Garmin Vivomove HR
Verified42 reviews
Screen has faded to nothing – Editing this Jan 2025. I still wore this despite it effectively being useless to me lol. But I now have a new phone and I can’t connect it because I can’t see the code on the screen. So now it really is useless. I bought a basic one on Amazon for $10 and its just as accurate. I liked this watch at the start. Took me a year to be able to finally… Read more
sync my phone properly to it. It was only then I started using it the way it was intended. I could see my steps, track my cycle, sleep and heart rate. The watch face would show messages and weather. After about 2 years the messages stopped coming through despite Bluetooth still working fine. Fast forward another 6 months from that and my screen starts fading from the outside in. After about 3 weeks it was totally gone. It still vibrates and of course I look and can’t see anything. Very frustrating. I thought that’s ok I can sync it every night and track my health from the day. Was happy to do that until I found it absolutely necessary to purchase a new watch. Well that time is now. A few months after the screen went, it was flat for a few days (battery life by now isn’t great too!). I charged it and the time changed. Garmin says to change the time I need to do it via the watch face. Impossible to do when you can see the screen. It randomly syncs when it wants to but it’s quite useless to me now. I’ve had it for 3ish years and I feel like I got a good 18 months out of it and that’s it. Very reluctant to purchase another Garmin if the screen fading is common.
Mechanical Problem – It is a nce watch if it works. Hbeen playing up on two different watches. Hands movement is unreliable. You can set and align your hands by app / but if it doesent work e.g. the hour hand does not go backwards / your watch is stuffed - a sad thing counts steps shows messages shows time on display - but the hands show incorrect time. Show details
This watch is expensive but its a crap – I want to send it back to the company where is this watch made because it doesn't pay the price that you paid for owning this kind of watch it's so expensive but it doesn't work well. This is the fault: 1. When I bought it the digital numbers that appeared into the screen of the watch is almost faded can't see the real time on it..then I send it… Read more
to the company back for fixing and it's also expensive to fix it. Then they send it back after 3 to 4 weeks to me and now I'm facing difficulty into adjusting the analog of this crap watch it doest go the same time with the digital on the screen it's very hard to adjust all the time when I didn't wear it for awhile, the watch stuck and when it is lowbat and I charged I need to re adjust the time all the time manually, digitally into the analog and it's so very difficult it just goes back time on its own adjustment after I adjust it and follow the instruction on how to properly adjust. This watch is pain in the "[Content Removed]" seriously not match for the expensive payment that done..it doesn't matter for me the other features that it can offer like the stress level, walking level or the heart rate or you can call or send message to this but the most important is to deliver the right time that is the main goal but it doesn't done by this crap watch, it's so hard to use that is why don't buy this watch please its not worthy after few months of using U need to bring it back to fix or something wrong on it after. You know what will I gonna do now in order for me to use the watch it's because only the digital time is working I will patch a sticker into the glass halfway to the glass were it will not show the arm because it's embarassing that people will notice that the arms of the watch doesn't work anymore and still this crap watch still have the use..
Reviews with attachments
Garmin watches don't last – The Garmin Vivomove HR is sold as a water resistant watch. My wife's watch has hardly seen water yet is badly water damaged and now unusable. Barely a year old. Show details
Smart watch for Analogue watch lovers – I have always liked the look of analogue watches. Having had a couple of Smart Watches, I have been disappointed by the blank screens on my wrist, when not in use. All of those great looking watch faces that you see on the watch advertisements are only visible for a few seconds at a time. Some have simple 'Always on Displays' but these are… Read more
generally very dim & really not much better than a blank display. Enter the Garmin Vivomove HR 'Hybrid' smart watch. Hybrid watches combine a regular analogue watch with a small screen, which can display, in the case of the Vivomove HR, Heart rate, Steps taken/distance travelled, Notifications from a linked Smart Phone, Weather, date/time, Stress levels etc. The screen is turned on by double tapping the screen, the watch hands move out of the way to let you see the screen. The screen is reasonably bright & can be read in normal outdoor daylight. This watch is not designed for the serious exercise fanatic, but rather someone who just wants to monitor their daily activity. The main attraction is the very attractive design, light weight, good battery life (2-3 days between charges) & the always visible analogue hands. This is a very attractive watch, especially the Black/Rose Gold version that I have. I have received many comments on how good the watch looks.
