Garmin Vivosport Features. The Vivosport can track your daily steps, distance covered, and as well calories burned while working out. It can also detect long period of inactivities and will alert you to move. The Vivosport monitors the complete cycle of your sleep that includes the light, deep and REM stages.
Garmin Pay™ No Automatic daylight saving time Yes Projected waypoint No Bread crumb trail in real time No Time/date yes Rewards (coins) No Calories burned Yes Customizable activity profiles No Segments (Live, Garmin) No Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields, widgets and apps) No. Garmin Connect is a thriving online community where people on the go can connect and compete by joining challenges, encourage each other’s successes and even share their triumphs via social media. Garmin Connect is free and available on the web or on your smartphone with the Garmin Connect™ Mobile app. Factory reset garmin vivosport, smart band reset tips. You can also edit an existing watch face ( Editing a Watch Face) or create a new one ( Creating a Custom Watch Face). From the watch face, hold. Select Watch Face. Swipe right or left to scroll through the available watch faces. Tap the touchscreen to select the watch face. Child Topics: Editing a Watch Face. Creating a Custom Watch Face.
Several of Garmin’s latest watches offer support for apps, music and other smart features. They can also be personalized by downloading and installing custom watch faces, which completely change the way the main display looks.
Some of the Garmin smartwatches that support custom watch faces include Fenix 6, Forerunner 235, Vivoactive 3, Forerunner 45, Forerunner 245 and Forerunner 945. If you’d like to check whether or not your device is supported you can visit Garmin’s ConnectIQ storefront.
Like much of Garmin’s downloadable content, the watch faces are created by third-party developers. You can browse, download and rate them via ConnectIQ. More are added to the store regularly, so it’s always good to check back and see what’s new.
You can also download apps, widgets, and other updates via ConnectIQ depending on the device you own. Almost any of Garmin’s wearables can be enhanced by adding new device apps or custom data fields, which allows the watch to track more than it does natively. A Garmin Approach golf-themed watch, for example, can be used to track hiking specific stats, or display a star-chart, merely by installing new content.
That being said, one of the best ways to spruce up your watch is to install custom watch faces. You can find new faces that display way more than just the time, like sports stats, calendar details and even custom graphics — there’s a Super Mario themed watch face!
To help you get started, here are some of the best Garmin watch faces you can download right now:
25. Duck Hunt
Remember the classic Nintendo game Duck Hunt? That’s precisely what this watch face is, an animated rendition. When you look at your watch the animation plays, showing an endearing Muttley giggling as ducks fly overhead.
There are no stats displayed, just the time and date so this watch face is best when you don’t care to see your data or metrics.
Compatible Devices: D2 Bravo/ Titanium / Charlie / Delta / Delta PX / Delta S, Descent MK1, Epix, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 45 / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, Fenix Chronos, Garmin Swim 2, Vivoactive, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Music, Vivoactive HR
24. CarbonAnalog
If you want a simple analog watch with a carbon-fiber style design then CarbonAnalog is a good choice. Right now, not many devices are supported. Hopefully, the developer will add more soon.
Compatible Devices: D2 Bravo, D2 Bravo Titanium, Fenix 3, Fenix Quatix 3, Fenix Tactix Bravo, Fenix 3 HR, Fenix Chronos
23. Energy Face
If you want a clean e-ink style watch face that doesn’t use a lot of battery, check out Energy Face. It also displays a huge selection of personal stats and info, like Bluetooth status, alarm, and moon phases. It also has several configurable fields.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, All D2, Descent MK1, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ / Forerunner 230 / 235 / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 935, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Music
