Garmin Vivofit Review
Wearable electronic fitness tracking devices general use have come a long way since pedometers. Counting steps remains an important tracking feature for these devices, but others have been added to significantly enhance their value. Garmin, a leading producer of navigation products, developed the Garmin vivofit—a contender in the market and a strong example of how valuable these devices have become.
The Garmin vivofit monitors and tracks activities such as running and cycling, but lets you do much more. As it learns your level of activity, the device offers challenges to gently nudge you to go a bit further. The device does this by taking in all your activity readings and designing goals just for you. As your progress increases, you can go social with the Garmin Connect™ community and challenge your family and friends to do the same.
In addition to nudging you to increase your level of fitness, the Garmin vivofit also motivates you to avoid developing couch potato syndrome. When the device tracks periods of inactivity, it alerts you when it’s time to get moving. Other tracking devices offer this feature, but Garmin adds a twist. As you start to move after the alert, a red progress bar starts to move and continues until you have performed a sufficient amount of activity.
Sleep monitoring is becoming a standard feature with wearable fitness devices. The Garmin vivofit includes this feature, but makes it a bit difficult to activate. Customers complain that activating the sleep mode is a bit tricky, especially when visibility is limited.
Like similar devices, the Garmin vivofit is water-resistant to about 50 meters. While the device does not have an aversion to water, you should take it off when you go swimming.
One complaint that people have with several other comparable devices is battery life. The Gamin vivofit is touted by the manufacturer as lasting 352 days without needing a recharge. This means you can wear the device all day and night for an extended period of time without interruption. The Garmin vivofit accomplishes this feat by operating on a couple of removable battery and wireless technology.
There are two flavors of this device: vivofit and vivofit 2. Both devices have the same cost of $129.99. The main difference is that the vivofit 2 automatically syncs your data with the Garmin Connect™ website. Whenever you want, you can access Garmin Connect to check your progress. The vivofit 2 also includes a backlight, beeper, and activity timer. The Garmin vivofit is available in a variety of colors and two sizes.
One of the least favorable aspect of the Garmin vivofit is that the heart rate monitor is an optional feature with some models. While many other brands include this feature, Garmin decided to make it optional.
Final Words: While we agree with the masses that the Garmin vivofit is a bit anemic on features, but the benefits of those that are available is significant enough to secure a thumbs up from EER. In a market that is becoming increasingly more competitive in the area of aesthetics, the Garmin vivofit is a good reminder that sometimes sticking to the basics is a good choice.
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