Apparently the GPS problem's got solved as well: www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/09/garmin-launches-connected-gps-functionality-for-wearables-without-gps-vivosmart-4-vivomove-3.html
I'm a total newbie to the world of fitness trackers - my wife gave me the Vivosmart 4 recently. And I have to say I really enjoy wearing and using it. Your review has helped me better understand and use the features. Cheers!
I had Covid in early May. Since then, I've had mild chronic fatigue. It's interesting that my Garmin device actually sees this with the body battery feature. I bottom out every day and recharge no more than 20. Before Covid I'd recharge to 90-100 and my daily drain would never get lower than 20.
Excellent review. Many thanks. I’m 63, and essentially want a small tracker to accurately detect (within reason) my blood gases for sleep apnoea, as well as heart rate for walking. This Garmin device seems to tick those boxes.
@@JSyntax Thank you. It seems that the information is more comprehensive than that offered by the Fitbit Charge 4 at present, despite the limited 4 hours duration of tracking with the Garmin. I note in another video that you yourself have OSA. Here’s how I got my mine, as I’ve detailed below, even though my BMI is normal. Also, please note that CPAP can raise intraocular pressures in some people; possibly contraindicated with glaucoma (as I also have). I now use mandibular advancement splints. You might interested in the work of (the late) Dr Brian Palmer, whose decades of research focuses on malformation of the infant airway through the actions of intense infant bottle-feeding. Dr Palmer, who was a dentist, goes so far to argue that OSA and what leads to SIDS are essentially modern sleep disorders only, that they did not exist prior to the invention of the baby bottle. Certainly Dr Palmer's lab collection of prehistoric skulls is testament to his claims, where the nasopharyngeal anatomy of these skulls is significantly more accommodating than what is seen today with those who present with the modern airway. Below is my summary of Dr Palmer's work as well as his website. Depending on INTENSITY, FREQUENCY and DURATION, infant bottle-feeding can lead to oral cavity malformation. As a baby has soft, malleable bones, bottle-feeding, depending on the above three factors, can malform the maxilla through the implosion effect of sucking on a bottle. The outcome, then, can essentially be a high-arched hard palate and a narrowed dental arch. With the consequent elevation of the hard palate and its narrowing, the posterior nasal accommodation above is then unavoidably compromised (as the roof of the mouth is also the floor of the nasal cavity). And with this reduced nasal accommodation, pneumatic pressure during sleep is reduced (due to a reduction in the volume of air) as well as there being a prevailing inefficacy in the exchange of gases - since any one sleep phase accordingly dictates the respiratory drive. Further, if the raising of the hard palate is extreme, the nasal septum above can collapse and deviate, causing further ventilation problems. Another profoundly negative aspect of infant bottle-feeding, again, depending on the three factors as highlighted above, is where the epiglottis settles into an unnatural position in the airway following its natural descent. During the first few months of life, an infant is able to swallow breastmilk and breathe at the same time; and this is because the epiglottis is temporarily connected to the soft palate. Following this period, if a strong feeding infant is being intensively bottle-fed, the epiglottis can finally settle too low into the airway after its separation from the soft palate. The result here can mean not only a narrowed pharyngeal airway, but also an epiglottis that, apart from its primary function of capping the airway during swallow, cannot serve to properly brace the back of the tongue during sleep. Arguably, along with the high-arched palate problem, such an occurrence can lead to sleep apnoea and sleep hypopnoea - for life; and, worse, in the case of the infant, SIDS. Breastfeeding involves a peristaltic action of suck; hence breastfeeding is still far superior to any form of infant bottle-feeding, Dr Palmer would argue. Not all infants who are bottle-fed will necessarily end up with compromised airways; nevertheless, if a mother can make an informed choice to breastfeed, then she has, along with the well known benefits of breastmilk, another good reason to do so. David White, Australia www.brianpalmerdds.com
Very interesting! I'll look into it more. Btw I think the vivoactive 4s might be better since it covers more than 4hrs of pulse ox tracking. I made a Whole video about it.
@@JSyntax Thank you. I’ll take a look at the video. Sleep medicine and formula milk are big business. Informed women should be granted 12 months paid maternity leave to breastfeed should they choose to!
It is. It's now 2021. My first one broke apart into two pieces. I bought another one (an open box one which was barely used from Carousell). It's that good. If I can ask, make the band replaceable (like the Mi Band tracker).
I use two kinds fitness tracker. A bigger vivooactive for fitness, hiking, etc, but just going around & doing things, I use the grand daddy of this one (Garmin vivosmart HR). And for sleep (I do also use the pulse ox ring As this presenter does).
I know this video is a year old. But after watching this video & the previous you mentioned on this watch I decided today to go ahead an buy one. Mainly because I've had a fitbit alta hr for some years now & it's starting to show it's age. Plus I've wanted to switch from Fitbit to something else & I fill like starting off with this watch with Garmin would be best. Especially since it'll be my first ever Garmin product & I'm also on a budget. I was looking at the other Garmin watching as well but I'm not in the mood for a smartwatch. Nor a large watch either, my wrists are very small plus I'm actually very skinny. So a large watch would look rather odd on my wrist, so I'll stick with this slinder design. Thanks again for the in depth reviews, very helpful. :)
I just bought it. Killer feature: Able to turn off bluetooth. I didn't think that existed. I agree on too few watch faces. I haven't used it one day yet (almost now), so still a lot to discover, probably.
