So, after four months of back and forth with Garmin, I finally got my vívosmart HR at the end of August last year. By then, my initial excitement had dissipated. Not to mention that my brand spanking new fitness tracker was rendered obsolete before I even got it with Garmin's release of the vívosmart HR+, which has the added feature of a GPS. You'll find the HR listed on their website under "Previous Models". Doh!
The HR is on the left and the better-designed HR+ is on the right. And that is definitely not my arm. (Photo from this review of the HR+.)
Seriously, for a company that specializes in GPS technology, you'd think that a GPS would have been the first thing that they would have tried to integrate into a fitness tracker.
Insert "You had one job...!" joke here.
I also wasn't a fan of the vívosmart HR's design. The older model was sleek and stylish, while the HR was bulky. Initially, I wore it on the inside of my wrist because I didn't like how far it protruded. I now wear it the regular way, and have gotten used to its size.
That's the old vívosmart on the left and the HR on the right. You have to admit that the old model was damned sexy. (Internet file photo.)
But I also didn't like that the HR was "always on". The older model's screen only came to life when tapped; untapped, it just looked like a wristband. Of course, the downside to all that tapping is that, even when you aren't wearing your tracker, you have this habit of tapping at your wrist when you want to check the time.
I guess I'm not the only one who preferred the old design because Garmin now has the vívosmart 3, which is as sleek as the original vívosmart and isn't always on, but has a heart rate monitor. I guess I know which fitness tracker I'm getting next.
The vívosmart 3's design isn't as sexy as its predecessor, but it's still sleeker than the HR. (Internet file photo.)
On the plus side, the HR seems to be made of sturdier stuff as it hasn't broken down. The older model had display problems and I had to keep sending it back for replacement.
While the HR has the same features as the previous model, I've disabled most of them to conserve battery life. The only active displays I have are for time, heart rate, and number of steps.
One interesting feature is the sleep monitor, although I'm not sure how accurate it is. I think when I'm awake but not moving, like when I'm watching a movie, it thinks I'm asleep. Also, it should record naps too, no?
I've gotten better now at remembering to record most of my activities, which is why I rarely record them now on my blog. So if you're on Garmin Connect, please feel free to connect with me. You'll find me there as Tangerinechick, where I unwittingly do well on the challenges. Especially when I'm in Siargao or when I'm traveling. (In Manila, not so much.)
At the end of the day, when choosing a fitness tracker, I will always go for something in Garmin's vívosmart series - primarily because of their design (I don't want a tracker that looks like a watch) and because they are water proof (I use the tracker when I swim, plus I don't want to have to remember to take it off before I shower).