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The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is currently going for $219.99 on Amazon—down from its original $299—and it walks the line pretty well for a midrange fitness smartwatch.
You get a bright 1.2-inch AMOLED display, all-day comfort, and solid health features that feel useful instead of gimmicky. It’s the fifth generation of the Vivoactive line, and this time around, Garmin has added nap tracking, a better “Body Battery” score that shows how drained or rested you are, and even a wheelchair mode for more inclusive activity tracking. You still get standard metrics like heart rate, SpO2, and sleep monitoring, and the watch runs great whether you’re out walking, lifting weights, or just trying to hit your step goal. (In a head-to-head comparison with the Pixel 3 , our own health editor Beth Skwarecki named the Vivoactive 5 the better fitness watch.)
Now, there are some trade-offs. Garmin dropped the stainless steel bezel from the Vivoactive 4 , so this one has a lighter, more casual aluminum build. They also cut the barometric altimeter and on-screen workout animations, which might be a letdown for folks who rely on elevation data or follow exercises directly from their watch. That said, it still tracks over 30 workouts, offers guided meditations, and provides detailed recovery insights. The touchscreen is crisp and colorful, with a raise-to-wake option that works well enough. Gorilla Glass 3 adds some protection, and it’s got 5ATM water resistance —meaning pool swims are fine, just don’t take it scuba diving.
The smartwatch features of the Garmin Vivoactive 5 are solid, too. It handles notifications from both Android and iPhone, though only Android users can reply from the watch. You can also use Garmin Pay, stream music from Spotify, and share your live location from the watch. As for battery life, Garmin claims 11 days, but real-world usage with a couple of GPS workouts each week puts it closer to eight, notes this PCMag review —still way better than most full-screen smartwatches. If you’re considering alternatives, Garmin’s Venu Sq 2 delivers a similar blend of features and health tracking tools, and it’s currently priced lower at $177 (marked down from $249.99).