This is NOT a smart watch for a Smart Watch enthusiast, rather a watch for someone who likes the look of a regular watch with a few bonus smarts.
Packs too much into too little space – The Vivomove HR is a hybrid smartwatch with a sleek and elegant analogue watch face underneath which is hidden a small monochrome OLED display that you access with a double tap on the screen. At first sight, this watch seems like the perfect solution. You have an elegant watch that is sure to impress whether in a business meeting or with your… Read more
friends plus all the bells & whistles of a smart watch. The analogue watch face is modern and minimalist: just two hands and minute markers around the bezel. Accessing the small rectangular screen on the bottom half of the watch face brings up stats like step count, calorie count, distance travelled, a music controller, weather forecast, notifications, a heart-rate monitor and a stress meter. The heart-rate monitor is reliable and pretty accurate if the watch is worn correctly. A long press while the screen is active brings up activity tracking, settings and more functions like a stopwatch and countdown timer. While the screen is active, the hands move conveniently out of the way so you can read the screen and then move back when done.
The smart display is monochrome, small and accessed only by tapping, long pressing and double tapping. There are no buttons on the watch at all and this is where problems arise. It's simply way too fiddly to navigate all the different functions. You have to remember all the combinations of different taps required. For example to check the battery level you have to double-tap, swipe left, long press, swipe left 9x, tap, swipe left 9x again, tap, swipe left 4x and finally tap once more. This is the only way to check accurately whether you need to recharge or not. It's just so much to get used to and unless you have the patience you'll probably never end up using half the watch's functions. Just to start an activity manually you have to double tap, long press, tap, swipe and select the appropriate exercise type, tap again and select the duration (30 mins is the default and don't even bother trying to change it), then double tap again to start. While in exercise mode other functions aren't available: so you can't, eg, control your music while exercising. You get the idea...
It's a great concept, it's just trying to pack way too much into too little space which makes it incredibly fiddly to use and too often you have to tap more than once because the watch doesn't respond. On top of that, the screen is simply too dim to read in bright sunlight, so if you're trying to do something with the watch while you're outside when the sun is high you'll have to shield the display trying to read it.
Luckily you can access many functions via the app, but what's the point of that? Who wants to drag out their phone in order to control their smart watch? It defeats the whole purpose of a smart watch. The Garmin Connect app also lacks a basic feature: GPS. There's no GPS receiver in the watch and the app cannot access your phone's GPS either. At this price point you'd definitely expect GPS functionality.
I've mostly given up using this as a smart watch. I just use it as a stylish analogue watch mainly and it is useful for glancing at notifications as they come in and checking your heart-rate but as for tracking activity: forget it, it's way too much work for me.
Love my new watch with smart features – Before I purchased this watch I had a GarminVivo Fit however it was starting to get chipped and very well used. I have owned it for over 4 years and never took it off. When I started shopping around I found the Garmin Vivomove and fell in love as I liked the fact it just looks like a watch but then has the tracking, smart watch functions etc… Read more
hidden from extra day use - this was prefect for me as my hubby was really trying to steer me towards a apple watch.
I did have to order my watch as I wanted the Sea Foam colour and found most retailers don't stock this colour as it only comes in a small band.It only took a week to arrive from Garmin. I have had the watch for over 3 months now and the colour is still looking as good as it did the first day.
I found it was easy to connect to my iPhone and connected into the app without issue even though it had been paired to my old device. I have had no issues with the syncing of the watch and I enjoy the weekly challenges I join.
As for use I have had no trouble. I have had to recabilate my hands once, but I had driven to QLD and time went back an hour so guessing that played up with the software. Once I reset the hands I haven't had that issue again even when I came back to NSW.