Energy Face at ConnectIQ
22. Simply Late!
This watch face offers a rather unique take on the modern watch. All that’s displayed is the current hour with a progress indicator to tell you what part of the hour you’re in. Data is also displayed nicely at the top. It’s meant for anyone who likes to see the current hour at a glance, but nothing more.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Descent MK1, First Avenger, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 45 / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, Garmin Swim 2, All MARQ, Rey, Vivoactive, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivoactive HR
21. Divinity
Like skulls? Want one on your watch face alongside the date and time? Then check out Divinity, an official watch face from Garmin.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, All D2, Descent MK1, First Avenger, Forerunner 245 / 245 Music / 645 / 645 Music / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivolife
20. GearMin
The GearMin watch face is an absolute beast, displaying just about every stat and personal detail your watch can track. It’s for data lovers and always active people, specifically those that want quick access to all important stats. You get elevation, current location, date and time, total steps, goal progress, Bluetooth status, notifications, heart-rate, alarms, an activity graph and much more.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Darth Vader, Descent MK1, Epix, First Avenger, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ / 920XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 920XT / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Rey, Vivoactive, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivoactive HR, Vivolife
19. Classic Collection
The best thing about this watch face is it’s a bundle that includes several classic designs inspired by real watches. All of the faces feature analog clock designs, of which there are seven. There are a variety of configurable colors, backgrounds, clock hands and more.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Descent MK1, First Avenger, Forerunner 245 / 245 Music / 645 / 645 Music / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Rey, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S
18. DividedTime
Want a plain style watch that displays the current time and date, with plenty of configurable options? Look no further than DividedTime. It offers a wide range of color options for the foreground and background. You can also remove everything extra for an incredibly clean style.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Descent MK1, First Avenger, ForeAthlete 735XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 45 / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, Garmin Swim 2, All MARQ, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivolife
17. Infinity
Infinity mimics traditional analog watches by display hour, minute and second hands. In the background is an infinite array of cubes, which is where the name comes from. At the north side of the face is the battery level and the south side has total steps. It looks great, works great and is definitely one to grab.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Darth Vader, First Avenger, Forerunner 245 / 245 Music / 645 / 645 Music / 935 / 945, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Rey, Venu, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivolife
16. RunningPro
This watch face has another analog-style design, except it displays running and activity stats in the background. You can see battery levels, current weight, altitude, calories burned, total steps, data, moon phase and more.
Compatible Devices: All D2, Forerunner 645 / 645 Music / 935, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5
15. Clock32
This watch face has a stylish, digital design with the time and date in the center and a progress bar around the edges. It supports multiple color configurations and displays a ton of extra details. You can see heart-rate, total steps, notifications, alarms, Bluetooth status, battery level and much more.
Compatible Devices: All D2, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ / 920XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 920XT / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, Fenix Chronos, Vivoactive, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive HR
14. Time Flies
This watch face has a slick, analog and digital clock design with “rich customization options” and support for several detailed stats like data, Bluetooth status, and battery level.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, All D2, Descent MK1, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ / 920XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 920XT / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Vivoactive, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive HR, Vivolife
13. DigiSport
This watch face closely resembles the Nike face available on the Nike+ edition of the Apple Watch. The time is displayed on the right, and three circular icons sit on the left. The icons can be customized, allowing you to choose what’s displayed. Most of the options are unlocked by buying the premium version for $1.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Darth Vader, Descent MK1, Epix, First Avenger, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ / 920XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 920XT / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Rey, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivolife
12. Lachesis (Light)
This animated watch face displays illuminated neon colors around the edges and places the time right in the center. There are four color schemes: coral pink, sunset orange, ocean green and sand grey. Extra info displayed includes calories burned, battery level, data and total steps.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Darth Vader, Descent MK1, First Avenger, Forerunner 245 / 245 Music / 645 / 645 Music / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Rey, Venu, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivolife
11. SkyTracker
If you want to see weather data, SkyTracker is the right watch face. It will show the temperature and weather conditions for your current location. It also displays battery level, heart-rate, mobile notifications, time and data. Additional options are available to unlock, too, like new colors and more.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Darth Vader, Descent MK1, First Avenger, Forerunner 245 / 245 Music / 645 / 645 Music / 935 / 945, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, All MARQ, Rey, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivolife
10. ActiFace
If you want as much information on your small watch display as possible, then ActiFace is the right choice. It shows time and date, daily goal progress, total steps, mobile notifications and heart-rate. It also displays a useful activity history graph that shows the distance you’ve traveled and the total calories you’ve burned along the way.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Darth Vader, Descent MK1, Epix, First Avenger, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ / 920XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 45 / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 920 XT / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, Garmin Swim 2, All MARQ, Rey, Venu, Vivoactive, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivoactive HR, Vivolife
9. Gigantus
This watch face puts the time front and center in large, bold print. Various stats are displayed around the time, including heart-rate, Bluetooth status, alarms, activity details and more. You can also change the display colors by choosing from several presets.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, All D2, Descent MK1, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 935, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, Fenix Chronos, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music
Gigantus at ConnectIQ
8. Sport Master
Another official Garmin watch face, Sport Master is for all the active folks out there who want to track their progress in real-time. Time is displayed in both digital and analog formats. Additional details include calories burned, total steps, distance traveled, date, battery level and more.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Darth Vader, Descent MK1, First Avenger, Forerunner 245 / 245 Music / 645 / 645 Music / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Rey, Venu, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivolife
7. NoFrills
If you want something that has no frills, this watch face is the one to grab. The time sits front and center in a beautiful, bold font. As you progress towards your daily goal the numbers fill up with water. Additional stats are displayed around the edges including heart-rate, date, alarms, Bluetooth status, notifications and battery level.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Darth Vader, Descent MK1, Epix, First Avenger, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ / 920XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 45 / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 920 XT / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Rey, Venu, Vivoactive, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivoactive HR, Vivolife
6. Ha Long Bay
Another animated watch face, Ha Long Bay adds a beautiful boating scene. Stats include total steps, battery levels, Bluetooth on, and time and date. It’s minimal, but it looks great and leaves plenty of open space to see the animation.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, All D2, Descent MK1, Epix, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ / 920XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 920XT / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Vivoactive, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive HR, Vivolife
5. JBlack
If you want a clean watch face that’s packed to the brim with info, JBlack is your best bet. It shows alarms, battery levels, BT status, the current moon phase, total steps, and, of course, the time and date. Plus, if you make a small donation to the developer who created it, you can unlock a few other features too like heart-rate or sunrise and set times (to clarify, the watch already shows this info via settings but a donation adds support to the home screen).
