Name: Garmin Vivosmart 4
Brand: garmin
SKU: 62d99438f511a373508130bf
Rating: 3.3 (76 reviews)

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Garmin Vivosmart 4 Activity Tracker :: Accent your style while enhancing your fitness with our vivosmart 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. It monitors heart rate estimates at the wrist and includes helpful tools such as all-day stress tracking, a relaxation breathing timer, VO2 max and activity timers for walks, runs, strength training, pool swims and more. A wrist-based Pulse Ox estimate sensor lets you check blood oxygen saturation anytime during the day — or turn it on while you sleep. Plus, Body Battery energy monitoring helps you know when you’re primed to be active or when you may need to rest. Safe for the pool or shower, vivosmart 4 keeps you going strong with up to 7 days of battery life (excluding Pulse Ox sleep tracking) — while smart notifications with vibration alerts help you stay connected on the go (when paired with a compatible smartphone)

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 It does have an automatic brightness sensor, and for the most part I could make out all of my stats and work out metrics really, really easily. The one thing I would say though, is that notifications might sometimes be a little bit more tricky to see on this. If you struggle reading smaller screens, then you might have a little bit of difficulty reading notifications that come through from either your Ios or Android device on the screen of the Vivosmart 5 just because it is so small. Unfortunately, there is no way to change the text or font size on the clock face itself

 Do take some time to go through the interface and really customize it to only see the pieces of information that actually really matter to you. One more thing to note about the Vivosmart 5 is that it does not have an altimeter, so it will be tracking elevation data using calculations from your phone. Okay, let's get into the smart Features notifications and of course the battery life, which is super important. Now, as I mentioned, Ios and Android compatibility for the Vivosmart 5

 If you struggle reading smaller screens, then you might have a little bit of difficulty reading notifications that come through from either your Ios or Android device on the screen of the Vivosmart 5 just because it is so small. Unfortunately, there is no way to change the text or font size on the clock face itself. That said, some of the main stats and metrics that you might only be interested in seeing like your steps and your heart rates do surface as really big on the screen, so that was nice to see even if notifications are a little bit small. Unfortunately, there is no always on display like there is on competitors such as the Fitbit Charge Five

 Let's check it out. [Music] I've been wearing the Vivosmart 5 for a week and I think it's a really good tracker, but at 150 it is a little bit on the high side, especially considering some of the features you don't get. I'm going to dive into all of the main features and functionality of this particular tracker. You can skip straight ahead with chapters linked in the description down there as well

The Garmin Vivosmart 5 is Deceptively Simple | Full Review

 Plus the automatic activities detection tends to run a bit late. As to the heart rate monitoring, I haven't put this to the test - optical HR monitors don't ever seem to be as accurate as chest mounted ones - but I can say that the peaks you see on the watch may not show up in the app. I don't know if the app rounts off peaks as outliers or what, but there's definitely missing data, maybe for a good reason, or maybe not. I don't know

  Battery life is good, though.  Phone App The phone app is mostly pretty good. I wish the sleep tracker of would show heart rate superimposed over sleep stages, but you can look up the heart rate as part of the regular heart rate monitor.  The app can't sync with Google fit

 I wish the sleep tracker of would show heart rate superimposed over sleep stages, but you can look up the heart rate as part of the regular heart rate monitor.  The app can't sync with Google fit. I'd like to keep these things synchronized. But a bigger issue than that it doesn't store the data of locally on my phone

Small and light with great battery life, but iffy pulse ox and sleep tracking

Agree with u/bloodmusthaveblood \- better to ask in the Garmin sub. That said... 

I actually went the other way, got a Charge 5 after having Garmin vivosmart 3 and 4. Very happy with the Charge 5 so far. Main reasons I ditched the Garmin:

* Band not replaceable/changeable, also the little strap-retainer loop stopped staying in place even though it has a little nub on it that's supposed to keep it there
* Charging connector not reliable and difficult to clean the contacts on the device
* No on-board GPS
* Screen was also small, like to the point where they had the thousands digits for steps on its own line above the hundreds/tens/ones. 
* It just stopped counting stairs for a while, then started over-counting by an absurd amount. No amount of cleaning out the little hole for the sensor helped. I don't care much about stairs, but it got annoying that I couldn't shut off the notifications for stairs goals. Maybe I could have set the goal to be something stupid like 100.
* Garmin Connect app and device sometimes took forever to sync up. 

