Name: Garmin Vivosmart HR
Brand: garmin
SKU: 6338be994d079f6239c48da4
Rating: 3.0 (42 reviews)

Hiking Boots/Shoes Recommendations?

Hiking boot recommendations?

Any recommendations for women's hiking shoes?

[Request] Hiking/outdoorsy style shoes that can handle lots of walking on concrete

Cold and wet weather hiking boots recommendations?

I am in need of a new pair of trail/hiking boots.

Hiking Boots for heavy use during the summer

Good pair of hiking shoes?

[Request] waterproof hiking shoes

[request] - Good quality walking shoes.

Hello Redditors. I'm in search of a classy yet extremely durable pair of hiking boots to take backpacking around the world for 12+ months with.

Hiking boots recommendations

Men's three season "urban hiker" (like Merrell MOAB but longer lasting)

BIFL Hiking boots for women

Hiking boots with good traction and can stand up to abuse.

Looking for a good pair of shoes for my weird feet

Request - Hiking Sandals

Request: Hiking Boots

Comfortable and cushiony shoes for walking on pavement 10KM/couple hours a day (UK)

Hiking sandals that last?

[Request] Powerful dishwasher with sanitize function?

I want the best god damned dishwasher money can buy.

Looking for the best, easiest to operate, cheapest dishwasher - Recommendation?

[Request] Best countertop dishwasher for reasonable price?

Can anyone recommend a good dishwasher?

Countertop/Portable Dishwasher

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Dishwasher for Second Home

My friend bought a house with this KichenAid dishwasher from 1974. He says it works better than any of the other ones he has owned. He just has to convince his wife not to replace it.

What's a good Panel ready dishwasher under $1k?

Best socket set on the market $100-$150

[Request] Socket wrenches

I need a recommendation for a tool set that should last a lifetime. [Request]

Looking for a Mechanics tool set.

23 years later; GM Goodwrench socket set.

A Starter/Lifetime Tool set

Basic screwdriver set needed

Mechanic Tools that are BIFL

Trying to fill a tool roll for my truck and would like input on BFL tools like wrenches, pliers, socket sets, etc.

BIFL: Mastercraft ratchet set with lifetime warranty. Got it at 14, im 31. Went thru more abuse than you think!

Looking to upgrade my home hand tools

Was told to post this here. Husky 270pc toolset from Home Depot for $99, normally $199. Lifetime warranty too

[Request] Ratchet/Wrench/Etc tool set for home/bicycle/general use

Thoughts on a Honda Accord V6 2007?

2010 Honda Accord worth the buy?

Thoughts on a 2008 Honda accord v6 coupe EX-L?

2014 honda accord ??

After an initial round of research it seems like Honda Accord Hybrid is the right answer, but I want to pressure test that with you guys

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2020/2021 Honda Accord LX - Tell Me About Your Likes/Dislikes

Compact - Midsize suv

best small/midsize suv?

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compact/mid size suv

Midsize SUV

Recommendations for midsized SUVs to look at

Compact to Mid-Size SUV

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Midsize vehicle for three kids

Mid-Size SUV

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PURCHASING A LOTUS — Need Tips + Advice.

Looking for a good rpg/action adventure with a good story and good characters

Deep long rpgs?

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Fantasy games with an detailed and immersive world?

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Open world game with huge map, lots of things to do, and great graphics

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WSIB: long, immersive games with high quality storytelling and writing

looking for an open-world rpg

[WSIB] A turn based strategy game that isn’t 4X

Turn-based strategy game

Turn-based strategy games

[WSIB] Small-scale, medieval, strategy game, featuring pikemen and cavalry

(WSIB) Turn-based ”wargaming” game

[WSIB] Turn Based Strategy games

WSIB if I want a strategy game for dummies

WSIB Strategic Rpg

[WSIB] Good offline strategy/(ish) games?

What are some good "smaller scale to control, but still feel large scale battle" tactical / strategy games?

Bullet Hell-Type Games: Atomicrops vs. I, Dracula: Genesis vs. Others?

WSIB if i want a completely story driven indie game but have already played undertale and oneshot (preferably similar to those 2)

Post apocalyptic enthusiast, Underrail or Atom RPG?

[SIB] Undermine or Atomicrops

WSIB if I like "Run into things, need to grow in power/special items to move further so I come back after unlocking said element" type of games.

Blsoodborne or Resident evil 2 ?

What should I buy? Animal Crossing: New Horizons or Doom: Eternal

[WSIB] Fast-paced top-down roguelikes?

[SIB] I Hate Running Backwards or Planetary Dustoff? Or something else?

SIB Nuclear Throne?

What can you recommend for minimizing pores?

I know you can’t get rid of pores but I’m wondering is there anyway to make them smaller? I use La Roche Posay products. They keep my acne mostly at bay but I feel like my pores are just so large. Part of it is genetic, but just wondering if there’s anything else I can do at home to help. Thanks!

