This watch is amazing. After reading and re-reading a lot of reviews, I was wary, but I have used Garmin devices for years and needed an upgrade. I have loved every Garmin watch I have had and took the chance on this one. Short story - I love it. I need it for steps, move alert, and heart rate. It has more features than that, but that's okay. It is slim and comfortable to wear 24/7. It is neutral and stylish enough that I can wear it with professional or semi-formal attire, and casual enough that I don't look ridiculous wearing it with yoga pants on the weekends. This is not a hardcore running/hiking/swimming/etc watch, and it is not a medical device. This is a really nice pedometer with some cool added functions. I have historically chosen pretty basic activity trackers, and this is my first venture into something with so much functionality. To be honest, I don't need much of it, but I still really like the watch.
I got this watch after my doctor recommended I get a watch that tracked heart rate. I have a condition that causes tachycardia, heart palpitations, and other really uncomfortable symptoms. This has helped my care team identify how often these episodes are happening and even what some of the triggers are. Before, I would track these episodes only when I could feel the symptoms, but I found that I am experiencing tachycardia about 2.5x more often than I noticed. This is definitely not a medical device, but it has been a huge help in tracking symptoms and getting information to my doctors.
TLDR version for info listed below: Super comfortable, seems durable for normal wear and tear, and no weird skin rash. The move alert, steps, and heart rate are accurate and are exactly what I need. The pulse ox would be cool, but it is hit and miss. The display widgets are easily customized. Definitely don't get this for swimming. Battery life is 6-7 days and it charges quickly. I don't use the GPS, body battery, stress level, or phone alerts.
Fit/Comfort: This watch runs slightly smaller than the vivofit 2 and vivofit 3. I do not have particularly large forearms, but I do lift weights so they are not super skinny, either. On my previous devices, I had 4 openings left. On the Vivosmart 4, I have the band on the 5th opening, so it's definitely smaller. I think if my wrists were any bigger, I would have to go to the large size band. The band and watch are very narrow compared to my previous devices, and this makes it so comfortable to wear. This is first watch that I have worn 24/7 consistently, and it does not bother my wrist to have it on all the time. I work on a computer about 60% of the time for my job, and sometimes, I do take it off for typing or drafting, but that happens way less now than it did with the wider watches.
Durability: The most hardcore thing I have done with this watch on is gardening and yard work. I walk several miles everyday and do home improvement projects. This watch has held up to those. The metal band around the watch face hasn't come off, and to date, hasn't seemed lose. I did buy protective covers for the watch face to protect it from scratches; this has not interfered with the responsiveness of the touch screen.
Weird skin rash: This is something that seemed not uncommon for other reviewers. I have very sensitive skin, so I was concerned. However, I haven't had skin reactions to Garmin devices in the past, so I hoped I would be immune. After wearing this almost 24/7 for nearly a month, so issues. The only thing that I may do differently is that I do not wear mine in the shower.
Move alerts: This is the reason I initially went with a Garmin Vivofit years ago. I am often sitting at work, and I love that this watch vibrates and reminds me to get up and move around. This isn't a key feature of the watch, but it's one of the things I love about it and wanted to share. It's still there, and it's still exactly what I need.
Display/Widgets: I don't usually read user manuals (which sometimes comes back to bite me), and this time was no different. This interface was intuitive and simple to figure out. I like that I can set nighttime hours when the display won't come on automatically, but I can still double-tap the screen to find out what time it is. I also really like that I can customize which widgets are on my watch and what order they are displayed in, and the same with the specific activities. Just like with other Garmin devices, some of these settings have to be adjusted from the app - but if you want to use the full functionality of this watch, you have to check the app occasionally anyway, so it's not really a hassle.
Using in water: I don't usually wear my watches in the shower, but did so just to see if I had the same issue as other reviewers. And I did. This watch kinda sucks when it gets wet. The water droplets cause the screen to turn on and select widgets, but the display won't respond to my touch at all. But I don't like swimming, and didn't get this watch for that purpose. It is a little misleading that this watch includes swimming as an activity, because I don't think it would work well. However, since this won't affect me, it didn't affect my rating. Also, this wonky screen behavior stopped once the watch face and my hand were both dry.
Step counter: I don't really count my steps, but I am still walking about the same number of steps as my old watch says, so I am guessing this is accurate.
