Garmin smartwatch tracks health round the clock

  • September 25, 2023
  • Steve Rogerson

Garmin’s latest health and fitness smartwatch has an 11-day battery for checking health metrics around the clock.

The Vívoactive 5 has a broad range of health monitoring features that can help users learn about their body, coach them on how to live an active lifestyle and support their fitness goals. With up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, users can receive around-the-clock health metrics such as stress, Body Battery and sleep with personalised sleep coaching and nap detection.

“Made for your active lifestyle, Vívoactive 5 packs premium features into a stylish, affordable smartwatch,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president. “From a busy day on the go to a relaxing evening at home, on-wrist fitness coaching, personalised health insights, detailed sleep stats and more on Vívoactive 5 make it an essential tool to help you gain a better understanding of how to meet your overall health and wellness goals.”

The vibrant AMOLED display makes it easier to read health and fitness data, smart notifications and more. There is a choice of two font sizes to view smart notifications, workout data and more.

Wearers receive a sleep score and personalised coaching for how much sleep is recommended and keep track of different sleep stages, naps and other key metrics such as pulse Ox and heart rate variability (HRV) status. A morning report provides an overview of last night’s sleep plus recovery, HRV status and weather data, when paired with a compatible smartphone.

It automatically tracks or logs naps to see how they may benefit the body and the target time and duration they should be.

Body Battery monitors energy levels throughout the day to find the best times for activity and rest. And it gives more details and personal insights on how sleep, naps, daily activities and high stress specifically impact energy levels.

Wheelchair mode lets users track daily pushes and receive weight shift alerts plus wheelchair-specific sports apps and workouts. In creating these features, the algorithms of some existing features were modified to enhance the meaningfulness of key insights for wheelchair users.

Users can better understand how each workout benefits the body and how much time is needed to recover to take on any fitness challenge. Guided meditation practices help reduce stress, anxiety and more.

With more than 30 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, users can stay active no matter their passion, from walking and running to rowing, pickleball, activities for wheelchair users and more. It even lets users create their own step-by-step workouts from more than 1600 exercises in the Garmin Connect app and send them directly to the watch. For those looking to train for a 5k or something a bit longer, free Garmin Coach adaptive training plans can help users prepare. In addition to keeping tabs on daily steps and calories burned, it can track moderate and vigorous intensity minutes, VO2 max and more.

Day or night, Vívoactive 5 tracks heart rate, respiration, pulse Ox, stress and more. While sleeping, it can monitor heart rate variability to help provide users with a deeper understanding of their overall health.

Women can track their menstrual cycle and pregnancy and receive exercise and nutrition guidance.

The watch can show text messages, emails and alerts when paired with a compatible smartphone. Those with a compatible Android smartphone can also respond to texts using the on-watch keyboard and view photos directly from the watch screen. Safety and tracking features help provide peace of mind by sending a message with the user’s live location when available to chosen emergency contacts if they feel unsafe or if an incident is detected.

It also includes Garmin Pay contactless payments and can download songs and playlists from Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer (subscription required) for phone-free listening. Users can see their health and fitness information in the Garmin Connect app and download apps, watch faces and more from the Connect IQ store on the watch, or find more options in the smartphone app.

With a lightweight, aluminium bezel and silicone band, Vívoactive 5 (www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1057989/pn/010-02862-13) is available in multiple colours, including black-slate, ivory-cream gold, metallic navy and metallic orchid. Suggested retail price is $300.

Garmin (www.garmin.com) is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are in the USA, Taiwan and UK.