Vivosmart--my review: a fun toy

MIM49

The reason for using an activity tracker might have a lot to do with your expectations. I use a tracker as a tool toward my goal of weight loss. I want it to be able to tell me how many calories I burned for the day and from calories consumed what my net burn is. Being accurately able to track movement (steps/exercise) tracks a more accurate burn. Previous tracker was a BodymediaFit (BMF) Link which is what I use for my personal comparisons on the information and accuracy provided by the Vivosmart.. However I did not like the need to wear the BMF on my upper arm. It was big/bulky/ugly. It displayed no data so information could only be accessed on PC or mobile device and you had to pay for the site. But the data was good and I felt reliable. (Maybe you do get what you pay for.) Thus the purchase of the Vivosmart. The main features I wanted was 1. watch capabilities: the ability to have date and time so I did not need to wear an additional device. 2. the ability to view data at any time without the need for PC or mobile device. 3. Waterproof 4. Good battery life 5. Accuracy (expectations were not for 100% accuracy but believable accuracy) Now the review: Wrist band--seems more like rubber than plastic. I bought the band in purple. The color in the picture is bright and vibrant but in actuality it is a very muted color. The berry (red) and blue are probably brighter. Also as the color is on the underside of the band it really doesn't show. I wish the entire band came in colors. It is easy to put on Secure. Comfortable. Waterproof. A couple of taps (well sometimes more like a several repeated pair of taps) brings the band to life. Display is bright enough (yes, a little hard to read in sunlight) but great in room light or in the dark. As can be expected the letters/numbers are extremely small so if reading tiny print (old age eyes?) is a problem you might have to reach for your reader glasses. Also I found text to be a little blurry. Have not been able to actually assess battery life as I have only had the tracker for a few days but I am sure it is dependent on how often you wake it to view the data. It has a USB charger that clamps onto the band and must be connected to your computer to charge. It is also used to initially set up the band. For your PC to recognize the band you must be sure that the USB icon is showing on the band. I am not addressing all the features. I have not used the music capability or the exercise capability (HRM). But I am disappointed in the most basic features: steps, sleep, calories. First, steps. I am not a very active person so every step counts. On an hour car trip the band said I "walked" 150+ steps while sitting in the car. On the same drive home I "walked" 350+ steps. I was sitting. No walking involved. It is a good day if I walk 5000 steps. So this is a 10% inaccuracy (the Fitbit One which was my first tracker did the same thing. Drove me crazy so I returned it.) The ride was not particularly bumpy so I don't know what causes it to record steps. Then while shopping I activated 2 phone apps for step comparisons: Runtastic Pedometer and Walking Mate from Samsung S Health. Both these apps recorded 2230+ steps and were within a few steps of each other but Vivosmart showed only 750 steps. 750! Could holding onto a shopping cart affect it? In any case, not good. The next feature: sleep. Easy to set sleep on/off. However the data gives much (or less) to be desired. To see information you must go to Garmin's data site: Connect. What you get is what time you set sleep on and off = how many hours you "slept". And a graph that shows peaks and valleys which indicate movement. In my case lots of peaks and valleys. I am a restless sleeper. But I know this. There is no interpretation of the graph. BMF actually gave a percentage of actual sleep versus time in bed which was useful information. Calories--you can sync to My Fitness Pal (MFP) but the only data you receive is your calories consumed minus activity calories equal net calories, how many calories remain and % of net calorie goal. Vivosmart does not give as much information as you can obtain from MFP. The one feature that BMF excelled at for me was telling me how many calories I burned: TDEE. Made it very clear what my calorie expectations needed to be if I had any hope in losing weight. Vivosmart keeps a running total of the burn for the day on the band but no where can I find how to access this information on Connect or where it is stored to find a final daily record of my burn. Or to check it over time. With BMF I could actually take the weekly total from the daily burn and subtract my total weekly consumed calories to see if I could expect to see weight loss. For me this is a very important information. So in my opinion if you are looking for a useful tool to aid in efforts for weight loss I feel the Vivosmart falls short. If you are looking for a fun toy you might like Vivosmart.

MIM49

An update: Vivosmart has a move bar to encourage you to, well, move. The band vibrates if you have been inactive for over an hour. So I decided I would really push myself to get more steps in. So band vibrated and said "move" so I got up and walked 500 steps. Yes, I counted. Then I checked my band to see new total (I had checked total before starting) and NOT ONE STEP WAS RECORDED!! Sigh. Another tracker going back to the store. Basis just announced release of a new tracker--Basis Peak. Basis gets a good review for accuracy but its tracker is a bigger "watch"-- and not very feminine-- than I want to wear. Patience is not one of my strong suits but maybe I should just wait on Fitbit to release their next tracker.

threnjen

I'm interested in reading your review, but could you possibly format it into paragraphs for easier reading? Not being passive aggressive, I really do want to read it, but the wall of text is a bit unwieldy.

