Garmin Vivosmart 5 In-Depth Scientific Review

Published July 21, 2023, 8:15 p.m. by Naomi Charles

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Intro: First, let me share the most important background on this watch. The first thing that is important to note is that the Vivosmart 5 does not have on-board GPS, so you will still need to bring your phone if you want to track your route on your runs and rides. It can use the on-board accelerometer to estimate distance and also your pace if you do not have your phone with you, but this is not a full replacement of GPS by any means. It comes in two sizes, small/medium and large, so you will need to determine beforehand which size is the right one for you, and this could also make reselling slightly more tricky. The battery should last up to 7 days, if you do not use the continuous oxygen saturation measurements during the night, if you enable those features the battery life will drop to about 4 days. The Vivosmart 5 has a reasonable price at 150 dollars or 150 euros over here in Europe. The thing that bugs me most is that the screen of the Vivosmart is still monochrome, so basically black and white, and not in color. Where most competitors have moved on to full color displays, this feels a bit dated for a more premium smartband in 2022. Also, the Vivosmart 5 does not have Gorilla Glass, so it could potentially scratch a bit more easily. However, what matters for most of you on this channel is the health and sports tracking accuracy, so lets take a gander! Let’s start by looking at the features that performed best in my testing, and close off with the things the Vivosmart 5 did poorly. The thing I liked most about the Vivosmart 5 is it’s heart rate tracking.

Conclusion:

Overall, I am not very positive about the Garmin Vivosmart 5. The heart rate tracking is OK, but the other health and sport tracking features I tested appear mediocre or bad. Combine that with a design and monochrome screen that are quite dated, and I cannot generally recommend you buy the Vivosmart 5. Now, I did not go into things like body battery or stress, but I still think there are better alternatives, even from Garmin if you want to get into that ecosystem. The Instinct 2 for instance did quite well in my testing, though the sleep tracking is not great. If we move outside of the Garmin sphere, the Fitbit Charge 5 and Fitbit Luxe have pretty OK heart rate tracking and great sleep tracking, and both have a much more beautiful design and color screen. Overall, I’d give the Vivosmart 5 2.5 out of 5 stars based on my testing. I would personally rather use a Fitbit Charge 5 than the Garmin Vivosmart 5