Complete Review of the waterproof smart health connected bracelet smart health innovation

In the past, Garmin has mostly accustomed us to smart health connected watches, whether they are made for the city or for sports. Only the Vivosmart range was made up of bracelets, but we could blame them for their large size. With the Garmin Vivosmart 3, the brand intends to correct this.

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Mark : GarminCategory: smart health connected braceletConnection: BluetoothCompatibility: iOS and AndroidPrice: € 149.99Availability: AvailableTested with: Samsung Galaxy Grand PrimeBuy the Garmin Vivosmart 3:

Garmin Vivosmart 3 Unboxing

Garmin Vivosmart's box is extremely mundane. The finish is at best correct and the steel gray color scheme does not really work. It doesn't feel like you are buying a single product, but rather yet another smart health connected device.

On the packaging side, we find a description of the specifics of the product : sleep monitoring, notifications, heart rate, counting of movement repetitions, automatic detection of sports activity, etc.

The packaging also details the capabilities of the Garmin Vivosmart 3 such as its waterproofness or even the battery life which reaches 5 days. Other interesting information: the box carries a diagram on which the user can place his wrist in order to measure it and to know if he should wear the model S-M or L.

Once the main packaging is open, we discover a cardboard structure that contains the bracelet attached to a foam support, a manual and the charging cable. We can rejoice in the fact that the booklet offers more information than just: "download the application". There you will find all the information you need to understand and handle your Garmin Vivosmart 3.

Garmin Vivosmart 3 Design and Ergonomics

The Garmin Vivosmart 3 appears to be a breakthrough for the brand in terms of design. Compared to previous models, it is thinner and its screen is more integrated into the general look of the bracelet.

It is thinner in two ways: by the width of its bracelet and by the thickness of its head. This makes it more beautiful than its predecessors, without radically changing their look. With its rough surface, it is closer to the Vivosmart HR + than to the classic model.

We also notice more fluid lines, less angular, which are reminiscent of the Fitbit Alta HR, released very recently. Anyway, Garmin Vivosmart 3 proves very comfortable to wear and quickly forgets.

It has very good ergonomics with its ability to turn on its screen automatically when you lift your wrist, or to instinctively detect when you start to be active.

Garmin Vivosmart 3 application

The application of the bracelet is quite classic, but very effective. It is one of its applications that prefer to offer a menu with a sober and dark design rather than photos illustrating the use of the product.

It is very fluid and allows you to easily identify the information you are looking for. You will be able to follow your steps, your sleep, your activity time with precision, or data relating to different specific sports (running, cycling, swimming, and weight training).

All this is also accessible on the bracelet, which could limit the interest, but it remains very interesting to observe these data clearly and precisely. Indeed, the Garmin Vivosmart 3 screen remains very small in order to make the bracelet more ergonomic, which makes it difficult to read the data that would go beyond a simple glance.

The app also allows you to create a community. This will allow you toexchange your performances with your contacts and see who has achieved the best performances on a given day ; the goal is to encourage others to excel.

Using the Garmin Vivosmart 3

The bracelet is very simple to use: the screen is well protected and allows excellent ergonomics. You could almost believe that the touch function would be less optimal, but this is not at all the case; we navigate the menus with great ease.

All promised features work without problems. You can follow the number of steps, heart rate, weather, calories burned, floors climbed, distance traveled, and much more.

Before you can use all of these features, you will need to download and create an account from Garmin. After having paired your smartphone to the bracelet in Bluetooth, you will have access to all the information of the latter: time, weather, but also notifications. You will be able to read your SMS, emails and messages on social networks directly on the Garmin Vivosmart 3.

When playing a sport, the bracelet automatically detects that you are active and begins to add active time to your daily account and note all the data mentioned above. To access it, simply scroll the screens one after the other from top to bottom.

Overall, the Garmin Vivosmart 3 is used, like all smart health connected wristbands, passively. With its many features, its very reasonable price, and its total waterproofness, it is placed at the top of the basket of fitness trackers..

The Garmin Vivosmart 3 facing the competition

The main competitor of the Garmin Vivosmart 3 is the latest from the leader in smart health connected wristbands: the Fitbit Alta HR. To begin, the Garmin model is sold at the same price, but it is waterproof. This gives it a certain advantage over that of Fitbit on paper.

In fact, the two models are very close : heart sensor, sleep tracking, notifications, coaching functions, touchscreen interface, etc. They are therefore, more or less, equivalent in terms of functionality.

Fitbit Alta HR stands out with its more durable battery : 7 days of autonomy against “only” 5 for the Garmin Vivosmart 3. This lifespan remains very honorable, because it corresponds to approximately one recharge per week.

To conclude, the big weak point of the Fitbit remains the fact that it is not waterproof. For swimming enthusiasts, the choice is quickly made. For those who do not plan to get wet, the function that counts repetitions during fitness or bodybuilding exercises can éalso tipping the scales in favor of the Garmin Vivosmart 3.

Conclusion

Good points

• A real advance in terms of design and ergonomics for Vivosmart

• Waterproof

• Very easy to take in hand and use

Negative points

• The screen is really small, it will often be easier to take out your phone to read its notifications

• The battery is weaker than that of some other models

Design and Ergonomics – 8

Application – 7

Features – 7.5

Ease of use – 8

Value for money – 7

7.5

Design and Ergonomics : The bracelet constitutes a real advance in the design of the Vivosmart range. Thinner and more comfortable to wear, it is a real success.

Application : The application is pleasant and fluid. It allows you to return to the different information noted by the bracelet more easily than the latter.

Features : The sensors detect a great deal of different information, which makes the bracelet usable in many different situations.

Ease of use : Very easy to use, the apparatus is the only manipulation that you will have to do. Thereafter, navigating through the different menus turns out to be very intuitive.

Quality / Price ratio : This bracelet is positioned as one of the very best from the moment it competes with Fitbit products. Costing the same price and offering complete waterproofing, it is proving to be a product of choice on the market for smart health connected bracelets without a glass screen.

AB SMART HEALTH REVIEW