Compatible Devices: D2 Delta / Delta PX / Delta S, Descent MK1, Forerunner 645 / 645 Music, 935 / 945, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, All MARQ
4. Crystal
Want as much information on-screen as possible, yet in an attractive way? Crystal is your type of watch face. It was named the winner of “Best New Watch Face” at Garmin’s 2019 Connect IQ Developer awards. It shows a variety of stats and info, and there are three configurable data fields including heart-rate, battery level, and mobile notifications.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, All D2, Darth Vader, Descent MK1, First Avenger, ForeAthlete 735XTJ, Forerunner 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 45 / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 920XT/ 935, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, Garmin Swim 2, All MARQ, Venu, Vivoactive, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivoactive HR, Vivolife
3. Movement
Made by Garmin, Movement is an excellent watch face in style and function. There’s a rainbow style UI, with various metrics placed around the face. You can see elevation, battery levels, a music equalizer, along with time and date. You can also change the colors to personalize the face if you like.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, All D2, Descent MK1, Forerunner 245 / 245 Music / 645 / 645 Music / 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivolife
2. Line
Line takes a unique approach to display metrics and time info on screen all at once. As the name suggests, a line separates the time and date from personal stats. There are multiple configurations so you can swap the layout to be side-by-side or top-bottom. You can change the display colors. The information shown includes calories burned, battery life, weather, heart-rate, mobile notifications, alarms and more.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, Captain Marvel, All D2, Descent MK1, Epix, ForeAthlete 230J / 235J / 630J / 735XTJ / 920XTJ, Forerunner 230 / 235 / 245 / 245 Music / 630 / 645 / 645 Music / 735XT / 920XT/ 935 / 945, All Fenix 3, All Fenix 5, All Fenix 6, Fenix Chronos, All MARQ, Vivoactive, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivoactive 4 / 4S, Vivoactive HR
1. My Watch
My Watch takes the number one spot because of how functional it is. It doesn’t look bad either, especially with how the minor details are displayed. The time takes front and center, and you get a wide variety of stats and info including heart-rate, activity time, altitude, temperature, moon phases, and much more. There are also two styles, light and dark, and none of the features are locked behind a paywall or donation requirement.
Compatible Devices: Approach S60, All D2, Descent MK1, Forerunner 645 / 645 Music / 935, All Fenix 5, Vivoactive 3 / 3 Mercedes-Benz Collection / 3 Music, Vivolife
© Provided by Fit&Well Our reviewer, Andrew Williams, holds the Garmin VivosportThe Garmin Vivosport has been around for several years now - I first used it in late 2017. In almost any other case that would mean it’s time to discontinue a wearable.
But in my opinion the Vivosport is still one of the very best fitness tracker buys, particularly if you want to track runs or long hikes rather than just steps.
It’s not as glossy or as pretty as some of the competition, but Garmin packs a lot into this little band. It also lasts up to a week between charges.
The Garmin Vivosport distils the essentials of Garmin running watches - which the brand is famed for - into a much smaller band. It’s very comfortable; you could wear it all day. And it’s a great buy if you want to have a real stab at running as a hobby without announcing it to the world with a giant Fenix or Forerunner watch.
Garmin’s Connect app is also made for real exercise tracking, more so than the casual companion apps of any other tracker at the price. It’s not quite as friendly as Fitbit’s, but is arguably the best around for keeping track of a real running or cycling habit.
