Garmin Vivofit 2 review: A step off the pace

Update: The Garmin Vivofit line has had a brand-new addition in the kind of the Garmin Vivofit 3. You could check out all our ideas concerning that specific tracker here.

If you’re keen on the Vivofit 2, you’ll be looking at a price around ₤ 70- ₤ 80, relying on the outlet. If you purchase straight from Garmin it’ll establish you back ₤ 79.99, which coincides cost you’ll discover in both Argos and Amazon.com. Search the web and also you’ll discover it for a few quid more affordable, such as from Athleteshop, which is marketing it at ₤ 71.40 at the time of writing.

The Garmin Vivofit 3 is presently around the very same rate as its precursor, so it’s absolutely worth considering whether you prefer to go with the upgraded layout on that particular tracker, or stick with that of the Vivofit 2. The original review continues listed below.

Garmin Vivofit 2 review

When I assessed the initial Garmin Vivofit there was a whole lot I suched as regarding it, however it wasn’t quite the ground breaking very first venture right into the fitness tracker market that I was anticipating from Garmin. And also while the Garmin Vivofit 2 addresses a few of the core concerns with the initial device, it’s still not the tracker it can have been.

Like basically every fitness tracker available, the Vivofit 2 is a pedometer at heart – it essentially counts every step you take and also estimates how much you’ve strolled and just how several calories you’ve melted based on that data.

There’s no altimeter built right into Vivofit 2, so it will not count the number of trips of stairs you’ve climbed up like the Garmin Vivosmart HR or Fitbit Cost will. This is rather frustrating, yet not surprising given that this is something of a fine-tuned variation of the Vivofit, rather than an entire new tracker.

See all the most effective physical fitness trackers and also smartwatches here

One location that Garmin trackers change from the competition is daily goals. While most trackers will set up an approximate 10,000 step goal and also enable the customer to by hand alter that, Garmin trackers will certainly change your goal dynamically based on your activity. If you’re definitely smashing your day-to-day objective, the Vivofit 2 will raise the bar, yet if you’re battling it will reduce it.

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The Move Bar will run throughout the size of the display – when it gets to the far end, it implies you’ve been inactive for an hour and you really must obtain up and go for a stroll. There’s a distinct alert in addition to the visual one, however there’s no shaking alert similar to the Garmin Vivosmart HR and also Jawbone UP24.

That lack of shaking performance also means that the Vivofit 2 can not wake you quietly in the mornings, which is a pity – those silent, shaking alarms are really helpful if you need to be up very early as well as your companion does not.

Talking of sleep, the Vivofit 2 will likewise track your sleep patterns, and also the good news is you do not should bear in mind to put the tool in sleep mode before you transform the light out. Rest is tracked immediately, offering you a break down of deep rest, light rest as well as waking time.

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The Vivofit 2 has an always-on display screen much like its precursor, but while I criticised the initial Vivofit for having no backlight on its display, Garmin has dealt with that trouble with the Vivofit 2 – pushing as well as holding the solitary switch for a second will turn on a really welcome backlight function.

Short presses of that same button will certainly cycle with all the information collected by the Vivofit 2, while longer presses will certainly raise alternatives to Couple the gadget to your phone, sync it manually, or begin an exercise session.

Starting a workout session will activate the stop-watch, and afterwards each press of the button will certainly cycle through your statistics for that particular training session – steps, distance, as well as calories burned. Pushing and also holding the button once again will stop the clock and conserve your training session.

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Of training course training sessions are much a lot more helpful if you’re tracking your heart rate too, but although that the Vivofit 2 has no heart rate monitor built right into it, you could combine an ANT+ heart rate strap with it and also include that additional understanding to your training. Again, the majority of individuals using such a tool will probably opt for a much more pricey tracker.

The Vivofit 2 is likewise waterproof to 50m, which suggests that also if your training session of choice is a lengthy swim, you could use the Vivofit 2 to time your task – it will not gauge your strokes or sizes though.

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The Garmin Link app has actually had a significant redesign and also update because I reviewed the initial Vivofit. It’s now far much better looking as well as even more extensive, while syncing is additionally much faster than it was. As well as if you’re currently a Garmin customer (running watch, cycle computer, etc.), the Link application will be a central database for all your health and fitness data.

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Syncing the Vivofit 2 was not without its concerns, however. Throughout testing I discovered that it on a regular basis shed link to our phone as well as I needed to go through the pairing procedure all over again.

Garmin also bundles a USB wireless ANT+ dongle with the Vivofit 2, enabling you to sync wirelessly to your computer as well as your mobile phone. The incorporation of the dongle is partly down to the truth that there is no USB charging cord supplied with the Vivofit 2. That’s since this tracker utilizes two lithium cells for power, giving it a battery life of around a year – so you’ll never ever miss logging your task because you forgot to charge the battery.

The Garmin Vivofit 2 could be discovered online for around ₤ 70. That places it firmly in the Fitbit Fee market, and also that tool is slimmer, counts flights of stairs and has a much better supporting environment.

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Conclusion

Although I racked up the initial Vivofit greater, that was because the competitors had not been as solid back then. The Vivofit 2 does have some commendable functions – it’s water resistant, has a year-long battery life, could couple with a heart rate upper body strap, etc. – however there are most certainly much better trackers available.

The most noticeable contrast is with the Fitbit Cost, and also although I favor the Fitbit, if you currently make use of a Garmin running watch or cycle computer system, then it might well be worth sticking to the Garmin ecological community and the Garmin Attach website as well as app.

However, if you can extend your budget a little bit more to the Fitbit Cost Human Resources, or the merely exceptional Garmin Vivosmart Human Resources, you’ll have a much better tracker on your wrist.


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