Garmin - vívoactive® 4S

My VA4 seems to do a great job.

My Garmin Vivoactive4 has never let me down!

I use my Garmin and it's great for swimming as well as hiking. I tried it a few times cycling and it was quite accurate too- it has loads of different sports and I love mine. It's been a few years I've had it too, so it's durable. I used to have a Fitbit but I hated the strap and mine totally broke a number of times. Garmins seem much more sport focused whereas Fitbits didn't hold up for me.

Oh yeah sorry- left that out! It's a Vivoactive 4S so yeah not one of the newer ones but a great piece of kit!

Mir ging es ähnlich. Ich hatte lange Zeit die Vivoactive 4 und schon seit längerem auf die Enduro 3 geschielt. Mit Solar und Offline-Karten sah ich mich gedanklich auf langen, abenteuerlichen Touren. Aber ich bin Vater von zwei Kindern. Wenn, dann machen wir was zusammen. Radtouren, wo mein Garmin Edge dabei ist oder kurze Trips durch die Eifel oder die sächsische Schweiz - schön, aber nichts Abenteuerliches. Selbst im Urlaub, wo wir mal fremde Umgebungen auskundschaften, reicht mir die Vivoactive um damit wieder zum Auto zu kommen. Also Enduro 3, die schon bestellt war, wieder abbestellt und die Vivoactive 6 geordert. Bin gespannt auf den intelligenten Wecker und die 'Brotkrumen'-Navigation. Eine Unsicherheit bleibt allerdings: Grund für die Neuanschaffung war, dass mir meine Vivoactive 4 beim Schwimmen abgesoffen ist; also vielmehr bei einem Sprung vom 5m-Brett um fair zu bleiben. Die Uhr zeigte beim dritten Sprung einen Unfall an, den ich stoppen wollte und dabei ist sie komplett schwarz geworden und lässt sich auch nicht mehr reanimieren. Da hatte ich die Hoffnung, dass die Enduro etwas robuster ist und ich weiß jetzt schon, dass ich die Vivoactive 6 bei solchen Aktivitäten lieber ausziehen werde.

I just bought it a few days ago, and have been loving it so far! Upgraded from Vivoactive 4

I have Ignite 3 and Garmin vivioactive 4. Garmin is much more accurate. Ignite 3 at the distance 1200m is loosing 150m. In both cases there is no problem with Strava.

I'll stick with my Garmin Vivoactive 4

I've owned a Vivoactive 4s for 5 years. I've picked up running this year and am training for a half marathon, so I wanted to treat myself to a new watch. Two weeks ago, I bought the Forerunner 570, and then four days after, the Venu 4 was announced. I was gutted! Venu 4 has everything the Forerunner 570 has, and it is prettier for an office job. So I bought both, compared, and am sticking with the Venu 4. This was a much needed upgrade for me for the training status and progress. I sweat a lot and am in humid MN, and I've not had issues with only touchscreen. My vivoactive 4s didn't have five buttons, so I'm also used to the two buttons and prefer it. The GPS is a little slower than the Forerunner because of the different tech, but I'm not running trails/a super serious runner, so this is fine for me. I thought the light was going to be a feature I didn't use, but I actually use it a lot. I run in the dark, and it's great there. I search for items at night without turning on lights. The lifestyle tracking is fine. Nothing other apps don't already track. I also LOVE the smaller size. My wrist is just under 6 inches, and even the 42mm Forerunner looked too big. All in all, I'm happy with the purchase and plan to have this for another 5 years, so the price was fine for me.

I bought a refurbished garmin vivoactive 4 a few years ago. Wear it daily and have really put it through its paces. It still works as good as the day I got it. I put a screen protector on it also since every smart watch I’ve had before had the screen cracked within 6 months of use.

I had the VA3 for 3 years and am going on year 3 with my VA4. I've noticed some GPS drift lately so it might be tine to retire it, but overall I really do think these are great watches.

Mine is like that too. The best I can figure is maybe the watch face I like is burning through the battery. But what's the point of having a smart watch if I can't use the features?

The vivoactive 4 and 6 do do the animation, but aren't as good of running watches as the 165. And don't do any bike things either.

FR255 is not touch screen. I went from VA 4 to FR 255 then to FR 265. The 265 is really good and has the touch screen.

I have forerunner 255 music and I love it. I use Spotify on it and have never had any issues. Can leave the phone at home. I use shokz headphones with it too. Fab watch all round. I had vivoactive 4 before that, that also had music. Think it was replaced with vivoactive 5. It is less technical.

I've used Garmin Vivoactive 4(s?) many times in sauna. No problems, except when it's completely wet it doesn't react to any touch. And afterwards it smells like a wet dog because of the wristband. It's funny how the watch thinks I've been having intensive exercise when I do sauna and dips into frozen lake for an hour because my heart rate goes up because of it.

The Garmin vivo active 4 works and is much cheaper than the Fenix. You can also look if the vivo active 6 has an altimeter my 5 doesn't but the 4 does. Garmin over Samsung or Apple just because battery life is incredible

I have an Epix Pro, aka the AMOLED version of the Fenix 7 Pro. It is not a perfect watch, but it is good. However, there are some long lasting bugs in the firmware and the last major version has been release by Garmin despite multiple beta testers reporting bugs. That is something that kills the experience. I had a Fenix 6S Pro and a Vivoactive 4 before. Both good watches with their strengths and flaws, but never that buggy. So, unless you want diving, I wouldn't go with the Fenix 8. Get a used/refurbished Fenix 7 Pro or an Epix Pro and have almost the same watch and features for a lot less money.

Garmin Forerunner 265s is definitely accurate while OWSwimming, with its own factory "OpenWater" function. My previous Vivoactive 4 or Vivoactive 1 were very erratic, even trying different IQ apps.

I got a Edge Explore 2 and Vivoactive 4 myself (also a Tacx). I would not recommend a vivoactive for eighter running or cycling.

One other caveat, not all Garmin watches do Bluetooth HR broadcast, some only do Ant+ (Vivoactive 4 as an example). You need Bluetooth Broadcast if you are using your watch to track HR on Peloton unless you have one of the very few phones with Ant+ (do they even make these anymore?)

You’ll have many options, but I love my  Garmin Vivoactive4. I record all of my dedicated walks with it, OTF, spin classes, yoga, skiing, etc. Looks professional enough that I can wear it to work without feeling like it’s too athletic like some of their other models. 

36 hours on my vivoactive 4

It's been like this the entire 2 years I've had it. I could extend the life to 3 or 4 days if I turned off all the features I bought it for. But then it's just a watch.