Good to hear that HR accuracy is now more accurate. Some questions:- 1. Is there option to view HR% instead of bpm? 2. Calorie count accurate to HR245? 3. Is it possible to broadcast HR (via ANT+) AND recording the activity at the same time? TIA.
Thank you very much for your review. I am looking for something to replace my Versa Lite and will seriously look into buying this. I am now sworn off Fitbit devices as they don't have a service centre in Singapore.
Thanks for your in-depth review of the Garmin 4. After trying several off brand fitness trackers, I recently pulled out my old Garmin Vivofit and started using it while researching which new fitness tracker to use throughout the day - while wearing my watch at work (needing quick look second hand - medical). I used the Vivofit and and Forerunner for years in triathlons and now looking for an updated, slim, easy to use devise with SPO2 and HR to wear along with my Rolex. Thanks again. What I did like about my old vivofit was the batters lasted a year. Only negative was I had to take to to a watch shop to have it replaced. The new Vivofit4 has a charger like the Forerunner.
From a medical device project i worked on I recall, pulse ox is very difficult to technically do around the wrist the sensors require good visibility of the bld colour there are too many bones in the wrist area to see through the siginal is very noisy and requires a lot of processing. This is why finger pulse ox is used in medical settings
Thank you for the one year follow-up review , I am thinking about picking up one of these but feel that a new version, Vivosmart 5, should be coming out soon. However I can not find anything online even hinting at it coming soon?
I like how small and light the Vivosmart 4 is. My biggest complaint is it's harder to start a walk than it is on my Mi Band 5. You have to either a) wait 5 minutes for it to track the walk automatically, or b) double-tap the screen to get it to start the timer. My problem is that it almost never registers double-taps correctly. For whatever reason, I have to tap the screen three or four times. The other thing is, I wish the notifications could be in landscape mode rather than portrait. It's 2021. I shouldn't have to read a wearable display sideways at this point.
Just discovered your channel. Very nice! I was looking for something to wear the night since the Garmin Descent Mk1 is just not meant to be wear by night.
Hello, Thanks for the review. I'm planning to have vivosmart 4 but I have a question please. did you bought a new one or the company just update the software? (accourding to the the improvements you talked about) Thank you again
Thanks a lot for this review, I was honestly about to purchase this vivo smart 4 until you mentioned it doesn't have a bike exercise option which is my number one form of exercising. WTF Garmin.
it doesn't have biking due to the lack of GPS - even with the phone based gps, its not as accurate but apparently now its been added. The 4s has all the 4 features plus you get all the fun smartphone features you were missing, mind you its also another 300 $ or so
Hey Thanks for the review! Its really helpful. Would you suggest to purchase this in 2022, with all the other Fitness trackers in the market? I will be buying my first fitness tracker and after a detailed research, I really dont wanna go with fitbit with its “subscription model” Can i rely with garmin for accuracy? with sleeping, running etc.
Hello, thanks for this second review on the Vivosmart4 - very useful. How would you compare it with the Polar a370? They seem quite similar in caracteristics, but like the Polar capability to connect with a chest strap..
I just want to track my steps and sleep would this be a good fitness tracker for me. I had a Fitbit charger 3 which died on me after 2 years, wondering whats the life of the vivo smart 4?
Hi. Only your review seems to say the heart rate monitor is working well. While other reviews are a year or two old, they have not been favourable. In 2020 what is your opinion about vivosmart 4.
I bought a used vivosmart 4 last year. Still using it since it shows heart rate and its small on my wrist. I tried smart watches and other bands but still in 2022 im using it. Wouldnt mind replacing it if a new tracker can do better.
Hi! I’m looking to get a stylish and comprehensive fitness tracker... have the challenges you mentioned in the video been resolved? Is this a great watch to use with d peloton bike? Do I need a chest strap? Does it sync with fitness pal app? Ty!
Good day. Thanks for the review. I see that you were going gym workouts. Does the Vivosmart 4 or the Garmin 245 track your calories burned for gym workout?
Hello! Do you also have a screen on firmware 5.40 that does not go out during strength training? How can this be corrected? Roll back the firmware for example? Thank you!
I watched another review and he said that the accuracy of its heart rate monitor pales in comparison with the Apple Watch. The heart rate it registers is slower vs what Apple Watch was showing. Did you have the same experience?
How does this compare to the Polar A370. I was set on getting the Garmin Gvivosmart4, but I found out that Polar's heart rate monitor is more accurate and so is the sleep tracking. Does the A370 have something comparable to Firstbeat analytics?
Thanks for the thoughtful review. Has Garmin improved their heart rate sensor during exercise? It used to track lower than a fitbit in your initial review. I want to switch from fitbit charge 3, but their hr sensor is quite good during exercise.
They fixed the heart monitoring issue? Heart monitoring is really important to me, so I wanted to make sure the issue was resolved before I purchased one.
