Garmin users, advise needed!!
elly_bean83
Posts: 48 Member
Hi all, I'm sure these questions are asked all the time but I wasn't able to find what I was looking for. I am in the market for a fitness tracker and have narrowed it down to the Garmin Vivoactive HR or the Garmin Vivosmart 3. Anyone have either of these and care to comment??? I haven't used a tracker in years and my last one was Polar HRM that needed the chest strap, so wrist based HRM is a step up for me. Not interested in Fitbits. I'm so on the fence, would love to hear some comments on those 2 trackers!!!
Thanks for your time!
Thanks for your time!
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Replies
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So why do you want to have one? We can only give you a recommendation if we know what you want to use it for.1
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As far as HRM goes, they're both garmin and are both the same generation so that part will be comparable.
The choice then boils down to price/features and whether you want a watch with more watchy features or the tracker with more basic features.
Assuming you're female, the "thickness"/width cosmetic aspect may also come into play.1 -
Hey, thanks for the comments. I teach spin class a couple times a week and lift weights to supplement. I also enjoy plenty of other activites: hiking, snowshoeing, xcountry skiing, etc - so a multi activity tracker is a must. What is seems to be boiling down to for me with each tracker is: the Vivoactive, reviews are moderate. Lots of cool features and some people seem to love theirs and have no issues...however, lots of reviews comment on how fragile they seem to be (bands breaking, face cracking) and also getting fried from swimming. I don't anticipate using it much for swimming so that part doesn't bother me but I do want something that is fairly rugged (3 small kids and I am always on the go). The Vivosmart, seems to have most of the same features, with the added bonus of rep counting. Smaller fit (yes I am female, but the size isn't a deal breaker for me)...but what I've read about it is the screen really lacks in display (quality) and also doesn't stay on display even during a workout, so using timers or even the rep counter maybe isn't ideal? Anyway, these are my scattered thoughts. I am leaning towards the vivoactive but am worried a bit about the quality. Thoughts??0
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So, I actually have a comment about the software Garmin uses that may change your mind.
It updated recently and I cleaned the house in the morning, by the end of the day it said I had 5,358 steps and burned 2,573 calories from those steps. I was using a vacuum, not a sledgehammer. This is not an irregular occurrence. Its so inaccurate on my calories burned that I'm switching from my not-so-trusty Garmin Forerunner 235 to something else. I don't think that the software between the models is different since a good friend of mine has the extremely fancy Fenix and the apps (therefore I assume the algorithms) are the same. She doesn't count her calories, so this isn't an issue for her. For me? Numbers are everything and it drives me insane.
If you want accurate burns, I would not recommend this brand.1 -
Honestly, I'm still using a vivoactive 1 No HR, and really see little benefit from the on wrist tracker. It's certainly plenty rugged, I love the options for alternate faces, It doesn't have a rep counter so I can't speak to that feature.
From the reviews, I expect that the Fenix 5 is actually better on that than the Vivoactive series. My next upgrade will be a Fenix, it's just a question of when I choose to afford it.0 -
I have the vivactive HR. It’s a lot of watch for the money. I’ve not had any issues with band breakage (although the bands are easily replaceable) nor face cracking/fried from swimming. I don’t find the VAHR screen display quality to be anything remarkable-I’d consider it to be pretty rudimentary, but given all the watch does for me, and the price point, I think it’s a fair trade off. I’m female and it does span just over the width of my wrist and it’s not very attractive (IMO). I’m not familiar with the Vivosmart, but it appears to be considerably less ugly than the VAHR. Regardless of its looks, the VAHR is a very well featured watch and gives a great bang for the buck. If you’re looking for a waterproof tracker that has built-in GPS, it’s a great option.
Just one thing to note-the wrist-based HRM don’t do particularly well when the wrist isn’t straight and/or during activities when your HR varies significantly. That’s not a Garmin thing, that’s just a limitation of all wrist HRM’s (along with skin tone, hair, etc.). If your HR is important to you during spinning or your weights workouts, a wrist HRM is likely not going to be your best option for an accurate HR reading. Wrist HRM do well with steady state where your wrist is in a relatively straight position (running, walking, hiking, etc.).
