The Garmin Vivoactive 6 blurs the lines between a dedicated fitness tracker and a full-fledged smartwatch. While not boasting an extensive suite of smart features, its sleek, minimalist design makes it suitable for everyday wear, appealing to professionals, casual runners, and fitness enthusiasts alike. This review explores the Vivoactive 6’s performance, features, and overall value, considering its place in the competitive landscape of wearable technology.
The Vivoactive 6 on a BBQ.
Design and Comfort
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is remarkably comfortable. Its lightweight design (36 grams with the strap) makes it practically disappear on the wrist. This is a significant advantage over heavier smartwatches, contributing to all-day wearability. The strap itself is equally comfortable, providing a secure fit without feeling restrictive.
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 attached to a wrist.
Visually, the Vivoactive 6 retains the familiar Garmin aesthetic, similar to the Vivoactive 5 and Forerunner 165. This consistent design language works well, with subtle design cues reflecting the Vivoactive 6’s casual positioning. The aluminum bezel surrounding the 1.2-inch AMOLED display adds a touch of elegance. While the white variant tested showed dirt easily, other color options are available. Overall, the Vivoactive 6 is a discreet, functional design, prioritizing comfort and usability over flashy aesthetics.
The Garmin Vivoactive 6
Display and Controls
The 1.2-inch AMOLED display is vibrant and sharp, offering excellent color reproduction and deep blacks. The nighttime red display mode enhances visibility in low-light conditions without being overly bright. Despite its smaller size compared to other smartwatches, the display is a standout feature. However, the display’s durability is a concern, as scratches appeared during normal use.
The Garmin Vivoactive 6
The control system combines touchscreen functionality with two physical buttons. While offering quick access to menus and settings, the navigation can be confusing for new Garmin users due to the lack of a central app drawer. The learning curve is manageable, but the system isn’t as intuitive as some competing smartwatches.
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 with scratches visible.
The lift-to-wake feature remains unreliable, making the always-on display a practical necessity despite its impact on battery life.
The Garmin Vivoactive 6
Fitness and Health Tracking
The Vivoactive 6 excels in fitness tracking, offering a wide range of exercise options and customizable settings. The ability to modify workouts before starting, including setting targets, intervals, and following saved plans, is a welcome improvement. Sleep tracking is generally accurate but occasionally misses shorter sleep periods. The Body Battery feature, which estimates energy levels, is a unique and valuable tool for managing activity and rest. While inactivity warnings can be inaccurate, they are easily disabled.
The Garmin Vivoactive 6
Changing the Garmin Vivoactive 6
Performance and Smart Features
The Vivoactive 6 boasts smooth and responsive performance, a noticeable improvement over its predecessor. The enhanced smart features, including a media player, notification mirroring, and on-screen keyboard for replying to messages, make it a more capable smartwatch companion. While not competing directly with dedicated smartwatches, the Vivoactive 6 strikes a good balance between fitness tracking and smartwatch functionality.
The media player on the Garmin Vivoactive 6.
Battery and Charging
Battery life is exceptional, lasting up to five days with the always-on display enabled and up to 11 days with it disabled. While charging is a bit slow using the proprietary charger, the extended battery life minimizes the inconvenience.
The rear side of the Garmin Vivoactive 6.
Companion App and Garmin Connect+ Subscription
The Garmin Connect app is well-designed and user-friendly, providing comprehensive data visualization and access to training plans and challenges. The Connect+ subscription service offers additional features like AI-powered summaries and coaching plans, but its value is limited for casual users. The separate Connect IQ app for watch faces and apps remains a minor inconvenience.
An AI summary in Garmin Connect.
At A Glance in Garmin Connect.
The Challenges page in Garmin Connect.
The home page in Connect IQ.
Buying a watch face in Connect IQ.
Apps in Connect IQ.
Price and Availability
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is available for $300 in four color options.
Should You Buy the Garmin Vivoactive 6?
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is an excellent choice for those seeking a comfortable fitness watch with some smartwatch capabilities. It’s not a true smartwatch replacement, but it offers a compelling combination of fitness tracking, long battery life, and a subtle design. If you prioritize fitness tracking and don’t need a full suite of smartwatch features, the Vivoactive 6 is a strong contender.
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 atop a bunch of maps.
It’s worth considering alternatives like the Apple Watch Series 10, Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, OnePlus Watch 3, Garmin Forerunner 165, Fitbit Charge 6, and Google Pixel Watch 3, depending on your specific needs and priorities. However, the Vivoactive 6’s blend of comfort, fitness features, and extended battery life makes it a compelling option in the wearable market.