We have a Venu 3S in the family. The previous Vivoactice 2S just died after 4 years of use. Didn’t turn on. Venu 3S Good: Great screen. Vibrant colors, sharp. Light. Compared to the Fenix line it feels nothing. Looks nice, more "fashion", than rugged. Bad: Screen got scratched very fast. Needs charging every 2-3 days. Compared to the FR and Fenix, there are no extra features. It is just "less". It feels random what is left out. The menu compared to the FR and Fenix feels less thought trough and buggy. It is neither fully touch screen, neither fully button. It is a strange mix of touching and pressing the buttons. Especially during exercise it is a pain to use, my wife often needs to stop, dry her hand and wipe the screen to check something, then restart. Not that small at all, due to the sickness it gets bumped into everything. Speaker and mic is useless. Not loud enough, mic needs to be put next to your mouth. We only used it a few times when we bought the watch, and never again. Even for short calls like "When do you get home?", it didn't work as the sound was poor on both ends. ECG: we tried 2x, and forgot that it is even there, never used again. Take away: Unless you want really the Garmin ecosystem, most brands are better as a general fitness-smart watch IMHO. They have LTE, better Android or Apple Integrations, faster, etc. I wouldn't get the Venu 3, rather a Vivoactive.

I have the Vivoactive 4s and loved it.

I like the Vivoactive 4s for function while still having running metrics (not as many as my Fenix 7s though). My tip is to consider the watch colour though. Could be nicer to get her something like the Vivomove Style with a solid watch colour that she can change the strap on. Otherwise it’s a funny mix of eg rose gold and white and rose gold band.

Had a Vivoactive too ? I reckon they didn't put a good battery in there. (Plus the latest update didn't help)

Mine died last week. It's been a few years I had to put it almost every day on charge. Honestly been a bit disappointed by Garmin with that. I'm considering something else but it's not easy. I don't know who's equivalent to Garmin.

Well you're going to have a surprise. I have a vivoactive 4 that died last Monday. Right it has 6 years but out of those 6 years I had at least 4 of them charging the battery every day, while I never did anything like leaving on charge, or customising it EVER. 6 years for a watch even if this sophisticated isn't enough for me, especially if you have to charge it every day.

Worst than this. Garmin batteries are not bad but they definitely are to change. my vivoactive 4s died a few months ago now after a few good years services, I wanted to change it. I couldn't because I had the change the whole watch, planned obsolescence.

Nor my Vivoactive 4

It all depends on the usage patterns. My previous Garmin watch (Vivoactive 4) lasted me 4 years, and I sold it second-hand; the battery was still holding up 5-6 days on regular usage patterns. I do 2-3 runs a week with a GPS tracking and gym 3-4 times a week. You probably got a bit unlucky with your specific watch sample. It's possible to replace the battery in some Garmin watches, but the method varies significantly by model. I'd look it up, instead of discarding the whole watch right away. Sometimes it's the firmware which is faulty, and the battery drain might be solved with the next update/reset of your watch.

My **Vivoactive 4** also was good even after **4 years** of usage, when I took it off only for a charge. The battery was lasting 5-6 days on a full charge, and I sold it, because I wanted to upgrade to a different look.

Thanks for your writeup, I've had my vivoactive 4s for over 4 years now and feel I'm due an upgrade. In between I was tempted to buy a fenix 7 pro but could never justify the additional cost. I VA5 was a downgrade from the 4 so didn't really consider it, now that the 6 is here I think this is the device

There’s a decent downloadable app that handles open water pretty well. I think the vivoactive 5 has open water built in. (I have the 4, but used the app on my old Vivoactive HR.)

Just want to say, I know how you feel about the Vivoactive 4. I also want to upgrade mine because battery life is getting a bit low, but I don't love the look of any of the Garmin watches out there as much as I love the look of the Vivoactive 4. Bummed that when I upgrade, I don't get a better or equally nice looking watch!

I have been happy with my Vivoactive (4) that I’ve had for 3.5 years now. Replaced the band twice but that’s it. HR, body battery seem pretty accurate (you can tell when I’m away on boys weekends or skiing at elevation, for example). GPS is spot on. Would recommend.

I have a Vivoactive 4S and I’m pretty sure it does all that.

I have VA4 and VA4, and both are busted now. The battery is hardly active for 1-2 hours after a full charge. While I am sold on VA features for my needs, I am concerned about going with another watch in VA due to a bad experience. Should I still give it a shot for VA6?

I gave my pixel watch 3 to my gran and got an Instinct 2X. I had the vivoactive 4 before that and liked it and THOUGHT I wanted more smartwatch features so got the pixel. The VA4 basically just had notifications and onboard music as "smart" features. But at the time I got the pixel thinking it's the logical upgrade i was feeling less enthused by all the tech stuff and was more and more switching off notifications and bluetooth and when I got for runs I typically have my phone anyways becuse in case there is an emergency of some sort, I want to be able to contact someone reliably, call and uber navigate with a full map etc... so also that covers having music. So the more I though about it the more I realised I literally just want it to record the exercises I do. I'm not gonna watch youtube on it, make calls or whatever "smart" features are supposed to be because all those things can be done better on my phone (which I carry anyways). I really liked the look of an instinct. reminds me of the G-shock and the oncee a month charging of the battery means it'll last years because it's going through abot 12 battery cycles in a whole year. In the end it's really up to you, look at what integration apple offers to the ecosystem, maye you like resuming playing music from your watch even if you're listening on your Mac or something but it's dependent on you. The stats I get are deeper than what I need so for me I still feel I can get more out of it. And maybe I'm just old school but the AW looks ugly to me, I'm gonna have it on my hand all day, may as well get something that looks good to me.

I wear a garmin vivo active 4 indoor and out, only time I generally take it off is if there are some large cracks on the root that require hand jamming. I does get scratched up (although can you buy screen protector, and rubber cases for them)

I'm very pleased with the Swim 2 and most particularly about the fact that it does not have a touch screen, which sucks in the water. Outside of the water it's a very limited smartwatch - no nfc payments, no short reply functions, smaller screen etc. I have a separate Garmin (Vivoactive 4) for my daily use. Garmin is also starting with payed functionality (but not so much for existing models/functions). I have no experience with Pixel. If you really prioritize swimming over anything else I'd take the Swim, if you want to carry it during the day try to find out how the swim tracking capabilities of the Pixel are.

I use a Vivoactive 4s and a heart rate monitor on a strap to connect to the erg. I use it both on the water and erging. Works well and seems reasonably accurate. 

