Garmin has an extensive lineup of fitness trackers and smartwatches, with options catering to different needs and price points. The company’s vivoactive lineup sits below the more successful Venu series, but it hadn’t been refreshed since the vivoactive 4 came out in 2019. Garmin is now finally giving the lineup a much-needed refresh in the form of the vivoactive 5, making fitness tracking more accessible.
The vivoactive 5 brings several features from the Venu 3 to an affordable price point. In addition to all the features we have seen on the vivoactive 4, the vivoactive 5 brings a 1.2-inch AMOLED display (390 x 390 resolution) to the lineup with an Always On mode, which is a significant upgrade.
We also get the ability to respond to texts when connected to an Android phone, though you still cannot make calls through this smartwatch.
Further, the vivoactive 5 brings support for HIIT sports and workouts, workout benefits and recovery time, and ten additional sports for workout tracking, alongside nap detection, heart rate variability status, and meditation guidance. There is also a wheelchair mode on the smartwatch, letting users track their pushes and follow wheelchair-specific workouts.
Another change on the vivoactive 5 is using aluminum for the bezel instead of the stainless steel we see on the Venu 3 and the vivoactive 4. We wouldn’t call it a downgrade or an upgrade per se since aluminum has its own pros and cons. The case is still a fiber-reinforced polymer, and the straps are silicone.
What has definitely improved is the claimed battery life. Garmin claims the vivoactive 5 can last up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and up to 21 hours with GPS, compared to 8 days and 18 hours, respectively, on the vivoactive 4. The heart rate sensor has also been upgraded from Gen 3 to Gen 4, though the Venu lineup has the Gen 5 sensor.
Other features include Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on the display for protection, 5ATM water resistance rating, GPS connectivity, Garmin Pay, and compatibility with iPhones and Android phones.
Garmin vivoactive 5: Pricing and Availability
The Garmin vivoactive 5 is available for $299.99 on Garmin’s website. You can buy the smartwatch in four colors: black, ivory, navy, and orchid.