Product Review: Garmin Vivofit

After the tragic loss of my FitBit One (damn small slippery thing fell out of my pocket!) I have been disappointed with the lack of fitness tracker in my life. I know that some people think fitness trackers are a silly waste of money, but I LOVED my FitBit; I really take solace in knowing how much activity I actually got for the day. I also live in the middle of the city in Philadelphia, and walk everywhere so it is really nice to know how much traveling I actually did. When I lost it, I was finishing school for the term and didn't have a source of income so replacing it got put on the back burner. I ended up going with the new Garmin Vivofit. I can hear it already: "But misskorybeth, if you loved the FitBit One so much why did you buy something else instead of replacing it?". Well children, let me tell you why.

Almost the Same

Both the Garmin and the FitBit track steps, calories burned, distance traveled, time, sleep, and the date. The Garmin has a goal tracker and the FitBit has "equivalence of stairs" traveled. For all intensive purposes they track the same things, but based on other reviews the Garmin is more accurate.

Why Mess with a Good Thing?

I am also a proud owner of a Garmin Forerunner 210. I purchased it in October of 2013 after I started getting to be a more serious and committed runner (and after Nike+ killed my phone's battery one too many times!). I love my Garmin and really liked and was already familiar with the Garmin Connect software. I already liked it and knew how to use it. Adding another tracker to it would require no new knowledge or complicated user manual reading (or as I like to call it "winging it").

One Less App/Website

I really like having everything in one place. I only use Facebook (and now Google) and I am not a fan of the multiple account generation: Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, etc, etc. I love having all my fitness stuff in one place. I use my Garmin for biking and running already, why not use it for all my fitness needs?

Wrist Worn vs Pocket

I enjoyed my FitBit One due to its discrete nature. I was just starting my fitness journey and wasn't sure if I wanted to display my fitness tracker, so I threw it in my pocket. Now that I am more fit and confident, I will wear it with pride out in the open and answer any questions about it with pride. It's also very comfortable on my wrist: it's easy to see all my stats, and functions as a watch. Also, it is much less awkward and chunky than previous wrist worn fitness trackers.

Waterproof and the Battery Lasts a Year?!

I don't really need to say more on that topic.

Versatility!

Not only is the Garmin vivofit a slim watch, but you can also change the color! I bought mine in purple (I know: so fun!), but I also ordered an extra set of bands (Garmin sells them in sets of 3) so I can have a black, grey, and red option available. I figured that the black/grey versions would be good when I need to look more professional, and who doesn't love red?! It's my personal favorite power color.

Sleep Tracking

You ever have those days where you wake up and felt like you haven't slept at all? Me too. I hate them. This tracker also has a sleep mode which tracks how much you move and therefore how soundly you sleep. It's not one of the most requested features, but it's really nice to know. I haven't used this feature yet, we will see how it goes.

Move Your A$$!

The Garmin Vivofit has an option I wished was in the FitBit: "move reminder" or as I have already named it the "move your ass bar". It has been shown that your metabolism decreases and is affected if you sit for more than an hour at a time. This little red bar shows up if you have sat for more than an hour, and it tacks on an extra mini bar for every 15 (or 30) minutes of laziness. It's a nice little reminder to get up and just walk around a bit to get the blood flowing again, it resets after you walk for a little. I had to stop writing to go walk around just now. 

$ Price $

I will admit, the one disadvantage of this is price. The unit is $129.99, which includes the tracker, two sizes of wristband (in the color of your choosing), and a wireless dongle. Then any additional bands are $24.99 for a set of 3. I have been thinking about this and monitoring it's price online for a while. When I saw one go up on sale (new) by an Amazon.com seller for $99, I pounced. I was able to purchase it and a package of bands for LESS than just the unit wholesale. Seemed like a good deal for me. I also think very highly of my health so when it comes to an investment I am willing to make it if it is for my greater good. 

Clasp Problems

These style of fitness trackers have been infamously known to fall off due to their bizarre clasp. I (knowing this disadvantage in advance) decided to prevent that by getting an additional little rubber loop to put around it. It was $6, and that seems like a fair price to ensure it won't fall off. Plus they sent me a second one for free! I got it from this ebay seller here.

Don't Take My Word For It

I am obviously not paid by Garmin (I WISH! [are they hiring?]), so don't go out and buy this thing just because I did. Fitness trackers aren't for everyone, but this one is pretty inclusive, reasonable, and competitive with today's market. Check out the Garmin Vivofit for yourself here!