I really like my vivoactive 4 but want to upgrade. Not sure what to yet. Nothing over $400-500, I think.

I love Garmins. I had the Vivoactive 4s… Great for running and cycling. Not great for swimming (poor tracking in the water). Really good for other sports. The Forerunner series are the ones designed for triathlon. I just got the new one, I bloody love it. I usually get my Garmins second hand which is way more affordable. You can also check out reviews of the ones you’re considering from DC Rainmaker, he’s the goto guy for smartwatches.

I had a second hand Vivoactive 4s and it survived all my adventures in outdoor sport, DIY, forestry and more. Buying one second hand meant I was less worried about bashing it.

My 3 years old Vivoactive 4s disagrees. Glad to get 3 full days with it.

I agree wholeheartedly. I'm a pretty active person and the V4 has been great for the last 5 years. A really well balanced product for someone who wants to be active but doesn't need the $500+ worth of bells and whistles. I am thinking of moving the the V6 tho soon.

If you’re on vivoactive 4, it didn’t last for an 50mile ultra, but I have now switched to enduro 3, it last longer than my AirPods during the 100miler lol

I used to have Fitbit versa both 1 and 2 they were amazing with accuracy of sleep. Then I switched to Garmin Vivoactive 4 and everything else is fine but the sleep tracking is way off. You could be awake and just spend some time in bed, Fitbit would take that as awake but Garmin would count that as still sleeping. Also garmin does not seem to catch naps whereas Fitbit does. It is a shame Fitbit's future is a little unclear because like you I am also looking for my next watch but can't seem to find a good alternative.

Those: [We spoke, they listened! New Features rolling out : r/Garmin](https://www.reddit.com/r/Garmin/comments/1n2klnd/we_spoke_they_listened_new_features_rolling_out/) I know its nothing really important, but it shows, that Garmin doesnt have a will to upgrade "old" (meaning 1 gen older) devices. I think I got a better experience with my older Vivoactive 4 than FR965

Not ashamed to still be rocking my Vivoactive 4 after four years. Has everything I need from a smartwatch with a great battery and decent style.

I have a Garmin Forerunner 965 and prior was a Vivoactive 4. Both work really well. Prior to these i had Fitbit and that worked well enough. A charge was made to the watch because the swim app i use no longer was supported on the Fitbit. Then after a time the swim app would no longer be supported on the Vivo 4. So for now it's working on the forerunner.

Battery life would depend a lot on how much you do activities with gps. Forerunner 165 or the Vivoactive 4 or 5 seem to fit your requirements

I have a refurbished Garmin Vivoactive 4 I got for cheap, and I turned all notifications and other smartphone features off. So, probably something like that.

I had a Vivoactive 4 for like 7ish months but decided it wasn't right for me and switched to a Forerunner 255. I didn't like the touchscreen, the GPS was inaccurate while trail running and overall the features for a runner seemed lacking... It was more of a smart lifestyle watch that could track you. The Forerunner is awesome though, I like the MIP screens, and the added features geared to running.

I have bought a Garmin vivoactive 4 unfortunately it didn't work for more than 15 months.

Thank you for this! I have both a Forerunner 735xt and a Vivoactive 4s (both of these are 5 years old). My FR still picks up GPS amazingly, even in the deep woods. I do a lot of trail running in Appalachia. My VA4, not so much. That's the only thing that has been reluctant to get a newer Vivoactive versus a FR. Any trail runners have GPS issues with the newer VA?

My wife and the both had vivoactive3..both died after 2 years.  Her vivoactive4 and my venu2 have both been going for 3 years and are doing great, I expect another two years minimum of not more.   I think the vivoactive3 had lousy batteries 

YT Music support is newish. You can download the app on many watches that support Music. IIRC, the YT app was even available for my old Vivoactive 4.

Vivoactive and Venu (non X1, that thing should have had a name of its own) don't have the advanced running metrics. So it's Forerunner , then check whether the features you want are in Instinct, Fenix, Enduro or Epix if you like one of those better.

Hi everyone, Here it comes again... another Apple Watch related question ... :) I'm asking the points below because after searching online and in this community I'm still confused... I mostly see questions on whether the apple watch is water resistant, etc. I know it is (within limits), but that's not what I'm after. I'm looking into getting a replacement for my Vivoactive 4 that went too often in the sea and too deep... RIP. I'm considering a new Apple Watch SE 3, mostly because I have an iPhone, a Mac, so that could work well. I always had Garmins and from a sports perspective, they do what I need (depending on the model, of course), and even though I don't need all the bells and whistles, as I mostly run (easy for most watches) and swim (openwater and pool), I'm still unconvinced that the AW is good for pool swimming. So, if someone who has used one and has experience with pool swimming can give some feedback on the following, I'd appreciate: 1) Is the screen bright enough that a quick glance while turning at the wall is sufficient to check were I'm at (time, distance) ? This is always complicated, some pools have dimly lit basins, often the goggles get foggy, you know, but is the watch the weak link ? 2) can I see interval information while doing an "open" workout ? For example, I know I want to swim something like 6 x 50m to warm up, with short rests in between (but not necessarily always the same duration), then 4 x 300m at a specific pace, then a 1000m cool down. Each time I start a new interval, can I see information specific for that interval - the elapsed time and distance for that interval - instead of total time and distance for the activity ? I know I can create a workout with specific intervals, but then imagine that I change my mind at the pool and instead of swimming the 4x reps of 300m I want to do only 3 (p.eg. I'm late for lunch... ), how would that work ? 3) and a related point to 2, can I just initiate an interval manually ? I don't want to create or re-use workouts every time I go to the pool (I like to mix stuff), can I just start an "open objective" swim, and decide on the fly what I'm doing: I do 2 reps of 300m, then I'll do some fast reps, whatever. Can I just mix reps and rests and have the information for the current rep on the screen ? Can I tell the watch "I'm starting a new interval now" by the push of a button ? 4) last question, I promise :) can you change the number of fields you see while swimming ? instead of the 5 I usually see in photos people post, lets say I'm happy just having "interval time" and "interval distance". If I set it like that, do the fonts become larger so they are more visible ? If you have feedback on any of those points, that would help a lot already ! Thanks everyone !

eheh I agree with you. If I was looking for "just" a sport watch it would be easier. I started with a FR310XT, then a FR920XT, a Fenix 3. All watches that could do everything I needed and more - for trail running, triathlon, etc. But now I'm looking for a replacement for my Vivoactive 4, something I'd wear everyday and also use while training. I like to play music while running without having the phone, I want to use it in the pool. The VA4 never did a 15h+ trail race, not even capable of openwater recording (I would simply tie it to my swim buoy). So, I get what you're saying. With that in mind, what I'm looking for now is a watch I can wear casually, fits while wearing a shirt (the Fenix 3 HR is huuuuge), but that I could also use for "casual" activities. Swimming in the pool seems simple enough, but I was thrown out by the lack of control with the AW in the pool: with any other watch I press a button to start an interval, press it again to stop it, and repeat for a new interval, and I can see metrics (time, distance) during each interval for just that interval. I was surprised to read the AW seems to not do that.