Before the Garmins, I had a Microsoft Band 2. The Charge 5 is basically the device I had been hoping to replace the Band 2 with since it died (and MS killed the app/service).

Wasn't all disappointment with the Garmin devices, though. I did like how light they felt, and both were pretty low-profile little trackers. Step tracking on the Garmin seemed a little more accurate, but could be that the Charge 5 is still figuring me out? Dunno. Sleep tracking seems about the same. The vivosmart 4 did a decent job connecting to my iPhone's GPS for walks/runs, and at least the Garmin app would tell me speed and not just 'pace'. The app also worked very well with MyFitnessPal, noticeably better than the Fitbit app.

I also liked that the Garmin app is dark themed. Why Fitbit doesn't have a dark mode for the app when users have been asking for it since at least 2017 (best I can tell), I have no idea.

<div class="md"><p>Agree with <a href="/u/bloodmusthaveblood">u/bloodmusthaveblood</a> - better to ask in the Garmin sub. That said... </p>

<p>I actually went the other way, got a Charge 5 after having Garmin vivosmart 3 and 4. Very happy with the Charge 5 so far. Main reasons I ditched the Garmin:</p>

<ul>
<li>Band not replaceable/changeable, also the little strap-retainer loop stopped staying in place even though it has a little nub on it that&#39;s supposed to keep it there</li>
<li>Charging connector not reliable and difficult to clean the contacts on the device</li>
<li>No on-board GPS</li>
<li>Screen was also small, like to the point where they had the thousands digits for steps on its own line above the hundreds/tens/ones. </li>
<li>It just stopped counting stairs for a while, then started over-counting by an absurd amount. No amount of cleaning out the little hole for the sensor helped. I don&#39;t care much about stairs, but it got annoying that I couldn&#39;t shut off the notifications for stairs goals. Maybe I could have set the goal to be something stupid like 100.</li>
<li>Garmin Connect app and device sometimes took forever to sync up. </li>
</ul>

<p>Before the Garmins, I had a Microsoft Band 2. The Charge 5 is basically the device I had been hoping to replace the Band 2 with since it died (and MS killed the app/service).</p>

<p>Wasn&#39;t all disappointment with the Garmin devices, though. I did like how light they felt, and both were pretty low-profile little trackers. Step tracking on the Garmin seemed a little more accurate, but could be that the Charge 5 is still figuring me out? Dunno. Sleep tracking seems about the same. The vivosmart 4 did a decent job connecting to my iPhone&#39;s GPS for walks/runs, and at least the Garmin app would tell me speed and not just &#39;pace&#39;. The app also worked very well with MyFitnessPal, noticeably better than the Fitbit app.</p>

<p>I also liked that the Garmin app is dark themed. Why Fitbit doesn&#39;t have a dark mode for the app when users have been asking for it since at least 2017 (best I can tell), I have no idea.</p>
</div>

Better in every way (for me) except sleep tracking. Mind you, Garmin's sleep tracking is good enough for me, I sleep regular hours and sleep well unless my boyfriend snores, but no watch can solve that. 

I was hoping to compare Readiness Score to Garmin's Body Battery but it doesn't seem likely to arrive within my window to return the Charge 5. 

I also use a Polar Grit X on my other arm when I'm hiking, and that baby feels bulletproof. 

Specifically I am comparing a Venu 2 and Charge 5. My usual activities are running, hiking, strength training, yoga, pilates, HIIT.