The Vivosport screen is the most important benefit, though. No alternative is as clear on a bright day, because unlike an OLED or standard LCD, it feeds off ambient light. The brighter it is outside, the clearer that pace indicator on the screen will appear.
And unlike a bright OLED tracker such as the Honor Band 5, it doesn’t have to expend more battery to make the screen visible outdoors.
If you’re after a cute and glossy wearable with GPS, consider the Huawei Watch Fit or perhaps its cheaper sibling the Huawei Band 4 Pro. But Garmins, even oldies like this, still have an edge for fitness.
Let's look in more detail about why I rate the Garmin Vivosport fitness tracker...
Garmin Vivosport: price and key features
The Garmin Vivosport has a retail price of $169.99 / $149.99, although you can occasionally find it for less than this. Handily, our price comparison widget below will always show you day's best prices. And if cost is a concern, keep an eye on our fitness tracker deals page for offers on all the best bands.
For that price, you'll get a host of useful features. They include comprehensive activity tracking (as opposed to just seeing if you get to 10,000 steps each day). The Vivosport has also full GPS, so you don’t need to carry a phone with you to see proper maps of where you went.
Most rivals have this too, but relatively few also have an altimeter - the Vivosport does. During the day this counts how many flight of stairs you go up. Garmin uses this metric because it’s much more friendly than “meters of ascent”. But you will see those ascent/elevation stats if you use the walking or running mode.
It also comes with an MIP LCD screen. MIP stands for memory-in-pixel, meaning the pixels retain their image without continuous power. A standard LCD or OLED screen’s picture is refreshed 60 times a second, which is why other wearables’ 'always on' screen modes drastically lower battery life. If you have the option for 'always on' at all, that is.
Garmin Vivosport: health and fitness features
The Garmin Vivosport has every primary sensor I want for exercise tracking, but none of the fancy modern extras currently being added to many wearables.
Those essentials are GPS, a heart rate sensor, standard accelerometer motion sensors and an altimeter. You get accurate reports on distance, where you went, your exertion level and the terrain elevation. These are the foundations of every great Garmin watch, right up to the Fenix 6 Pro.
The Vivosport’s heart rate sensor is very good too. After tracking a run I found its max and average readings over the 8km were within 1bpm of those of my Wahoo Tickr chest strap heart rate monitor. Readings aren’t bang on for the first few minutes of tracking, but this is a very common issue of wrist-worn HR monitors.
All the trendy, flashy sensors are what the Vivosport lacks. There’s no ECG, no blood oxygen saturation monitor. It does have a stress feature, but this must be calculated solely by heart rate variability.
I don’t miss either of these features. They are about health rather than fitness. There’s a thin line between the two, but fitness metrics are really much more useful, and interesting, for the average person to look at day-to-day. And an elevated resting heart rate is actually one of the better indicators something’s up, which the Vivosport can relay.
VO2 Max is the one extra it does have. This is a great measure of your general fitness level. You can think of it as a BMI for fitness.
The most accurate readings require a trip to a fitness lab with an oxygen mask on, and a lot of sweating. But an increase in Garmin’s estimated readings still feels like a huge achievement. This is no Fitbit pat on the back, though. It takes real effort and determination.
Garmin Vivosport: exercise modes
Some recent fitness trackers, like the Huawei Watch Fit, stack up exercise mode as if they are collectibles items in a video game. The Garmin Vivosport keeps it simple.
There are modes for walking, running, cycling, general aerobics, weightlifting and a “free” mode. All but the weightlifting ask if you’re inside or outside. Choose “outside” and the band will record your location using GPS.
You can wear the Vivosport in the swimming pool too, as it has 5ATM water resistance. However, there’s no swim tracking mode, which should put off a few of you.
Reviewer’s admission: I haven’t done much swimming in the last year, so this hasn’t factored into this review much. However, most trackers are not particularly good at swim tracking anyway.
Still, rivals like the Fitbit Inspire HR and Huawei Band 4 Pro can handle swimming. Don’t buy a Vivosport if you are forever in the pool.
Garmin Vivosport: smart features
The Garmin Vivosport is not a smartwatch, but it does have some of the basics. Flick up from the watch face and you’ll see a local weather report for the day. You can control music playing through a connected phone. There’s a stress indicator.
And, most important of all, the Vivosport can relay notifications. You choose the apps included. I add WhatsApp and Gmail, and leave out the rest.