I’m currently using a Fenix 5s. It has the rep counter. Everything is bench press. Bench press all day, everyday. Apparently the rep counter is for bros. I don’t find that feature to be all that helpful as it requires you to spend the between set rest time fiddling with your watch to adjust weights/reps. So it counts reps, but it’s not my cup of tea. I just ignore that altogether.
And just to add based on the comment above with the calories-my VAHR is on the high side with calorie burns. My Fenix is pretty much right in line with what my TDEE actually is (based on my food intake vs weight change). There is a difference in the software between models. And as with all trackers, it’s really an estimate. It may or may not be right for you. Give it a shot and adjust as needed.
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Pocket__Cthulhu wrote: »So, I actually have a comment about the software Garmin uses that may change your mind.
It updated recently and I cleaned the house in the morning, by the end of the day it said I had 5,358 steps and burned 2,573 calories from those steps. I was using a vacuum, not a sledgehammer. This is not an irregular occurrence. Its so inaccurate on my calories burned that I'm switching from my not-so-trusty Garmin Forerunner 235 to something else. I don't think that the software between the models is different since a good friend of mine has the extremely fancy Fenix and the apps (therefore I assume the algorithms) are the same. She doesn't count her calories, so this isn't an issue for her. For me? Numbers are everything and it drives me insane.
If you want accurate burns, I would not recommend this brand.
That's a common issue with wrist based HR trackers. Not sure if you can adjust the settings to ignore HR or not.0 -
My husband has the VAHR and I have the VS3. He's had his a long time and loves it. He's rough on it and it's still working great. I chose the VS3 because it was on sale for $30 less that day and it's not nearly as bulky and fit my arm better. I found the features to be pretty comparable.
I thought I heard they're coming out with the VS4 soon.0 -
Thank you, @Duck_Puddle , your comment is SUPER helpful!
Thanks everyone! @stanmann571 @Pocket__Cthulhu
So all of your comments are actually making me second guess my need for a new tracker. Maybe I should just dig out my old Polar and start using that again. I just found the chest strap a bit cumbersome but if I am mainly concerned about HR during activities and advancing performance/calorie burn then it may be all I need. I do like the idea of some of the other benefits such as sleep monitoring and the app/tracking features but it the wrist HRM's aren't all they're cracked up to be maybe that info will be too skewed to be all that beneficial? If it connected properly to MFP then that would be a neat feature too.
I have just returned to MFP and getting back to my active old self with a few extra lbs to lose on account of my pregnancies. Instead of relying on a gadget to make things click maybe I should just kick myself in the @ss and get into gear!
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I broke the screen on my VAHR. But I didn't like some of the things the VSHR did (have not tried the VS3).
Over Christmas I picked up a Fenix 3 HR with the Saphire lens. I'm rough on things so I decided I wanted the extra strong lens. I really like it but it is big. I've put it on my wife's wrist and it look silly.0 -
I use a chest strap with my Garmins (both VAHR & the Fenix) during workouts and leave the wrist based for monitoring resting HR and such. The Garmins allow you to pair a chest strap (or not).
That may not be a deciding factor for you, but you can use a chest strap with the Garmins for the times you want to be sure you have an accurate HR.1 -
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Duck_Puddle wrote: »I use a chest strap with my Garmins (both VAHR & the Fenix) during workouts and leave the wrist based for monitoring resting HR and such. The Garmins allow you to pair a chest strap (or not).
That may not be a deciding factor for you, but you can use a chest strap with the Garmins for the times you want to be sure you have an accurate HR.
Did not know this! It does change things. I'm assuming you can just buy the chest strap separately? I will look into that. Thanks!
@Tacklewasher The Fenix sounds like a great option but just not in the budget right now. Hoping to spend under $250/300 (CAD). It does look awfully large too...0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »I broke the screen on my VAHR. But I didn't like some of the things the VSHR did (have not tried the VS3).
