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

By Robert Nazarian May 16, 2016

garmin vivosmart hrplus news hr — Image used with permission by copyright holder

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 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

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.

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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…

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