My vivoactive 4 is down to 3-4 days before requiring a charge. Basically 2-3 runs and it's dead

Love my Garmin VivoActive 4.

Mine is going strong after 4 years of constant use and abuse. I've snapped straps crashing my bike and on pool dividers but the watch body, functions and battery life are all solid.

Vivoactive 4. Far more capable than I need it to be.

I have the vivoactive 4s and I find that is more than enough for running. I can't think of anything more I need to train honestly. It has heartrate (lines up exactly with my chest heart rate monitor), cadence gps, music and sleep.  I like the touchscreen and the more delicate look as a woman as well. (Although it's sturdy, it's been through a lot 😅)

I have the vivoactive 4s (also very small wrists) and it's great. My friend bought an apple watch and really regretted it because when we ran together, her distance was always off by about 10%.  She said she wished she had bought a Garmin instead. I have this one for almost 2 years now and I am extremely happy with its functionalities and have no intent of upgrading/switching soon. I wear it 24/7 and I don't feel it at all even though I never owned a watch before.

I have the vivoactive 4, which I love. I use it for golf, running, walking, and indoor cardio/weightlifting workouts. The vivoactive series is kind of the jack of all trades and master of none of these. I have a friend with the S70, and it's usually within a yard of his, but mine doesn't do slope. I also played with one of his friends who has a Fenix, not sure which model, and it was close to his as well. The battery is about 6 days with me using it for a workout almost every one of those days, and usually a round of golf takes about 20%-25%. When I was doing "research" most feedback I got told me to get one for a primary function and then use it for secondary things. So if your primary goal is golf, then get an S model, or if it's running, get a Forerunner. I think the Venu and Vivoactive models are all-around models, which is where I landed on the Vivoactive 3 and then eventually upgraded to the Vivoactive 4. I have my eye on a Venu 3s this black friday and hoping to find a deal, otherwise I will probably get a vivoactive 6.

If you're serious about any type of sport let me tell you do not get anything other than a Garmin. I had a Garmin vivo active 4 which I used for running. Unfortunately after 5 years the battery life is coming to an end. My work gifted me a Samsung galaxy watch 4 and it's a good smart watch but the sport side of it is horrendous.

I have a few years old vivoactive 4 that does both well enough. I’m going to upgrade soon and am planning to go to the Epix Pro 2.

Another vote for Garmin. Personally I love the vivoactive series. Earlier models are great and way cheaper so you’re not investing too much before you’re sure you’ll like it (the watch model, because there’s many different options and my opinion is just one of many). I currently have the vivoactive 5 but this was a fancy upgrade I got for Christmas, the 3 and 4 are also excellent options. Good luck with your running. I hope you find yourself loving it!

I tried the Garmin Swim but went with the Vivoactive 4. Purchased in 2020 when the pools opened. I would not refit for tracking distance in open water but otherwise it’s been great for over 4 years. HR from wrist seems accurate enough but you can get a chest strap if you want more accuracy.

I just ordered one yesterday!!! $400 on Amazon. I’m upgrading from a vivoactive 4s for trail marathon & triathlon training, super excited. I had features in mind that i wanted (maps, open swim, triathlon/brick) but didn’t feel like i needed the newest edition - my v4s has been discontinued for two years and still works just fine, so I’m not worried about 955 being shelved eventually

I have a Garmin Venu 3 and it's great. Battery lasts for 10+ days and plenty of watch faces available to make it look how you want it. Replaced a Vívoactive 4, which itself was a replacement for a Microsoft Band. I have an Omega Speedmaster that I now never use, as I just couldn't go back to not being able to see notifications on the go (e.g. seeing work emails come in while I'm in meetings). Things like walking, running, cycling and skiing are all great to track. If it isn't on Strava, did it even happen...?!

I’m on my second Vivoactive 4 and mine last about 3 years.

that's weird though, my vivoactive 4s that's 5 years old lasts about 2-3 days as well, about 1.5 if i have pulse ox on during sleep. did u contact garmin support?

my five year old vivoactive 4s's battery life is still about 2 days, pretty impressive for a watch that's gone through a lot

My wrist is 13 cm circumference. I have an Epix Gen 2 (47 mm) and it looks pretty enormous on me and it sticks out wider than my wrist. I would not wear it if I were a runner, to be honest. It just feels too bulky. My previous one was Vivoactive 4s and it was a much better size for my wrist (I killed it by smashing it into the wall swimming backstroke without flags).

Been rocking a VA4 since 2021, loved it so much I bought my wife a VA4S. Great watches for the price

Been rocking a VA4 since 2021, loved it so much I bought my wife a VA4S. Great watches for the price

i have only had a vivoactive. first a 3, and now a 4. my 4 is now several years old, and the battery lasts about a day and a half if i just wear it; about a day if i track an outdoor bike ride for several hours and it will absolutely track a 100 mile ride for me. it does show notifications and incoming calls (you can block apps of your choice) as long as the phone is within bluetooth range and it allows some canned responses for texts (or similar apps). it's designed for heart rate tracking, and has no issues broadcasting it to the peloton.

I went from FitBit to VivoActive music (3 and 4, I believe), and now have a 165. I prefer the 165. It seems more runner-friendly, but still easily tracks other activities.

The Garmin vivo line is really nice and light. After wearing an AW all the time for 10+ years, I’m really liking just having a watch that tracks my fitness when I want it to but it still just looks like a watch. Mine is more for cardio workouts and distance trail walks so don’t know how it compares for timed runs, laps, etc.

I have had both the Garmin Vivo and Charge 5 and I am an android user so Apple watch is out for me. Durability wise Garmin but not sure how that compares to the Charge 6 as they fixed alot of the issues that the Charge 5 has. But wearing and comfort. Hands down the Charge 5. I have gone thru 2 charge 5 over the last 5 years and would still buy the charge 5/6 over Garmin for the comfort. The Charge 5/6 is much thinner on your wrist and surprisingly that makes a world of difference

Vivoactive, venu, and currently have a forerunner

Just get one of the garmin watches with heart rate tracking. Their most budget one with a heart rate tracker, is their vivoactive, and it'll set you back maybe 200 bucks. But I'd personally spend a bit more and get the Forerunner 255. I currently have a 255, and it's fantastic. Battery life is about a week, but I also do a good deal of running. I imagine it'd go up to 10-14 days if I didn't use the GPS function while tracking my runs. It works with the Garmin Connect app, and that doesn't require a subscription at all. It'll also sync your activity data with Strava for additional tracking if you wanted.