Heart Rate: This is the main reason I upgraded to this watch, and it has come in very useful. This watch is not a medical device. BUT I wear it tight to my wrist and have alerts set up so that when I start experiencing tachycardia, I know to stop my I'm doing, use my actual medical devices to track what is happening with my body, and rest. It has been helpful in finding patterns for what is triggering symptoms and showing my doctors what they can't see when I'm at home. Now, having said that this is not a medical device and I don't use it as such, I will say that the heart rate is usually spot on, or else within 3-5 bpm. When my heart rate is irregular (a setting that I was able to customize), the watch alerts me by vibrating on and off constantly until my heart rate returns to normal.
Pulse Ox: This is not a feature that I needed, but it is one that I was excited about, since this is another vital that I have to measure multiple times daily. Unfortunately, this one is not as accurate as the heart rate. This is usually 7-9 percentage points below what my actual reading is (if my pulse ox is actually 99%, the Garmin device will say it is somewhere between 90% and 92%). HOWEVER, sometimes it is spot on. I haven't figured out yet how to make this more accurate more of the time. But since I take this measurement throughout the day on my own device and it doesn't change as rapidly as my heart rate, this one doesn't bother me.
Body battery and stress levels: I have no idea how these are being measured and what I am supposed to do with this information. These widgets seems like marketing gimmicks to me and I don't use them. Sometimes when I am perfectly relaxed and falling into a nice afternoon nap, my watch will vibrate me awake and tell me I need to breathe and relax. Sometimes when I am feeling extra energetic, it tells me my body battery is low. Who knows. Definitely not me. These aren't what I bought the watch for so I'm not too concerned about it.
GPS: This requires the your phone to be within Bluetooth range and the GPS locating is actually done through your phone. Seems cumbersome. Not what I got the watch for, so I have no opinion either way about this.
Phone alerts: I don't have mine set up for this. I don't want to be that easy to get a hold of, especially since my personal phone is my work phone. I like to silence my phone and relax from time to time, so I opted out of this feature. Again, no opinion since I haven't used it.
Stride length: My stride length changes a little, as I'm sure everyone's does, but this does seem to be reasonably accurate. The app will walk you through setting it up.
Flights of stairs: This count seems to be way off. A lot of other reviewers have said the same. I have stairs in my house, and walk up and down them so many times a day that I don't remember. I usually don't even get up to 4 flights of stairs according this watch.
Battery life: I am guessing that the battery would last about 6-7 days. However, since I sometimes take it off when I am on my computer for long stretches, I keep the charger on my desk and charge it a couple times throughout the week. My Vivofit 2 and 3 had ~1 year battery life, and my Forerunner has to be charged after nearly every run. There are so many devices with some many chargers, this one doesn't bother me. Just part of life with lots of gadgets.
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From the manufacturer
Garmin vívosmart 4
Accent your style while enhancing your fitness with our vívosmart 4 activity tracker. This slim, swim-friendly wearable comes loaded with fitness and wellness features to help you make the most of a healthier, more active lifestyle. A wrist-based Pulse Ox sensor lets you estimate blood oxygen saturation while you’re sleeping — or you can spot-check your oxygen levels anytime during the day. (Not a medical device and not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition).
Stylish, Smart Design
This slim wristband tracker, available in multiple colors, complements your style with its distinctive design, metal trim accents and bright, easy-to-read display. The display is only on when you need it. And when it’s on, it auto-adjusts to ambient light levels, so it’s visible even in bright sunlight. Whether you’re going to the office, the gym, the pool or anywhere in between, vívosmart 4 is the perfect fit for your lifestyle.