Hi, I'm new to fitness trackers and considering this garmin. I understand all the syncing is done over Bluetooth with the phone? Can you turn of Bluetooth on the tracker for some periods of time and then enable so all the syncing is done all at once? . For instance, disable at night and enable in the morning. (and still get all the data for that night) I don't like the idea of having Bluetooth on the phone and tracker on all the time, just maybe enough time to do all the syncing.
@@lorben9601 Which totally sucks when the little flimsy ass band breaks. This is reason enough to look at other devices. I bought it primarily for the PulseOx feature to track and correlate with CPAP data. This feature actually turns out to be somewhat useful in that the device seems to be fairly accurate in aggregate over time. Although it consistently under reports my SpO2 by 3-4%, the consistency gives me confidence in the data. But the lack of integration of this SpO2 data point with Apple Health is an annoyance.. Also, I thought I'd like the small, lightweight device, but over time the lack of "real estate" on the tiny screen and the frequently spotty navigation (swiping and tapping) is very annoying when trying to get info quickly and easily, especially in the middle of a workout. The watch is (and Garmin devices in general are) quite feature rich, but the difficulty in accessing functions and data renders much of the capability useless in the gym or in the field. With an unreplaceable broken band and other watches coming out with SpO2 capability, I'll be purchasing another (much larger) device soon. I guess I'll keep this one as a throw down spare or give it to a girl with small wrists LOL.
@@BigJack512 so what would you recommend to just track your running? I just want something simple but that actually works, seems impossible to find unless you spend a good buck which I can’t do rn.
I read some reviews saying that the bezel on the Vivosmart 4 falls off pretty quickly and also that you can’t change the band once is worn out. Is this true? I have a Vivosmart hr for a couple years now and never had any problems with it...The only reason I want a new one it’s because of the regular “wear and tear” for the time I have been with it. Recently I been looking for other models to maybe make an upgrade soon but idk if I should just buy the same Vivosmart hr I have or just update to a Vivosmart 4 which looks really nice, but I don’t want to invest on something with a great brand name yet not the best quality manufactured on other models. Please help
Hello, I have one VIVOSMART 4 and the bracelet has torn, I tried to search only for the bracelet but I can't find it. is there any? Or some model for her?
Thx for the great info! I have a Vivosmart 4 and love it. When I first got it, I learned how to set a custom alert when my HR goes too high. I'd like to adjust that HR alert now but can't remember how. Lol. Can you help me?
I'm thinking about buying this one, i have had a Fitbit Alta for nearly 2 years now, but i have gone through 3 straps, this looks like its all in one so it can't break the same way. I currently use a large Fitbit strap but set on the 2nd or 3rd hole so my wrist isn't that big, should i go with the large size strap on this too? Also been looking at the fitbit inspire HR, but afraid i will get the same problem with the strap.
When I went swimming in the pool when I splashed a bit hard it said it was a double tap! And when I come out It doesn’t track and it’s very frustrating where as the fenix 5 for example doesn’t do that, it put me off a bit. And when I do weight training it’s horrifically inaccurate. I did 15 reps it said I did 6, and when I used the fenix 5 with the same workout it said 15.
Hi. May I ask... if you start a walk, does it autodetect that you've started walking? I know that the Fitbit does this. Currently deciding between this and the Charge 4. Thanks!
Hi James, which device did you finally get. I just ordered a vivosmart 4 and am already having buyer's remorse. Thinking of cancelling the order. Would appreciate your feedback. Cheers.
The one thing that annoys me is that I can't "PAUSE" an activity. E.g. I go for a bike ride to a friends, wander round the shops, then ride home. I'd like to upload that as 1 ride as I use Strava. If I keep in running it will think me walking round the shops is me cycling slowly I think. It also annoys me that the watchface doesn't automatically illuminate when I press the button on the screen, so somtimes i have to endlessly flip my wrist. But I'm a tough critic!
You can set it to measure automatically during sleep and then you can get your oxygen saturation on demand while you're awake with a few taps. Continuous oxygen measurement while you're awake isn't available, but continuous oxygen measurement the whole time you're asleep is available
I know we can turn off Bluetooth in vivosmart 4 but what about the ANT+ will it be always on and emit radio signal or only during the broadcast and remaining time will it be off?
@@TreeofLife_kanal Yes, we can turn off Bluetooth and about ANT+, the Garmin said it emits signal only during the broadcast. Still, I am not so sure about the ANT+ and how it works, so someone with the RF meter can only confirm this for sure.
They're for very different use cases. I still think pulse ox on Garmin fitness trackers is not accurate and used more for relative judgement. If you care about spo2, definitely lookee is more accurate and reliable. Especially to get your entire night's sleep of pulse ox, Garmin only tracks 4 hrs max.
@@JSyntax Thanks for the information. I just received my Lookee today, I am going to try it tonight. Lastly, what are your thought on the Oura smart ring?
@@JSyntax I have the Oura ring. Been tracking my sleep for a couple of weeks now. I suspect I have sleep apnea, because I often wake up feeling like im suffocating. The Oura ring gives me very low amounts of deep sleep phases during the night. They often range from 0 to 15 mins a night. Im gonna buy the Vivosmart 4 to compare the sleep data and also to see if there's a connection between oxygen saturation and deep sleep. Also, I'm glad I found this channel. Great stuff. Keep up the good work.