I wouldn’t be afraid of buying a Garmin watch for open water or pool swims. I have a first generation instinct since the summer of 2020. I’ve worn it everyday no matter what. If you don’t like the look of the instinct, I would look at either the Fenix, Enduro. The forerunner has a bezel but it’s not as raised I feel. Really any of their watches that includes the feature of a raised bezel I gravitate towards. For me, anyways, watches that don’t have that feature end up with a cracked screen like the venu and the vivoactive with the rounded edge of glass hasn’t lasted for me which is why I prefer that raised bezel. Garmin has always been good and replaced them for me in the past but once the warranty is done, there’s no more replacement. Hope this is helpful and keep going.

Happy with the vivoactive which gives all the sleep data and on sale now on Amazon

Love my vivoactive. I got it in white. It looks sporty and fashionable. It’s so thin and light I don’t even know it’s on. Wonderful for sleep tracking, spo2 monitoring, workouts, etc. I think it’s more about what she would think looks good on her wrist. I saw someone wearing this watch and asked them to let me try it on. Bought one the same day. I’m not a gadget kinda person but love this watch.

I think you are in a hard spot here! When someone is serious about something, it is difficult to gift them something about that something. In the same way that you cannot gift a mouse to a software engineer unless it's the Logitech Mx 3 or superior, you cannot gift apparel to a serious runner unless it's something really good. My point is, if you want to gift him a watch, it is difficult to recommend you something that is below $300 or $400. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of watches out there that cost less and may work. For example, you can buy the Garmin Vivoactive or Instinct for around $200, or the Amazfit T-Rex Pro for $150 (this is a really good watch for the price). However, if he is really serious about trail running, you may have to consider a Garmin Fenix 6 (between $350 and $400 on Amazon) or a Garmin Forerunner 945 (I just saw it at $319 on Amazon). If he is into both road and trail running, the Forerunner may be a good choice, but if he is getting more and more into trail running, the fenix is the best option. Note: You won't get navigation in budget-friendly watches, but I haven't meet a racer that needed it. Generally, the course is marked and people carry their phones (I have offline maps just in case). Note 2: You can save a lot by purchasing the previous-generation model (that's why I recommended fenix 6 and forerunner 945).

Exact opposite for me. A vivoactive is a pretty sleek, simple watch. Apple Watches meanwhile look tacky as hell and scream tech bro. But if you care about looks, you really should just wear a normal watch, which is always going to look better than any smart watch. I wear my garmin exclusively during workouts.

Personally I like not having a tiny phone on my wrist. The Garmin does all the things I need it to do without tons of other distractions. And it does them flawlessly. Also IMO it just looks better, Apple Watches are tacky. But I often just wear a normal watch while not working out anyway, which always wins out over any kind of smart watch if you care about looks.

The Garmin Vivoactive is probably the most classic looking smartwatch these days I had a 3, they’re on 5 now. Good battery life, good fitness tracking but less phone integration than an Apple watch, which I currently use. It fits standard watch straps so you can put it on a less sporty strap if you like.

Jumping on the vivoactive bandwagon. I've had mine for a couple years. It has a long battery life, looks slick, and I use it for running and workouts. Highly recommended.

I would suggest any Fenix or even any forerunner over any vivoactive or venu of you're serious about training. Sure you can get by with most basic stuff on those watches but if you get serious about training or want better features you'll have wanted at least a forerunner model

It's a no brainer, the Vivoactive is, by far, a much better device than the Amazfit by a long shot, not just accuracy-wise, but in every aspect.

I just use a Garmin Vivoactive. It does everything I need at a fraction of the cost of fancier watches.

For weights none of them are great, you should not spend more money expecting better results. If you think you might get a little more serious about running in the future, get the FR165 (or even the 255/265 if you find a good deal). If not, Vivoactive is a good choice.

Started with Golf Logix on iPhone Then Garmin Golf Watch, terrible product could not hold charge a round. Back to Golf Logix on iPhone Then Garmin VivoActive with Garmin Golf App, very nice Wife got Apple Watch with fall detection, she stuck with it, sold off Garmin, bought Apple Watch with fall detection Hundreds of rounds on Golf Logix, multiple phones and watches 2024 Golf Logix changes User Interface, tried GolfShot, love it! 2025 GolfLogix revises UI, much improved, tried a few rounds, easy distances to layups hazards, no swing analysis. Staying with GolfShot for now. Lost access to hundreds of rounds on Golf Logix Have not used Garmin in over 5 years it was the best experience. The greater Apple ecosystem won out. We are old, my wife falls, I need the alerts.

I got my Garmin for basically just miscellaneous activities and general health monitoring, and I got myself a vivoactive. Really like it. My main activity is biking, but I use a bike computer for that instead of the watch. As you mentioned charging, I probably charge mine once or twice a week. But I try to just charge it while showering (when I remember.)

Vivoactive was fine for me for about 6 months, then recently upgraded to a forerunner 265, I don’t think I could go back, way nicer, better in every way, and loving the extra data points.

Garmin all the way if you are using android The tracking is really quite good and the features arent exactly advanced for a beginner, it walks you through basically everything Ive seen a few forerunners or vivoactive go on sale for slightly over 200. Abit higher than your budget but imo worth it, it will last you even when you are no longer a beginner

I love mine. Bought an older Vivoactive off Poshmark. I love the battery! Esp compared to the apple watch.

I use the Garmin Vivoactive because of some other activities that I do beyond swimming, and it does a good job with swimming data. It does not know your stroke as far as I know, but it has always accurately tracked my distance, pace, stroke count, rest versus swimming, and I think a few other things. Mine is a bit older, so not sure if there are newer features.

I love my garmin vivoactive. Uploads to Strava, less expensive than other garmin watches, and has been going strong for 4 years now. I came from a Fitbit and the only thing it doesn’t do quite as well seems to be sleep tracking.

I think a vivoactive or venu would be perfect for you! Make sure you get the S because it is smaller in profile. I’m petite and have small wrists and in comparison to other watches the profile of the S models fits me very well!

