Garmin Vivofit 4 Review

The Garmin Vivofit 4 is the newest device in the Vivofit line of popular fitness trackers. The Vivofit line is known for its small size and intuitive interface. Rather than trying to cram in all the smartwatch features, it simply and effectively accomplishes the basic goals of a fitness tracker.

Quick Take

If you’re looking into the Vivofit 4, chances are you’re looking for a low cost and simple fitness tracker. It doesn’t have apps to speak of like more advanced Garmin products, but tracks fitness stats all the same. This isn’t the must-have fitness tracker for those wanting the latest-and-greatest, but rather a budget-friendly option for someone who just wants a basic level of functionality.

The Vivofit design has remained generally the same over the years, with subtle changes along the way. Similarly to the the Vivofit 3, the Vivofit 4 sports a wider band and smaller interface than the Vivofit 2 or 1. A large interface doesn’t necessarily mean that one fitness tracker is better than the other.

The Vivofit 4 tries to keep things simple by utilizing a firm band and intuitive interface that you can understand but still play around with. A color display is new to the Vivofit 4, which makes the display easier to read.

It would be easy to mistake the Vivofit 4 for the Vivofit 3, but the 4 sports a more circular band and is only flat along the display.

Features

The real kicker with the Vivofit 4 is its battery life—this thing can last about one year with no recharging necessary.

The following are the primary stats that the Vivofit 4 tracks:

• Steps
• Calories burned
• Sleep cycles
• Inactivity (a bar fills up if you remain stationary for too long)

This device is compatible with other Garmin products as well, in particular in the Vivofit line. If you have a child who has the Vivofit Jr. or Jr. 2, you can coordinate challenges and competitions with them via the Garmin Connect app.

A new addition to the Vivofit 4’s features is Move IQ, which detects what type of movement you are currently engaging in. It tracks walking, running, biking, swimming and elliptical use. In the case of walking and running, it starts an onboard timer by itself.

The Vivofit 4 is also rated to handle showers and near-surface swimming.

Overall

Given its specs versus cost, the Vivofit 4 makes for a compelling option in the fitness tracker category. It’s relatively inexpensive compared to other Garmin or Fitbit products if you’re not looking to drop hundreds of dollars on wearable tech.

In terms of improvements, the 4 isn’t a massive shakeup from the 3, especially in design. However, in a similar manner of the Vivofit Jr. vs. the Vivofit Jr. 2, the Vivofit 4 has the slight edge in features and a new display.

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