@@bownage I'm quite jealous you have this ring I want one too and I would love to review it in to see how it is. Let me know if it's more accurate in detecting sleep phases than the vivosmart 4
Hi . probably i understood this wrong, please clarify . the device can recognize gym movements and count those, but firmware still hasn't feature to pre set exercise count as a part of routine ? Let me explain on example: usually we programme the sets of exercise like: work-1min, rest-30sec. And just listen beep or vibro. But gym trackers scenario would be preferable like: do 10 reps, then rest 2 mins, do 20 reps of next exercise and rest 1 min, etc. So workout programming of the gym is a count based, isn't it? Previous model could count the reps but didn't allow to notify the athlete that planned reps are done . how is about this tracker? You see Exercise reps feature was useless because i still had to count the reps manually
Hi, you mention that you can get a calendar notification through Google. Just wondering how do you do that please. I bought the vivosmart for my daughter and I wanted to have a notification to remind her to take medication. Thank you
It's notifications only. You can go into your Google calendar and set a default setting for any future events that I notification occurs. Make sure you enable calendar notifications on the Garmin app so that they funnel through to your watch
@@JSyntax thank you I will try that. Other wise I might have to get another watch. Is there a watch that you can select notifications with a calendar you would recommend that's not bulky? As she is a teenager with small wrist. I only want calendar notification to work during school times not friends on other plat forms. I was thinking I might look at the new charge 4. But I prefer Garmin. Thank you very much your you tube channel is fantastic.
Sept 2019 update. New firmware 4.0 has been released. Also, they added bicycle exercise! Whaahoo.
Can you manualy turn off the bluetooth on vivosmart4?
@@TreeofLife_kanal yes!
@@JSyntax thank you so much, your reviews are amaizing. I have 245m and love it ;-)
@@TreeofLife_kanal thank you :)
Apparently the GPS problem's got solved as well: www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/09/garmin-launches-connected-gps-functionality-for-wearables-without-gps-vivosmart-4-vivomove-3.html
I have had mine for more than a year and you actually showed me things I did not know. Thank you!! And YAY for the cycling addition!!
I'm a total newbie to the world of fitness trackers - my wife gave me the Vivosmart 4 recently. And I have to say I really enjoy wearing and using it. Your review has helped me better understand and use the features. Cheers!
I had Covid in early May. Since then, I've had mild chronic fatigue. It's interesting that my Garmin device actually sees this with the body battery feature. I bottom out every day and recharge no more than 20. Before Covid I'd recharge to 90-100 and my daily drain would never get lower than 20.
these reviews are terrific - thanks for taking the time to post them.
Thank you! :)
I'm in the market for a tracker, I don't need a full smart watch, I just want a tracker. Google bought Fitbit so that's that. Thanks for the review.
Excellent review. Many thanks. I’m 63, and essentially want a small tracker to accurately detect (within reason) my blood gases for sleep apnoea, as well as heart rate for walking. This Garmin device seems to tick those boxes.
Awesome! Glad you to liked it and found the perfect watch!
@@JSyntax Thank you. It seems that the information is more comprehensive than that offered by the Fitbit Charge 4 at present, despite the limited 4 hours duration of tracking with the Garmin.
I note in another video that you yourself have OSA. Here’s how I got my mine, as I’ve detailed below, even though my BMI is normal. Also, please note that CPAP can raise intraocular pressures in some people; possibly contraindicated with glaucoma (as I also have). I now use mandibular advancement splints.
You might interested in the work of (the late) Dr Brian Palmer, whose decades of research focuses on malformation of the infant airway through the actions of intense infant bottle-feeding. Dr Palmer, who was a dentist, goes so far to argue that OSA and what leads to SIDS are essentially modern sleep disorders only, that they did not exist prior to the invention of the baby bottle. Certainly Dr Palmer's lab collection of prehistoric skulls is testament to his claims, where the nasopharyngeal anatomy of these skulls is significantly more accommodating than what is seen today with those who present with the modern airway. Below is my summary of Dr Palmer's work as well as his website.
Depending on INTENSITY, FREQUENCY and DURATION, infant bottle-feeding can lead to oral cavity malformation. As a baby has soft, malleable bones, bottle-feeding, depending on the above three factors, can malform the maxilla through the implosion effect of sucking on a bottle. The outcome, then, can essentially be a high-arched hard palate and a narrowed dental arch. With the consequent elevation of the hard palate and its narrowing, the posterior nasal accommodation above is then unavoidably compromised (as the roof of the mouth is also the floor of the nasal cavity). And with this reduced nasal accommodation, pneumatic pressure during sleep is reduced (due to a reduction in the volume of air) as well as there being a prevailing inefficacy in the exchange of gases - since any one sleep phase accordingly dictates the respiratory drive. Further, if the raising of the hard palate is extreme, the nasal septum above can collapse and deviate, causing further ventilation problems.
