Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I use it to count steps and calories.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

Love my Garmin Vivofit. I looked at many brands of products like Garmins but the Vivofit met my needs. You can see your progress immediately and all day. The grafts and info online is great too. I'm active but slack off a little during work so this reminds me to get up and get moving. It was easy to set up and easy to use and pair up with my iPhone daily. It comes with stick which also makes it easy to use with your computer. I have already shared with my friends and they have purchased one too. It's fun to follow with friends.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

It is easy to use and upload data via Garmin connect, but has a few design/software flaws like the inactivity bar staying on even when you move, miss counting steps and the screens in Garmin Connect aren't very useful, especially the sleep data. I had a Jawbone before and liked that data better (deep vs light sleep).

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

This is a great activity tracker that you put on and forget. The big advantage is you don't need to recharge every few days as it uses two CR1632 batteries that Garmin says won't need replaced but once a year. The downside is that it doesn't have a backlight and it can be hard to read in low light situations.
It tracks all the standard data: total Steps, steps to goal, Distance, calories burned, date, and time. You can also monitor your sleep time and this all connects well with my iphone and the Garmin Connect App.
It also allows you to link a heart rate monitor so you can track workouts and activities. I use a Garmin GPS Watch to track my runs but I like to use this when I'm at the gym, strength training.
One thing that you have to be careful of is, making sure you snap the wrist connector securely in place. I have had it fall off my wrist a few inopportune times.
I have tried Fitbits, Nike Fuelbands, but Garmin's vivofit is my favorite to date.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

Great product

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

Like most men approaching the big five-0, I have noted the annoying increase of unwanted weight that comes with age. It was there in my twenties, but when I started gaining too much weight it was easier to get rid of it. Now a small increase means my pants won't fit and I start sweating like a bloated sponge. Working in a comfortable office on computers doesn't' help, so I decided to try the newest fitness "craze". After a few weeks of research, I decided that Garmin's Vivo fit had the best design and effective potential. I've had the unit since March 27th, so this is my 30 day eval.

First off, a few things Garmin doesn't tell you.
1. The unit is popular and it may be difficult to find the color you want.
2. The unit uses a new low power version of Bluetooth which is not compatible with many older PDAs and phones.
3. Android compatibility is sketchy at best with just a few devices supported. Even if you get it to work, the syncing may be problematic.
4. This is a brand new item for Garmin, and their support is a tad "confused". If you have issues, be prepared to spend some time on the phone as you get transferred around. They are very helpful and nice people, but I'm supposed to be walking not sitting on the phone.
5. Your unit will probably need an update as soon as you get it, so sync it right away. Mine refused to upgrade itself and I had to RMA the unit.

The unit itself seems well built and has been comfortable enough to wear every day and night. It has two bands (big and small), both of which fit my wrist comfortably. The actual guts are a hard plastic module which locks into the soft plastic strap. The buckle is a two pronged hard plastic snap which locks the ends of the strap. It seems flimsy, but I haven't had problems with the strap falling off during exercise. The unit is powered by two CR1632 coin batteries which are supposed to last a year. This precludes the necessity to charge the unit and allows Garmin to fully seal the electronics. They claim 50 meters of water resistance, which is deeper than most causal SCUBA divers will descend.
The display is easy to read but lacks the power sapping backlight. I have no problems reading the display even in low light, so visibility isn't an issue. There is a single waterproof button to cycle modes on the right side of the display. I have worn the unit on both arms and it seems to work well on either side. Comfort is pretty good though I would prefer if Garmin could slim down the electronics module somewhat. The strap is only 1/16 of an inch and then swells to ¾ of an inch for the display module. A more uniform size would look cleaner.
The unit features a clock, so at times I can wear it as a lightweight watch. The big draw for me is the very accurate step counter and activity monitor. A red line will appear on the display and get longer if I don't get up and walk. Sounds silly at first, but the little red line will motivate you. After a few weeks, you start to enjoy the regular "walk break" and it becomes a healthy habit. The unit also uploads all the data to the Garmin Connect page which allows you to compete against your friends or random strangers in "Step Challenges". I never thought of myself as competitive, but I have pushed myself to win a few challenges and earn "badges". The unit will automatically increase or decrease your daily goals based on your previous performance. The goals and challenges always change so I have felt challenged each day. Funny how a few ounces of plastic can affect my life.
The unit also tracks your sleep movements, which is interesting though I have yet to find a way to use the data. You place it into "sleep mode" at night or it can do it automatically if you set a schedule in profile settings. I guess this places the accelerometer in a hyper sensitive mode, and all movement is tracked to a very granular movement graph. The unit will tell me if I had a restless night, but then again my general mood can tell me the same thing. It's hard to tell if I'm sleeping normally, since there are no "baseline" graphs to use as a comparison. Perhaps Garmin can recruit a sleep specialist who can provide some general guidelines for what constitutes a "normal" or "abnormal" sleep pattern. It would also be nice if Garmin could add user defined activity modes that also put the unit into a hypersensitive motion mode. I do a lot of household projects that are physically active, but not necessarily require a lot of steps. It would be nice to track these activities if the unit could be programmed correctly. Also activities like swimming and bicycling could be added using the sensitive sleep mode of the internal accelerometer. It wouldn't be as accurate as the step counter, but at least you could track activity.
Is it worth it? That's a big question for a 30 eval. I can say that so far I'm impressed. The unit is comfortable and stylish enough to wear everyday. It challenges me, and I have felt better and lost some weight. At $130, it's expensive, but hopefully I'm paying for future potential not just my inner "this is too expensive for me not to use it" rational. If Garmin provides a way to evaluate my sleep habits and possibly adds a few user defined "movement modes" to the unit, then I would consider it a good investment. If they add full Android compatibility and support for all Bluetooth modes, then I will be much happier with the unit. But, if they abandon the "exercise band" market and the Vivofit winds up on the discount rack, then I won't be so happy and my next review won't be so positive.
Till then I keep walking. The red line is showing, so time to get off my keister. Good luck and good health!