This is just my honest experience I know it’ll maybe rub some people the wrong way. I’ve only had an Apple Watch for quite sometime most of my friends have garmin so i decided to give it a try and I ended up staying with Apple: I had the vivoactive which might make a difference I found the activity screens for the vivo really lacking like the visuals of it made it harder to glance at the face while working out and immediately know what is what because it was all just black and white also only a certain number of data sets could be added to a face. I find the Apple activity faces to be easier to read/understand quickly because of the lay outs and use of color etc, I also found the post work out graphs on the garmin to be harder to read or instantly understand compared to Apple. Many people say that garmin does more or gives more insight again maybe it’s because I had the vivo but there wasn’t any data I was getting from garmin that I wasn’t getting from Apple the ONLY thing I can think of was garmin gave me my running speed in mph? Which Apple doesn’t do. It’s important to remember that apples native fitness app certainly has its limitations but there’s tons of apps you can download that give specifically what you’re looking for, for example I did like that garmin has the exercise and rep detection for strength BUT I like the ‘train’ app for Apple Watch better it sucks I have to pay for that app but idk overall I had issues switching from Apple Watch to garmin but I’m a very visual person who doesn’t enjoy spending a lot of time siting down and researching my device (again I know on reddit that makes me dumb and lazy but just giving my honest experience) Also quick note about Fitbit: I tried them before I tried the garmin and I HATED the way they calculated active mins, that you got more mins based on heart rate, happy for people that works for but if I worked out for 30 mins I want the data to say 30 not some made up time based on how hard I worked (I like the apple gives me the actual normal time but gives a score on level of intensity of the work out separately)

Probably unpopular since I only tried out 1 garmin vivoactive but I found the faces on garmin really hard to read quickly at a glance when running or working out because most of the faces are just black with white text and there was no face that showed me ALL the zones with labels (there was only one that’s a dial by color) it was too much to adjust to so I stayed with Apple because I just want to get the info quickly and easily without interruption and their preset faces seem to show the data in a way my brain can process faster than garmin Also I had a run with the garmin where it would not let me end the workout it was like stuck so it messed up all my data which is when i returned it my older Apple Watch has never done that to me ever

I have the fairly inexpensive Vivoactive and I love the golf functions on it Gives you GPS range, can see front and back green yardages, scorecard and does some shot mapping after the round My buddies use range finders and usually within 10 yards, they get slope though which I get is helpful but at 30 HCP I’m just trying to play the right club at the right time

Pretty much all Garmins do. Vivoactive or Venu is a good place to start.

OnePlus Watch 2. Great battery life as well as fitness and smartphone features. Previously used a Garmin Vivoactive.

Buy a second hard Garmin Vivoactive. Does everything you want for very little cost, because it’s the older model.

Spot on. For your needs, Vivoactive is enough. No need to get anything extra.

I’ve had my scan watch 2 for almost 2 years now. I’ve also had the Vivoactive right before I got this one. I like the Withings watch more because it looks classier/like a regular watch, the app is very user friendly, it tracks the basic health data I need (steps, sleep, HR), and the battery life lasts two weeks before I need to charge it. I can also track different workouts which is nice too. However, the watch stopped charging after a year and a half (luckily it was covered under their two year warranty). The Garmin watch app is very outdated. However, if you’re a hardcore athlete or like the nitty gritty raw data points, then Garmin is for you. I also like how the Vivoactive shows messages on watch face better than the Withings watch.

I have every VivoActive made. I run a year behind the current 5 just went on sale for 199.00. It does everything I need it to do.

I've loved Garmin since I got my first Vivoactive years and years ago. They felt like they produced quality products, designed to last, sold perhaps at a premium, but without any expectation of continuing fees (unless it was reasonable, like the inreach subscription or a cellular plan). Obviously, recent changes make me question these apparent commitments. I've experimented with other watches in the past (Polar and Apple Watch primarily, but also Coros and Suunto). Generally, I've been disappointed in their equivalent of Garmin's daily suggested workout. DSW has completely changed my life and my running. I will begrudgingly stick around if nobody else can deliver a program that gives me workouts that don't push me to injury. I was a beta-tester for a similar app on Apple Watch and I always felt on the very of injury. I mentioned this to the developers and they basically told me the app wasn't for me. I've heard Polar's version dumps absurdly long runs on you. And I don't know much about Coros or Suunto's offering, if any. Samsung has a watch too, but I'm not optimistic it will have offerings any better than Apple's iOS. And the only other watch I'm aware of besides the big android makers (Google, etc.) is the UNA watch which claims to be user-repairable. I am similarly not optimistic that will have any DSW competitor - but maybe in the future? EDIT: I searched for questions about DSW alternatives before posting - from what I can tell nobody has addressed this question for at least the last 3 months (the search results wouldn't go further than that for me when I sorted by "new").

I made the switch about a month ago from AW to Garmin Vivoactive. Overall, I like the Garmin, but I do miss some features of the AW. I'm an apple user for my phone and it's so integrated. I like the garmin fitness features, sleep tracking, and the BATTERY. I miss being able to easily see my notifications if I don't see them when the come in, the menus are way easier to find and navigate on the AW-I'm still trying to find things on the Garmin.

I've just went through this same dilemma, moving up from a smart watch, through the Garmin Vivoactive wristband (which is surpringly good) but now i want my AMRAP set times and EMOM + heart rate on a bigger screen. I do crossfit 3 to 5 times a day, 1 day i hike and 1 day i run. I don't feel like breaking the bank for the Fenix 8 even though it's the most comprehensive and best looking of the bunch. But has features i don't need and i can spend half for want i need and it will be decent looking and great functioning. The Forerunner 965 is what i came to find is the all-round and good looking device. Has topografic maps and guided directions in mountain trails and GPS track follows. Has the big ass screen, perfect for customized crossfit readings. Looks decent, has Garmin pay. And more then half the price of the Fenix 8. So that's what i'm buying next week.

The Lily is not a place to start they are an insult and described by Garmin as a fashion watch it doesn't even have built in GPS unless you buy the Lily 2 Active, the Vivoactive series lack altimeters. Coming from an Ultra and running at a few marathons a year the Fr255/265/955/965 would all suit you at a reasonable price. Garmin has outdated software and the UI and UX is terrible but they track activities well. Any of these watches will give you a great deal of data that is fun to look at but around 80% of it is not needed. You can use the compare tool on the Garmin website to compare the features of 5 watches at a time. That is a good place to start. Are you set on a Garmin or would you be interested in another brand? Sunnto and Coros have great watches at far better price points and with better feature to price ratios. As for you U2 you can control what notifications you get (FYI you don't have to get any) and you would get a great deal more battery if you just bought a chest strap for your runs.