Another profoundly negative aspect of infant bottle-feeding, again, depending on the three factors as highlighted above, is where the epiglottis settles into an unnatural position in the airway following its natural descent. During the first few months of life, an infant is able to swallow breastmilk and breathe at the same time; and this is because the epiglottis is temporarily connected to the soft palate. Following this period, if a strong feeding infant is being intensively bottle-fed, the epiglottis can finally settle too low into the airway after its separation from the soft palate. The result here can mean not only a narrowed pharyngeal airway, but also an epiglottis that, apart from its primary function of capping the airway during swallow, cannot serve to properly brace the back of the tongue during sleep. Arguably, along with the high-arched palate problem, such an occurrence can lead to sleep apnoea and sleep hypopnoea - for life; and, worse, in the case of the infant, SIDS.
Breastfeeding involves a peristaltic action of suck; hence breastfeeding is still far superior to any form of infant bottle-feeding, Dr Palmer would argue. Not all infants who are bottle-fed will necessarily end up with compromised airways; nevertheless, if a mother can make an informed choice to breastfeed, then she has, along with the well known benefits of breastmilk, another good reason to do so.
David White, Australia
www.brianpalmerdds.com
Very interesting! I'll look into it more. Btw I think the vivoactive 4s might be better since it covers more than 4hrs of pulse ox tracking. I made a Whole video about it.
@@JSyntax Thank you. I’ll take a look at the video.
Sleep medicine and formula milk are big business. Informed women should be granted 12 months paid maternity leave to breastfeed should they choose to!
I just got this device and I like it a lot. It replaced a fitbit sense and it's more accurate and has more features for less than half the price!
Thank you so much for this review! I’m looking for a tracker specifically for O2 and afib, so I’m so glad you covered the O2
It is. It's now 2021. My first one broke apart into two pieces. I bought another one (an open box one which was barely used from Carousell). It's that good. If I can ask, make the band replaceable (like the Mi Band tracker).
I use two kinds fitness tracker. A bigger vivooactive for fitness, hiking, etc, but just going around & doing things, I use the grand daddy of this one (Garmin vivosmart HR). And for sleep (I do also use the pulse ox ring As this presenter does).
Yes, I love my Vivosmart 4. Agree with your review.
Where did you purchase yours? What is included in my box? A recharger right.
i couldn't stop myself to write 2nd comments man. i enjoyed listening to you. please keep making videos. good job
Thank you!
I know this video is a year old. But after watching this video & the previous you mentioned on this watch I decided today to go ahead an buy one.
Mainly because I've had a fitbit alta hr for some years now & it's starting to show it's age. Plus I've wanted to switch from Fitbit to something else & I fill like starting off with this watch with Garmin would be best. Especially since it'll be my first ever Garmin product & I'm also on a budget.
I was looking at the other Garmin watching as well but I'm not in the mood for a smartwatch. Nor a large watch either, my wrists are very small plus I'm actually very skinny. So a large watch would look rather odd on my wrist, so I'll stick with this slinder design. Thanks again for the in depth reviews, very helpful. :)
I just bought it. Killer feature: Able to turn off bluetooth. I didn't think that existed. I agree on too few watch faces. I haven't used it one day yet (almost now), so still a lot to discover, probably.
Why would you want to disable the Bluetooth that's how that's the whole function of the watch
JSyntax Bluetooth tickles after a few weeks. At least Fitbit Flex did.
@@annelisabethcom do you think it's a health and safety concern with the Bluetooth radio signals?
JSyntax I think I should avoid it. I don't make decisions for others.
Good to know Garmin does updates. I wonder if they have continued the updates up until now (2022) but still good to know
Vivosmart 4 was a great fitness tracker. Now it even able to connect to phone's GPS. My main complaint is only about the touch screen sensitivity.
Did you replace it?
Good to hear that HR accuracy is now more accurate. Some questions:-
1. Is there option to view HR% instead of bpm?
2. Calorie count accurate to HR245?
3. Is it possible to broadcast HR (via ANT+) AND recording the activity at the same time?
TIA.
You have so many wishes... just get the higher series
Thank you very much for your review. I am looking for something to replace my Versa Lite and will seriously look into buying this.
I am now sworn off Fitbit devices as they don't have a service centre in Singapore.
Thanks for your in-depth review of the Garmin 4. After trying several off brand fitness trackers, I recently pulled out my old Garmin Vivofit and started using it while researching which new fitness tracker to use throughout the day - while wearing my watch at work (needing quick look second hand - medical). I used the Vivofit and and Forerunner for years in triathlons and now looking for an updated, slim, easy to use devise with SPO2 and HR to wear along with my Rolex. Thanks again. What I did like about my old vivofit was the batters lasted a year. Only negative was I had to take to to a watch shop to have it replaced. The new Vivofit4 has a charger like the Forerunner.
Same! I feel like my Vivofit fit is very basic and looking to upgrade.
Vivofit 4 doesn't have a charger.
glad to see you like it. all i need is stress and sleep tracking, dont care bout fancy features, so i think this may be the best choice for me
From a medical device project i worked on I recall, pulse ox is very difficult to technically do around the wrist the sensors require good visibility of the bld colour there are too many bones in the wrist area to see through the siginal is very noisy and requires a lot of processing. This is why finger pulse ox is used in medical settings
agreed, it needs to be improved for accuracy!