Only a few words fit on the screen, of course, and you can’t reply to messages. But this is standard stuff for a simple lost-lasting trackers band.
Garmin Vivosport: GPS
The Vivosport’s GPS chip also offers very good location-tracking accuracy. But there is an issue.
It can take quite a long time to hook onto a signal when you first use the tracker, or haven’t been on a run in a while. This is because it has to triangulate position from GPS satellites.
At its worst, we were left waiting several minutes on a pre-run walk warm-up outdoors. It always takes longer than the very latest fitness trackers, but this multi-minute delay is thankfully a rarity.
Why so slow? The Vivosport is an older tracker band with an older GPS chip and antenna array. This is the one area where the band can seem a bit dated.
Garmin Vivosport: display
The Garmin Vivosport’s light-loving screen is not particularly trendy. It doesn’t have the bold color of OLED, and to be visible in dim rooms it has to use a front light like that of a classic Casio digital watch.
At least it’s a color display, unlike that of the Fitbit Inspire. But if you’re aiming for a hit of Apple Watch-style tech gloss, with bold color and high-contrast pop, you don’t get it here.
However, it remains my favorite kind of wearable screen, from a runner’s point of view. The screen is on 24/7, because just displaying content barely uses any power. You don’t need to “wake” it while out on a run to see how close you are to your 5K goal either.
The Garmin Vivosport has a small screen but it does a better job of relaying mid-run stats than the Fitbit Inspire HR. It fits two stats on-screen at once, rather than the one.
When you go for a run, you can see time/distance, pace/distance, steps/distance or your heart rate and heart rate zone. Why the repetition of distance? It’s smart, meaning most people will be able to stick with one screen for the whole workout.
If there’s one stat you want to see while running, it’s probably distance. These pages are only a screen flick away from each other and the Vivosport’s interface feels responsive whether you’re in a workout or not.
Garmin Vivosport Watch Faces
Garmin Vivosport: battery life
Garmin says the Vivosport lasts for up to seven days between charges, and that’s dead on as long as you don’t go for any GPS tracked runs. This will vary much less than most other fitness trackers, as the battery consumption is not affected by spending a lot more time in bright environments.
You’ll have to ramp up screen brightness for good visibility outdoors with other trackers, but not here.
Garmin also says the Vivosport lasts for eight hours of GPS tracking. But that is not quite the case for the run mode. A little under a hour’s worth of running took 20% off the battery, suggesting it will lasts for around five hours of full tracking.
Where does the 8-hour claim come from? This is likely the battery life when you use the walking mode instead of the running one. A slower pace means the Vivosport needs fewer GPS location calls, reducing strain on the battery.
You can still get up to five days’ use after tracking a couple of shorter runs. It’s a fairly low maintenance band.
Garmin Vivosport: verdict
The Garmin Vivosport is a classic fitness band, a status cemented by its unusually long shelf life.
It’s the right choice for someone who cares more about high-quality tracking of runs, cycling trips and hikes than cute watch faces and gadget-y gloss.
The Vivosport has the right sensors for the job and its screen is more clear when you go out for a run on a sunny day than it is indoors. That’s a 180-degree flip of the normal situation for wearables.
Four years on from the first time I used the Vivosport it would still probably be my first pick at the price for pure run tracking, particularly if you find it on sale.
Also consider
Huawei Band 4 Pro
Garmin Vivosport Watch Faces Chart
The Huawei Band 4 Pro one of the best alternatives for the budget-conscious. It is around £40/$40 cheaper than the Vivosport but still has GPS, an HR sensor and an OLED screen, which is much bolder and more colorful. There’s no altimeter though, so it won’t count the stairs you climb up each day, we prefer Garmin’s Connect software as a platform for keen runners and walkers.
Fitbit Inspire HR
Garmin Vivoactive 4 Faces
Fitbit’s cheapest fully featured fitness band, the Fitbit Inspire HR, looks cuter than the Vivosport. It also has the swim mode missing from the Garmin. However, the Vivosport screen is much clearer when you go out for a run and its tracking cred it significantly better, too. The Inspire HR only has Connected GPS, not Full GPS, and it does not have an altimeter.
Garmin Vivoactive Hr Watch Face
Honor Smart Band 5
Garmin Vivosport Watch Faces &
Strapped for cash? You spend a lot less on an Honor Smart Band 5. It’s not quite as good as the Vivosport, but I’d be perfectly happy using it for a couple of 5K runs a week. It uses Connected GPS, so take your phone out when you exercise, but the OLED screen holds up well enough on sunny days. This tracker is a real pocket money bargain.