (random users or your friends & family) such as reaching a certain number of steps in a given week, set activity goals to meet, and more. These additional items make the band fun to use rather than just "strictly business."- Battery: I use most of the notification functions, record running and strength activities including GPS usage 4-5 times per week, sync data several times a day, and the battery has lasted a good 5-6 days before I need to charge it. It take less than an hour to full recharge. Note: this can be charged through a USB wall charger converter. At first I thought mine wasn't charging because you get a big ol' charging icon when charging through a computer USB port, but when using a wall charger you see a tiny charging battery icon on the date screen only, so it may appear it's not charging.CONS:- Accuracy: It's true this band, as with any other fitness band, is not going to be 100% accurate. Sometimes the stairs counter is off by a flight, sometimes it's not (note: it counts any elevation gain, including walking up a steep hill, as flights of stairs). The HRM works pretty well for running in my experience - I've stopped and counted my pulse while watching the HRM, and it's within 1-3 BPM. It's more iffy when it comes to strength training exercises when your heart rate vacillates; I find the HRM catches up a little after I've done a set, so I take the calories burned for a recorded strength training session with a grain of salt.- Device make: While the device itself feels solid, the band does not feel super sturdy and I've read many reports of users' bands breaking and having to go back and forth with the manufacturer for a replacement. The band is not interchangeable, so once the band goes there's no easy fix. The screen is susceptible to light scuffs, but so far I've been able to wash them off (no full-on scratches)- Issues: I've only had this for a few weeks but it has frozen up once. Holding down the button to hard reset it then turning it back on did the trick, picking back up where it left off. Hoping this isn't a repeat problem.If you're shopping around, you need to ask yourself a few questions:- What are your fitness tracking goals - do you care most about calories burned, steps taken, or just wearing something to motivate you to move more? If you're hardcore about calories burned, get a chest strap HRM which is way more accurate. If you don't care about tracking your runs or walking sessions, perhaps you don't need something with a GPS. And so on.Overall I enjoy this wrist band as someone who runs, does strength training, and likes to get some motivation to move more throughout the day. I encourage people to question whether the functions it offers fit their needs, and if they're comfortable with not-100%-accurate data as that's what you will get with any fitness wrist band.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2016
For months I had been researching activity trackers that were also fairly decent in tracking heart rate and sleep, and could fit my small (5.5") wrist. (I say "fairly decent" here because it's important to keep in mind that this is a wrist-based piece of technology - it's not a moving treadmill with wires and electrodes and a team of scientists measuring every muscle twitch.) I've had the HR+ for almost two weeks now, and I love this thing! A lot of the features are already described in the specs and in other reviews, so I'll just add some things that stood out to me.
Awesome features:
1) The device and the Garmin Connect iPhone app are intuitive to use (not dumbed down), and both are customizable. Tapping the app screen leads to even more information, and I'm still finding out more everyday! I sync it twice a day - once in the morning to check my sleep (deep sleep, light sleep, and awake states, which are based on movement), and once right before bed to see how much I've accomplished throughout the day. A single charge has lasted me 6-7 days.
2) The HR+ really motivates! After 1 hour of inactivity, it buzzes and the MOVE! bar appears on the time screen. Every 15 minutes after that, it adds a minibar (up to 4) so you know when you've been sitting still for 2 hours. It takes about 200 steps (or 100 jumping jacks or 5 flights of stairs...) to clear the bar when it is maxed out, but fewer steps the sooner you clear it. There are also fireworks on the screen and a triple buzz when a fitness goal (e.g., steps per day, floors climbed, etc) is achieved. You even get virtual trophies :) I took it backpacking last weekend and it was awesome feeling the buzz and seeing the screen show "3x GOAL" with fireworks.
Some aspects that are slightly less desirable, but still acceptable:
1) The size is not too overwhelming, but the device definitely is a bit large for smaller wrists (see pics). Although I have the band on almost the tightest setting, I can still stick my thumb through. This isn't as drastic as it seems, though, because the extra space gets distributed between both sides of my wrist. Due to this wiggle room, the heart rate tracking sometimes gets wacky and spikes when doing anything that involves a lot of wrist-twisting (e.g., putting away dishes). But, this is the best fitting HR tracker for smaller wrists that I've tried including the Jawbone UP3 and Fitbit Charge HR.
2) The sleep stages are automatically calculated based on movement, and I've found that when I sync the device in the morning, they are pretty on-point. However, sometimes during my nightly sync, the calculations re-adjust and say I've slept for longer. This is an easy fix as the sleep and awake times can be edited, but this has happened quite a few times (though not enough to be that annoying).
3) The number of floors climbed is still a bit of a mystery. Sometimes it tracks it perfectly, other times it misses a couple of floors. This isn't horrible, though, because it just makes me move more to make up for those untracked stairs.
