If you are looking for a standard looking watch that has all the fitness tracking capabilities then you will want to read this Garmin Vivomove HR Review. The Garmin Vivomove HR combines a normal analog-type watch face with real moving hands and adds an LED touchscreen to boot.
Because this site is a women’s health and fitness site as its main theme, I would like to focus this review on the Garmin Vivomove HR, Hybrid Smartwatch for Men and Women, in the White/Rose Gold color. This certainly has more of an appeal, especially for a watch that already is large. For the active women who wants to monitor here heath and fitness all the time, we want to ensure that the watch looks and feels good as well.
As a nurse, I really like this feature because of the efficiency and accuracy in providing patient data in real time. This allows a nurse to be more comprehensive with their patients while as the same time enjoying the smartwatch features for the data as well. As you can see from a recent post I made about the best fitness watch for women, this one made it on the top three pics.
The Garmin Vivomove HR is a full-on fitness tracker with and blends the digital and physical putting every necessary fitness tracking readout into a normal looking watch. When you lift your arm a glowing readout toward the bottom displays the date and step count. You can then swipe the see things like stairs climbed, heart rate and calories burned.
About The Garmin Vivomove HR Review
Here is a quick video about the Garmin Vivomove from the official Garmon YouTube channel.
Besides the analog type watch face with real moving hands, this amazing smartwatch is fashionable enough to meet the aesthetic criteria for us here at Fit watches for women. It is considered a stylish hybrid smartwatch because it features a crystal touchscreen with a discreet display. The precision hands show the time and dynamically move away when you swipe through your messages, heart rate and more. It does count your steps and calories while monitoring wellness, including all-day stress tracking.
It tracks statistics for things like stairs climbed, heart rate, steps, stress levels, calorie estimates, sleep and estimated VO2 Max. It does not have connected or on board GPS so it is not really intended for the serious runner. It is really more of an everyday watch that provides its users with smart notification and acts mainly as a daily fitness tracker. So the tracking distance are considered estimates.
The Vivomove HR is also water-resistant up to a total of 50 meters, which means it’s totally swim ready and can be worn in the shower. It has a clip on dongle that recharges the watch battery pretty easily and on a full charge I got almost a full week. About six and a half days. I couple of day more than my Fitbit Charge 2. The interesting thing is though is that when the battery is finished, the analog watch part still works for another week or so. It just won’t record any more fitness data during that time period.
Who Is The Vivomove HR For?
The Vivomove HR is really for those of us who are mainly interested in tracking fitness and are a huge fan of the analog display that is so unique to Garmin. It is not for the serious runner who may need either an on board GPS feature or connected GPS for more accuracy. Garmin is a great company and they do have a great support community and their garmin connect mobile service.
This fitness tracker is really for those who want to mainly track their fitness without all the bells and whistles that many other smartwatches offer, such as either connected or on board GPS. The hybrid nature of this fitness watch is really in the analog display and not in the hybrid aspect of a fitness tracker verses a smartwatch. This can be a bit misleading when you hear the term hybrid. This is a great watch if you don’t want your watch to look like it’s a fitness tracker. That seems to be the biggest advantage of this device.
Don’t get me wrong, there are a boat load of good features and notifications, but for the cost of concealing these from the display, it makes it a bit hard to read your notifications quickly and easily. You have to swipe the face in order to get your information and the screen is a bit small. It’s almost easier to just look at your phone.
I do have to say though, I do love the style of this watch and it is very comfortable to wear. Plus the analog style is quite attractive I believe.
Garmin Vivomove HR Review Features
As you may know by now, the claim to fame for the Garmin Vivomove HR is that it has full fitness features on a regular-looking analog watch. That is its appeal. The Vivomove HR includes heart rate, step count and sleep tracking, and smart functions like notifications. It works on android and iOS and is water resistant up to 50 meters and a weeklong-plus battery life. Along with the great looking analog display the Garmin Vivomove HR also features the following:
- 24/7 heart rate monitoring with Elevate wrist heart rate technology
- Wellness monitoring tools, such as all day stress tracking and a relaxation timer, which helps you manage stress
- Includes fitness monitoring tools such as VO2 Max and fitness age
- Displays steps, calories, distance, heart rate and intensity minutes
- Stay connected with smart features such as auto uploads, smart notifications, music controls and more.
