vívofit 4

Easy replacement of watch bands, plus my current model (vivofit 4) has user-replaceable batteries so I don't have to worry about proprietary chargers like with Fitbit or Apple. Also, unlike Apple and Google, Garmin doesn't seem to be investing in LLMs, so I feel better buying from them than I would from most of their competitors. (I know they are developing AI coaching algorithms, but those are easy enough to avoid as I don't use Connect+.)

Garmin has something in every price range. If you don't care about some of the smartwatch features, they even have the vivofit which is more akin th the Fitbit Charge or Inspire. You can also usually find the last generation models still available for sale at a decent discount.

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.

So whilst I do think the exercise cals are wonky, I think on my garmin vivofit the slight under reporting of cals burned lifting is balanced out in the over reporting of cals in any cardio I do. And overall, my garmin thinks I burnt average of 2103 cals daily in the past 6 months. Back in summer when I was a bit heavier than I am now, but not by much I tracked my maintenence calories for 4 weeks and got something like 2200. So it's not bad overall. I also like to look at my activity cals over time. For example I know I burn less working from home, when I stay at my mum's, when I having a lazy week, but I didnt know how different it is. Is given me a bit of perspective on the weeks where my routine is off.

Currently at the rare formal occasion where I dont want to wear a forerunner, I keep the module from a vivofit in my pocket to track steps and wear a mech watch. I had considered a ring (even if garmin isn't going that route) but think it would be too obvious and in the way for day to day. An ankle wrap would be great, like OPs band just not worn on the arm.

I started wearing my Garmin Vivofit in May 2015 & I still am. The screen no longer works like it should but it still does everything else & I can check stats on my phone. My mom's is just as old & her screen still works fine. She's just not as hard on things. The batteries seem to have gotten a lot more expensive though. But my boyfriend bought me a Charge 6 & after reading some of these comments, I'm a lot less excited about it if it's not going to last near as long :(

I migrated from FitBit Versa several years back when I got the BSOD a couple months after the warranty expired. It was a well-reported issue on their forum, but the best FitBit could do is offer 25% off from their website. Switched to Garmin and my Vivo4 lasted 2 years past warranty and I only upgraded to Venu3 because the battery charges were not lasting as long.