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

If used my Vivofit for one week, so far I like it. It is surprisingly accurate, when I run it is usually no more than 1/10 of a mile off vs my running GPS. It is great that it calculates the cardio calories separate from normal metabolic calories when using the HRM. It is good also that I don't need to sync with my phone or computer to see how far I am from my daily goal, It is also very light and comfortable.
Two things they can improve is to somehow make it readable in the darkness and to track activities such bike riding when not using the HRM (eg. When I ride Citibike in NY for a couple miles is not. Convenient to put the HRM on)

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

Comfortable even during sleep and non irritating to skin. Waterproof!!!! Silent, but Motivating. Runs on a battery which means no charging!! Only con would be that it would be nice if it was smaller and more fashionable looking, but I don't mind it. Just would take it off for a dressy or formal event.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I purchased this Garmin Vivofit for my husband, as a replacement for his Fitbit Force (which he took showers in and sprung a leak). The device is very similar to the Fitbit in terms of look and feel. Like the large screen/larger numbers, but they are somewhat hard to see. Missing the stairs covered and active minutes. My husband really misses the silent alarm. Was a trade off of being able to wear something to the shower (which he now does) and not having to charge so frequently -having said that, we will likely go back to the Fitbit Force...

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I researched a number of activity monitors and settled on the Vivofit. I liked that I could use the Garmin heartrate strap that I already owned. It is a limited device in what it provides as far as information but does most of it well. The information available on the Garmin connect website is fairly basic as well.
Big warning! The wriststrap is not well designed and comes off easily with routine use. Mine came off several times merely with putting on or taking off a sweatshirt or shirt. The last time was during a workout and I didn't realize it had come off - found it the next day on the road in pieces!
The other problem I had was that it did not reliably sync on my computers. It would not sync at all on my desktop, only intermittently on my Ipad, but would always sync on my Iphone.
I think this device has potential, but I'd be cautious until some kinks are worked out, and I'd be very wary until a better strap or clasp is designed!

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I've been looking for a simple activity tracker. Right now I use the older model Nike chip in my running shoe with the accompaning wristband. I do love the Nike chip for it's simplicity but if not wearing Nike shoes I have no tracker. So I read the reviews for the Vivofit. The reviews seem to run from good to bad. I thought with the Internet I should be able to get it up and running, check for problems, etc. I did everything as instructed and could not get the device out of the "pair" mode. In other words it never paired with my computer. I read everything on the Net I could find but nothing helped. Tried different USB ports and even a different computer. Charged my Nike tracker in the USB port and no problem. I unloaded and reloaded the software. Nothing worked. Other than "pair" and the device's unique number the screen would not show any other options or data. I am returning this device and will continue my search. I gave this one star because obviously the device write-up got me to purchase it.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

It counts the steps accurately but the mileage is way off. I know because of our running route distance. I didn't realize when I got it that it really only measures steps, so when I use the elliptical or other activities it doesn't really measure that so it doesn't give an accurate account of calories burned.
If you just want to use it to measure your steps it's fine.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I like being able to easily keep track of how much I move each day. It's not a perfect step counter, seems to be slightly off. But being able to see my daily averages on Garmin connect just helps to push me to move more. Occasional sync problems with Garmin connect kept this from being 5 stars.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