Apple Watch will do fine for a long time - only got a Garmin last year. However once you go to only having to charge your watch once every two weeks you just can’t go back to Apple. I have a Garmin Fenix (on the $$$ side) but I wear it every day as my normal watch too and have had zero issues making the switch. However there’s heaps in the range, I love accuracy, maps, long battery and lots and lots of data so I can overthink every run - so Fenix it is! The forerunners are great and the vivoactives are a good mid range model. There’s other brands like Suunto, Polar etc. For true accuracy on any wrist watch you may need a chest monitor. But if you really like your Apple Watch I found it pretty good unless you’re somewhere with not much reception

A forerunner 165 or 265 might be good. Or a Vivoactive if you want a sleeker look. I run and do weights as well and find the 165 is sufficient! It can only do so much with weights (guessing the actual exercise you're doing, rep counting, etc). I usually go back into my saved workout afterward and edit any info that was wrong.can only ask so much from a watch but it's nice to have the rest timer and general log of the workout.

Fenix 7s was too bulky on me, Lily active 2 was hard to read, Vivoactive looks plasticky almost toy like, Venu 3s looks more premium, so that was what I went for. No regrets

I second this! I have a vivoactive which is one of their less fancy watches but it does everything I need. The app is super insightful too and it's not necessary to bring your phone with you.

I still wear both, they are both good at different things.

Garmin watch! I have the vivoactove. But they all track sleep, down to rem, deep, light sleep, and hours. It also uses AI to assess it. Helps a lot cause nights get foggy with a baby.

Oh yes I swear I charge maybe every 2 weeks. For me it’s relatively reliable as far as I can tell. It’s hard to tell on the nights that there are a lot of wake ups of course. But I can attest that the nights where I don’t have wake ups it has been pretty accurate!

I wouldn't buy a Garmin for those needs. Calories will be a wild guess because you aren't doing any activity that it can measure or infer power from. Stress is kind of useless. Recovery is more related to an endurance sport which you're not doing. I'm exaggerating a little but it is like asking what phone to buy and finding out you just want to use it as a flashlight. You're not really using the core functionality of the watch. Maybe a Vivoactive if you insist?

It's got garbage battery life, unfortunately. Also unfortunately, the watches that seem to be most accurate are either obsolete (Fitbit Versa, idr which generation, counts laps and shows on watch face) or Sense 2 (has been very accurate but won't show laps on watch face even though it does keep track of laps - a really stupid decision by Fitbit/Google in a sea of stupid decisions ((no pun intended))). Battery life is excellent on both. Battery life on the Garmin Vivoactive is the bomb but it's crap at accuracy on laps. Good luck!

Most people coming from apple go vivo active or venue. Venue being closest to a smart watch. Personally, I'm a instinct guy. Although I'm wearing a Fenix today since I didn't charge my Instinct for 2 weeks and it died before bed. I've swam tens of thousands of meters (more like hundreds but..) in pool, open and salt water with my Garmins. Done free diving (only to about 40ft, I'm not very good) and press the buttons regularly sub surface. I've also done cliff jumping with every watch, and haven't lost a garmin to water intrusion. I would definitely select a 100m rated model for water sports. Any watch can fail but I've had 6 garmins and none have. I also had a bunch of Casio and Timex over the years and not one failure.

I bought it for my dad as a replacement for Xiaomi . It looks nice and classy and not disturbing. My experience with expensive smart watches is terrible. Two Garmin Vivoactive are in my drawer cause the battery is dead and can't be replaced. The Samsung watch sent me very far, can't be connected because I don't have a Samsung phone. Xiaomi was fine but impossible app with no possibility to upload to strava.

Those are wildly different watches, price points and use cases. If this is what you are comparing I would personally go for the best watch I could afford. If the Fenix 8 is in your options go with that. Rather than buy something that will be obsolete soon, or fits your needs today go with the option you can grow into and will last you a while. I have personally gone the other way and every 2 years I have upgraded to a new watch that fits my needs. That is until this year when I bought a 970. Previously I have owned the vivofit, vivoactive, and Venu 2 Plus. What meets my needs today is the 570, what I will grow into is the 970. So if you can afford the Fenix 8 do that.

I love my vivoactive. I do sometimes get watch FOMO because I love running but I think the Vivoactive is a great (and very good looking) watch.

I am upgrading to a forerunner 265 from vivoactive because it can't do custom swim workouts or swim drills. but it does give you a fair amount of data for pool swim if you aren't concerned with that (time, distance, spm, pace, swolf, speed, heart rate, etc.) the vivoactive just went down to $200 and you may be able to find a refurbished or used one cheaper on ebay. Edit to add that I swim 5 days a week and there's no concern about water resistance that I have seen or heard of for vivoactive.

Most Garmin watches would do those things. Depending if you want the latest bells and whistles, such as an OLED screen vs a MIP screen from an older generation, a model from an older generation will be more than fine. However, I wouldn't recommend getting a second hand one, but that's just my preference. Take a look models such as the Instinct, the Vivoactive, the Venu and Forerunner 55/165. Those would suit you. I would not recommend more expensive models as the Fenix and the more expensive Forerunners. They would be way overkill and extremely expensive.

Honestly, I don’t think you’ll hear too much love for the Vivoactive line, specifically. Garmin and Apple each prioritize different market segments and the Vivo/Venu segment sits exactly where Garmin is weaker than Apple.

Nice, yeah you summed it up pretty well! Haha. I’d actually recommend a Forerunner over a vivoactice but they would both suit your needs

For the things you described any would be good. Even a FR165 (or F255/265 slightly bigger screen) or a basic Vivoactive. With that budget you can buy even an Epic if you like it (though would be overkill in terms of features). I would go on a shop, try them and pickup what you like the most in terms of size, look and comfort on your wrist.

If you think you will become more ambitious with running, then forerunner's extra features are helpful to see your progress. It also gives you feedback on what to work on eg low aerobic and high aerobic. The Vivoactive is basically just a lifestyle watch, similar to apple's

I've never had much issue with battery life on my Garmins - currently a Fenix 6, a couple of Vivoactives before that, and even a 310xt _way_ back. But I also wear my Garmin against my skin, so it tends to get covered with base layers while I'm actually skiing. I just roll back my sleeve if I need to interact with it.

My vivo was my first gps smart watch. Super slim and light but did what I needed. I still miss it sometimes because I have a much bulkier watch now

Blood pressure and that stuff isn’t working at all. I recommend a fitness watch. Either the ignite or the vivoactive. Finally a personal decision.  Garmin shows tons of raw data, Polar combines them to some core metrics. 