MIM49

I'm interested in reading your review, but could you possibly format it into paragraphs for easier reading? Not being passive aggressive, I really do want to read it, but the wall of text is a bit unwieldy.

Sorry it is so long. I would edit but there is no edit "button" so I guess I can't.

myheartsabattleground

my head hurts from trying to read all that.

Raynne413

My first band was screwy and I wanted to run it over with my car. However, I exchanged for a new band and the new one works perfectly, especially after the latest update.

The Connect App and Website both show your total calories burned on the same semi-circle graph that shows your steps towards your goal.

BuddhaMom74

I have the Vivofit (the predecessor to the Vivosmart) and I LOVE it!! I've had it since mid-August, and I have found it to be very accurate. It has a one-YEAR battery life and is also waterproof. It's look is similar to the Vivosmart, but a little more "watch" looking.
I personally like the Garmin Connect site - I find it syncs well with MFP. I recently purchased a Garmin Forerunner 15 for my running and I like that both sync interchangeably on the Connect site. At first I was kind of bummed that the second I got the Vivofit, the Vivosmart came out, but maybe it's a good thing - I'll wait til the kinks are out and maybe next year move to the Vivosmart!!

StaciMarie1974

I have the Fitbit One - and have not had trouble with it logging steps while driving. I don't check it every trip now, but I did quite a few times.

I did learn one trick... Went horseback riding a couple of months ago - it logged LOTS of steps and I felt it gave me too many calories for the activity thinking I was walking. So I tried logging horseback riding, but it did not void the steps. So I logged driving for the time duration, and it 0'd out the steps. Then I just manually logged for the horseback riding.

randomtai

Holy block of text Batman! :noway:

lemurcat12

I think there's an edit window, you might have missed it. You might want to try reposting in the thread with the paragraph breaks. I was able to read it, but I can understand why people might find it difficult.

Anyway, interesting review. It sounds much like the Fitbit Flex, which I like, but has issues with some of the same things. In particular, I think any of the arm-based trackers don't work when you aren't moving your arm normally. I find when I walk my bike it doesn't pick up the steps, and I'm getting paranoid about holding bags in my left hand (which can be a problem in that I do a decent amount of walking to and from the grocery store, etc.). Despite that, I've found the overall count pretty accurate to what it should be, and most important in comparing one day to another. I also haven't gotten the driving error yet, but I don't drive that much. IME, the Flex is really accurate in calculating my daily burn, too--it lines up with my calories and losses.

The Flex does do the hours in bed vs. sleeping count, which is interesting, although sometimes it thinks I'm sleeping when I'm just still (reading in bed, for example).

For the accuracy and detailed information you are after the BodyMedia seems like the way to go, but I hear you on it being less wearable. That's one reason I didn't end up trying it.

MIM49

Holy block of text Batman! :noway:

Sorry some of you are reading challenged. If the topic is of interest to you I imagine you will manage to read it. If you aren't interested enough to read in spite of length and that I did not paragraph the material, then don't read it. I am not interested in a lesson in writing or your b****ing. Read or don't. Your choice. I included information that I would want to have if I was considering purchasing the tracker. My experience may not be the same as others and perhaps I got a lemon. However as the topic states this is MY REVIEW.

Alatariel75

Actually, not being b***chy, merely an observation for future consideration - I personally give less weight to a review/article/post which is poorly written, including lack of paragraphs, or if it has bad grammar or spelling. This is on the basis that if the basics of decent writing have been ignored, then other care and consideration is probably lacking as well. It has nothing to do with being "reading challenged" - it's a matter of investment of time vs. likely benefit.

That assumption could be completely wrong in relation to a particular piece of writing, but on an internet which is totally overloaded with information, I can afford to pick and choose what I read. I actually won't struggle through a great wall of text, I'll go off and find a better written review.

As someone whose job it is to provide constructive feedback on written pieces, I say this only as a suggestion for future reviews if you want to get a better reception and wider readership. It's sad but true that these days people won't go past a first impression to assess content, because there's always something else to move onto. Like I said, just an observation.

mizroxy13

I don't have the patience to read any of the OP, but your kitty is freaking adorable and made this visit worth it!

randomtai

Actually, not being b***chy, merely an observation for future consideration - I personally give less weight to a review/article/post which is poorly written, including lack of paragraphs, or if it has bad grammar or spelling. This is on the basis that if the basics of decent writing have been ignored, then other care and consideration is probably lacking as well. It has nothing to do with being "reading challenged" - it's a matter of investment of time vs. likely benefit.