I am still getting use to the short battery life as my last garmin lasted a year between battery changes and I tend to let my watch get flat. I am getting into the habit of placing on charge while in the shower and it seems to be staying charged that way as I wear my watch 24/7 except for the shower. I did lower my star rating because of its battery life - it should not be as energy hungry as a iwatch which has a full colour touch screen yet has a battery life the same.
I find the steps seem to be the same as my last tracker so I feel its working correctly and I do enjoy reaching my goal each day and having the fireworks celebrate for me :-) I also like the other features like stress, heartbeat, music control and reading messages.
My only downside I find though is sometimes it doesn't bring up the smart features when I move me arm up to use them and I have to move my arm a bit to get it up. Also it won't always pick up my touch either and I have to touch a few times to click a setting etc and if I'm in a rush trying to read a message or swipe it can be annoying when it doesn't react to your touch.
Positive reviews
An awesome entry level smartwatch - sadly rose gold band is fading – Aside from the fact that the rose gold band is fading to silver I actually love this watch for it sleek look and features. The watch itself is quite comfy, easy to adjust and suits casual clothes - perfect for work. Has a range of nifty features and I really love the fact that it connects to not only the garmin app but also my fitness pal so all… Read more
the tracking is in one place.
Whilst you do need to charge the watch to use the smart features, the analogue aspect of the watch runs on a different battery so the watch still functions to tell the time if you happen to let the battery run out.
Also, I owe this watch for helping me get into running! The one feature I do wish it had was the "hr zone" feature that other garmin watches have as then you can run at specific zones.
All in all, L O V E my garmin.... I do laugh as about 8 or so people at my workplace have the exact same one!
Watch is great, silicone band not so great – I bought this earlier this year to help me keep track of my fitness and gym sessions. I wanted something that looked like a watch and really like the design (I don't like the look of Fitbits). It did take some work to realise how to use it, and I have a feeling I'm really not using it to it's full capacity. All in all the watch does what I need it… Read more
to do. My big complaint is about the silicone band. After a week of wearing it, and only removing it to charge (as I wanted to record my sleep patterns), I developed a bad skin irritation. I tried to fix it myself with creams etc but when it continued to get worse I ended up contacting customer support. I was very disappointed in the response I received. The contact person was really lovely and just doing his job. However, I spent 1-1.5 hours on the phone going into great detail about everything (even though I had already submitted an email with photos) just to be told they would send me care instructions for the band (as in, how to clean it properly) but otherwise there was nothing they could do. As such all I could do was stop wearing the watch at night time (which means I can't record my sleep) and to make sure it's loose around my wrist; since doing this my skin has improved.
A good fitness tracker that looks like a nice watch not a horrible style-less block – This is a very nice watch. It looks good being a hybrid which is a big plus. It also means that it works as a watch for a few days before you need to recharge - bonus! You can change bands and wear it anywhere. It goes with suits, etc so you can maintain a classier look than wearing, for example, an apple watch (yuck!). The connectivity is… Read more
great - I use it to check notifications, etc in meetings all the time. The display is very neat. Looks like a watch face but displays data on the background. Charging is very fast. I am a bit dubious as to its accuracy wrt some fitness data (I could probably say that about most trackers without GPS, etc in them) but I am not training for a serious sport, so near enough is good enough for my everyday fitness tracking needs and its app synchs seamlessly with MyFitnessPal which is important for me. I have the rose gold model. On reflection I should have bought the metal case version just because it looks even better. That said, no issues. It is sturdy and doing its job well.
Negative reviews
Was a good watch until it wasn't – I bought my wife one of these as our daughter had one and really liked hers. Anyway, apart from the watch counting steps etc, I have never been able to use the watch functions to reset the hands. I have always had to do that from the app on my wife's phone. My daughter recently told us that her digital display in the bottom half of the watch had… Read more
faded. 2 weeks later, so did my wife's. I thought I would try a factory reset to see if that may help. The problem with that is I could not work out how to do it from the phone app and some online research said to do it from the watch. The problem with that is the display is so faint that you could not see where you were. I even tried looking at the display under magnification in a very dark garage. Could not see anything. I find it disappointing that: 1) The watch has not lasted three years. I do not consider this watch to be a cheap alternative. 2) An email to Garmin support has not even been acknowledged or responded to. That was over 6 months ago. 3) Not one of the reviews on here for this watch have a response from a Garmin representative. I would suggest that Garmin do not give a fat rats what happens after they have sold their product. My wife will get another watch, but it certainly won't be another Garmin. Word of mouth can be very powerful.
