Garmin Vivomove Review

I find it hard to match digital activity trackers and smartwatches with everyday office attire and with that in mind I’ve been on the lookout for a fitness watch that suits my everyday needs of office life. In the Garmin Vivomove, I think I may have found my solution. When I opened the box I was impressed by the simplicity of the display and its sleek design. At first look you would mistake it for an analogue watch. Luckily it has some great features that I’m going to look at today.

About the Vivomove

I have been wearing the Black Sport Band version, although the Vivomove is available in a Classic and Premium version too. With a weight of 51 grams and a watch face of 42mm in diameter, the watch feels durable without feeling too bulky. The lens is made with chemically strengthened glass and from wearing it daily for the past few weeks it has not been scratched or damaged.

The strap is made from silicone and is very comfortable to wear. Just like an analogue watch it is powered by a standard watch battery, which removes the need to charge it every other day. In addition to the analogue watch face are two LCD progress bars either side of the watch. The left side is the progress bar towards your daily step goal and the right side is called the ‘Move Bar’. The ‘Move Bar’ gradually fills with red to show levels of inactivity.

Features

Beyond the analogue look and polished design is the ability to pair the Vivomove with Garmin’s Connect app through Bluetooth. The app isn’t overly complicated; however, it could be laid out in a more user friendly manner. Within the app there are some good features available, albeit limited, for the Vivomove.

You can track your steps and your sleeping patterns, with historical data backed up to a four week period. You can also pair it with 3rd party apps such as Fitbit, My Fitness Pal and Apple Health and it will also track your activities and log a calorie count. The watch unfortunately does not sync automatically and this must be done manually by pressing the button on the side of the watch. Have a look here for some handy videos of the features offered.

What’s Missing?

 While there can be no doubt this is a beautiful watch that offers many features that would keep most happy, it is limited to an extent by its simplicity. A key feature that would definitely enhance the watch would be the inclusion of some form of vibration alerts or smartphone notifications that show your progress or let you know that your targets not being met.

The omission of a heart rate monitor on a fitness watch is something that is now featured as standard on most activity trackers these days and is another feature that would elevate this watch to anther level. A small thing that I also found mildly frustrating is the difficulty in reading the time when in bed or in darkness as there is no light up display option.

Conclusion

Despite the few shortcomings, I stand by my thoughts that the Vivomove is the solution for me as a fitness tracker I can wear every day to the office. I think the design and simplicity of the watch will allow it to stand the test of time when other digital alternatives have long become outdated. If you are looking for a fitness tracker that you can wear and have as much or as little interaction with the app as you like then this is the watch for you. The Sport version retails at €174.00, the Classic at €225.00 and the Premium at €307.00 and all are available to purchase from Garmin.