That assumption could be completely wrong in relation to a particular piece of writing, but on an internet which is totally overloaded with information, I can afford to pick and choose what I read. I actually won't struggle through a great wall of text, I'll go off and find a better written review.

As someone whose job it is to provide constructive feedback on written pieces, I say this only as a suggestion for future reviews if you want to get a better reception and wider readership. It's sad but true that these days people won't go past a first impression to assess content, because there's always something else to move onto. Like I said, just an observation.

Exactly this!

QuilterInVA

Holding on to a shopping cart, stroller or something of that nature will affect the step count on the BodyMedia, according to their tech support, and I'm sure it applies to all these devices regardless of brands. The calorie burn is correct, however.

QuilterInVA

The Flex is useless for water aerobics or water zumba. BodyMedia doesn't work for it either. That's why I bought the VivoFit. I see that it is being used by Biggest Loser this season. They previously used BodyMedia. I love my purple VivoFit.

Dragn77

It is really hard to read..Im sorry..!!! The words literally blur together as Im ready unfortunately, but I really was interested in finding out what you had to say because I did so much research on trackers and chose Vivosmart, but it had just come out and even though they should have been on the shelves already my local BestBuy hadn't gotten their delivery of them yet. So instead, I ended up getting the Fitbit Flex.

From what I can gather though, it sounds like you are not happy with the Vivosmart, and it has a lot of kinks in it. I was really sad not to have a watch display on my Flex, but I always have my phone on me, so checking the time as I always have, or my stats with the app any time I want isnt an issue.

Anyway, funny thing is, I went swimming for the first tie since I got my tracker yesterday and when I took off my Flex, thought about how I wouldnt have had to do that if I had Vivosmart... but now I feel waaay better about having the Flex, especially since I really do love it BTW, its supposed to be waterproof, and one should be able to swim in it,but Ive heard of people having issues with that..so I take mine off when I shower or swim. But for anyone reading this, thats just me being cautious.

2katmandu

My first Vivosmart was a lemon. I returned it to Best Buy and got another. It works perfectly. I was looking for a band that was acceptable to wear all the time, had a digital read on the band and waterproof. Vivsosmart fit the criteria. Cost was more than I wanted to spend. $169.00 price match at Best Buy one month ago.

I absolutely love this band. I can read the band indoors, outside not so much. Print size is good for my old eyes. I work in the marine industry and Garmin makes many marine GPS type products which are reliable. So I went and spent the extra money. I have similar concerns on the steps recorded, calories burned and activities. I am still learning the features and have found I can edit some of the activites. That being said, I am happy with Vivosmart.

seafox2000

Hey Mim49 thank you for your review, very accurate I have the same concerns about Vivosmart but overall its got me going in the right direction and keeping the push on to track workouts and excel etc..
Paragraphs? Now from what I see just hit return
Return for the paragraph thing issue...
Regardless, these folks who sit in the back seat who have nothing to offer but to criticize really ? I just want to say to them go some where else and nauseate them to no end and leave people alone who go out of their way to help us /you!

MeanderingMammal

MIM49 wrote: »

Holy block of text Batman! :noway:

Sorry some of you are reading challenged.

As I'm dyslexic, unfortunately I can't get past the first three lines.

Paragraphs would have helped immensely in getting your message across, but regrettably the presentation is unreadable.

dianefisher1947

I bought a Vivofit a few days ago and tried to use but so many problems with sync and many other things , so tomorrow its going back to the store.....

Dreamyriver

dianefisher1947 wrote: »

I bought a Vivofit a few days ago and tried to use but so many problems with sync and many other things , so tomorrow its going back to the store.....

I'd give it a chance, Diane - I've had a vivofit since early last year and it's been great. Both Garmin and MFP have had issues connecting to each other for the last couple of weeks and I think while they've been sorting those out they've broken everything else

Looking at the Garmin forums, they're having major issues with GarminConnect for all their devices, so I would imagine lots of work is going on behind the scenes.

When everything is working, the Vivofit is a great tool. (Yeah, I know, everything should be working but things go wrong with everything now and again)

heftybelson

I have a Garmin 920xt which incorporates an activity tracker. It dosen't make me move more but I love it. I'm a gadget geek you see.