An absolute lemon – My Vivomove Hr (2years old) was great at first but about 3 months would recharge. Cleaning the contacts didn't help. Shop I bought it from said it wasn't worth fixing
The worst sports watch ever made – Firstly, you can't see the digital screen in daylight. Functionality wise, it tells me I've done my 10000 steps when I haven't even moved from my desk for the day, I suspect based on my hand movement. It tells me I need to "move" when I am in the middle of a run, and it counts my calories even when I'm not wearing it for 24 hours. The touch screen… Read more
is difficult to navigate and never a quick "set and go" operation. Considering the price and what advertises it can do, this has to be the worst sports watch I've ever owned.
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Recent reviews
Band causes rash, time doesn't keep – I purchased Garmin Vivomove HR Fitness Tracker (black/rose gold) in August 2020. I really love the watch but am unable to wear most of the time. You see, I get a horrible rash from the band on the both sides of my wrist. The rash is a really bad irritation that causes my skin to peel and split, and has left dark spots on my skin from where the… Read more
rash burns and has healed. I have tried it on both wrists and the same issue occurs. I have tried to wear it looser, higher up on my wrist. I have tried to take take the watch off whilst sleeping as well. I can wear the watch up to a week before the rash begins, sometimes, it is less than that. I do wash the band regularly when I am able wear the watch, and if I do get the band wet or sweaty I'll take it off and dry my wrist and watch. The real kicker is I can't wear the band when exercising - the rash happens at full force in a very short period of time. For example I went for a hour walk 2 weeks ago, it wasn't strenuous as all, and it had caused the rash to the point that it broke my skin and my wrist is just only now healed over, Since purchasing the watch in August 2020, I think I have been able to wear the watch for two months in total time. Also, the watch hands are not very good at keeping they time. I have to re-calibrate the hands every few days. I haven't been able to tell if it caused by certain activities or if it is a battery thing but either way, the time is unreliable. It is a expensive unwearable fitness tracker. It is a good looking watch that doesn't keep the time. I wouldn't recommend this at all.
The analog clock constantly displays the wrong time, – Analog clock regularly displays incorrect time, sometimes its goes half an hour fast, which really mucks you up as its you think its the actual time! Easier when it goes to a random time, for a smart watch its not very smart, tells me to move when I am either trying to get to sleep or sleeping so have to take it off. Have to calibrate hands on clock far too often for my liking, wish I had got a better smart watch... Show details
So disappointed – Very difficult to calibrate and hard to read the screen face, especially when you are out in the daylight make this a poor choice for exercise or if not tech-savvy Show details
Another Garmin product with screen problems – While this is a nice looking watch, and has the basic funtionality that you would need for a fitness tracker, the screen has started to fade from the top in a similar way to other Garmin products that i have had. i had the same problem with the Vivosmart tracker. Still functions as a nice looking watch and data recorder. Show details
Waste of money – I have had my Vivo HR for W years. I have nothing but problems after the first few months. Took it back to place purchased. We’re not any help, was large sporting shop. It constantly falls out of sync. It buzzes for no reason. Being the white version you cannot see it in the si light. I have asked people been in contact with the right people.… Read more
Seems this is a common problem with this watch. All I wanted was an easy to read vital signs ie: steps, heart rate etc. however I will be asking santa for a new watch and sure not a Garmin. Most disappointed as they are not cheap.
Tries To Be A Bit Too Smart – I get the feeling that this product is trying to tick too many boxes for too many people and ends up not doing any of those things well. I've had this watch for a little over a year, and it is neither a 'Smart Watch' nor a 'Fitness Tracker'. The heart rate monitor only works if the band is super tight, the battery life is poor - if you forget to… Read more
charge it overnight the 2nd day is always going to be risky. There is not in-built GPS, so I assume it retrieves position location from the mobile phone?
