A week with the Garmin Vivofit - what the machine can and can not do

A week with the Garmin Vivofit - what the machine can and can not do

Garmin Fitness vívofit bracelet with daily goals, inactivity bar, Sleep Testing (Electronics)

Customer Review

For weeks I have eagerly awaited the release of the Garmin Vivofit. Now the device is available and I have now tested it for a week extensively, was showering so, cycling, swimming (the Vivofit is waterproof, reportedly up to 50 meters water depth), not stored while shopping with my girlfriend and had it even when sleeping , Short a few more facts to me, did not possess any experience in wearable tech / Fitness wristbands have, but I read very carefully and long reviews, test reports and information on the most popular devices. I'm trying for years convulsively next to the profession and the extra-occupational study to lose a little weight, but so far unsuccessfully. Now let's save the equipment and I chose for various reasons on the Garmin Vivofit. Here is my review:

OPTICS / readability of the display
The Vivofit looks chic, yet unobtrusive. I have the version with a black bracelet, whether in the office, in the pool, in your pajamas or in casual clothes, which always makes a stylish impression Vivofit without pushing itself into the foreground by Geblinke or eye-catching design. Through the power-saving e-ink display (battery life reportedly about a year!) Is a reading in complete darkness not possible, a backlight, there is not. Bother me personally but not really. Otherwise, the display is surprisingly easy to read in all light conditions, even in direct sunlight. In addition, the rather high price tag, the device looks very well made and of high quality, definitely appropriate.

Ease of Use / USABILITY
The Vivofit comes with USB ANT stick - just connect to your PC, can go through automatic software download and subsequent installation, fix nor invest a Garmin Connect account, link the Vivofit with this account and you can get started. Cost total (depending on your Internet speed) about 10-15 minutes. The device itself has only a single button, with which the display of different values ​​(daily pedometer step remaining days target, distance in kilometers, calories burned, time, date and optional heart rate) can connect through. All values ​​are as I said always legible and actually pretty self-explanatory. There is also the inactivity indicator, a red bar starts after (I think) an hour to set up and then every 15 minutes is a bit longer. This signals to you that you have been too long not move actively enough and yet to please take a few steps to save your metabolism before going to sleep. If you hold down the device for a while the button, the SYNC indicator appears on the display and the Vivofit charges through within range (a few meters) located ANT USB stick via Bluetooth, the current values ​​on the Internet to your Garmin Connect account , Alternatively, you can also use the official app for your smartphone, if you have sold your soul to Android or Apple. However, my soul belongs to Microsoft and the world's third largest smartphone operating system Windows Phone for years comes with Garmin unfortunately empty-handed, me and millions of other Windows Phone users thus remains only the synchronization between ANT stick to the PC. Too bad that an international company like Garmin saves here at Customer Service. However, the synchronization between your PC running smoothly for always, will take only ten seconds and the evaluation on the Garmin Connect website including settings is clearly laid out and nicely decorated.

FEATURES
Now it's down to business, what can the Vivofit for now anyway? Well, primarily it counts your steps. From this it calculates an estimated distance traveled, the number of used calories and sets depending on your physical condition (height and weight) and the number of steps taken on the day before each and every day new ones daily target for Determine the need to be achieved. In my case, this was at the beginning of 7500 steps, which is a decent value even for someone who sits most of his day either in the office or in the lecture hall. If you reach or even being shot over his daily goal addition, the Vivofit increases the target for the next day, remains one, it made for you gradually something. Unfortunately, the Vivofit can not really be used effectively for other activities than running / jogging, for a recognition of the activity, for example when riding a bicycle or swimming is not provided and work due to the operation of the equipment and not (it counts your steps through the typical movement of arms when walking). Thus, it seemed to have more that I have not reached the preset of Vivofit steps for nearly an hour in the swimming pool have continuously drawn my tracks, yet only a compassionate lowering my next daily goal of Vivofit as thanks got it. That's a pity, because many physical activities are disregarded and the device is therefore not to be used as a universal fitness coach. What Vivofit swimming, cycling and many other sports missed, namely to recognize my activity, but it does it in other places where it is but do not actually provided. For example when taking a shower. Whether one morning hurry einschäumt in the shower head, in the evening washed the accumulated dirty dishes throughout the week or long distance jogs through the forest - for the Vivofit's all the same. I'm fine 400 steps "earned" in the shower this morning - without any non-adult arm movements. Of course, this effect is not always as strong, but you should consider it yet. My tip is that the people of these deviations Garmin already noticed in test runs and have made be used towards calculating the daily goals. At the very least I would expect. ;-) If the number of steps taken should therefore not take at face value, but use over rough value for orientation. Last but not least the Vivofit is also a sofa Tracker. Holding down the button of the device long time, appears as the first mentioned sync display. However, we remain a few seconds on the button, the device in SLEEP mode, so sleep mode turns off. Henceforth, the device measures in general, any kind of movement and shows them so, how long they slept per night, and provides means of a graph represents the minute, how calm or fidgety they slept. This is interesting and for some certainly more than just a nice gimmick, for me personally, but it has no real benefit or Mehrwert.Vielleicht results this yes from the long-term sleep test, which is available on the website. Who knows, maybe I'll sleep so in the full moon phase considerably less and my myself secret identity as a werewolf coming to light so ;-)

GARMIN CONNECT
The place where you see the information we collect Vivofit permanent and can be compared with my friends / acquaintances in rankings, the Garmin Connect website is. The set up is easy and appealing, you can be yourself "Dashboard" make free, settings such as body weight, personal goal (mine is "lose weight"), or configure the on / off the dynamic daily goal or to specify a specific daily goal and collected Awards (Achievements) proudly examine (Gamification goodness). Here, however, Garmin shows yet very uncreative, my collected awards all relate to the achievement of a new frontier mark the distance Total steps (total of 5000 steps, 10,000 steps, 25,000 steps, etc.), but maybe there are more creative goals / achievements, the I've just not been reached.

CONCLUSION
The Vivofit with a MSRP of 119 not just a low-priced device with targeted functions: It is designed to measure the activity of the wearer, give it in stages of an extended inactivity period a gentle motivation kick in the ass and clearly represent and thus lead to a more active lifestyle. And exactly this goal reached Vivofit - at least for me so far. If I now in the office seats and see how crowded my inactivity bar, I am Just looking up, go a few floors the stairs addition down to the underground car park and back again, before I can continue to work with a clear conscience, without the reproachful red view from the wrist. Rather than clarify all lazy by mail or telephone with colleagues, I will now like to personally visit you. And when I come home at night and see that I still a lot missing from the personal daily goal, maybe I'm still a round walk, if time permits. Maybe I'm starting also at times to jog? You see, out of me makes Vivofit any case a more active people. Target met. One star deduction there from me only for the lack of support from Windows Phone and the lack of coverage of other activities such as cycling or swimming. All in all, the Vivofit still a very good device and everyday companion, which I do not want to miss.

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