<div class="md"><p>Better in every way (for me) except sleep tracking. Mind you, Garmin&#39;s sleep tracking is good enough for me, I sleep regular hours and sleep well unless my boyfriend snores, but no watch can solve that. </p>

<p>I was hoping to compare Readiness Score to Garmin&#39;s Body Battery but it doesn&#39;t seem likely to arrive within my window to return the Charge 5. </p>

<p>I also use a Polar Grit X on my other arm when I&#39;m hiking, and that baby feels bulletproof. </p>

<p>Specifically I am comparing a Venu 2 and Charge 5. My usual activities are running, hiking, strength training, yoga, pilates, HIIT.</p>
</div>

I owned an Ionic for about 4 years (yes I consider myself really lucky to have a Fitbit that could last this long) before switching to the Venu 2 about a week ago.

tldr - I am not regretting my decision one single bit.

I can summarize my experience so far with a pros & cons list:

Pros:

1. Screen lock !  A very practical yet simple feature to prevent accidental activity tracking interruptions because of sweat / etc touching the screen.  Beats me why Fitibit has never thought of this after all these years
2. With the 3rd party dwMap, my Garmin gives me an important feature that none of the Fitbits offer:  hiking / kayaking route navigation and checking to make sure you don't go off-route
3. Better battery life
4. Bigger screen and easier to read
5. Watch tells you with vibrations if bluetooth connection is lost.  Likewise for reconnection.
6. Garmin Coach !  Started a run training already.  Looks interesting.  No extra cost.
7. A hydration tracking function that actually works
8. Activity data - much more detailed, and can be displayed on watch too unlike the Ionic.  E.g. - the "climb stairs" activity actually tells me how many floors I have climbed in real time.
9. Better app store - better UI, user rating system much better
10. Step count, HR, and GPS all seem way more accurate
11. Feature Rich - some features just don't exist on fitbit, the rest that do are mostly hidden behind paywall.  With Garmin they all come at no extra cost.
12. Stable connection with phone - not once has the bluetooth connection been lost when the watch is within range of the phone (so far). Once there is a bluetooth connection, every feature that depends on it - notificaitons, sync, water, calendar, etc simply just work.  Fitbit on the other hand has given me sporadic issues before when it comes to bluetooth connectivity.
13. (locale specific) Chinese 'Hong Kong' characters can all be displayed properly unlike the Fitbit Ionic
14. (locale specific) Traditional Chinese interface on my Venu 2
15. (locale specific) Delightfully surprised that the Taiwan-based KKBox music service is fully supported.  Music population on my watch is a breeze.  It's all done automagically.  So happy about this.

Cons:

1. Notifications do not include date/time stamp
2. Notifications are just handled a little differently - each time the watch (re)establishes bluetooth connection with my phone, the entire notifications list is flushed then re-populated.  Hence each time it just downloads the entire list of notifications from the phone, with no regard on which of these notifications have already been fetched before.  So you sort of lose your sense on which of these notifications are new ones.
3. Learning curve - I was totally stumped at first trying to tell the difference between controls vs. glances vs. apps/activities vs. data fields.  The level of complexity compared with the Fitbit is enormous.
4. Sleep Tracking is a tad bit worse - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y5M\_N9CrNI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y5M_N9CrNI)  tells you much more.  From personal experience so far, REM detection seems way off, and wake up time can be a bit off as well.

But overall, I would be surprised if any Fitbit owner who made the switch to a Venu 2 would ever want to go back.

Edit:  have been adjusting my watch band a bit tighter for the past 2 nights, and both sleep and wake up times have been spot on.  Not too sure about REM still...

<div class="md"><p>I owned an Ionic for about 4 years (yes I consider myself really lucky to have a Fitbit that could last this long) before switching to the Venu 2 about a week ago.</p>