Over Christmas I picked up a Fenix 3 HR with the Saphire lens. I'm rough on things so I decided I wanted the extra strong lens. I really like it but it is big. I've put it on my wife's wrist and it look silly.
Indeed. I love that Garmin finally came out with a full featured watch that isn’t the size of my head. I have a Fenix 5s, and while it’s still large, the watch face itself at least doesn’t extend beyond the sides of my wrist and is just a little smaller than my palm. The regular sized Fenix 5 (which I think is the same size as the 3) looks like I’m trying to grow a 3rd hand. I love all the stuff they pack into the watches, and I’d love the additional mapping of the 5X, but I’d need a trailer to haul that around.
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Pocket__Cthulhu wrote: »So, I actually have a comment about the software Garmin uses that may change your mind.
It updated recently and I cleaned the house in the morning, by the end of the day it said I had 5,358 steps and burned 2,573 calories from those steps. I was using a vacuum, not a sledgehammer. This is not an irregular occurrence. Its so inaccurate on my calories burned that I'm switching from my not-so-trusty Garmin Forerunner 235 to something else. I don't think that the software between the models is different since a good friend of mine has the extremely fancy Fenix and the apps (therefore I assume the algorithms) are the same. She doesn't count her calories, so this isn't an issue for her. For me? Numbers are everything and it drives me insane.
If you want accurate burns, I would not recommend this brand.
a HRM is not going to be accurate for cleaning the house.
i find my Garmin 225 (wrist sensor) to within 50 cals of the bodyweight x 0.63 x miles calculation for running.1 -
elly_bean83 wrote: »Duck_Puddle wrote: »I use a chest strap with my Garmins (both VAHR & the Fenix) during workouts and leave the wrist based for monitoring resting HR and such. The Garmins allow you to pair a chest strap (or not).
That may not be a deciding factor for you, but you can use a chest strap with the Garmins for the times you want to be sure you have an accurate HR.
Did not know this! It does change things. I'm assuming you can just buy the chest strap separately? I will look into that. Thanks!
@Tacklewasher The Fenix sounds like a great option but just not in the budget right now. Hoping to spend under $250/300 (CAD). It does look awfully large too...
Yes. Any ANT+ strap will work. You can get a Garmin brand strap or I use a Wahoo TickrX (which broadcasts in ANT+ and BT at the same time and has a memory feature that’s handy for swimming). Anything that is Bluetooth only will not work with the VAHR (I don’t know about the vivosmart-the newest Fenix line does connect with BT so I don’t know if they have added that to other lines-definitely check on that). Polar straps will not work (unless it’s a BT strap and they added the BT to the Vivosmart-oh my goodness this is complicated). Anything that is ANT+ WILL work (Garmin brand, Wahoo and maybe some others).
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elly_bean83 wrote: »Duck_Puddle wrote: »I use a chest strap with my Garmins (both VAHR & the Fenix) during workouts and leave the wrist based for monitoring resting HR and such. The Garmins allow you to pair a chest strap (or not).
That may not be a deciding factor for you, but you can use a chest strap with the Garmins for the times you want to be sure you have an accurate HR.
Did not know this! It does change things. I'm assuming you can just buy the chest strap separately? I will look into that. Thanks!
@Tacklewasher The Fenix sounds like a great option but just not in the budget right now. Hoping to spend under $250/300 (CAD). It does look awfully large too...
If you go with the chest strap, I heartily recommend Wahoo brand, as they sync with both Garmin(ANT+) and BLE(Smartphone type devices) Which makes them very flexible. If I'm doing a HR based circuit, I'll set up my tablet so that I can monitor my recovery at a glance, and use the watch for the actual record of the activity.0 -
Duck_Puddle wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »I broke the screen on my VAHR. But I didn't like some of the things the VSHR did (have not tried the VS3).
Over Christmas I picked up a Fenix 3 HR with the Saphire lens. I'm rough on things so I decided I wanted the extra strong lens. I really like it but it is big. I've put it on my wife's wrist and it look silly.
