
Unlike the Vivoactive 3, the Vivoactive 4 includes on-board music storage without having to pay a premium for a special edition. Garmin Vivoactive 4 review: Spotify’s a bright spot It’s cool to see the pulse ox data in the app, especially logged as part of your sleep data in the app every morning, but unless you’re concerned that you might have a sleep disorder that affects your breathing, such as sleep apnea, it’s not worth the battery hit to keep it on. If you allow the sensor to run day and night through separate settings in the Garmin Connect app, the watch dies after two days. The pulse oximeter sensor severely affects battery life.
#Garmin vivoactive 3 mac os program series
(I didn’t test that version.) The Apple Watch Series 5 lasts just 18 hours on a charge, so if battery life is important to you, the Vivoactive 4 is worth a look. The larger Vivoactive 4 lasts about eight days on a charge, Garmin says. The Vivoactive 4s lasted about 4 days with music playback and GPS activated during multiple 3.6-mile runs in my testing, and can last up to 7 days in smartwatch mode. Garmin has always prioritized battery life more than other smartwatch makers, and the Vivoactive 4 continues in that tradition. I found it comparable to Fitbit’s sleep-tracking functionality.
#Garmin vivoactive 3 mac os program plus
But when I am wearing the watch to bed, its sleep-tracking dashboard in the Garmin Connect app accurately breaks down my sleep and wake times, plus time spent in light, deep and REM sleep. The device should be able to tell when I’m not wearing it. One night I forgot to put the device back on after a shower, and when I woke the next morning and synced the watch to my phone, it calculated 11 hours of deep sleep. Given all of the Vivoactive 4’s sensors, I found it strange that the watch would log a night of sleep even when I didn’t wear it to bed. With the addition of respiration tracking and a pulse oximeter for tracking blood oxygen saturation levels, the Vivoactive 4 offers a level of detail you don’t get from older Garmin watches, particularly about sleep. Garmin is taking the Apple approach to its Vivoactive line by making its newest watch more of a personal health companion. Garmin Vivoactive 4 review: Health and sleep-tracking features This is the best fitness smartwatch you can buy. You can also follow coached running plans if you’re training for a race, which is why many people buy Garmins. The watch took less than 30 seconds to lock onto a GPS signal - sometimes less than 10 seconds - and afterward you can see a map of your route logged in the Garmin Connect app. Otherwise, the Vivoactive 4 is just as advanced as other Garmin watches when it comes to tracking outdoor running and biking. MORE: Best Sport Headphones : Running and workout earbuds As a person whose Pilates practice has been lacking in recent months, I’m hopeful Garmin can ease me back into it so I don’t have to shell out extra cash for pricey boutique classes. You can also create your own yoga and Pilates workouts in the Garmin Connect app. The animations are more helpful than the stick figures you normally see on a smartwatch exercise app. This is particularly useful for Pilates and yoga, because you can each pose modeled. Garmin added on-screen yoga, Pilates, cardio and strength-training exercises to the watch, so you can follow guided animations. Garmin Vivoactive 4 (Image credit: Tom's Guide)īut the Vivoactive 4 is also useful for those who prefer other types of workouts.
