Best for sports:GarminVivoactive HR review

Best for sports:GarminVivoactive HR review

price : $249.99

Design and Display
The Garmin Vivoactive HR is thicker and heavier than its predecessor. Made of black plastic, the tracker's face measures 1.19 by 2.24 by 0.45 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.67 ounces. The original Vivoactive measures 1.72 by 1.52 by 0.32 inches and weighs 1.34 ounces, making it significantly more comfortable on the wrist. The plastic watch face is flat and rigid, and I never forgot I was wearing it. Two control buttons sit below the rectangular display.

Setup, Features, and Performance
The Vivoactive HR pairs via Bluetooth 4.0 with Android and iOS devices. To get started, you need to download the free Garmin Connect app, create an account, and follow the on-screen instructions. I connected the Vivoactive HR with an Apple iPhone 6 with little hassle. Once the connection has been established, the Vivoactive HR will pair with your device automatically. 

The Garmin Connect app looks rather dreary and is a bit of a chore to navigate. It's not nearly as nice as Fitbit's software, or any of our other favorite fitness apps. However, you do get access to Garmin's Connect IQ app store, which is where you'll find apps and widgets you can install onto your Vivoactive HR. It's nowhere near as comprehensive as, say, Pebble's app storefront, but if you want to see what the weather is or download new watch faces, the store makes it easy to do so. The apps and widgets are arranged by rating, too, so it's simple to see the best ones, including a watch face that packs nearly every single stat onto the same screen. You can also customize the highlight colors for each watch face in case you want the time and day to show up in yellow instead of the default white.

One of the best things about the Vivoactive HR is that you rarely have to refer to the app. Most of the data you'll care about shows up on the device's display, including your activity goal progress, distance traveled, floors climbed, steps counted, and heart rate information. You can even view your previous workouts and history. Phone notifications including calls, calendar events, email, Facebook, and Twitter, also appear on-screen, though you can't interact with them.

While the original Vivoactive required a heart rate chest strap, the Vivoactive HR uses its own optical heart rate sensor, which is among the most accurate I've tested. To test the Vivoactive HR, I took it on a run alongside the Fitbit Blaze. Both devices were never more than 10 beats per minute apart, and matched up closely with my own pulse checks. That makes the Vivoactive HR a solid option for athletes looking to follow a target heart rate while training.

Left to right: Garmin Vivosmart HR, Garmin Vivoactive HR, Fitbit Blaze

The numbers for distance and steps were also spot-on, as was GPS tracking, which kicked in instantly after I started a run on the device's screen. The TomTom Spark Cardio + Music, an otherwise reliable GPS-equipped tracker, takes longer to lock onto a signal.