Garmin Vivomove: Is the latest stylish sports watch worth the hype?
Before I start this review, I want to make it absolutely clear that I’m not the most athletic woman.
Sure, I like to keep moving, eat as healthily as my 4 p.m. snack breaks will allow, and get a good night’s sleep, but I don’t track and measure these elements of my life. In fact, I’ve always found the concept of step count rather guilty. But to review this latest launch, I’m pushing all preconceptions aside to find out if I’m a smartwatch convert after all.
Garmin is no stranger to the sports watch world. The Vivomove Trend, which I’ve been putting through its paces over the last week, is one of eight other watches in the Vivomove collection and will set you back nearly £300 of your hard-earned pound.
The Vivomove collection itself, specializing in chic and stylish hybrid watches, is just one of well over 20 other design collections that the US smart-tech savant has to offer. The options are extensive to say the least – so where do you start?
The Vivomove trend is an introductory wrist jewelry – making it the perfect place to start for a smartwatch newbie like me. With its classic analog style that hides the hi-tech touchscreen and the basic essentials like heart rate tracking, sleep monitoring, instant payments and text notifications, what could you go wrong?
As a total newbie in the world of sports watches, I started a smartwatch revolution with this sleek and stylish timepiece. See what I thought below.
£279.99 | Garmin
design
At first glance, this watch looks good. It certainly doesn’t resemble your average smartwatch, forgoing the obvious high-tech for a more subtle touchscreen experience.
The dial is a decent size so as not to feel awkward on the wrist, while the rose gold detailing is subtle and attractive. However, my favorite design feature is the way the clock hands move vertically or horizontally so they don’t interfere with the user interface.
You can choose between a number of different watch face styles when it comes to displaying your stats. I’m afraid I’ve made the – elegant and attractive – analogue design obsolete by opting to display the automatic time in the bottom right corner. I’m sorry but it’s so much easier.
If, unlike me, you want to maintain the delicate discretion of this smartwatch, you can choose to display the date or your daily step count.
user friendliness
Perhaps the most important section for a novice reviewer. Unfortunately, the Vivomove trend is going downhill for me here.
Let’s start with the watch itself. The touchscreen surface is not very sensitive. While some might consider this a positive attribute as it protects the screen from accidental taps, I’ve found myself often smacking the device in frustration only to have the screen glow.
Proceed to app. Let’s just say it’s a whole lot… nothing. While I found the process of setting up the watch through the app to be intuitive and easy, the way the app displays your daily stats feels overwhelming and difficult to distinguish.
You’re immediately blasted with a series of numbers showing your current heart rate, sleep score, intensity minutes, calories burned and breathing – the latter has been blank for me so far, although I’m currently breathing when I last checked. These numbers have little explanation, just no other information How The statistics have been determined. This leads us into…
tracking ability
When testing this watch, I did two very different workouts. The first was a 45 minute power yoga session and the second was a 20 minute peloton ride. Both activities showed up as “ongoing” in the Garmin app under sporadic timestamps. I think that says it all.
battery life
At least the battery life is pretty impressive. The Garmin website suggests the Vivomove Trend will have a five-day battery life, which is less than the higher-end sports watches – but solid in my eyes. Since taking my watch out of the box and charging it upon arrival, I haven’t seen the battery level drop below 30 percent.
Verdict
Garmin’s attractive hybrid smartwatch serves its purpose. It’s a smartwatch with a sporty feel, marketed for those who want the basic tech features – like text and email blasts – without the fuss. Although the watch tries to be a stylish two-in-one sports watch, this just isn’t the Garmin model to buy if you’re a true fitness king or queen.
Buy now: vívomove® Trend – Garmin, €279.99