Thank you for the one year follow-up review , I am thinking about picking up one of these but feel that a new version, Vivosmart 5, should be coming out soon. However I can not find anything online even hinting at it coming soon?
I like how small and light the Vivosmart 4 is. My biggest complaint is it's harder to start a walk than it is on my Mi Band 5. You have to either a) wait 5 minutes for it to track the walk automatically, or b) double-tap the screen to get it to start the timer. My problem is that it almost never registers double-taps correctly. For whatever reason, I have to tap the screen three or four times.
The other thing is, I wish the notifications could be in landscape mode rather than portrait. It's 2021. I shouldn't have to read a wearable display sideways at this point.
Just to follow up on this: I sold my Vivosmart 4 on eBay and I'm using the Mi Band 6 now.
you dont count getting water an exercise? i guess ive been gyming wrong..
Hehe yes
Thank you so much. Your review is very useful.
Fantastic detail - thank you. MY fitbit charge 2 is broken so trying to decide between this and a fitbit charge 4. Have you compared them?
They do the bigger screen and they killed it. Probably the 5 will
Have the same screen and improvements on other areas
Just discovered your channel. Very nice! I was looking for something to wear the night since the Garmin Descent Mk1 is just not meant to be wear by night.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Big issue for me is, you can’t replace the straps. Rubber straps will break, Eventually.
Just bought one to use with my analogue watches. I have a Garmin Venu 2 too. Did not track sleep on first day... let's see now... 😢
Hello, Thanks for the review. I'm planning to have vivosmart 4 but I have a question please. did you bought a new one or the company just update the software? (accourding to the the improvements you talked about)
Thank you again
Thanks a lot for this review, I was honestly about to purchase this vivo smart 4 until you mentioned it doesn't have a bike exercise option which is my number one form of exercising. WTF Garmin.
It does support bike
Sweet, I've still been procrastinating. I've gone through a couple fitbits in 2 years so I think it's time for a change.
it doesn't have biking due to the lack of GPS - even with the phone based gps, its not as accurate but apparently now its been added.
The 4s has all the 4 features plus you get all the fun smartphone features you were missing, mind you its also another 300 $ or so
My Vivosmart 4 didnt register my Gym session as intensity minutes, it was registered as high stress instead, any thoughts? :(
Your heart rate was way too high the whole time.
Can you control music in your Smartphone...like changing titles and volume?
Hey
Thanks for the review! Its really helpful.
Would you suggest to purchase this in 2022, with all the other Fitness trackers in the market?
I will be buying my first fitness tracker and after a detailed research, I really dont wanna go with fitbit with its “subscription model”
Can i rely with garmin for accuracy? with sleeping, running etc.
Hello, thanks for this second review on the Vivosmart4 - very useful. How would you compare it with the Polar a370? They seem quite similar in caracteristics, but like the Polar capability to connect with a chest strap..
I'm terribly sorry but I don't have access to that particular Fitness tracker to compare against the vivosmart 4
I just want to track my steps and sleep would this be a good fitness tracker for me. I had a Fitbit charger 3 which died on me after 2 years, wondering whats the life of the vivo smart 4?
Same here.
looks like i'll get one now, thanks man !
Hi. Only your review seems to say the heart rate monitor is working well. While other reviews are a year or two old, they have not been favourable. In 2020 what is your opinion about vivosmart 4.
Thank you for the review, very useful! Can I preset intervals for running and workout?
Awesome review - thank you 🙏.
I bought a used vivosmart 4 last year. Still using it since it shows heart rate and its small on my wrist. I tried smart watches and other bands but still in 2022 im using it. Wouldnt mind replacing it if a new tracker can do better.
noiceeeee love ur review!👍
Hi! I’m looking to get a stylish and comprehensive fitness tracker... have the challenges you mentioned in the video been resolved? Is this a great watch to use with d peloton bike? Do I need a chest strap? Does it sync with fitness pal app? Ty!
Great review!
Thanks for the update
Right on!
That was very helpful. Thank you!
Bicycle a must. Is there swim (pool) and open water swim feature? HR?
Great reviews, thank you.
My pleasure!
A very good, informative review. thnx a lot
Can you make a video showing how send workouts from connect to the vivosmart 4? Thank you
Do you know what's the sampling rate for the oxygen saturation and can it be adjusted?
What is sampling rate?
@@intresseklubben sampling rate is how often it measures, in this case the oxygen saturation.
How do you upgrade your vivosmart 4. You speak about it but don't know how or where to upgrade.
Good day. Thanks for the review. I see that you were going gym workouts. Does the Vivosmart 4 or the Garmin 245 track your calories burned for gym workout?
Hello! Very nice rand comprehensive review! Got some question, can you access garmin coach/training plans on this band?
I doubt that! It's too small
Wonder if they fixed the auto detect feature in firmware
Hello! Do you also have a screen on firmware 5.40 that does not go out during strength training? How can this be corrected? Roll back the firmware for example? Thank you!
Awesome review.