Overall, the HR+ isn't perfect, but it does its job pretty well!
Update 6/17/16:
I still love this thing! Here are a few new things I've learned about the device:
1) I've now gone 8 days on a single charge (without taxing the device w/ GPS or continuous HR during a workout). The empty battery icon appears for approximately 15 hours on the time screen (see pic) before it says "Battery Low" (see pic). Steps/HR/etc are still being tracked, but "Battery Low" remains on the screen so you can't see the time. Note: the MOVE! bar in the pic shows that I've been idle for 1.5 hours (1 hour for the big bar, and two 15 minute minibars).
2) The vibration alarm can be snoozed for 10 minutes.
3) For those who have been having issues with syncing, I plugged my HR+ into my laptop to fully charge it as soon as I received it, and then logged into Garmin Connect (online) before pairing it with my iPhone (5s). The website is a bit clunky, but I've rarely used it, and I've had no issues with syncing. In terms of syncing with the iPhone app, bluetooth on both the device and the phone must be turned on, and there must be some sort of internet connection - it does not sync with bluetooth alone, since Garmin Connect is a web-based app (very little data is actually stored on the phone). The device automatically syncs when the app is open, or it can manually be synced via the device button (sync icon) or through the app (More>Garmin Devices>Sync icon).
Awesome features:
1) The device and the Garmin Connect iPhone app are intuitive to use (not dumbed down), and both are customizable. Tapping the app screen leads to even more information, and I'm still finding out more everyday! I sync it twice a day - once in the morning to check my sleep (deep sleep, light sleep, and awake states, which are based on movement), and once right before bed to see how much I've accomplished throughout the day. A single charge has lasted me 6-7 days.
2) The HR+ really motivates! After 1 hour of inactivity, it buzzes and the MOVE! bar appears on the time screen. Every 15 minutes after that, it adds a minibar (up to 4) so you know when you've been sitting still for 2 hours. It takes about 200 steps (or 100 jumping jacks or 5 flights of stairs...) to clear the bar when it is maxed out, but fewer steps the sooner you clear it. There are also fireworks on the screen and a triple buzz when a fitness goal (e.g., steps per day, floors climbed, etc) is achieved. You even get virtual trophies :) I took it backpacking last weekend and it was awesome feeling the buzz and seeing the screen show "3x GOAL" with fireworks.
Some aspects that are slightly less desirable, but still acceptable:
1) The size is not too overwhelming, but the device definitely is a bit large for smaller wrists (see pics). Although I have the band on almost the tightest setting, I can still stick my thumb through. This isn't as drastic as it seems, though, because the extra space gets distributed between both sides of my wrist. Due to this wiggle room, the heart rate tracking sometimes gets wacky and spikes when doing anything that involves a lot of wrist-twisting (e.g., putting away dishes). But, this is the best fitting HR tracker for smaller wrists that I've tried including the Jawbone UP3 and Fitbit Charge HR.
2) The sleep stages are automatically calculated based on movement, and I've found that when I sync the device in the morning, they are pretty on-point. However, sometimes during my nightly sync, the calculations re-adjust and say I've slept for longer. This is an easy fix as the sleep and awake times can be edited, but this has happened quite a few times (though not enough to be that annoying).
3) The number of floors climbed is still a bit of a mystery. Sometimes it tracks it perfectly, other times it misses a couple of floors. This isn't horrible, though, because it just makes me move more to make up for those untracked stairs.
Overall, the HR+ isn't perfect, but it does its job pretty well!
Update 6/17/16:
I still love this thing! Here are a few new things I've learned about the device:
1) I've now gone 8 days on a single charge (without taxing the device w/ GPS or continuous HR during a workout). The empty battery icon appears for approximately 15 hours on the time screen (see pic) before it says "Battery Low" (see pic). Steps/HR/etc are still being tracked, but "Battery Low" remains on the screen so you can't see the time. Note: the MOVE! bar in the pic shows that I've been idle for 1.5 hours (1 hour for the big bar, and two 15 minute minibars).
2) The vibration alarm can be snoozed for 10 minutes.
3) For those who have been having issues with syncing, I plugged my HR+ into my laptop to fully charge it as soon as I received it, and then logged into Garmin Connect (online) before pairing it with my iPhone (5s). The website is a bit clunky, but I've rarely used it, and I've had no issues with syncing. In terms of syncing with the iPhone app, bluetooth on both the device and the phone must be turned on, and there must be some sort of internet connection - it does not sync with bluetooth alone, since Garmin Connect is a web-based app (very little data is actually stored on the phone). The device automatically syncs when the app is open, or it can manually be synced via the device button (sync icon) or through the app (More>Garmin Devices>Sync icon).
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2016
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Images in this review
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