My Favorite Fitness Watches Are Walking Workouts and Smart Alarms
Garmin today announced the new Vivoactive 6 fitness watch. Its predecessor, the Vivoactive 5, is my pick as the best smartwatch to replace Fitbit (ahead of the Pixel Watch 3), and if you ask me, it’s the most underrated device in Garmin’s lineup . The Vivoactive 6 promises to be even better, adding several new features, including a smart alarm clock and walking and strength training training on the watch.
The Vivoactive 6 will be available for pre-order on April 4th for a suggested retail price of $299.99, the same starting price as the Vivoactive 5. (If you’re looking to save money by going with the older model, the Vivoactive 5 is currently on sale for around $219—a great deal for those who still make a great fitness watch.)
What kind of watch is Vivoactive 6?
The Vivoactive 6, like the previous 5 models, can best be described as a fitness watch. It’s not as sport-specific as the Forerunner , which is designed specifically for runners, or the Instinct , which is designed for people who walk in the woods all the time.
The Vivoactive 6 is more of a modern everyday watch, with an AMOLED touchscreen (like a smartphone) and a lightweight plastic body that’s somewhere between sporty and fashionable. Its diagonal is 42 millimeters, which is smaller for a smartwatch. It’s about the same size as the Venu 3S and Forerunner 265S, which are smaller versions of their respective lines.
Apart from the touchscreen, the Vivoactive 6 still has two buttons so you don’t rely on the touchscreen for actions. (This is a big plus for any fitness or sports watch.) It’s definitely more fitness-focused than a true smartwatch (like the Apple Watch), with built-in fitness features accessible with the swipe of a finger or the press of a button on the home screen.
What’s new in Vivoactive 6?
The size, shape, and overall specs of the Vivoactive 6 are very similar to the Vivoactive 5. The colors have been updated slightly, with black and white models still available, but missing the lavender and navy colors, as well as the peach and olive green. The new Vivoactive 6 has 8GB of internal storage, which is double that of the Vivoactive 5. It also has a gyroscope for better motion detection.
Apart from these changes, there are some really great features that are completely new to the Vivoactive 6. Here’s a tour.
Smart alarm clock
Instead of simply setting the time you want to wake up, the new smart alarm feature will allow you to set a time window and the watch will look for “lighter stages of sleep” during that window to vibrate to wake you up. (The manual for the Vivoactive 6 isn’t online yet, but that’s how it was described in the press release.)
Recommended Daily Walking Workouts
Garmin running watches have long offered “daily recommended workouts” (DSWs, as we call them) for running and cycling. The Vivoactive 5 didn’t have DSW , and the Vivoactive 6 still doesn’t have them for running or cycling, but does have DSW for walking.
Coaching programs for running and strength training
The Vivoactive 6, unlike the 5, gives you access to Garmin Run Coach and Garmin Strength Coach. Running Coach is similar to DSW for running, but can be viewed on your phone. (I have thoughts about Garmin’s running trainer. ) In my experience with the Forerunner watch, you can’t use both a running trainer and a strength trainer at the same time.
Vivoactive 5 only provided coaching on “expert” plans (where you choose Coach Amy, Coach Greg, or Coach Jeff). Vivoactive 6 has them too.
Improved navigation
Vivoactive 6 can navigate using Beidou and QZSS networks in addition to regular GPS/GLONASS/GALILEO.
Redshift mode
If you need to use the watch in low-light conditions, you can switch the display to dim red-on-black mode to give your eyes a rest.
More activity modes
New activity modes include (not an exhaustive list) mobility, track running, trail running, steeplechase running, horseback riding, golf, mountaineering, disc golf, archery, gravel biking, cyclocross, kayaking, surfing, scuba diving, motorcycling, ATV, snowmobiling, ice skating and roller skating.