Garmin Vivosmart 5 Fitness Tracker Worth the Hype?

For people who care more about exercise data than how it looks, the Garmin Vivosmart 5 is a simple but stylish watch. Instead of focusing on style like the Fitbit Luxe or Charge 5, it does a great job of tracking your health and exercise. The newest part of Garmin’s Vivosmart line came out in April 2022. It works well with the Garmin Connect app and has a bigger screen with more tracking options. Of course, it has some flaws, like a black-and-white screen and no GPS.

This review will help you choose if this tracker is right for you by looking at its features, specs, pros, and cons.

Garmin Vivosmart 5 Fitness Tracker: Key Features & Performance

• Design and Display: Larger, Lighter, and Practical

The Garmin Vivosmart 5 Fitness Tracker comes in two sizes, small/medium (122 mm–188 mm) and large (148 mm–228 mm), so it can fit a lot of wrist sizes. The small one weighs 24.5 grammes and the big one 26.5 grammes. Because it’s thin and light, it’s easy to wear all day. The tracker can be customised because it is made of soft silicone and has a strap that can be switched out.

There is more touch on the Vivosmart 5’s OLED screen than on the Vivosmart 4’s screen. Even though it’s still black and white, the higher quality screen makes it easier to read. This could be a problem for people who like displays that look better, but the extra room lets you show a lot of information at once. It can show three data points at once, which is different from older types. A light sensor built into the screen changes the brightness automatically based on how bright the room is.

• Fitness and Health Tracking: Rich in Data

Garmin Vivosmart 5 Fitness Tracker’s best features are its accurate and complete health and fitness data. You can use the device for fourteen different sports modes, including running, riding, swimming, and gym routines (10 of which are always free). Its powerful automated activity monitoring tool will monitor your steps, heart rate, and stress levels. The built-in heart rate monitor works quickly and accurately, just like the rest of Garmin’s high-end sports watches.

One cool thing about it is that it can track your sleep habits. The Vivosmart 5 may give you a sleep number that looks at how long and how well you slept. On the other hand, some users might not like it because it doesn’t track naps.

You can see your daily energy level with a Body Battery number, which also uses heart rate changes to detect stress. Based on how tired you are, you can use this information to your advantage when planning your workouts or rest times.

The tracker’s SpO2 tracking, which checks for oxygen saturation, is great for people who are worried about sleep apnea or who train at high altitudes. However, turning on constant SpO2 monitoring can significantly reduce the battery life.

• Workout Tracking and GPS Functionality: Dependence on Phone

There are a lot of sports modes on the Vivosmart 5, but it doesn’t have a GPS. When you’re out, your phone’s GPS is all it needs to run and ride. You’ll need to have your phone with you so you can keep an accurate track of your pace and route. The accelerometer can estimate speed and distance for those who don’t want to carry their phones, but it’s less accurate than GPS.

Even though the Vivosmart 5 doesn’t have GPS built in, it keeps a lot of exercise data and syncs it with the Garmin Connect app on your phone. Runners and bikers with specific goals can use Garmin’s adaptive training plans to make their own personalized training plans.

Pros and Cons of Garmin Vivosmart 5 Fitness Tracker

Should You Buy the Garmin Vivosmart 5 Fitness Tracker?

Buy It If:

• You’re a data enthusiast: The Vivosmart 5 is a great choice if you care a lot about accurate measurements and complete exercise records. You can see all the information that was tracked, like your heart rate, stress, sleep, SpO2, and more, through the free Garmin Connect app.
• You already own a Garmin sports watch: If you already have a Garmin sports watch, you can use the Vivosmart 5 as an extra fitness tracker that you can wear every day. You can sync your data from both devices with the Garmin Connect app. This puts all of your data in one easy-to-find place.
• You want a comfortable, lightweight tracker: The Vivosmart 5 has a great weight-to-width ratio and fits snugly around the wrist for people who care about comfort. You won’t even know you’re wearing it because it’s so soft and cozy.

Don’t Buy It If:

• A colorful display matters to you: The Vivosmart 5’s black-and-white screen may disappoint people who like the way bright screens look and work.
• You need built-in GPS: People who run or ride bikes a lot and don’t usually use their phones while working out will be very disappointed that the Vivosmart 5 doesn’t have built-in GPS.

Conclusion

The Garmin Vivosmart 5 is a fitness tracker that puts usefulness ahead of looks. It’s a great choice for people who are serious about their health and workout data. It makes up for not having GPS built in and having a black-and-white screen with a lot of useful metrics, such as tracking heart rate, stress, sleep, and SpO2. The device is especially useful for people who are already using the Garmin environment because it syncs data seamlessly with the Garmin Connect app.

The Garmin Vivosmart 5 is a great watch for the money, even though it does have a few problems. If you want a simple tracker that works well for everyday use and has great data monitoring tools, the Vivosmart 5 is a good choice.

5 FAQs About the Garmin Vivosmart 5

1. Does the Garmin Vivosmart 5 have a color display?

No, The Vivosmart 5 features a grayscale OLED screen.

2. Can I track outdoor activities without a phone?

The Vivosmart 5 has no integrated GPS, hence in order to properly monitor outdoor activities you will have to bring your phone.

3. How long does the Garmin Vivosmart 5 battery last?

In smartwatch mode, the Vivosmart 5 provides up to 7 days of battery life; however, activating all sensors and sleep tracking will lower it to about 4 days.

4. Is the Garmin Vivosmart 5 water-resistant?

Yes, it is water-resistant for swimming, but not appropriate for diving or fast activities.

5. Can I change the band of the Garmin Vivosmart 5 Fitness Tracker?

The band on the Vivosmart 5 is replaceable, so you may modify its appearance.