Thinking about buying a Garmin Vivofit? Don't..

nkovacs1954

Okay, I like gadgets. But gadgets that make sense. The Fitbit seems to and did work for awhile but I thought "if I'm going to wear something it should have a display"...So I bought a Garmin vivofit....Mistake.

Fitbit has a a great iPhone interface and dashboard and works almost seamlessly with MFP...that's a priority.

The Garmin has a clunky, 1960's Soviet agricultural feel to it...can't even set stride length so if you are Danny DeVito or Michael Jordan you get the same stride length "for your height and weight"..and just what does that mean?

Using the Garmin I noticed I was getting a lot of steps..even while driving. Heck, I got 1,000 in a day I didn't wear it! Now that's pain free exercise.

But here is the best part....I posted a comment on the Garmin Connect forum about the device being okay but clunky, of having to work out a few bugs and not quite ready for prime time...I logged in this morning and found that I have been "banned for life". No reason given.

REI, we will see you tomorrow with a return. Garmin, hope you soon go the way of Kodak..

WalkingAlong

Seriously? Ouch. That's some rotten customer service.

MLR930

Maybe you just have a bad one, I love mine and it's never given me steps in the car. My only issue is the app to sync it. It seems there's always a problem with it. Now when I wear the HRM strap I just remember what my calorie mark was before and do the math after.

WalkingAlong

It costs as much as a separate tracker and HRM so if it the strap/HRM data doesn't synch well, the advantage of an all-in-one is gone, right?

Meerataila

Thanks for the warning, and for the funny writing style that made me laugh, even though I feel bad you got ripped off. I wonder if you can get a return?

MeanderingMammal

But here is the best part....I posted a comment on the Garmin Connect forum about the device being okay but clunky, of having to work out a few bugs and not quite ready for prime time...I logged in this morning and found that I have been "banned for life". No reason given.

Unusual, Garmin customer service gets a pretty good reputation, given that it's the dominant player in the GPS marketplace it pretty much has to in order to retain position.

BigGuy47

Using the Garmin I noticed I was getting a lot of steps..even while driving.

I rack up less than 40 steps on my 20 minute drive to work. Not perfect, but not 1000 steps.

Also, when your setting up the Vivofit you need to set up your Garmin Connect account. This is the companion app. Garmin connect uses your stats (height) to determine stride length. Many users report the Vivofit as being very accurate on tracking steps. As good as or better than the Fitbit.

I like it, the only complaint I have is the display doesn't work well in low light . I wish it had an OLED display like the Fitbit Force did, but they don't sell the Force anymore because of the rash issues.

Daniel_B_Carter

You can change your stride length in the User Settings for the device on the Garmin Connect site. I have otherwise been very happy with my Vivofit.

momma2azoo

I've had my Vivofit for a few months now. It has its limitations, but those are mostly user oriented. In my case, I've come to realize I am way to active in too many activities for a mere pedometer. I need something with more capabilities. That's not the Vivo's fault though.

When I first got mine the HRM was DOA. I called Garmin. The lady was super nice and sent me a brand new HRM and new strap. So, I got a second strap free! Yay! The second HRM works perfectly. The customer service was great.

My Vivofit does not pick up a lot of errant steps. In months of use it never has. Nor has it counted steps when I wasn't wearing it. I've actually found that it's really difficult to get a false step count with it. All pedometer units will read false to some extent. DC Rainmaker has a great side by side comparison of several activity monitor pedometers that compare step count. They are all on par.

The stride length issue is annoying, but Garmin seems to be listening and working towards fixing common complaints. Like adjusting the stride length. In the mean time, it's easy enough to go in and tweak height settings to make stride length more accurate.

Overall, I like my Vivo for what it is. I'm looking forward to getting a Garmin watch that will track runs and cycling. I cycle quite a few miles and the Vivo is worthless for that. After all, it's a pedometer! Not a cycling device. I do like that it keeps tabs of my day to day movement though. Sometimes I underestimate just how active I am above and beyond my official workouts.

I suggest reading a lot of Vivo and activity band reviews before making a judgment call. Especially reviews by people who have worn the device for a while and have learned how to use it.

Oh, I don't mind the non light up display. It allows the band to go a year before needing to deal with the battery. If it lit up the battery would need to be replaced sooner or it'd have to be charged. I rarely need to look at the band so often that not seeing it in the dark is an issue. It also syncs beautifully with my Android G2, my iPad and my computer. The Garmin Connect interface is easy to use on all three. I'm not sure how it could be called outdated? It's kinda Windows 8 looking with the block formatting that expands into more details.

momma2azoo

You can change your stride length in the User Settings for the device on the Garmin Connect site. I have otherwise been very happy with my Vivofit.

Thanks for the heads up! I missed this part of the update. Just went and changes my stride length. Woohoo!!! Gotta give Garmin props for fixing issues.