- Slim, smart activity tracker blends fashionable design with stylish metal accents and a bright, easy-to-read display
- Can gauge blood oxygen saturation levels during the night with the wrist-based Pulse Ox sensor. (Not a medical device and not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition)
- Fitness and health monitoring tools include estimated wrist-based heart rate, all-day stress tracking, relaxation breathing timer, VO2 max, Body Battery energy monitor and more
- Features dedicated activity timers for walks, runs, strength training, yoga, pool swims and others
- Get vibration alerts for all notifications, including calls, text messages and more (text replies available for Android device users)
- Battery life keeps up with you; lasts up to 7 days (excluding Pulse Ox sleep tracking) and is safe for swimming and showering, too
vívosmart 4
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Pulse Ox at Your WristThe Pulse Ox sensor on vívosmart 4 estimates your body’s blood oxygen saturation level. Your Pulse Ox measurements are dependent upon a number of factors, including your overall health and fitness. Checking your Pulse Ox can help gauge how your body is absorbing oxygen. Turn on the feature to gauge your SpO2 overnight, or use it to take a spot measurement anytime to learn more about your body. |
Advanced Sleep MonitoringSleep is important to your overall health, well-being and physical performance. To give you an idea of how you’re sleeping, vívosmart 4 tracks your light, deep and REM stages of sleep, along with movement throughout the night. For added insight, turn on the Pulse Ox feature to view your blood oxygen levels during your sleep. When you wake up, you can easily review and compare your sleep stats in the Garmin Connect Mobile app. |
Optimize Your Body’s EnergyBody Battery energy monitoring on vívosmart 4 uses a combination of stress, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep and activity data to gauge your body’s energy reserves at any moment, so you can plan your day to optimize times for activity and rest. A higher number indicates you’re ready to be active, while a lower number suggests you might need to relax and rest a bit before tackling a workout. Body Battery can also help you make sense of patterns throughout your weeks, so you can understand how the past few days have influenced how you’re feeling today. |
vívosmart 4
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All-day Stress TrackingYou most likely experience stress at some point in your day, but how much? Your vívosmart 4 lets you know when you are having a calm, balanced or stressful day and everything in between. Tracking your HRV (the time interval between each heartbeat), vívosmart 4 calculates and displays your stress level. There’s also an optional 'Relax Reminder' feature that you can turn on in the Garmin Connect app. If your stress level gets elevated during your day, it will provide a vibration alert on your wrist and display a message (“Take a moment to breathe?”) to let you know it’s time to relax. Use the relaxation breathing timer, which walks you through the Fourfold breathing technique, proven to calm your mind and body. |
Daily Fitness and Wellness MonitoringUsing the Elevate heart rate data collected from your wrist, vívosmart 4 can — with a VO2 max estimate — give you an idea of your current fitness level. In general, as your aerobic fitness increases, your VO2 max does the same. Based on your VO2 max, vívosmart 4 is also able to estimate your fitness age — a stat that you may be able to decrease over time with hard work and exercise. For added insight, vívosmart 4 will notify you if your heart rate unexpectedly rises above a threshold you’ve set. If you’re inactive for more than 10 minutes and your heart rate stays above your set threshold, you’ll get an alert. |
Stay ConnectedWith a vívosmart 4 tracker on your wrist, you don’t have to choose between staying connected and staying more active. Check the weather, control your music, receive smart notifications, find your phone, even reply with preset text responses (Android only), and access social media notifications on your tracker’s display — all while keeping your smartphone stowed away. |
Keep Track of Your Active Life
Your vívosmart 4 greets you each day with a personalized step goal. Then it tracks and displays your progress. In addition to steps, its activity tracking capabilities include floors climbed, calories burned, intensity minutes and more. You’ll also see a move bar and get vibration alerts to remind you when it’s time to get up and move.
Track Your Workouts
You can use the preloaded activity timers to keep track of your exercise times and more. When using the strength training activity, it estimates your exercises, reps and sets along with your work and rest times so you can leave the notebook at home. And if you forget to start a timer, the Move IQ feature on vívosmart 4 will automatically detect exercises such as walking, swimming, cycling and elliptical training — and it even starts timing select activities. When finished, your activities are pushed to Garmin Connect, our online community, where you can review, edit and share the activities with your connections and friends.
Reviews with images
The watch works great... But I killed the band
I wear this continually. It charges very quickly and lasts days if I don't broadcast heart rate. I wear it swimming, in the shower, sleeping and at work. I'm rough on stuff as I work in a wearhouse situation. My biggest issue is that the band is almost done, but the watch still works great! It's been almost 2 years and I'm sad that I can't replace the band and we'll have to replace the entire thing. I think it's relatively accurate. I like being able to tell my doctor how much sleep I'm averaging easily.
Top reviews from other countries
SONIA IANTAS
Ótima relação custo benefício para corre !
Reviewed in Brazil on March 12, 2022
Cindy
Read my review and buy it!!
Reviewed in Australia on March 18, 2023
Cindy
Reviewed in Australia on March 18, 2023
(As the watch is not on my wrist in the video, you can see some lag but only because it has a feature that it sleeps when not on a wrist 😎)
Images in this review