Indeed. I love that Garmin finally came out with a full featured watch that isn’t the size of my head. I have a Fenix 5s, and while it’s still large, the watch face itself at least doesn’t extend beyond the sides of my wrist and is just a little smaller than my palm. The regular sized Fenix 5 (which I think is the same size as the 3) looks like I’m trying to grow a 3rd hand. I love all the stuff they pack into the watches, and I’d love the additional mapping of the 5X, but I’d need a trailer to haul that around.
Downside (for me) about the 5s is you can't get it with the sapphire lens, something I wanted after cracking my VAHR. And yeah, the 3HR is as big as the 5x but was $400 cheaper. Costco has them for $400 (Cdn) now.
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stanmann571 wrote: »elly_bean83 wrote: »Duck_Puddle wrote: »I use a chest strap with my Garmins (both VAHR & the Fenix) during workouts and leave the wrist based for monitoring resting HR and such. The Garmins allow you to pair a chest strap (or not).
That may not be a deciding factor for you, but you can use a chest strap with the Garmins for the times you want to be sure you have an accurate HR.
Did not know this! It does change things. I'm assuming you can just buy the chest strap separately? I will look into that. Thanks!
Tacklewasher The Fenix sounds like a great option but just not in the budget right now. Hoping to spend under $250/300 (CAD). It does look awfully large too...
If you go with the chest strap, I heartily recommend Wahoo brand, as they sync with both Garmin(ANT+) and BLE(Smartphone type devices) Which makes them very flexible. If I'm doing a HR based circuit, I'll set up my tablet so that I can monitor my recovery at a glance, and use the watch for the actual record of the activity.
Do they make a strap comparable to the HRM-TRI? Off to google.
Explanation of the tech.
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/04/running-dynamics-finally-gets-its-own-standard.html
Ahh. The Wahoo straps don't work for swimming. Not going to help me.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »Duck_Puddle wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »I broke the screen on my VAHR. But I didn't like some of the things the VSHR did (have not tried the VS3).
Over Christmas I picked up a Fenix 3 HR with the Saphire lens. I'm rough on things so I decided I wanted the extra strong lens. I really like it but it is big. I've put it on my wife's wrist and it look silly.
Indeed. I love that Garmin finally came out with a full featured watch that isn’t the size of my head. I have a Fenix 5s, and while it’s still large, the watch face itself at least doesn’t extend beyond the sides of my wrist and is just a little smaller than my palm. The regular sized Fenix 5 (which I think is the same size as the 3) looks like I’m trying to grow a 3rd hand. I love all the stuff they pack into the watches, and I’d love the additional mapping of the 5X, but I’d need a trailer to haul that around.
Downside (for me) about the 5s is you can't get it with the sapphire lens, something I wanted after cracking my VAHR. And yeah, the 3HR is as big as the 5x but was $400 cheaper. Costco has them for $400 (Cdn) now.
I have the champagne model-which has a sapphire lens. I tend to be a klutz so that seemed prudent.
And for your other post, the Wahoo tickrX does work for swimming - similarly (I believe) to the Garmin one. The data is recorded while you’re swimmming then you can view it after the fact. I apologize if that’s not how the Garmin works. I’m pretty married to the Wahoo dual broadcast at this point for HRM and other sensors (speed/cadence on my bike for example).
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Duck_Puddle wrote: »I have the champagne model-which has a sapphire lens. I tend to be a klutz so that seemed prudent.
And for your other post, the Wahoo tickrX does work for swimming - similarly (I believe) to the Garmin one. The data is recorded while you’re swimmming then you can view it after the fact. I apologize if that’s not how the Garmin works. I’m pretty married to the Wahoo dual broadcast at this point for HRM and other sensors (speed/cadence on my bike for example).
Might have to look at the 5S for my wife then.
