Fitness bracelet Garmin Vivosmart HR: reviews, instruction

On the shelves of the brand "Garmin" you can find quite an impressive list of fitness gadgets: trackers, sports watches with GPS-navigation, pulsomers, etc. About the first and will be discussed in today's article. The Vivosmart series differs significantly in price from its competitors in the big party, but it has a number of more advanced features that are targeted specifically at the sports field. A little over a year ago the company pleased its fans with the new gadget - the fitness bracelet Garmin Vivosmart HR. The HR attachment stands for Heart Rate, and the main feature of the model is precisely the pulse measurement.

So, the subject of today's review - Garmin Vivosmart HR - multi-functional sports tracker from the famous brand. Consider the main characteristics of the gadget, its advantages and disadvantages, as well as whether it costs money. In the calculation will be taken the opinions of experts in this field and reviews of ordinary owners of the tracker.

Features of the series

The last generation of the Vivosmart series received mixed reviews. On the one hand, the gadget received a small, but at the same time informative screen, which displayed not only information on daily activity, but also notifications from the smartphone. On the other hand, the appearance of the device left much to be desired, and it was not some kind of fashion accessory, but a sports specialized bracelet. Also gadgets of this series were not afraid of water, dirt and dust.

The new line of wristbands Garmin Vivosmart HR has become a little more beautiful, more technical and received a heart rate sensor. Critical changes were made to the software of the device. The past generation of the interface has caused a lot of criticism among experts and ordinary sports fans, so the manufacturer went on such cardinal steps.

Equipment

The gadget goes in a small cute box of cardboard. The front part is a kind of showcase, where you can see the device itself, and the ends show the most remarkable technical and advertising information.

Contents of delivery:

• The tracker Garmin Vivosmart HR;
• Instruction manual (including in Russian);
• A cable for recharging the device and synchronizing with the PC;
• Security booklet and promotional brochures.

The package is standard, but there is no need for more. Separately it is worth noting a special cable, where on the one hand is the familiar USB-interface, and on the other - a plastic contact platform. The latter allows you to reliably fix the loop on the bracelet design by snapping the ears. This solution, perhaps, is not as elegant as the same inductive option, but it differs in compactness and cheapness.

Reviews of the smart-bracelet Garmin Vivosmart HR about the plume are ambiguous: some support such a simple and unassuming design, while others complain about the specificity of the cable, that is, if there is a breakdown or loss, you will have to buy a new one, while competing analogs have a universal USB- A train with which smartphones, tablets and other mobile gadgets are completed.

Appearance

The design of the new model in general is similar to the gadgets of the previous generation. It's still the same nondescript bracelet, but in our case the screen got some kind of personality. Now it stands out prominently, and the silicone coating does not look monolithic.

On the right side of the tracker there is a small button that turns on / off the gadget, and also activates the menu. The key is flush with the body and has a moderately elastic stroke, so random pressing is virtually eliminated.

The back of the device is a massive plastic block, where the "pearl" of the series is located - the heart rate sensor surrounded by three LED elements. Users have repeatedly left negative comments on Garmin Vivosmart HR about this. During operation, the LEDs are brightly lit, which causes many owners to experience a lot of inconvenience: when you shoot the gadget - they shine, they are charging on the table - they are shining, - some kind of flashlight, not a sports tracker. Okay, you can turn off this feature, but such, alas, is not provided.

Design Features

The strap at the tracker though and is named demountable, but to disconnect it, it is necessary to find a small screwdriver and to unscrew four screws. It is made of soft silicone and is littered with numerous holes for fastening. For this feature, users repeatedly thanked the manufacturer in their responses to Garmin Vivosmart HR. The versatility of the belt allows you to comfortably carry the gadget to people with a thin hand, and with a massive one. Moreover, tight fixation of the device to the hand is necessary for the normal operation of the heart rate sensor.

As for the design and ergonomics in general, judging by the reviews on the Garmin Vivosmart HR fitness bracelet, the estimate fluctuates around 4 points out of five. There was a convenient button for calling the menu, interaction with the screen became more comfortable, and the appearance became a little more attractive than the models of the last generation.

