Incremental pains
Garmin has added GPS to the popular Vivosmart HR fitness tracker, so you can add precision to your self-inflicted agony
£200 / stuff.tv/vivosmarthrplus Q The original Vivosmart HR went down a treat, but for this upgraded version Garmin has thrown in GPS to make it even more tempting. It’s also had a play around with the looks, but other than that this is pretty much the same band.
Q The HR+ is on the bulky side for a fitness tracker, possibly on account of the added GPS smarts. The strap – which you’ll have to wear pretty tight for a proper heart-rate reading – isn’t all that comfy either. Its monochrome display is alright, though, with enough detail to give you a clear readout of your stats.
Q The HR+ does everything a fitness tracker should do – time, steps, calories, distance – and a whole bunch more. Once you’re hooked up to your phone via Bluetooth, you can receive notifications, control your music and even check the weather to make sure you don’t get caught with your shorts on in a storm.
Q The main attraction, as with the Apple Watch Series 2, is GPS. This gives a much more accurate measure of speed and distance than a simple accelerometer, and can map out routes as you run.
Q Unless you’re running daily marathons, you should easily get between three and four days on the average charge. That’s if you’re not using GPS, though. Fire that up and battery life will tank down to about eight hours.
Tech specs
Display 1in 160x68 Sensors Accelerometer, altimeter, GPS, heart-rate monitor Connectivity Bluetooth, ANT+ Battery life Up to 5 days Weight 31g (regular), 33g (X-large) Daniel James
Fit and appy Garmin Connect is a slick app, with a clear homescreen giving a rundown of all your stats. Steps walked, time slept, calories burnt – it’s all there, and there’s a detailed page for each statistic.
QGo, compare As is becoming standard for fitness apps, there’s a fair bit of community going on here. You can compare your progress with friends with the same app, and the daily challenges are fun.
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