<p>tldr - I am not regretting my decision one single bit.</p>

<p>I can summarize my experience so far with a pros &amp; cons list:</p>

<p>Pros:</p>

<ol>
<li>Screen lock !  A very practical yet simple feature to prevent accidental activity tracking interruptions because of sweat / etc touching the screen.  Beats me why Fitibit has never thought of this after all these years</li>
<li>With the 3rd party dwMap, my Garmin gives me an important feature that none of the Fitbits offer:  hiking / kayaking route navigation and checking to make sure you don&#39;t go off-route</li>
<li>Better battery life</li>
<li>Bigger screen and easier to read</li>
<li>Watch tells you with vibrations if bluetooth connection is lost.  Likewise for reconnection.</li>
<li>Garmin Coach !  Started a run training already.  Looks interesting.  No extra cost.</li>
<li>A hydration tracking function that actually works</li>
<li>Activity data - much more detailed, and can be displayed on watch too unlike the Ionic.  E.g. - the &quot;climb stairs&quot; activity actually tells me how many floors I have climbed in real time.</li>
<li>Better app store - better UI, user rating system much better</li>
<li>Step count, HR, and GPS all seem way more accurate</li>
<li>Feature Rich - some features just don&#39;t exist on fitbit, the rest that do are mostly hidden behind paywall.  With Garmin they all come at no extra cost.</li>
<li>Stable connection with phone - not once has the bluetooth connection been lost when the watch is within range of the phone (so far). Once there is a bluetooth connection, every feature that depends on it - notificaitons, sync, water, calendar, etc simply just work.  Fitbit on the other hand has given me sporadic issues before when it comes to bluetooth connectivity.</li>
<li>(locale specific) Chinese &#39;Hong Kong&#39; characters can all be displayed properly unlike the Fitbit Ionic</li>
<li>(locale specific) Traditional Chinese interface on my Venu 2</li>
<li>(locale specific) Delightfully surprised that the Taiwan-based KKBox music service is fully supported.  Music population on my watch is a breeze.  It&#39;s all done automagically.  So happy about this.</li>
</ol>

<p>Cons:</p>

<ol>
<li>Notifications do not include date/time stamp</li>
<li>Notifications are just handled a little differently - each time the watch (re)establishes bluetooth connection with my phone, the entire notifications list is flushed then re-populated.  Hence each time it just downloads the entire list of notifications from the phone, with no regard on which of these notifications have already been fetched before.  So you sort of lose your sense on which of these notifications are new ones.</li>
<li>Learning curve - I was totally stumped at first trying to tell the difference between controls vs. glances vs. apps/activities vs. data fields.  The level of complexity compared with the Fitbit is enormous.</li>
<li>Sleep Tracking is a tad bit worse - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y5M_N9CrNI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y5M_N9CrNI</a>  tells you much more.  From personal experience so far, REM detection seems way off, and wake up time can be a bit off as well.</li>
</ol>

<p>But overall, I would be surprised if any Fitbit owner who made the switch to a Venu 2 would ever want to go back.</p>

<p>Edit:  have been adjusting my watch band a bit tighter for the past 2 nights, and both sleep and wake up times have been spot on.  Not too sure about REM still...</p>
</div>

I am sort of over having to replace my device every 1-2 years.

<div class="md"><p>I am sort of over having to replace my device every 1-2 years.</p>
</div>

who here has made the switch from fitbit to garmin? thoughts?

 My sleep is way up with Vivosmart - it says I'm getting about 7.5 hours a night, while I averaged about 6 with the Versa. I'm pretty sure the Versa is more accurate here. The Vivosmart will often mark me as sleeping if I'm laying in bed watch TV or reading

After having two Fitbit Versa's die on me, I decided to try something else, and the Vivosmart 4 seemed to fit the bill. First off, the Vivosmart battery life is so much better than the Versa. This is huge, as I was really getting tired of having to charge the Versa every couple of days. The Vivosmart is small and comfortable, but the screen is a pain to use

Switched to this from a Fitbit Versa. Here's how it compares for me...

* Vivosmart 4 - Almost as good as the charge 4 except Garmins sleep tracking doesn't seem to be good? No interchangeable band.

  I bought it because I have tachycardia and wanted something to warn me when my heart rate got over 100. I’d often check my heart rate and it’d be over 100 but the watch didn’t alert me.  It did always alert me every hour to move.  The pulse ox ran every night but it turns off when the watch gets to a certain battery percentage which lately it hasn’t been reliable

It’s functional but not perfect for me.