- Battery life up to 5 days
- water resistance up to 50 meters
The Garmin Vivomove HR is called a hybrid smartwatch and claims that you get the best of both worlds because you get the physical, ticking watch hands along with a touchscreen and display. The smart display really only appears when you turn your wrist up quickly to look at your watch. The hands then dynamically move out-of-the-way once you interact with the touchscreen. It then moves back to the time when you are finished.
This is one feature I would really appreciate because the opposite is true with my Fitbit Charge 2. It is a bit frustrating when I look at my watch to see what time it is and instead it tells me something different, like the number of steps I have done so far. But, then again, my Fitbit Charge 2 is a fitness tracker and not really a smartwatch.
Is This The Best Fitness Watch for women?
Before addressing this question I would like to take a look at the Pros and Cons of this particular smartwatch. There were 250 customer reviews on Amazon at the time I wrote this article. This indicated 3.9 stars out of 5. Fifty percent of the reviewers rated this smartwatch as a 5 star rating. So, owners of this watch are generally satisfied with it. I did not see a lot of negative comments.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Attractive design and lightweight
- Analog display with real clock hands
- VO2 Max
- Good battery life
- Wrist heart rate monitor
- Hidden display that shows steps, smartphone notification, etc.
- Activity, stress, sleep, workout tracking features
Cons
- No on board or built in GPS
- Display is small
- In general smartwatch features are limited compared to other smartwatches
So, to answer the main question, is it the best fitness watch for women, I would have to say no. It does rate on our top 3 list however as far as fitness watches go. As far as a smartwatch, I do not think it would make our list (coming soon).
Amazon Customer reviews
There is nothing better than hearing from folks who have actually purchased the product that you are reviewing. There were 3988 global reviews in Amazon at the time of the writing of this article. 70% of those reviews rated this product as a 5 start rating. In addition to that, 15% of those reviews rated this product as a 4 star rating.
That means 85% of 3988 reviews rated this product above average. That is a good testimony of how good this product really is. Here are some screenshots of verified Amazon customers.
Conclusion
Overall the Garmin Vivomove HR is a great fitness watch and does make our top 3 best fitness watch for women list for 2019. The unique analog display that features real moving watch hands makes this fitness watch unique, especially for the fitness minded women who wants to wear a fitness watch all the time.
We highly recommend the Garmin Vivomove HR if you are interested in a full featured fitness tracker that you want to use on a daily basis to track all of your fitness needs. We do not recommend this watch if you area a serious runner and need GPS and some of the other smartwatch features. As a smartwatch goes, we do believe there are better choices available, especially in the same price range. You may want to consider reading our full review of the Fitbit Versa Smart Watch.
But, overall the Garmin Vivomove HR looks great and does have a lot of great health and fitness features for women who are mainly looking for a good fitness tracker and love the idea of having an actual watch looking device on their wrist as apposed to looking like they are wearing a fitness tracker. This is especially important for the women who want to wear their watch out to dinner or some other event.
The Garmin Vivomove HR has quite a few things going for it. It has an Analog display with real clock hands and is extremely attractive while still being loaded with features such as the ability to monitor activity, stress, sleep, workout tracking features and much more. All in all, it’s a very well made unit that is easy to operate and comfortable to wear.
It also comes with a heart rate monitor which is always nice to have. Overall this is a great little device loaded with features and is something most women don’t mind wearing at a special event.
I love the Garmin Vivomove HR also because it’s small enough to wear all day long without feeling like a watch. It doesn’t look too bulky either. It’s easy to read and the screen is bright and clear.
Garmin Vivomove HR
If you are looking for a standard looking watch that has all the fitness tracking capabilities then you will want to read this Garmin Vivomove HR Review. The Garmin Vivomove HR combines a normal analog-type watch face with real moving hands and adds an LED touchscreen to boot.
Product SKU: Garmin
Product Brand: Garmin
4.5
Thank you for taking the time to create this review. I never buy anything without reading reviews and it would probably have passed my attention that the Vivimove HR doesn’t have a built-in GPS. I think a lot of people would like that specific feature.
I read the full article but I found your Pro/Con summery at the end of it very helpful.
Thank you for your feedback Lars. I am glad you found the summary helpful. Yes, some people want the GPS feature in a smartwatch, but for those that don’t feel it is necessary, this is a great fitness tracking watch for sure.