OPEN PORES- WHAT TO DO? IS THERE ANY PRODUCT I CAN USE?

What skincare products have you used that helped with large pores?

What is the best thing to use to tighten pores on your face?

Can anyone tell me why my pores are so huge and what I can do to minimize them?

How to reduce pores.

Hey guys, how do I make my pores not look like this? Info in comments (deleted and reposted for an error in the title)

Pores reduction tips?

Advice for shrinking pores on and around nose?

[sun care] sunscreen that doesn’t irritate rosacea and perioral dermatitis

[Sun Care] Looking for sunscreen that doesn't irritate Rosacea

Sunscreen recommendations for rosacea

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Desperate for a good sunscreen

Looking for a Daily Suncreen

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Oily Face -&gt; Wash Face -&gt; More Oily

Extremely oily skin

Y’all know some sort of cream or product I can buy to make my face less greasy looking?

super oily face help needed

Oily Skin— please help!

Really oily skin

How to have less oily skin?

Adrian Krebs

Johannes Engler

Tavis Lochhead

Wear today's fitness goal on your wrist with Vivo smart HR, activity tracker1 with Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate technology. It's the touchscreen activity tracker with wrist-based heart rate and a full suite of smart notifications2. The sleek band is comfortable to wear all day, and the always-on display shows your stats, even in sunlight. Displays steps, distance, calories, heart rate, floors climbed and activity intensity1. Receive text, call, email, calendar and other alerts on your wrist when paired with your phone. Wirelessly syncs2 to your Garmin Connect account, our free online community where you can join fitness challenges and save, plan and share your progress.

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 At the end of the day, my device tells me I've only done 1 flight. -Steps not accurate. I hit my step goal a couple times when I was a passenger in a vehicle and when I was typing. -Screen scratches very easily; I only had the device a few days and the screen had already become scratched

 I hit my step goal a couple times when I was a passenger in a vehicle and when I was typing. -Screen scratches very easily; I only had the device a few days and the screen had already become scratched. -Device apparently fragile, because I bought it in Feb and it's already malfunctioning. -Cannot remove the tracker or wear it anywhere other than wrist; it is permanently within the band it comes with, cannot swap out bands or use it anywhere other than the wrist

5 stars, but I can't, so I'll round down to 2, because I had not realized how many things I truly disliked about the device until composing this review. I purchased this item February 2016 and it has already malfunctioned/broken, which is disappointing, and knowing I might have to get a new one, I took some time to sit down and think about what I liked about this device and what I did not. Having completed my list, maybe someone else will find it useful.  What did I like about it? +Came with a heart rate monitor; I specifically wanted one because I do DDP Yoga +Lots of notifications and alerts +Move / idle alert (not all devices have one) +I enjoyed how the sleep / heart rate stats were displayed in app when you drilled down into them +Great computer/web interface (MUCH better than the phone app) +Software updates are easy compared to other devices +Waterproof - don't have to worry about washing hands/sweat/showering +You can look at the screen and easily find time/date/info +Easy to turn off/on the bluetooth/heart rate/auto-light/things like that +Can customize step/run lengths and heart rate zones  What did I not like about it? -Heart rate not accurate; in fact, during intense exercise it logged my heart rate decreasing multiple times, which was severely confusing -While the notifications were fine, I never used them, for two reasons: (a) I work in an environment where Bluetooth must be disabled, and (b) When I wasn't at work, the battery drain on the device from the Bluetooth was tremendous -Idle alert barely even detectable; the vibration is SO small that half of the time I never felt it

Didn't Know I was She-Hulk: What I Did + Didn't Like, 4 Months In

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?

 None of the other apps I use are supported (like Runtastic Pro). The calorie tracking is handled in a way I do not agree with or even fully understand. It exports my exercise calories burned like I want, but it also outputs an offset for the number of steps I've taken which I'd really prefer it didn't do. With that offset, it has MyFitnessPal telling me I can eat a ridiculous number of calories while still loosing weight which is just flat out false

 As I mentioned above, I do not use the smart notifications which are a huge battery drain. The more notifications you get, the more the device is using the Bluetooth, the more it is rumbling, the more battery it is using. So by turning that feature off, and the 'move' nagging feature (which also rumbles), I get really good battery life.  App Integration: I'm only able to use this with MyFitnessPal for calorie tracking

 I'm guessing Garmin wants you to fork out the extra cash for a redundant GPS in the HR+ model instead of just leaving that as an option for those who do not wish to carry a phone with them.  Overall: Overall, my feelings about this device are mostly negative. The floor tracking is so far off it's useless, the sleep tracking is so poor it provides no useful information, so all it's left with are the step tracking and heart rate monitoring. It does those reasonably well so it isn't a complete waste

Good with the basics, poor on everything else

I had 3 Fitbits (3, 4)  All broken. Different reasons. None last longer than one year. My wife has her second. My father in law his second. My mom has a blind display. 
Fitbit has real quality problems. Service here in Germany is great. You complain, describe your issue, you got some things to try (mostly reset) they do not work and you got a new one :-).
I do not know how they make money. Anyway I have a 945 now. I like it. Only the sleep tracking is better on fitbit. Hope it will last longer. 
By the way the real reason for the Garmin was I used to use Fitbit for anything. And an very old Polar for my runnings. Now I do not need to change and have better analytics.