So, this is what Google gave me.
https://www.workaholics.nl/wp/swimming-with-the-wahoo-tickr-x/
The Tickr X is does not work well enough in water to be able to record heartrate during swimming. Wahoo Support was very kind and responsive, but could not offer a solution.
As it stands now, the Tickr X is not a good option for heartrate recording during swimming. "
https://onemanengine.com/wahoo-tickr-x-in-depth-review/
" The one thing I noticed is that the Tickr X does have problems with recording the heart rate while swimming, as you can see in this graph:"
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Tacklewasher wrote: »Duck_Puddle wrote: »I have the champagne model-which has a sapphire lens. I tend to be a klutz so that seemed prudent.
And for your other post, the Wahoo tickrX does work for swimming - similarly (I believe) to the Garmin one. The data is recorded while you’re swimmming then you can view it after the fact. I apologize if that’s not how the Garmin works. I’m pretty married to the Wahoo dual broadcast at this point for HRM and other sensors (speed/cadence on my bike for example).
Might have to look at the 5S for my wife then.
So, this is what Google gave me.
https://www.workaholics.nl/wp/swimming-with-the-wahoo-tickr-x/
The Tickr X is does not work well enough in water to be able to record heartrate during swimming. Wahoo Support was very kind and responsive, but could not offer a solution.
As it stands now, the Tickr X is not a good option for heartrate recording during swimming. "
https://onemanengine.com/wahoo-tickr-x-in-depth-review/
" The one thing I noticed is that the Tickr X does have problems with recording the heart rate while swimming, as you can see in this graph:"
Interesting. I’ve never had an issue with swimming. Maybe it just fits to my body differently/Better? That’s code for “maybe because I’m chubby it sticks better.” Who knows. I don’t have any luck with Polar stuff. Maybe my body is just wired funny. I’ve had nothing but fantastic experiences with my Wahoo stuff.
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Tacklewasher wrote: »Duck_Puddle wrote: »I have the champagne model-which has a sapphire lens. I tend to be a klutz so that seemed prudent.
And for your other post, the Wahoo tickrX does work for swimming - similarly (I believe) to the Garmin one. The data is recorded while you’re swimmming then you can view it after the fact. I apologize if that’s not how the Garmin works. I’m pretty married to the Wahoo dual broadcast at this point for HRM and other sensors (speed/cadence on my bike for example).
Might have to look at the 5S for my wife then.
So, this is what Google gave me.
https://www.workaholics.nl/wp/swimming-with-the-wahoo-tickr-x/
The Tickr X is does not work well enough in water to be able to record heartrate during swimming. Wahoo Support was very kind and responsive, but could not offer a solution.
As it stands now, the Tickr X is not a good option for heartrate recording during swimming. "
https://onemanengine.com/wahoo-tickr-x-in-depth-review/
" The one thing I noticed is that the Tickr X does have problems with recording the heart rate while swimming, as you can see in this graph:"
That was what I found as well... At best, the results were mixed.0 -
Pocket__Cthulhu wrote: »So, I actually have a comment about the software Garmin uses that may change your mind.
It updated recently and I cleaned the house in the morning, by the end of the day it said I had 5,358 steps and burned 2,573 calories from those steps. I was using a vacuum, not a sledgehammer. This is not an irregular occurrence. Its so inaccurate on my calories burned that I'm switching from my not-so-trusty Garmin Forerunner 235 to something else. I don't think that the software between the models is different since a good friend of mine has the extremely fancy Fenix and the apps (therefore I assume the algorithms) are the same. She doesn't count her calories, so this isn't an issue for her. For me? Numbers are everything and it drives me insane.
If you want accurate burns, I would not recommend this brand.
I have a Vivofit and have never had this problem. It might be your device.
EDIT: Just read this again and realized mine does not have HR so you might be correct. Could be the software.
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I have just upgraded, well October, to the new VA3 and I really love it. It is wonky with calories, it thinks I'm doing something much more vigorous than reality sometimes but for everything else I love it and was the perfect step up from the first gen. I like that it actually looks nice on wrist now too and takes a standard watch strap.1
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