Sync with PC and mobile gadgets

To synchronize with a personal computer or mobile device, you need to install a proprietary utility. The platforms "Windows", iOS and "Android" are supported. In their responses to Garmin Vivosmart HR, users repeatedly thanked the manufacturer for the fact that they realized the possibility of using a gadget without a smartphone, but only with a PC. This is an obvious plus in comparison with competing analogs.

Garmin Express

Before you start, you need to download the branded application Garmin Express from the official website of the company. After installing the utility and launching on the welcome screen, you should see the model of your tracker and its serial number. For full-fledged work, you need to add your device to the list of used. It is possible to do this only after registering the account on the same official resource of the brand. After the authorization device appears in the list used.

Then you must enter the input data: date of birth, sex, height, weight and sleep time (awakening, falling asleep). The last moment allows you to correctly fix your sleep. This mini-survey is necessary for correct synchronization with the online service Garmin Connect, through which all further work with the gadget goes.

Display

Matrix, like in the previous generation - monochrome, but the display is equipped with transreflective sensors, that is, it does not require any backlighting and is always on. To read the information, it is enough ordinary external lighting.

Another distinguishing feature of the display is its sensitivity to light, - when direct sunlight hits, the image is better manifested and all the data is perfectly visible. Users in their reviews of Garmin Vivosmart HR have often been surprised by such a feature of the tracker. Competing analogs are blinded and fade under the bright sun, and our respondent feels great and legibly displays information.

Display

Naturally, there is no need to talk about the aesthetic side of the display. The image here is purely functional. Nevertheless, at the usual distance of the bent hand, the picture does not get lost in pixels and looks dignified. If you look closely, then, eventually, individual points will be noticeable.

In basic mode, the display shows the time and date. Svayp in the left side switches the picture to a pedometer, then the number of floors passed and after - the duration of daily training. Following the list, you can see the number of calories burned and the daily mileage. There are also weather and music management screens on the smartphone with the simplest commands. Climatic zones are checked against the Internet, so for weather display you need a network connection on the mobile gadget.

The last two screens are a list of notifications and a heart rate indicator. The latter can be quickly called by the same svaypom, only to the right side from the base screen. That is, it turns out that all the widgets can be flipped either to the right or to the left in a circle.

Autonomous work

One of the most acute questions to Garmin Vivosmart HR (Regular) and all smart clocks is the battery life, because pulse measurement is one of the most voracious operations, and it is often necessary for athletes to perform this procedure.

The gadget demonstrated quite acceptable offline results. With the notification function turned on, along with the pulse measurement, he confidently lasted five days. Such compelling times of autonomous work can not boast of competing analogs. The same SmartBand of the second version from "Sony" held for a little over one and a half days, and the tracker from Apple - almost three days. That is, according to this parameter, our respondent was much ahead of competitors. And if you completely disable the heart rate monitor, the gadget will work a week without problems.

Summarizing

As for the specific sports component, among other venerable analogs this is one of the best options for controlling heart rate. Nevertheless, for training and other fitness activities, the Vivosmart series is not the best choice.

Despite the fact that the company positions the device as an unprofessional tool for playing sports, it is the professional category of users who rated the rich features of the tracker as more than acceptable. Here we have very good ratings from runners, cycle trackers and other sportsmen.

Many experts have the impression that the gadget as though wants to be in a different, more professional segment, but objective circumstances, alas, impede this. A small monochrome screen does not allow you to fully work with notifications, the available water resistance is not implemented, that is, you can not analyze the bracelet. Here you can add the absence of a smart alarm clock, and we will get a solid middle class.

The price policy of the brand regarding the new model also slightly disappointed. Buy a gadget can be within 15 thousand rubles, which is expensive for devices of this class. To say clearly, whether to buy or not, is very difficult. In terms of technology in its segment, the gadget is highly valued by experts, even in spite of the above problems. In general, the smart bracelet is a success, and it performs the declared function for 100%, and it's up to you to decide whether to buy it or not. Here it comes to personal preferences and sporting specifics.