Garmin Vivoactive 5: Real User Opinion
Have you ever looked at a boring fitness tracker and thought, “There’s got to be something better”? That’s what I thought too, until I got my hands on the Garmin Vivoactive 5. It seems someone has finally decided that high tech should not only be functional, but also beautiful to look at. Let me share my findings after using this gadget in real life.
First Impressions
When I opened the box with Vivoactive 5, the first thing that surprised me was the screen. It’s bright, colorful and simply stunning. It’s a real step up from the pale displays I’m used to. The build quality is solid and not flimsy at all. I chose the Orchid color, and it was prettier in person than on the web page. The watch is lightweight and the strap is comfortable. I couldn’t wait to put it on my wrist and start exploring its functions. This was the kind of watch I wanted to wear all day long, not just during workouts.
Features
Now let’s talk about the features. The AMOLED display is something new. Seriously, everything is easier to see. It’s easy to see both indoors and outdoors, which is a big plus. I used it in bright sunlight and in dark weather, and it worked well in both situations. There are two display modes: always on and using gestures. The always-on mode is great for quick glances, but it drains the battery. I like the gesture-based mode better, where the screen lights up when I raise my wrist. Speaking of the battery, I have enough for about four days in normal mode, including one or two workouts a day. My wife, who uses the watch for longer periods of time, gets a little less, but it’s still very good.
The sleep tracking is great. It accurately records when I fall asleep and when I wake up. I’m not sure about the stages of sleep. The technology isn’t very accurate. However, the Sleep Coach feature, which tells you how much sleep you should be getting, is very interesting. It makes recommendations based on an average for my age group, called a “personal baseline”. It then adjusts the amount of time to be between seven and nine hours. The sleep tracking is amazingly accurate. It determines when I took a nap, how long, and how it affected my internal battery. There’s also an HRV feature that tracks the time between heartbeats. I’m still trying to fully understand it, but I like this feature.
Real Life Usage
I took this watch for jogging, swimming, and biking and it did a great job at all of those tasks. The open water swim mode is a great addition. When you are in the water, the touchscreen locks and you don’t have to worry about accidentally pressing it. I also use it for everyday activities like checking notifications and paying for groceries with Garmin Pay. The morning report is another feature I like. It shows the weather, sleep stats, and appointments on the calendar. It’s a great way to start the day. My wife, who has been exercising for a long time, also tried this feature and got good data. She usually uses other watches, but she liked this watch for testing.
Flaws and Limitations
Well, there is no such thing as a perfect product. First of all, the watch uses an old heart rate sensor. The new sensors, while accurate, do not have an ECG function. So, if you need an ECG, you won’t be able to do it with this watch. Secondly, there is no barometric altimeter. This means that the watch can’t keep track of the number of floors climbed or automatically count descents. This is something that is sorely lacking. Also, while the watch has a Muscle Map feature, it doesn’t have a workout animation like other Garmin products. Also, the sleep coach is not very useful. They are too generic and the recommended sleep range is too narrow.
Comparison
Garmin has so many options, it can be confusing where this product fits. Compared to the Venue 3, this is a slightly more stripped down version. It has a plastic body instead of stainless steel and uses an older heart rate sensor. It’s also a bit smaller in size. However, they offer many of the same features such as sleep tracking and AMOLED display. The price is also low, so if you want a good Garmin watch at a good price, this model is a great option. It has good competition with other watches at this price point, such as the Apple Watch SE and Samsung Galaxy Watch.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Overall, the Garmin Vivoactive 5 is a solid fitness watch with a lot of things done right: a great AMOLED display, good battery life, and plenty of useful features. It’s a great choice for those who want a stylish, feature-rich watch to track daily activity and workouts. It may not have all the “bells and whistles” like the more expensive Garmin watches, but at this price point, it’s a bargain. If you’re looking for a versatile fitness companion, the Vivoactive 5 is a great choice.
