Garmin’s Vivosmart HR+ amps up your workout with GPS and heart rate tracking

By Robert Nazarian Updated April 21, 2022

garmin vivosmart hrplus news hr

Garmin is on a tear with new wearables. It recently introduced the Vivomove and the Forerunner 735XT, and today the company announced the Vivosmart HR+ activity tracker.

The Vivosmart HR+ is almost the same device as last year’s Vivosmart HR, but with the addition of some very cool features. The most notable new trick has to be a GPS, which offers more accuracy when it comes to tracking distance, time, and pace for activities. It also allows you to view a map of your activity through Garmin Connect.

A GPS is a big plus, but the downside is that it will affect your battery life. You’ll only get about 8 hours when the GPS is enabled as opposed to 5 days when it’s not. The Vivosmart HR+ also offers Garmin Move IQ auto activity detection and additional running data over the HR model. New running data includes personal records, a virtual pacer, Auto Pause, Auto Lap, and a walk/run mode.

Garmin_Vivosmart_HR+_Official

The Garmin Move IQ continuously monitors your activity and can detect walking, running, biking, swimming, and elliptical training, so there’s no need to manually start a timed activity. Just start your workout, and the Vivosmart HR+ will take care of the rest.

Of course, you’ll also get all the same features found on the HR model, which include 24/7 heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, and water resistance. You can also use the Garmin Connect app on your smartphone, which allows you to track all your workouts, sleep patterns, join online challenges, and achieve your goals.

The Vivosmart HR+ costs $220 and is available now from the Garmin website. It comes in black/shark fin gray, imperial purple/kona purple, and midnight blue/bolt blue in the regular size. If you have a larger wrist, you can opt for the extra-large size in only the black/shark fin gray color for the same price.

If the GPS and other extra features don’t appeal to you, the Vivosmart HR is still available and costs only $150, which is a very good deal.

Topics

Robert Nazarian

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…

Mobile

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 vs. Fitbit Sense

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 smartwatch, worn on a person's wrist.

The Galaxy Watch 4 is Samsung's take on a modern, hi-tech wearable that doesn't imitate an old-school analog wristwatch. It eschews the classic design of its predecessors for a sleeker, more streamlined look, while also providing some excellent hardware and features. These include a Super AMOLED touchscreen, 16GB of internal storage, generous battery life, and some great health-tracking software.

It's certainly one of the best smartwatches out there, but in a market saturated by Apple Watches and various Android equivalents, it certainly isn't without competitors. One of these is the Fitbit Sense, which in 2020 emerged to offer a premium version of the core Fitbit experience, replete with an ECG sensor, a choice of virtual assistants, and a wealth of fitness features.

Mobile

This $4,000 titanium beauty is the ultimate square G-Shock

The G-Shock MRG-B5000B.

Do you want the very best Casio offers in manufacturing, design, and technology from your new G-Shock, all wrapped up in that highly recognizable square case? In other words, the ultimate version of a truly classic G-Shock watch? If so, the new MRG-B5000B is exactly the model you will want, provided cost is no object. We’ve been wearing it.
What makes MR-G so special?
Although Casio is best known for tough watches that won’t break the bank, Casio also has decades of watchmaking experience, and it showcases its talents most effectively in its highly exclusive MR-G family of watches. These models, its most luxurious, are assembled by hand on Casio’s Premium Production Line located in the Yamagata factory in Japan, where only the company’s most experienced, specially certified technicians work on the top MT-G and MR-G models.

The square G-Shock is one of the most popular models, having been around since the G-Shock brand first started in the early 1980s, and bringing it to the luxury MR-G range is going to see a lot of people reaching for their wallets. What makes it so special? It’s the first time the classic, beloved square G-Shock has been given the MR-G treatment, with most other MR-G models over the past few years featuring an analog dial. There's a huge section of an already large fan base waiting for this.

Mobile

Fitbit recalls Ionic smartwatch after several burn reports

best walmart deals on apple watch garmin and fitbit ionic smartwatch adidas edition ice gray silver

Fitbit Ionic smartwatch users need to stop using their devices right now. The company has recalled its Ionic wearable after over 150 reports of the watch’s lithium-ion battery overheating, and 78 reports of burn injuries to the users. It will offer a refund of $299 to the Fitbit Ionic smartwatch users who return the device.

Fitbit has received at least 115 reports in the United States and over 50 reports internationally about the Ionic smartwatch's battery overheating. It is recalling the device as there are two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns out of the 78 total burn injuries report.