Garmin vivosmart HR+ Review: Function over form

Last updated: Feb 13, 2020

The camera is good, general app performance is decent and the fingerprint sensor is amongst the fastest we’ve ever tested.

The good

Integrated GPS
Good battery life for a smart fitness tracker
24/7 heart rate monitoring
Very detailed tracking options
Easy to read
Waterproof to 50m

The bad

Lacks style
Garmin app is clunky
Uses a proprietary charging clip

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When it comes to choosing the best fitness tracker, you have a lot of choice. You can spend a very small amount of money for something that isn’t much more than a digital pedometer, or a lot of money on something that looks very fancy and covers everything from running to snowboarding and beyond. Garmin’s vivosmart HR+ is an update to the existing vivosmart activity tracker that incorporates built-in GPS as its key new feature, but it fits firmly in the premium space in both pricing and feature terms.

Design

Easy to read
Waterproof to 50m
Lacks style

The vivosmart HR+'s monochrome display isn't flashy, but it is high contrast, which means if you need to check it mid-run, it's easy to do so without having to squint, or critically, without having to adjust your pace.
Whether you're a serious swimmer, or you just don't want to drown your valuable tracker, the vivosmart HR+ is seriously waterproof – which also means you can sweat on it as much as you like.
The vivosmart HR+ is a pedestrian looking device by fitness tracker and smartwatch standards. Quite how much that matters to you may vary, but if you fuss about the appearance of bands you wear, this is on the plain side.

Performance

Good battery life for a smart fitness tracker
Garmin app is clunky
Uses a proprietary charging clip

The display on the vivosmart HR+ is a simple e-ink type display, which means that it's always on but only sips on the battery when something on the screen changes. Garmin rates it as good for up to five days, and we'd concur with that, relative to your usage of course.
The vivosmart HR+ isn't unique in this respect, with many other devices having their own unique chargers. Still, it's annoying if you travel extensively as you'll have to pack the cable as well as the tracker. You're in serious trouble if you lose or break it.
Activity trackers are only as good as the apps that support them, and Garmin's could use work. On our test rig it consistently complained of losing Bluetooth connectivity while still picking up Bluetooth data, which was annoying. It's also not the easiest app to use, thanks to a somewhat obtuse user interface.

Features

Integrated GPS
24/7 heart rate monitoring
Very detailed tracking options

The key standout feature of the HR+ is that it incorporates GPS tracking into the band, whereas many fitness trackers rely on pairing to a smartphone for that functionality, or omit it altogether. GPS isn't constantly running on the vivosmart HR+, instead springing to life when you opt to specifically exercise, in order to keep battery usage as low as possible.
Do you really need to know your heart rate all the time? Probably not in reality, but having a constant track of it could be handy for overall statistical analysis.
You can just run with the vivosmart HR+, but it's capable of quite a bit more, with options that vary from heart rate zone tracking to pace tracking, as well as automatic exercise detection.

Verdict

The vivosmart HR+’s asking price pretty much puts it out of contention for the more casual jogger, but then this isn’t a wearable that’s particularly aimed at that market anyway. It's much more a product for those dedicated to a fitness regime who want a device that can handle more tracking features than an ordinary fitness tracker, but for comfort or style reasons don't want to go down the full fitness watch path.

Still, that's a busy field with plenty of other alternatives, such as Microsoft's Band 2 tracker, Samsung's Gear Fit2 or any number of Fitbit devices such as the Fitbit Alta or Fitbit Blaze.

Pricing and availability

The vivosmart HR+ retails in Australia for $349.

Order new Garmin vívosmart HR+ Regular Fit Activity Tracker today from Amazon US site

HR+ is different from other activity trackers — not because it lacks any of their features, but because of what it includes that they don't. Get it today from Amazon.

View details

Specifications

Where to buy

General

Colours

Black, Blue, Purple, Grey

Battery Life

Up to 5 days

Connectivity

Bluetooth

Bluetooth Smart

Features

Accelerometer

Yes

Alarm Clock

Yes

Calories Burned

Yes

Distance

Yes

Dustproof

Yes

Gps

Yes

Heart Rate

Yes

Rechargeable

Yes

Sleep Tracker

Yes

Speedometer

Yes

Touchscreen

Yes

Usb Charging

Yes

Water Resistant

Yes

Alex Kidman

A multi-award winning journalist, Alex has written about consumer technology for over 20 years. He has written and edited for virtually every Australian tech publication including Gizmodo, CNET, PC Magazine, Kotaku and more. He has also been the Editor of Gizmodo Australia, PC Mag Australia, CNET.com.au and the Tech and Telco section at Finder. Alex has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New England and a serious passion for retro gaming.

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Wearables

Brands

Garmin vivosmart HR+ Review: Function over form

The camera is good, general app performance is decent and the fingerprint sensor is amongst the fastest we’ve ever tested.

The good

The bad

What's in this review?

Design

Performance

Features

Verdict

Pricing and availability

Order new Garmin vívosmart HR+ Regular Fit Activity Tracker today from Amazon US site

Specifications

General

Connectivity

Features

Alex Kidman

Ask an expert

Garmin vivosmart HR+ Review: Function over form

The camera is good, general app performance is decent and the fingerprint sensor is amongst the fastest we’ve ever tested.

The good

The bad

What's in this review?

Design

Read our full review of the Garmin Vivosmart HR+'s design

Performance

Read our full review of the Garmin Vivosmart HR+'s performance

Features

Read our full review of the Garmin Vivosmart HR+'s features

Verdict

Pricing and availability

Order new Garmin vívosmart HR+ Regular Fit Activity Tracker today from Amazon US site

Specifications

General

Connectivity

Features

Alex Kidman

Ask an expert

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