I saw a post about this recently but I just wanted to make sure I didn't miss any possible options. My fitbit charge 3 is dying so I need a (preferably better quality) replacement. Some features I value:
- Ability to track a walk/ run relatively accurately 
- Waterproof
- Not gigantic
-  Relatively accurate heart rate monitor
- Sleep tracking would be great as well. 

So far I have been recommended the Samsung Active Watch 2, and the Willful Smart Watch so any info on those is appreciated. I'm also curious about Amazfit watches. I already know an Apple watch is off the table, if that is helpful. Thanks!

<div class="md"><p>I saw a post about this recently but I just wanted to make sure I didn&#39;t miss any possible options. My fitbit charge 3 is dying so I need a (preferably better quality) replacement. Some features I value:
- Ability to track a walk/ run relatively accurately 
- Waterproof
- Not gigantic
-  Relatively accurate heart rate monitor
- Sleep tracking would be great as well. </p>

<p>So far I have been recommended the Samsung Active Watch 2, and the Willful Smart Watch so any info on those is appreciated. I&#39;m also curious about Amazfit watches. I already know an Apple watch is off the table, if that is helpful. Thanks!</p>
</div>

Fitness tracker watch

Great upgrade - minor flaws

As a traditional watch guy, I never really liked the form factor of the so-called smart watches and really disliked the thought of having to charge it every day or so.

Someone gave me their Charge 2 when they upgraded to a more expensive one and I really liked it.  After a couple of weeks the band broke so I bought myself a Charge 4.

All I want to do is track my sleep and get reminders to get up and walk a bit.  The Charge 4 is slim and I can go 7 days before I have to charge it.  It's also comfortable enough to wear at night, to track my sleep.

<div class="md"><p>As a traditional watch guy, I never really liked the form factor of the so-called smart watches and really disliked the thought of having to charge it every day or so.</p>

<p>Someone gave me their Charge 2 when they upgraded to a more expensive one and I really liked it.  After a couple of weeks the band broke so I bought myself a Charge 4.</p>

<p>All I want to do is track my sleep and get reminders to get up and walk a bit.  The Charge 4 is slim and I can go 7 days before I have to charge it.  It&#39;s also comfortable enough to wear at night, to track my sleep.</p>
</div>

The Workweek Hustle challenges for me!  I find them more motivating than any other things.  Also, I've been using Fitbit for nearly 9 years and I'm really just used to the app interface.   Plus I don't want anything bulky so these have the right sizes for me.

I've actually had pretty decent luck with the devices.  The only one that was really shitty was the original Charge and that was because of the band.  I've had the One which lasted years before breaking, the Flex 2 which never stopped working but I was just ready for a new device, and now I've had the Inspire HR for a year and a half with no issues.

<div class="md"><p>The Workweek Hustle challenges for me!  I find them more motivating than any other things.  Also, I&#39;ve been using Fitbit for nearly 9 years and I&#39;m really just used to the app interface.   Plus I don&#39;t want anything bulky so these have the right sizes for me.</p>

<p>I&#39;ve actually had pretty decent luck with the devices.  The only one that was really shitty was the original Charge and that was because of the band.  I&#39;ve had the One which lasted years before breaking, the Flex 2 which never stopped working but I was just ready for a new device, and now I&#39;ve had the Inspire HR for a year and a half with no issues.</p>
</div>

I think it's marketing. Happens all the time - Market something better than others, and even if it's not the best product, you get more sells. It also helps that "Fitbit" is the first thing that comes to mind when you talk about fitness tracking watch.

It's happened for as long as marketing has been around. Remember portable cassette player (and later portable CD players)? Everyone called them "Walkman", and everyone wanted an original Walkman. Later with MP3 players, it was iPods. And for many, a mobile phone is the iPhone over Android. Even though Android phones are far more popular globally, iPhones do better in the US than Android.