Contrary to some comments, the device does NOT require arm or hand movement rather body movement. It accurately measures steps, heart rate if so equipped. I use it for running, walking, elliptical workouts, and enshin karate. A second generation would benefit from a user button selected back light. Also the non movement red bar is annoying for an active person.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I do like all the things it keeps track of. It's nice to be able to wear a heart rate monitor to display your current heart rate. I love that the battery last for a year. With my fitbit flex I was having to recharge it every few days. The two biggest cons in my opinion are there is no backlight to help read the display at night and the face plate is not replaceable. When the face plate gets scratched it's there until you replace the whole unit. Even with the cons a great activity tracker.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I teach Zumba classes and I wanted to be able to track my calorie burn. This tracker alone doesn't accurately count calories burned because Zumba isn't just steps but with the heart rate monitor it's pretty accurate. It's very light weight and comfortable which says something because watches bother me so I was a little concerned. The step count is pretty accurate as well, have tested it several times. Although there are times it counts additional steps. That's the only downfall. Other than that I'm very happy with it. It is my first activity tracker and I'm happy I gave it a try.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I have used a lot of "fitness monitors" over the last couple of years (Jawbone Up, Nike Fuelband, and FitBit Flex). I have had the Vivofit for about a week and a half so far and I love it. The two best features in my opinion are the extremely long battery life (up to a year due to replaceable watch-type batteries) and the water resistance (up to 50m, much better than nearest competitor). The band is a lot like the FitBit and just as comfortable. Vivofit tracks your sleep like the FitBit too. The Vivofit app works well so far with no syncing issues to report up to this point. I have to say that the FitBit does come in a pretty close second when comparing monitors, but the short battery life for my Flex (4-5 days between charges) and the lack of a numeric display definitely propel the Vivofit to the top of the list for me. Highly recommended!

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

The Vivofit is simple and easy to use! It's basically a high-tech pedometer that also tracks your calories, mileage, and sleep. It sets daily step goals based on previous days. I like that feature because it makes you want to push past the goal it sets for you. It is very easy to sync to the Garmin Connect app on your phone or computer and the info is easy to read. The battery life is a huge plus (1-year guarantee) and it's very comfortable to wear.

Cons:
-There is no back light, so it's difficult to see at night. This hasn't bothered me much, but it would be nice to have.
-I don't think the step tracker is accurate. I tested it while walking outside and it was not accurate. Again though, I'm not technical about that but I know some people may be.
-There is no instruction manual. YouTube is a great source of info but it'd be nice to have a manual in case issues arise.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I have only used the UP 1st generation to compare with this. It is easier to use and motivating.
This is my problem with the vivo. It is very inaccurate. I own a gym and spend 8-10 hours a day on my feet walking around and training with my clients. I only work 1/2 day on saturday and not at all on sunday. I noticed the vivo was not really counting my steps accurately because even though I was working much harder during the week and spending alot more time sitting and resting on weekends, the vivo does not reflect it. It just doesn't count steps unless I am very animated with my arms. So while i'm on my feet walking and working if I don't swing my arms it doesn't really count steps.
I would love try try other brands to see if this is normal.
Garmin should also aloow the foot pod to sync whith Vivo which would make it more accurate.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I purchased this for my wife. She had a hard time figuring out how to initially use it as it did not really come with instructions. Her phone would not let her ad the related ap on her iphone in order to use it either. She tried to wear it and it did not even count all her steps, she boxed it up and shipped it back in less than a day. We do NOT recommend this product. We love our Garmin watches, but this product sounds much better than what it actually does. It's basically a pricey pedometer.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I use it daily to track my activity. No need to recharge this monitor like others I have had.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

The Vivofit is basically a hightech pedometer. It tracks steps, sets daily step goals (based on your average steps per day), tracks distance, tells time and date, tracks calories and monitors sleep movement. It's super easy to sync to your computer and view all your data.

The Vivofit is working really well for me because it encourages me to workout and get moving. I love the daily goal which really pushes me as well as the calorie counting. I can also change out the band to different colors (not that it really matters). I also love that the battery life is a year long and I don't have to charge it every few days like the Fitbit.

Downfalls of the Vivofit: once the data is synced, data is displayed in graphs. Not really sure what some of the graphs mean or exactly how to read them and it is not in the owners manual. I will have to do some digging to figure this out but I shouldn't have to. I'm also not sure how it tracks steps. I have walked and not moved my arms and it was able to track the steps. However, I went grocery shopping and it didn't credit me any of those steps, probably because I was pushing a cart and not moving my arms. Also, you cannot read the display in a poorly lit or dark room but I knew that before I purchased it and it hasn't bothered me yet.

Overall, this is really working well for me but I don't think this is the device for a really active person who wants more detailed feedback. If you are just beginning to get in daily exercise and need something to push yourself, this works great. I'm thinking about adding the heart monitor later.

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I bought two of these with the intention of giving one to my wife. I had problems getting mine activated. The Garmin site was not helpful. It is fairly quirky in operation. At times when I am strolling I will notice it isn't counting steps but the act of brushing my teeth adds about 500 steps. For now I'll keep mine but will return the one I bought for my wife

Comments about Garmin vivofit Monitors:

I've been a Garmin FR user for over two years now and have been impressed with their products and customer service. We've (husband & I) been wanting to buy activity monitors for awhile now and were not impressed with others on market. Husband loves that he can get his heart rate on it, as well as basic sleep info. It was super easy to setup with new Garmin app and integrated nicely with my current Garmin account. The daily steps aren't perfect but the intention is to show you daily trends over time. Compared to other trackers, steps are pretty much the same over the course of a week.

I would (and have) recommended this to my friends.