One thing that it does well is the aesthetics - it's a nice looking watch. Not too masculine / feminine, quite fashionable, range of colours. If you also are so desperate that you need to check messages / alerts / notifications without picking up your phone, it can also do this quite well (but not in bright sunlight).
Realistically, it's a nice smart watch, with mediocre fitness tracker capabilities. Not disappointing enough to be 2 stars, but not satisfying enough to be 4 stars. The best that I can say about it is that it is OK, and I'm pretty sure that manufacturers don't like to hear that said about their products.
No GPS, not even an app option to GPS track walks – The watch looks great (big pro), but at $450 to purchase you would at least expect a GPS. But what makes matters worse is that you can't even track your walk though the Garmin app! You'd have to find and use another app to map your walk, but they don't integrate, so you'll end up having spent $500 on a watch that you have to use two fitness apps. … Read more
Walking 'distance' provided at the end of your activity is purely based on your height and an estimated stride length, so the accuracy is questionable.
On the more minor side of things; in bright daylight it's really hard to read the watch screen. It's supposed to take two taps to 'wake up' the screen but I have found myself occasionally having to tap it up to 10 times. Sometimes it tell you to 'move' even though you haven't stopped moving for the past hour.
For such a well known and respected brand they've really dropped the ball on this one. Please at minimum fix the app so that we can track/map our walks through it.
I love the concept of this watch, the look of the watch and the attempt by Garmin to make a multifunctional watch that you can wear to a professional workplace, out to dinner, and then for a run. It would be an incredible watch with some refinement.
It would only lose 1 star for no built in GPS, but loses and extra 2 for not even having the option to track through the app. 1 point loss for the more minor functionality issues.
Garmin, please listen to the people!
Love Love Love the Watch... till it froze – I've had my watch 4 months (nearly) today it froze and won't respond.. can't connect by bluetooth.. Can't do a hard reset as no digital display... but the time is correct .. I guess that's one thing. Disappointed that as much as this watch looks good the digital display has already died.. it buzzes me for an alarm I haven't set at all times of… Read more
the day..
Apart from this a nice looking watch that received lots of comments - I've now returned for a replacement under warranty... I'm hoping and praying the next one lasts a bit longer... expensive watch so expected more.
No GPS Tracking – I bought this watch without realising it had no GPS tracking included. The distances it measures are way out of whack and it over measures the distance you have actually done since it has no GPS to talk to. Garmin need to include this watch in one of their GPS tracking apps as this model is currently unsupported on their tracking apps. Seriously disappointed for the price of the watch. Show details
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Great watch for basic training/tracking – I bought my Garmin VivoMove HR on 19 July 2019... I've waited a while to do my review because prior to buying this watch, I did lots of research (not turns out - it wasn't enough). I love the watch, my favourite is the aesthetics of it - it looks beautiful, the colours are nice and it suits casual, fitness, workwear and out-to-dinner, it's very… Read more
versatile in that aspect. The cons I have of this watch, now that I've had it for 9 months, are: - The heart rate monitor isn't very accurate. I've been training for a 50km trail ultra marathon for 6 months now and somehow, my heart rate zone is still in Zone 5. When I am training, there is NO WAY do I feel like I am exerting myself, I think my accurate heart rate zone would be a 3 and I wish my watch & Garmin app would represent this. - The distance is also incorrect - which is fair enough as there is no GPS however, if you're training for a marathon or ultramarathon, I would recommend a watch with a GPS for more accuracy. - It can't track many sports - if you swim, cycle, row - do not buy this watch. This watch is most suitable for walking, running and weight lifting although if I'm being 100% honest, even the weight lifting can be inaccurate at times. - I bought the rose gold/black watch and already within 9 months, the rose gold is deteriorating. Quite disappointing and I hate to imagine what it'll look like in a years time. The watch isn't cheap so I would have expected the rose gold to last much longer. - You cannot see the screen outside in the sun. You can read the time on the clock but the touch display is not readable.