I am trying to track my SpO2 during exercise like cycling. Can you do that with this watch?
klasse video , mach weiter so , grüße aus deutschland
I don't speak German but thank you Mb
He said that you‘re doing a great job. Keep up the great work. Greetings from Germany. 😊
is it better than Fitbit Inspire?
Daddy Warbucks no
I watched another review and he said that the accuracy of its heart rate monitor pales in comparison with the Apple Watch. The heart rate it registers is slower vs what Apple Watch was showing. Did you have the same experience?
How does this compare to the Polar A370. I was set on getting the Garmin Gvivosmart4, but I found out that Polar's heart rate monitor is more accurate and so is the sleep tracking. Does the A370 have something comparable to Firstbeat analytics?
Thanks for the thoughtful review. Has Garmin improved their heart rate sensor during exercise? It used to track lower than a fitbit in your initial review. I want to switch from fitbit charge 3, but their hr sensor is quite good during exercise.
They keep release sensor updates. It's been good for me. YMMV
@@JSyntax thanks for answering! That is helpful info. :)
Hi, would Vivosmart 4 be a good choice to track cardio-home workouts? I am mainly interested in calories and HR.
They fixed the heart monitoring issue? Heart monitoring is really important to me, so I wanted to make sure the issue was resolved before I purchased one.
It's improved with firmware updates but itll never be 100 percent accurate
Hi, I'm new to fitness trackers and considering this garmin. I understand all the syncing is done over Bluetooth with the phone? Can you turn of Bluetooth on the tracker for some periods of time and then enable so all the syncing is done all at once? . For instance, disable at night and enable in the morning. (and still get all the data for that night) I don't like the idea of having Bluetooth on the phone and tracker on all the time, just maybe enough time to do all the syncing.
Hey can this smartband connect to external heart rate monitor?
Nice and informative reivew. May i know when u tap the msg, does it scroll through the full message or partial. Thank
Yes full msg! Thanks for comment!
Hey man, congrats for that review. I'm wondering if is possible to replace the band of a vivosmart 4.
The band isn't replaceable.
@@lorben9601 Which totally sucks when the little flimsy ass band breaks. This is reason enough to look at other devices.
I bought it primarily for the PulseOx feature to track and correlate with CPAP data. This feature actually turns out to be somewhat useful in that the device seems to be fairly accurate in aggregate over time. Although it consistently under reports my SpO2 by 3-4%, the consistency gives me confidence in the data. But the lack of integration of this SpO2 data point with Apple Health is an annoyance..
Also, I thought I'd like the small, lightweight device, but over time the lack of "real estate" on the tiny screen and the frequently spotty navigation (swiping and tapping) is very annoying when trying to get info quickly and easily, especially in the middle of a workout. The watch is (and Garmin devices in general are) quite feature rich, but the difficulty in accessing functions and data renders much of the capability useless in the gym or in the field.
With an unreplaceable broken band and other watches coming out with SpO2 capability, I'll be purchasing another (much larger) device soon. I guess I'll keep this one as a throw down spare or give it to a girl with small wrists LOL.
@@BigJack512 so what would you recommend to just track your running? I just want something simple but that actually works, seems impossible to find unless you spend a good buck which I can’t do rn.
Thinking about getting this. I wanted a watch that takes my SATS but not sure how accurate it is.
I read some reviews saying that the bezel on the Vivosmart 4 falls off pretty quickly and also that you can’t change the band once is worn out. Is this true? I have a Vivosmart hr for a couple years now and never had any problems with it...The only reason I want a new one it’s because of the regular “wear and tear” for the time I have been with it. Recently I been looking for other models to maybe make an upgrade soon but idk if I should just buy the same Vivosmart hr I have or just update to a Vivosmart 4 which looks really nice, but I don’t want to invest on something with a great brand name yet not the best quality manufactured on other models. Please help
Hello, I have one VIVOSMART 4 and the bracelet has torn, I tried to search only for the bracelet but I can't find it. is there any? Or some model for her?
Thx for the great info! I have a Vivosmart 4 and love it. When I first got it, I learned how to set a custom alert when my HR goes too high. I'd like to adjust that HR alert now but can't remember how. Lol. Can you help me?
It's under watch settings I believe?
I'm thinking about buying this one, i have had a Fitbit Alta for nearly 2 years now, but i have gone through 3 straps, this looks like its all in one so it can't break the same way. I currently use a large Fitbit strap but set on the 2nd or 3rd hole so my wrist isn't that big, should i go with the large size strap on this too?
Also been looking at the fitbit inspire HR, but afraid i will get the same problem with the strap.
When I went swimming in the pool when I splashed a bit hard it said it was a double tap! And when I come out It doesn’t track and it’s very frustrating where as the fenix 5 for example doesn’t do that, it put me off a bit. And when I do weight training it’s horrifically inaccurate. I did 15 reps it said I did 6, and when I used the fenix 5 with the same workout it said 15.
Is the HR function wrist based only or can it paired with a Garmin chest strap for better accuracy?
