The purpose of fitness tracker wristbands is to efficiently track your daily activities without requiring any work on your part. With the Garmin Vivofit Fitness tracker, you simply put it on your wrist and live your life. No charging required (one of my favorite features!).

Complete with a 24-hour timekeeper, the sleek and comfortable wristband can act as a simple watch. With a large and easy-to-read display, you can track your fitness progress at a glance. Like many fitness wearables that cost twice as much, the Garmin Vivofit Fitness Band actually “learns” your usual activity levels. As it gets to know you, it begins issuing daily assignments which help you achieve your fitness goals.

Here are even more features it tracks for you.  

See the Connections and Groups tabs?

The company has set up a socially interactive Garmin Connect website where you can share your progress with your friends. The free online fitness community also awards virtual badges when you reach certain fitness achievement levels. While some other fitness tracking wristband owners complain of constantly having to recharge their device, Garmin promises more than one year of performance from a single charge, without turning off your Vivofit band.

It Tracks Sleep Too! 

And even while you are sleeping, the Garmin Vivofit is working. The “way” you sleep is tracked, giving you valuable information about how you can sleep more restfully, which gives you more energy during the day.

Here are Some of the Badges I’ve earned below… 

I’ve had a Garmin Vivofit 2 since 2015. It has held up quite nicely! So I thought it was about time I did a Review and share the wonderful benefits of this particular fitness tracker. There are now 4 Garmin Vivofit versions on the market with Vivofit original, 2, 3, and 4. There are also 2 versions of the Vivosmart and 2 versions of the Vivoactive. But I am just going to be talking about the Vivofit since that is what I have personal experience with.

What can you expect with a Garmin Vivofit Fitness Tracker?

All Garmin Vivofit fitness bands were designed to keep you active and moving throughout your day. It is compatible with or without a heart rate monitor. I have purchased both the regular and the Garmin Premium Heart Rate Monitor (Soft Strap) which I prefer the soft strap since it is more comfortable. They both function the same way and give you an accurate reading for calories burned and heart rate throughout your workout. Click on the picture below to check it out on Amazon.

The Garmin Vivofit fitness band is made of highly durable rubber in a variety of colors. After 4 years of continuous use, my band is just now starting to crack in two places where the display sits. I just put a little black electrical tape around it and it is still good to go. Although I’m looking to upgrade to a newer version as we speak. If there isn’t a color you favor, you can find multiple colored bands to purchase from other vendors and switch it out. Just watch out for the sizing based on small or larger wrists. The original Garmin Vivofit and Garmin Vivofit 2 are equipped with a large display while the Garmin Vivofit 3 and Vivofit 4 are a bit smaller. Check them out on Amazon by clicking the pictures below.

The fitness monitoring wristband has been created to stay on 24/7, and is water resistant as well as comfortable. These are the two key features I love the most!

Key Elements of the Garmin Vivofit

• One year battery life guaranteed
• With or without heart rate monitor
• Offered in a wide variety of colors
• Counts calories and improves your sleep patterns
• Red “Move Bar” encourages you to stay active all day
• Counts steps
• Can be worn in the shower and swimming

Is the Garmin Vivofit a Smart Buy?

Garmin has designed the Vivofit fitness band to do a lot of the things typical fitness monitoring wristwatches and bands can handle. The number of steps you take can be tracked, as well as the calories you burn and how far you have traveled.

But the Garmin Vivofit fitness band/watch can also track your sleep patterns. This allows you to review that data later and use it to establish better nighttime habits. This increases your energy level and productivity during the day.

The most innovative feature of this fitness band is the unique Move Bar on the display. If you remain inactive for 1 hour, the red bar shows up, alerting you to unhealthy activity. There are also additional light segments which show up every 15 minutes of inactivity, which function as a 24/7 personal trainer to ensure that you are getting enough exercise and physical activity.

It is versatile because it comes with or without an accompanying heart rate monitor. Garmin guarantees at least 1 year of life out of the band’s battery, and the self-contained unit is water resistant.

Another nice feature is the ability to connect with the Garmin Connect online community wirelessly. This allows you to interact with other fitness-minded individuals, share and brag about your achievements, and join fitness challenges without having a wired connection.

The Bad News…

If you purchase the heart rate monitor accessory in the bundled package, it is not intended to be used when you swim or in the shower. Only the fitness tracker with band can get wet, not the heart rate monitor.

But with 30 plus days of fitness data storage, the Move Bar that motivates you to keep moving and burning calories, water resistance and one year of battery charge, it is no wonder that the Garmin Vivofit Fitness Band has achieved a high 3.5 / 5.0 rating from previous purchasers on Amazon.

(You can read actual buyer comments and reviews here)

My personal recommendation…

I love my Garmin Vivofit 2 and I believe it has been well worth the price. But I think I’m going to be upgrading to the new Garmin  Vivofit 4 or Garmin Vivosmart 4 very soon! Check out the video below to see it!  It makes a smart purchase for those individuals that want to monitor and maximize their physical activity, calorie burning, sleep patterns, and overall health. Provided with or without a heart rate monitor, this versatile fitness band is priced attractively for most budgets.

Do you use a fitness tracker? Which one is your favorite?