Thank you for sharing this review on Garmin Vivomove HR. I like the watch looks stylish. The fact that the watch is water-resistant up to a total of 50 meters is a plus. And the battery can last 507 days, is nice. The image of the 4 watches, are they the colors the watch is made in? LeNard
Hi LeNard, thanks for visiting my site. Yes, the Garmin Vivomove HR is definitely a nice looking and stylish watch for sure. The image you mention is the colors available, plus there are many different bands that you can purchase as well if you want a different and unique style as well.
Thank you for the review. It’s nice to see a different type of watch. When I look around it seems like everyone has an Apple Watch. I really like the “real watch” look with the hands.
It seems like all the important information is easy to access, because most of the time you look at the details in your app. I like that it always shows the steps and inactivity. I would hate to see that going up all the time. I think it would make me more aware that I need to get moving.
I also liked the pros and cons. It’s nice to have a quick reference. Thanks again for the review.
You’re welcome Nancy, I also love the analog style and the features ade all I need
Great!
This is a lovely and interesting review. ….
I am already falling in love with this fitness watch.Garmin is a great company and they truly have great customer support community. I like this product due to the fact of it’s fitness tracking feature.
This is a great deal for men and women who are mainly looking for a good fitness tracker. It looks nice and lovely. Thanks for taking time to make a review on this product.
You are welcome, I am glad you enjoyed it.
This is an incredible review.
This product looks interesting and cool. The fitness watch having an analogue interface and digital led touch screen makes it a real deal. wow, so well developed that it gives health data in real time. Though I’m a watch freak but trust me, this is more than a watch. It looks great with nice appearance. I would love to get this for my wife and myself. Thanks for this post.
You’re welcome, I agree this is a great watch and loaded with features
Your time for putting this together is appreciated. The only thing I saw which would have made this Garmin smart watch a deal for large number of women is GPS tracker. But all the same other features highlighted are really cool. I really line the shape and it’s looks good.
I agree. If you are a serious runner, then the GPS may be something to consider
Hi Julie
While I know your site is targeted to women, hence the name, I thought I give a man’s perspective. Overall, the review is really good (may be a little long, though). I also noticed that it repeats your key points.
The topic is obviously quite applicable with the advent of new technology being packaged in less conspicuous ways. Believe it or not, guys don’t usually like watches that don’t look like watches. 🙂
I know my wife would like the pink one in the first image, but the others further down look great too.
Perhaps a head-to-head with other watches? Would the lack of GPS be a big problem?
You mention the watch is big, but then say the display is too small. Perhaps a couple of images of the functional screens, along-side a quarter or 50-cent coin to give the size perspective?
Hope this helps. Cheers and good luck.
after reading your article this watch looks very good, what I like the most since I want it as a gift for my wife is the design since she has been asking me for a smart watch but without looking like one, I think this watch it will be a great fit for her and hopefully she like it.
Thank you for sharing this great review about this garmin vivvomove hr watch.
You are certainly welcome. Yes this an awesome looking watch for sure
Hello, I just had a read through of your review of the Garmin Vivomove HR Hybrid Smartwatch. I’m guess that this market is booming at the moment in the same way the Smartphone market and still does. A lot of competition I’m thinking. From all the features you have mentioned it has and has not I would agree that this isn’t going to be on the top of a list for multi-functionality. That being said, if all the features that you need,personally, then you do have a very good looking watch. Not the same as a phone,can’t hide it in your pocket. As most people do have phones these days and most of us have them welded to our person 24/7 the do we need a device on our wrist that doubles up all those capabilities of a smartphone.?
So if you’re not a serious runner,athlete and you need something that looks good but also gives you the data you need to keep on top of things in a casual way then you probably can’t go far wrong with this one as it does look good.
Thank you for a really objective, unbiased review.
Thanks for your feedback Twack. Yes, if you are mainly interested in tracking fitness, heart rate, sleep an swimming and are not concerned with GHS and love this stylish watch, then this is a great pic
Thank you for this review. So far, I think this is my top choice for a fitness watch. It has everything I need and nothing more. I like to keep things simple. I am not sure runner but I am on my feet and moving for most of the day. It fascinates me to track how much exercise I can get without trying. I don’t need a GPS and I like that it looks like a regular analog watch. My favorite thing is that it is waterproof so I do not have to worry if I wear it in the kitchen or out in the rain. Also, I was my hands frequently so it’s nice not to have to worry about that.
