Garmin Launches Updated Vivoactive HR Smartwatch with GPS & Heart Rate Functions

Garmin announced today, the launch of its updated Vívoactive HR smartwatch, which now features GPS capabilities, as well as heart rate monitoring, using the company’s Elevate wrist heart rate technology.

According to Garmin, the Vívoactive HR can now keep track of active moments throughout the day, such as counting steps and floors climbed, intensity minutes, monitoring sleep and featuring built-in GPS-enabled sports apps for walking, running, biking, swimming, golfing, paddle boarding, rowing, skiing and snowboarding.

The Vívoactive HR uses 24/7 wrist-based heart rate data to calculate calories burned information as well as the intensity of fitness activities, providing proper credit for users’ array of workouts. With the Connect IQ store, users can easily personalize their Vívoactive HR with free apps, widgets, watch faces and data fields. 

“The vívoactive HR builds on the incredible versatility and multi-functionality of its predecessor by adding wrist-based heart rate and a barometric altimeter – allowing it to track even more data essential to workouts and day-to-day activity,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. “All your efforts to stay active are accounted for from taking the stairs at the office to going on a run or ride.”

Measure Daily Activity

Featuring Elevate wrist heart rate technology1, the vívoactive HR provides 24/7 heart rate monitoring and eliminates the need for a chest strap. Using the heart rate data the Vívoactive HR quantifies the intensity of fitness activities and allows users to monitor their progress against aerobic activity goals recommended by leading health organizations like the American Heart Association.

In addition, the Vívoactive HR’s always-on, touchscreen, sunlight-readable Garmin Chroma Display™ lets users track activity and stay connected anytime, anywhere. Its built-in GPS-enabled sports apps include:

• Running – Using a built-in accelerometer and GPS users can track runs either indoors or out. Additional features include Auto Lap®, Auto Pause®, and vibration alerts for heart rate, pace, run/walk intervals, and more. Post-run summaries include stats such as total mileage, calories, average pace and overall time.
• Cycling – The cycling app measures time, distance, speed and calories. It is compatible with speed and cadence sensors, and the Varia® lights and radar (sensors and radar are sold separately).
• Pool Swimming – In addition to tracking total and interval time, distance, pace, stroke count and stroke type, the swimming app also features easy pausing for rests, complete with rest timers, and can calculate swolf, a measure of swimming efficiency.
• Golfing – Users can view a simplified view of the green, measure shot distance and be pointed in the right direction with PinPointer while golfing on one of the 40,000 course maps worldwide available for download from the Garmin golf course database.
• Stand Up Paddleboarding and Rowing – Users can easily track and view pace, time, distance, stroke count, stroke rate and distance per stroke. When using an indoor rowing machine, users can track time, stroke count and stroke rate.
• Skiing and Snowboarding – The skiing and snowboarding app measures 3-D speed by calculating the speed and distance on an incline versus latitude and longitude. It also provides splits automatically and features Auto Pause, which freezes the timer automatically when users stop or ride the lift.

The vívoactive HR also includes Garmin Move IQ™, a new feature that continuously monitors for periods of sustained activity. With Move IQ, the Vívoactive HR automatically recognizes walking, running, biking, swimming and elliptical training. Users can easily track their exercise throughout the day without needing to start a timed activity. Once synced with Garmin Connect™, users can review their full day of activity in a convenient Timeline view.

Stay Connected

With up to eight days’ battery life2 in watch/activity tracking2 mode (with 24/7 heart rate monitoring, no GPS) or up to 13 hours using GPS, the Vívoactive HR keeps up with users’ active lifestyles and keeps them connected. The Vívoactive HR will send any notification from a compatible smartphone3, including incoming calls, texts, emails, calendar reminders, social media alerts and more, to the device with a vibration alert so users don’t miss a beat. Additional on-device smart capabilities allow users to check weather information, control music on their smartphone, control a VIRB action camera, locate their smartphone, and allow friends and family to track activities in real time with LiveTrack.

Furthermore, the Vívoactive HR is compatible with the Connect IQ™ platform for endless customization options. Through the Connect IQ store in the Garmin Connect mobile app, users can download any of the free apps, widgets, watch faces and data fields so their vívoactive HR can suit their individual needs.

Additionally, throughout the day the Vívoactive HR can automatically sync with paired mobile devices through the Garmin Connect Mobile app, so users can see a complete picture of daily activities. In Garmin Connect, a free online fitness/golf community, users can track workouts, sleep patterns and trends, join online challenges to compete against friends and earn virtual badges. They can also view Garmin Connect Insights, smart wellness insights that provide cues to help them reach goals, shout-outs when milestones have been met and relevant healthy tips from experts. Insights also show users how they are doing in comparison to people like them for extra motivation. The Vívoactive HR is also compatible with corporate wellness offerings from Garmin.

Garmin says, the Vívoactive HR will begin shipping in the spring, with a suggested retail price of $249.99. It will be available in regular and extra-large fit black bands. Accessory bands will be available in black, white, force yellow and lava red for a suggested retail price of $29.99 each.

Garmin