<div class="md"><p>I had 3 Fitbits (3, 4)  All broken. Different reasons. None last longer than one year. My wife has her second. My father in law his second. My mom has a blind display. 
Fitbit has real quality problems. Service here in Germany is great. You complain, describe your issue, you got some things to try (mostly reset) they do not work and you got a new one :-).
I do not know how they make money. Anyway I have a 945 now. I like it. Only the sleep tracking is better on fitbit. Hope it will last longer. 
By the way the real reason for the Garmin was I used to use Fitbit for anything. And an very old Polar for my runnings. Now I do not need to change and have better analytics.</p>
</div>

I recently switched from a Fitbit Charge 4 to a Venu Sq and have absolutely no regrets. I can't speak for longevity yet, but I can say the data seems much more accurate than Fitbit did. I am very happy with the switch and upset with myself for not doing it sooner.

<div class="md"><p>I recently switched from a Fitbit Charge 4 to a Venu Sq and have absolutely no regrets. I can&#39;t speak for longevity yet, but I can say the data seems much more accurate than Fitbit did. I am very happy with the switch and upset with myself for not doing it sooner.</p>
</div>

I have a Fitbit and the quality has been really bad. Constant glitching over the last two years and it totally kicked the bucket today. For my next device I was thinking a Garmin, how reliable are they hardware wise? My mom had one for like 10 years, are they still that tough? Is it super dependent on price range? Thanks!

<div class="md"><p>I have a Fitbit and the quality has been really bad. Constant glitching over the last two years and it totally kicked the bucket today. For my next device I was thinking a Garmin, how reliable are they hardware wise? My mom had one for like 10 years, are they still that tough? Is it super dependent on price range? Thanks!</p>
</div>

How long do Garmins last? A couple years? More?

 My band is finally showing signs of damage/wear that others have already mentioned in their reviews.  First, in terms of accuracy, it fairs in the reasonable range for steps. After extensive testing and usage, I have noticed that when pushing a shopping cart (holding your hand in a horizontal position) that it does not register steps. I've also noticed that while I shampoo my hair in the shower, it registers steps while my hand moves back and forth

 I work in a grocery store and so I am constantly going into and out of coolers and freezers. The device uses a barometric altimeter to measure the stairs and I believe with all of the pressure changes I walk through during the day, it measures sometimes 30-40 flights of stairs per day. Often times I'll look down when I achieve my goal for the second or third time during the day and it occurs right after leaving or entering a cooler. Now, if you work in a much more constant environment, this may be more effective for you, but be aware of this issue

 Since a recent update, it is now far easier to clear the move meter, get more exercise minutes in auto detection mode, and I am getting notifications from all apps on my Android phone. Although whatever method they are using to pull all notifications is also giving notifications for the default timer on Android and Maps caused the watch to go into a loop indicating "0 ft" for some reason. I had to disconnect bluetooth to get it to stop.  So still a bit of a loose bag here, but at least it seems they've been trying to improve it

 It's generally easy to hook up the watch to your phone via Bluetooth and sync your stats for the day. There are times when it has had difficulty connecting however, and I don't remember what I did to reconnect outside of me getting a new phone. I love to be able to get notifications on my watch. The vibration can be very audible in a quiet room though, so be aware that any time you get a notification, others will definitely still be able to hear it (the vibration sound that is)

Band issues and accuracy issues, but otherwise great! (updated 1/21/18)

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

 It goes - time/steps/stairs/vigorous activity/calories/miles/music control (nice feature)/temp/notifications/heart rate and back to time. So it puts stuff like the music control kind of in the middle of the 'health tracking' stuff. It is just weird grouping.  Maybe a firmware update could address these issues with sleep tracking, stairs, etc

 In this time I'll let the dog out, climb a flight of steps (more on this later), do the normal nighttime routine and read for about an hour. I understand why lying still reading gets counted as sleep but walking 100 steps and a flight of stairs? As for being awake in the middle of the night (for me it can be hours), it doesn't see that unless you get up to use the bathroom, it is just recorded as 'light sleep. It needs to somehow know the difference better or not push this as a feature.  Which brings me to the stairs

Got one for each of us after deciding on price/brand/features. We've had ours for about a month and I thought it'd be a good time to review it now that the new has worn off. Why 3 stars? It is a combination of things, I got it primarily for sleep tracking as that is an issue with me but tracking activity is a plus too, we both could shed a couple of pounds. Despite inputting my typical sleep schedule it still has me sometimes being 'asleep' over an hour before I actually go to bed

Hit and miss features.

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>
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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>
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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>
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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 HR

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