Thanks for the feedback Theresa! Yes, I love that it is waterproof as well and I don’t think I would need the GPS as well.
Hi Julie Martin,
Thank you for sharing this great informational post. I was impressed by reading this article. Before reading this article I was not aware of Garmin Vivomove HR. After reading this I can find out more about The Garmin Vivomove HR is a full-on fitness tracker. All of those watches looks pretty in model and I love the white color design. I was planning to buy a gift for my sister and wife. I love the good battery life and water resist feature. How much will it cost me? I had a question about this product, is it probable to get any warranty for this product? I will definitely share this blog with my friends.
Hi
After reading your review, I have great feelings about those branded watch. All of those watches looks beautiful in design and I love the coffee color and white color design. I was planning to buy a gift for my family members. I thinks these watches will be perfect choice for me. I love the good battery life and water resist feature. I have a little bit concern about it’s warranty. Is it possible to get any warranty for this product? Thanks for sharing this informative review.
Hi julie
I have read the whole review of your Garmin vivomove HR. This is a very helpul article for me.I was looking for a branded watch for my friend.But i was too concern the quality of watch which one i can buy.But after reading your review now i am relax and going to buy a Garmin Vivomove HR.After reading your review i can learn that those watches are very stylish, water resist,led touch screen,fitness tracker.Thank you for your such a helpul review for them who are looking for a nice watch.
Hey!
I have a Vivosport watch, and have been checking these out earlier. Thank you for such a thorough review, I will read it again before I decide if this particular Garmin smartwatch is for me. (I thought it must have GPS for sure, but I see I was mistaken!)
Thanks again!
Anya
you are certainly welcome Anya
Hi Julie,
Thanks for taking the time to write such an informative review. The Garmin Vivomove is one of the most stylish smartwatches I’ve seen in a while. I like that it looks more like a traditional watch than a smartwatch. Good job in laying all the important details out as well as the pros and cons section.
I’ll have to keep this watch in mind when I shop for a gift for my wife!
Thanks Jerry, I appreciate the kind words. I also like the traditional look as well. Plus you get a lot of the smartwatch features as well.
Great article. I’m a Garmin lover, having the 935 which is the top end running watch. This particular watch reminds me of the look of the Samsung Active – a beautiful watch. No GPS would be frustrating but hey, that is not what it is designed for. I couldn’t work out from here also if it connects to your phone and enables you to receive text messages and notifications etc?
Interesting you don’t rate it in your top 3 fitness trackers but perhaps in your top 3 smart watches – I guess Garmin aren’t really the Fitness Tracking guys so much. Thanks. Richard
Hey Richard, thanks for the feedback! Yes, GPS is usually a feature more designed for smartwatches. I actually did consider the Garmin HR in our top 3 fitness trackers, but decided against it only because, as you said, the Garmin isn’t as much of a fitness tracker as the other ones in that particular post, it is a beauty though. Again, thanks for the awesome feedback. It
Hello, this Garmin Vivomove HR Review Features, is a very awesome watch with lots of information, but no GPS, and I never buy anything without reading the pro and cons, and it is a nice way to see both, I guess if you really like it and can use it, it would be an additional asset to your Jewelry line.
Thank you, for sharing
Thanks for visiting my Garmin Vivomove HR review. I am the same way, I never buy anything without reading pros and cons and several different reviews of the product. Plus, you have to make sure what features you need and which ones you do not need. GPS, for instance can be a great feature if you are a runner or hiker. But, if you are looking for a good fitness device that looks great, then this is a great selection. Thanks again for your feedback.
As one who reads every review before making a purchase I have to say Thank you on such a great and honest review! Even though it isn’t as ‘smart’, I really like the look of this watch and the features that is does have. I love the fact that it actually looks like a watch!
Thanks for making my purchase easier as I know exactly why I am getting when I make my purchase.
Lisa
Thanks Lisa, I am glad you liked this Garmin Vivimove review!
Hello. I love the Germin Vivomove review you share. And it’s very stylish I like the green one the best. I don’t care about the GPS because I’m not a runner and the watch has a lot of great fetures,like sleep,calories,stress. Plus 50 merer water resistant and the battery charge lasts upto 5 days. And to me that’s great because I’m always getting things wet in the kitchen. I think it’s a great watch.
Hi Claudia, thanks for the feedback. Yes, the Garmin Vivimove has some great features and is perfect as a fitness watch. Great looking as well.