I just bought the Vivomove Trend (arriving tomorrow). It's the best looking Garmin watch. It looks great in a business environment and is fairly basic for sports activities. It seems to be marketed towards women, but i personally like the smaller size on my dainty manwrists lol. I've been using Garmin watches forever. With the Vivomove you're giving up GPS on your watch, so to map your runs and rides you need to take your phone with you (which you may already plan to do). If you like to constantly look at your speed, HR, duration, etc on your runs/rides, the Vivomove might not be the best since i think it will be hard to see all these at once on one screen. I do plan to still use my older Vivoactive for some activities (the screen is starting to fade). I'm not getting another Vivoactive since they're no longer offering ones that look more business professional. If I were still a triathon fanatic I'd probably go with the Vivoactive 6. It's a very good sports watch but doesn't scream tri geek at work.

I’m relatively new to the fitness tracker world. I originally was drawn to the Fitbit Charge line (still on the fence) but pulled the trigger on a Garmin Vivoactive because of longevity concerns. What makes longtime Fitbit users concerned about its longevity or being bought by Google? At the moment it just seems like an entry tier product compared to their more expensive Pixel smartwatch lineup which seems… fine?

Any lower end Garmin is great. Vivoactive series. Or a used Apple Watch

Yes, serious overkill. Vivoactive is good for general health tracking and logging your runs or you could go for something more running specific like a Forerunner. For more all around fitness at a decent price, you can't beat the Vivoactive series.

I can recommend the Vivoactive as it kind of falls into that price range. I have the version 5, but 6 is the newest. Not sure if any Garmin is ECG capable, if so then only the more premium models starting at 600€+. There are more dedicated swimming models, however, I also regularly use it for swimming and when I activate the „auto stop“ function and put swimming as first item in my activities-list, I can start and stop everything only via buttons (avoiding using the touch screen in water)

100% agree here. Apple Watches and Oura have been tested and rank higher in terms accuracy in predicting your sleep and stages. The Apple Watch SE is much cheaper and probably a better option! Garmins don’t track sleep stages quite as accurately, but if you’re not going to be using it for the fitness features it’s probably not worth the money. My Garmin honestly doesn’t really get the times I fall asleep very accurately and it’s usually skewed by quite a bit. If you do want a Garmin go for the Vivoactive, Venu or very base model forerunner 55! I can highly recommend Garmin specifically for the amazing battery life.

Second a Garmin (I have a Vivoactive myself)

Following this! I am upgrading from a pretty old Vivoactive with a sad battery and a cracked screen so I am in the market but was looking at a forerunner!

I’ll second this. For training especially for running the Garmin is amazing. But other than that it’s not as great of a smart watch and not very useful besides telling the time. The Apple Watch is just so handy.

I’ve liked the garmin interface and rowing app, it gives a decent approximation of stroke rate and pace (on both my original vivoactive and now my fenix)

Yeah op could get a cheaper watch like the vivoactive and the strap that goes with it and it would still cost less than a forerunner.

Not to get sucked into the marketing but the Vivoactive is a lifestyle watch targeted at non runners while the forerunner series is really leaning into serious runners. Of course you can buy or not buy whatever watch you want.

Venu 3, S for smaller wrists, in particular women, is probably the closest to a traditional smart watch experience with 'health and fitness' features.. "Style and design meet health and fitness" is pretty much the advertisement for it on the official page. Vivoactive series is also a slightly cheaper option..

I've got pretty small wrist, run with a garmin vivoactive and get along well. Love it.

See if you can find a refurbished Fenix 6 solar! It was my second Garmin and I liked it much better than the Vivoactive. I wore it for 5 years and usually got about 14 days of battery life, but I didn't use it as a smart watch and had all notifications turned off.

I have a Garmin instinct solar and I really like it. Before this I had a vivoactive and also liked it, but never climbed with it. I also run and do indoor bouldering. I’m not as concerned about tracking when I boulder, there is an activity for it where I’ll do one warm up route and just leave it on a break for the rest of my time climbing. The instinct is not a touch screen (which I actually really love) and it’s super durable. The watch clasp has gotten scratched up but the face is still fine after nearly a year of climbing inside with it. I’ve cooled off on my lifting with climbing, and was never that into it, but the strength activity isn’t horrible at keeping track of exercises. You can edit the activity afterwards to get the exact rep/weight/exercise, but some of the smartIQ exercise guesses are pretty accurate (ie a recent workout guessed pushups correctly, but also classified tricep dips as pushups). The solar add on is pricey and I don’t know if I’d recommend it, but the base option is pretty reasonable Cons for garmin: sleep isn’t super accurate, some data breach issues, a lot of grumbling that the Garmin+ subscription may be pushed on people in the future for things like updates and access to features Pros: easy to use, good tracking for running/hiking, instinct is very durable, lots of activities to chose from (cardio, indoor climbing/bouldering, runs, strength, swimming), fun metrics like HRV, training load, and vo2 max, decent battery life

My partner and I both love our vivoactives. I'm an intense exercise person and he isn't really, but we both use them and get a lot out of em. I highly recommend.

Shrug. I mean, if you don't like it i can't make you like it. I have a vivoactive and love it. It does have fewer features than some of the other garmins but it's so much better than an apple watch. You're literally just paying for the apple logo w that. The garmin has actual functions and has leveled up my running a lot in the last few years. When i upgrade though I'll probably buy a model with more functionality.

All garmin’s work really well. I have the forerunner 965 and it works great. Garmin also sells a speed and cadence sensor that connect to your watch for 40 usd and also improves data capture. I ride exclusively w/o a head unit because I prefer no screens on my ride. I like to track calories, heart rate, elevation, and routes along with speed and cadence. The 965 has the best experience I’ve found so far, I’ve also used the vivoactive, venu 2, and forerunner 265. 965 offers incredible battery life (6 2-3 hour rides per week along with other activities for a weekly charge). You can also bring up and use maps on the watch. Syncing is a PITA and is useful in a pinch if you REALLY need it, but if you are looking for map integration I’d suggest a head unit instead of a watch.

I run an older factory reset garmin vivoactive, got it for £60 in the UK. Used it for a year or so without issue.

Garmin - They have a lot of watches at different price points. There is built-in GPS and the battery lasts for several days, unlike a smart watch that you typically need to charge every night. The Garmin app easily syncs with other fitness apps, if that's important to you. If you have a smaller wrist, go for the "S" models that will look and fit better.