The other pros of this watch are: - It's quite durable. I've accidentally dropped it a few times and it's had no effect on the screen or the functionality of the watch. very impressive! - The band is easy to put on and take off and it has heaps of holes to fit any wrist size. - It is waterproof. - It has excellent battery proof and recharging it takes almost no time at all! (approximately 10-25 minutes)
Nice looking watch – Nice looking watch but digital screen very small and hard to read. If battery goes flat then the Time can only be set through WiFi not just on mobile phone. Show details
In love – I have been searching for Smart watch for so long and tried so many varieties and nothing up until I found this one could provide me with all the essential criteria I was wanting and that looked great. Show details
Waste of money! – Initially I absolutely loved my watch, love the look and it did exactly as advertised. However a year later, it now doesn't sync properly to other apps, it constantly vibrates step alerts on my wrist that are not the number of steps I have walked and will just keep vibrating. I'm extremely disappointed as I thought it should last longer than a… Read more
year. To make matters worse I have tried all the trouble shooting and sent an email to garmin for support to see if there is an easy fix but am yet to hear anything! Will never buy this brand again
Garmin – In love with my garmin! Has everything I need to track for my day. And the app is simple to use with it. Also looks great and stylish. Highly recommend Show details
Consistently inconsistent – I have been suffering through the ownership of a Garmin Vivomove HR for nearly a year now and all I can say is, I’m looking forward to the iWatch 5 being released. It may be that it is an iPhone issue, but my watch requires re-adding as a device every 2 to 3 days. It also resets itself at least twice a week requiring me to go through a laborious… Read more
“take a tour” mode every time. Garmin support have kindly shown me how to do a major reset a couple of time and that definitely fixes the issues, for about a week. It is consistently inconsistent and whilst I would say that it has managed all it’s supposed features at one time or another, it has never managed to do them all together. It has frequently decided to reset itself (as per above) almost immediately following or during a run such that all data is lost. Also, whilst I can confirm it is waterproof, taking it in a pool to do laps will send it completely doolally!
Love one my friends have one – I know people and freinds that have one. I really like one. Make my life easy. I can leave my phone in my bag. May help with finding street when in melbourne
Stylish smart watch – I love that the vívomove HR looks like a regular watch and with just a simple tap on the screen brings up digital display! My only issue with the vivomove HR is it’s battery life! I have had it for over 12 months now and am finding the battery will only last 4-5 days where it originally held its battery life for 7 days plus. Show details
I love my Vivomove!!! – I have so many comments on my watch and when I tell people that it’s a tracker they are very surprised I have white and rose gold and I love love love it! All my family husband and 3 sports mad boys all love them as they look great but have a secret ! Show details
Dont bother – Bought this watch because it looked like a watch with some smart features. Unfortunately the watch side of it fails miserably. The hands are often showing the wrong time, 4-5 times per week. You have to re-calibrate the hands to show the correct time. It's ridiculous. None of the suggestions from Garmin customer service have worked. If you google… Read more
Garmin Vivomove HR calibration you will see this is a common issue that Garmin have not addressed with software upgrades. I bought the premium model so I've wasted over $400
Looks can be deceiving – This is the first smart watch I have owned. It took me a long time to decide on what I actually wanted. I chose this watch because I love how at first glance it looks like an ordinary watch and nothing too chunky. It does everything it says it does. The only thing I would change would be to speak through the phone instead of just answering the… Read more
call on the watch and then reverting back to your phone. The silicone band sometimes also irritates my skin so I have also purchased a suede band to alternate on days when my skin flares up.
Best smart watch I have owned! – After my last smart watch died I decided to go with a Garmin Vivimove HR and it has to be the best watch I’ve owned! It also looks great which is great! Show details
Good looking basic fitness watch – This is good looking and sleek watch that looks great, I wear it often even with a nice dress. The heart rate seems to be fairly accurate but you have to make sure it is tight and in a correct spot. I like the fact that I can pair it with my fitnesspal app. Easy to use, looks great but it cannot be paired with a chest strap which is a big but only minus from me. Show details
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