Garmin Vivoactive 5 Review: A Smartwatch for the Stylish Everyday User. Garmin, a brand known for its precision and quality, has ventured beyond catering solely to professional athletes with the Vivoactive 5. This smartwatch is a testament to their dedication to providing technology for everyday users who seek a blend of style, functionality, and affordability.
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Unboxing the Garmin Vivoactive 5
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 arrives in a minimalist package, a small cardboard box with an image of the smartband in the chosen color. Inside, the essentials await: the watch, a USB-C cable with a proprietary connector, and a small booklet for initial setup and legal information. Garmin’s approach is straightforward, with the majority of the setup and functionality managed through their app available on iOS and Android.
Design and Comfort
Constructed from synthetic materials and reinforced with an anodized aluminum bezel, the Vivoactive 5 is remarkably light, weighing just 36 grams. Its comfortable 42.2 mm diameter case and standard matte silicone strap make it a pleasure to wear. The standard strap size caters to most users, though those with larger wrists might find themselves using the last buckle holes. Fortunately, the market offers plenty of alternative strap options.
A Range of Color Options
Available in four colors – Orchid Metallic, Black & Slate, Cream Gold & Ivory, and Navy – the Vivoactive 5 offers personalization through case and strap color choices. The design includes two side buttons for essential controls, though daily use primarily relies on wrist movements and touchscreen interactions for time viewing and menu navigation.
Durability and Display
The smartwatch features Gorilla Glass 3 for high resistance, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. With a water resistance rating of 5 atmospheres (50 meters), it’s safe for showers, beach trips, and swimming. The 1.2-inch AMOLED touch display, with a resolution of 390 x 390 pixels, is bright and legible in various lighting conditions, without heavily impacting battery life.
Battery Life and Initial Setup
Garmin promises 11 days of battery life with normal use and 5 days with the always-on display feature, a claim easily surpassed in testing. Setting up the watch is straightforward, especially for existing Garmin users. The app requires some initial setup to personalize body and age parameters, enhancing data accuracy. The app’s attractive, modern design and expandable graphics enhance the user experience.
Data Accessibility
While many statistics are accessible directly from the smartwatch, the app, sometimes in conjunction with MyFitnessPal, provides a more comprehensive view. It offers not just data reports but also fitness advice and improvement suggestions, beneficial for fitness novices.
Holistic Health Monitoring
The Vivoactive 5 tracks nocturnal activities, offering a sleep quality assessment and a ‘Body Battery’ feature. This feature combines sleep hours, daily effort, and stress detection to guide users in managing stress and improving overall health.
Everyday Usage
In daily use scenarios, the Vivoactive 5 excels in displaying time, messages, sleep and stress tracking, steps and calorie count, and basic timekeeping functions. The smartwatch’s always-visible display features pleasing graphics and animations, though a filter to limit certain app notifications would be beneficial.
Morning Greetings and Customization
Each morning, the Vivoactive 5 greets users with a display screen showing key data like weather and temperature. The watch faces are highly customizable, even directly from the watch, allowing users to choose colors, information, and different visual styles.
Sports and Health Features
While designed more for daily activities than intense sports, the Vivoactive 5 leverages Garmin’s advanced software technology. Its outdoor activity tracking is precise, thanks to the integrated GPS system. The step counter is accurate within reasonable limits, and heart rate monitoring is on par with other devices in its price range. Additional features include menstrual cycle tracking, continuous heart rate monitoring, sleep heart rate variability, and blood oxygen saturation monitoring.
Conclusion
The Garmin Vivoactive 5, priced lower than many high-end smartwatches, is a compelling option for non-athletic users who value a high-quality wrist accessory. Its software capabilities make it a suitable companion for everyday use, standing its ground even next to more expensive, sports-focused Garmin models. This smartwatch is an excellent gift for special occasions, appreciated even by those who own another Garmin model but seek something less complex for daily wear.
Pros:
• Elegant and discreet
• Excellent for health monitoring functions
• OLED display
Against:
• Lacks a notification filter
• Slightly small strap
Price:
• €299.99 (Garmin Vívoactive 5 Orchid Metallic with silicone strap)
• €299.99 (Garmin Vívoactive 5 Black & Slate with silicone strap)
• €299.99 (Garmin Vívoactive 5 Cream gold & Ivory with silicone strap)
• €299.99 (Garmin Vívoactive 5 Navy with silicone strap)
• €11.99 (Protective film)
• €13.99 (Braided strap)
• €12.99 (Metal strap)