<div class="md"><p>I think it&#39;s marketing. Happens all the time - Market something better than others, and even if it&#39;s not the best product, you get more sells. It also helps that &quot;Fitbit&quot; is the first thing that comes to mind when you talk about fitness tracking watch.</p>

<p>It&#39;s happened for as long as marketing has been around. Remember portable cassette player (and later portable CD players)? Everyone called them &quot;Walkman&quot;, and everyone wanted an original Walkman. Later with MP3 players, it was iPods. And for many, a mobile phone is the iPhone over Android. Even though Android phones are far more popular globally, iPhones do better in the US than Android.</p>
</div>

Well it’s good to see people replying that aren’t just shitting on Fitbit. I knew you guys existed and I agree with all. Thanks.

<div class="md"><p>Well it’s good to see people replying that aren’t just shitting on Fitbit. I knew you guys existed and I agree with all. Thanks.</p>
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Fitbit is what it is, and it's not what it's not.  If that makes any sense at all, that's what I like about it.  I like fitness trackers and have had a samsung watch, garmin vivosmart, vivosport, a fitbit charge 2, and now a fitbit luxe.  

The samsung did everything, and did it pretty well, but not as well as a separate HR band and head unit for my bike.  It was also absolutely massive and heavy on the wrist.  Samsung got a little heavy handed with their ads, which pushed me away.
The garmin was great at first but got rapidly crappy.  It allegedly measures many of the things the fitbit does, then compiles them into a "body battery" metric.  Unfortunately the HR reading was crap, sleep tracking was crap, and distance, even when connected to GPS, was crap.  So I can't parse out HRV to make my own conclusions, I have to go by body battery which is a big gamish of data.
Then there's the fitbits.  The charge 2 was really accurate in terms of sleep, and the HR tracking was impressive too.  I decided to buy a luxe to replace the Vivosmart because I like having a compact, whoop-like health tracker that can also tell time and view notifications.  The app is clean and I can see my kid's stats as well as my own.  The activity tracking is somewhat mediocre, and heart rate doesn't seem as accurate as the garmin, but the garmin didn't work at all if you weren't tracking an exercise.

So anyways, really long winded, but fitbit offers a great package for casual users and for what most people are looking for- great sleep tracking, some social element, and lack of complexity.

<div class="md"><p>Fitbit is what it is, and it&#39;s not what it&#39;s not.  If that makes any sense at all, that&#39;s what I like about it.  I like fitness trackers and have had a samsung watch, garmin vivosmart, vivosport, a fitbit charge 2, and now a fitbit luxe.  </p>

<p>The samsung did everything, and did it pretty well, but not as well as a separate HR band and head unit for my bike.  It was also absolutely massive and heavy on the wrist.  Samsung got a little heavy handed with their ads, which pushed me away.
The garmin was great at first but got rapidly crappy.  It allegedly measures many of the things the fitbit does, then compiles them into a &quot;body battery&quot; metric.  Unfortunately the HR reading was crap, sleep tracking was crap, and distance, even when connected to GPS, was crap.  So I can&#39;t parse out HRV to make my own conclusions, I have to go by body battery which is a big gamish of data.
Then there&#39;s the fitbits.  The charge 2 was really accurate in terms of sleep, and the HR tracking was impressive too.  I decided to buy a luxe to replace the Vivosmart because I like having a compact, whoop-like health tracker that can also tell time and view notifications.  The app is clean and I can see my kid&#39;s stats as well as my own.  The activity tracking is somewhat mediocre, and heart rate doesn&#39;t seem as accurate as the garmin, but the garmin didn&#39;t work at all if you weren&#39;t tracking an exercise.</p>

<p>So anyways, really long winded, but fitbit offers a great package for casual users and for what most people are looking for- great sleep tracking, some social element, and lack of complexity.</p>
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Sleep tracking. Social interaction with friends. 

fitbit is the king of sleep tracking and something like garmin doesn't even come close. I don't have experience with Whoop (I've heard good things), but I refuse to wear a tracker that literally does not have a display. I've owned multiple fitness trackers from garmin up to their Fenix line and their sleep tracking is absolute shit compared to even the most basic fitbit models. They have better tracking for fitness activities, but I always ended up going back to fitbit for the sleep tracking and getting a more dedicated tracker for my fitness activities (i.e., bike computer, heart rate strap, etc.) The auto sleep detection is unmatched in the industry right now, where even naps are registered. From the last time I used a garmin tracker, I had to set a parameter of when I normally sleep for it to start tracking... it NEVER tracked my naps. Similarly, fitbit has auto-workout tracking, which is very convenient for many reasons. It isn't perfect, but it sure beats whatever else is out there in that regard.