Hello. I will buy a used Garmin Vivosmart 4, but it's size Large and my wrist is really small. Do you think this is a problem? Thank you!
how about a review of these sleep trackers, Beddr SleepTuner and biostrap, both have spO2
I wish I could afford those! They look awesome.
Can you keep the HR displayed for hours? If you do how long will the battery last?
Hi. May I ask... if you start a walk, does it autodetect that you've started walking? I know that the Fitbit does this. Currently deciding between this and the Charge 4. Thanks!
Yes!
Hi James, which device did you finally get. I just ordered a vivosmart 4 and am already having buyer's remorse. Thinking of cancelling the order. Would appreciate your feedback. Cheers.
@@geethaparasuram6338 i used the vivosmart 4 for 12 months and i really enjoyed it. im now using vivoactive 4
Thanks for this review
My pleasure!
Have you tried the gps connect add on? If so what's your thoughts?
hi my puls ox sensor is not working at night , any ideas? the button is enabled to track at night
What is better...vivofit or vivosmart?
The one thing that annoys me is that I can't "PAUSE" an activity. E.g. I go for a bike ride to a friends, wander round the shops, then ride home. I'd like to upload that as 1 ride as I use Strava. If I keep in running it will think me walking round the shops is me cycling slowly I think.
It also annoys me that the watchface doesn't automatically illuminate when I press the button on the screen, so somtimes i have to endlessly flip my wrist.
But I'm a tough critic!
Yes, you may want to go for the vivoactive 4 or 3 for that of functionality
PulseOx still measures only 4 hours during the night?
You can set it to measure automatically during sleep and then you can get your oxygen saturation on demand while you're awake with a few taps. Continuous oxygen measurement while you're awake isn't available, but continuous oxygen measurement the whole time you're asleep is available
I know we can turn off Bluetooth in vivosmart 4 but what about the ANT+ will it be always on and emit radio signal or only during the broadcast and remaining time will it be off?
Can you turn off bluetooth? Did you find out about ANT+?
@@TreeofLife_kanal Yes, we can turn off Bluetooth and about ANT+, the Garmin said it emits signal only during the broadcast. Still, I am not so sure about the ANT+ and how it works, so someone with the RF meter can only confirm this for sure.
Is the Vivosmart 4's HR more accurate than FR 245? FR 245 and FR 945 use the same sensor.
I think 245 is more accurate
With the upgrades on the Vivosmart 4, would you say it is now better than the Lookee sleep monitor to track your sleep?
They're for very different use cases. I still think pulse ox on Garmin fitness trackers is not accurate and used more for relative judgement. If you care about spo2, definitely lookee is more accurate and reliable. Especially to get your entire night's sleep of pulse ox, Garmin only tracks 4 hrs max.
@@JSyntax Thanks for the information. I just received my Lookee today, I am going to try it tonight. Lastly, what are your thought on the Oura smart ring?
@@80barlo80 I checked the Oura, I didn't give it a go. I wish I could try it out. It wont detect pulse ox, tha's for sure. Let me know how it goes!
@@JSyntax I have the Oura ring. Been tracking my sleep for a couple of weeks now. I suspect I have sleep apnea, because I often wake up feeling like im suffocating.
The Oura ring gives me very low amounts of deep sleep phases during the night. They often range from 0 to 15 mins a night. Im gonna buy the Vivosmart 4 to compare the sleep data and also to see if there's a connection between oxygen saturation and deep sleep.
Also, I'm glad I found this channel. Great stuff. Keep up the good work.
@@bownage I'm quite jealous you have this ring I want one too and I would love to review it in to see how it is. Let me know if it's more accurate in detecting sleep phases than the vivosmart 4
Just got mine yesterday I set it up to track the sleeping but it does
Not show the results on the app
have you tried the vivosmart 5 now that it's out? is it any good?
Hi . probably i understood this wrong, please clarify . the device can recognize gym movements and count those, but firmware still hasn't feature to pre set exercise count as a part of routine ? Let me explain on example: usually we programme the sets of exercise like: work-1min, rest-30sec. And just listen beep or vibro. But gym trackers scenario would be preferable like: do 10 reps, then rest 2 mins, do 20 reps of next exercise and rest 1 min, etc. So workout programming of the gym is a count based, isn't it? Previous model could count the reps but didn't allow to notify the athlete that planned reps are done . how is about this tracker? You see Exercise reps feature was useless because i still had to count the reps manually
It will only tell you the reps you made!
Garmin Vívosmart 4 возможно починить излом ремешка?
Is it good at tracking milage when jogging?
Hi, you mention that you can get a calendar notification through Google.
Just wondering how do you do that please.
I bought the vivosmart for my daughter and I wanted to have a notification to remind her to take medication.
Thank you
It's notifications only. You can go into your Google calendar and set a default setting for any future events that I notification occurs. Make sure you enable calendar notifications on the Garmin app so that they funnel through to your watch
@@JSyntax thank you I will try that. Other wise I might have to get another watch. Is there a watch that you can select notifications with a calendar you would recommend that's not bulky? As she is a teenager with small wrist. I only want calendar notification to work during school times not friends on other plat forms.
I was thinking I might look at the new charge 4. But I prefer Garmin.
Thank you very much your you tube channel is fantastic.