The social interaction with friends is just that fitbit was the first of its kind to make it big where you can compete against your friends in step-count. I think because fitbit was first, I found so many more people on my contact list as fitbit users. I found like barely anyone on the garmin friend list... so that community aspect for garmin didn't exist for me.

There is a case to be made about an apple watch being on par with fitbit for the strengths listed above. However, with apple watch being a 1-1.5 day battery device, I have to charge it daily if I want to use it for sleep tracking... personally quite the annoyance.

<div class="md"><p>Sleep tracking. Social interaction with friends. </p>

<p>fitbit is the king of sleep tracking and something like garmin doesn&#39;t even come close. I don&#39;t have experience with Whoop (I&#39;ve heard good things), but I refuse to wear a tracker that literally does not have a display. I&#39;ve owned multiple fitness trackers from garmin up to their Fenix line and their sleep tracking is absolute shit compared to even the most basic fitbit models. They have better tracking for fitness activities, but I always ended up going back to fitbit for the sleep tracking and getting a more dedicated tracker for my fitness activities (i.e., bike computer, heart rate strap, etc.) The auto sleep detection is unmatched in the industry right now, where even naps are registered. From the last time I used a garmin tracker, I had to set a parameter of when I normally sleep for it to start tracking... it NEVER tracked my naps. Similarly, fitbit has auto-workout tracking, which is very convenient for many reasons. It isn&#39;t perfect, but it sure beats whatever else is out there in that regard.</p>

<p>The social interaction with friends is just that fitbit was the first of its kind to make it big where you can compete against your friends in step-count. I think because fitbit was first, I found so many more people on my contact list as fitbit users. I found like barely anyone on the garmin friend list... so that community aspect for garmin didn&#39;t exist for me.</p>

<p>There is a case to be made about an apple watch being on par with fitbit for the strengths listed above. However, with apple watch being a 1-1.5 day battery device, I have to charge it daily if I want to use it for sleep tracking... personally quite the annoyance.</p>
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I've looked into more expensive options, but it always turns out that smart watches don't perform as well as Fitbit when it comes to battery life (a day vs. a week), sleep tracking, and exercise tracking (Fitbit's auto detection is key). So ultimately Fitbit still wins, despite the brand's many flaws.

<div class="md"><p>I&#39;ve looked into more expensive options, but it always turns out that smart watches don&#39;t perform as well as Fitbit when it comes to battery life (a day vs. a week), sleep tracking, and exercise tracking (Fitbit&#39;s auto detection is key). So ultimately Fitbit still wins, despite the brand&#39;s many flaws.</p>
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I bought a pricey Sense, what a mistake after being a faithful customer for 10+ years.  The glass cover shatters easily, customer support is useless.  The FitBIt Community forum will only accept comments that are positive about the product.  MY LAST FITBIT PRODUCT!

<div class="md"><p>I bought a pricey Sense, what a mistake after being a faithful customer for 10+ years.  The glass cover shatters easily, customer support is useless.  The FitBIt Community forum will only accept comments that are positive about the product.  MY LAST FITBIT PRODUCT!</p>
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I always find myself drawn to their products over the years even though my Garmin products have been more reliable. Is it the app interface? Hardware? They do a good job marketing. I see so many complaints I’m just wondering why they continue to grow in customer base.

<div class="md"><p>I always find myself drawn to their products over the years even though my Garmin products have been more reliable. Is it the app interface? Hardware? They do a good job marketing. I see so many complaints I’m just wondering why they continue to grow in customer base.</p>
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Garmin Vivosmart 4

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