It is not just about Fitbit watches anymore.
The last few years the fitness wearable market has seen Garmin producing quite a number of fitness watches from the Vivofit that offers general activity tracking to the Forerunner 920XT that provides advanced multi-sport tracking.
Hence, if you have recently decided to join the digital age of fitness and begin tracking your steps, sleep, and your runs and you’re ready to find out if you should be wearing one around your wrist and which one to choose.
Here are 3 Garmin fitness tracker watches for less than $200.
Garmin Vivosmart HR+
The Garmin Vivosmart HR+ includes GPS activity tracking combined with Elevate™ wrist heart rate technology. The HR+ counts steps, calories, floors (stairs) climbed and intensity minutes, it also uses GPS satellites to track how far and how fast you go during virtually any activity ranging “from running to rollerblading”.
The Vivosmart HR+ is an excellent choice for runners who want more detail from their fitness tracker. The Vivosmart HR+ is designed for runners, with running the only named activity on the device.
Pros: Accurate activity tracking and GPS location tracking with long battery life and multiple notification types.
Cons: No sports listed as choices other than running, slightly large for small wrists and a retail suggested price of $199.99.
Garmin Vivomove Classic
The Garmin Vivomove is a classic style wrist watch first, with the added benefit of fitness tracking. The “Classic” is a watch first, with barely noticeable added tracking.
Vivomove is definitely a choice worth considering if you prefer style over function. This “Classic” style timepiece will track steps taken, tracks sleep and later syncs and uploads to Garmin’s online mobile app “Connect Mobile” for later review in more detail.
Pros: design, quality construction, subtle but useful “move” bar tells you when it’s time to get up and get moving.
Cons: This is a watch first, fitness tracker second with few stats beyond steps and activity. No heart rate monitoring or smartphone support and a retail suggested price of $149.99.
Garmin Vivofit 3
The Garmin Vivofit 3 is a solid fitness tracker and tracks steps, calories, distance, sleep, intensity minutes and time of day on backlit display.
The display is small and may be popped in and out of a variety of designer wrist bands.
The Vivofit 3 is affordable, will “learn” to recognize your movement patterns and auto detect activities.
Pros: Battery life of one year, designed to be worn 24/7 with no need to recharge, an auto goal (programmable) setting and a retail suggested price of $99.99.
Cons: No GPS or heart rate monitoring and a smaller screen.
Why Garmin?
If you need a fitness tracker with GPS tracking, Garmin has been a leader in GPS technology for years, and the Vivosmart HR+ is no exception.
For a tracker with style over function and an attractive functional analogue watch – choose the Vivomove Classic.
If you need the basics at an entry level price, long battery life and 24/7 tracking, choose the Vivofit 3. There you have it, 3 non Fibit fitness watches to consider.
Author Bio
For information and updates of other Garmin Fitness Trackers, visit http://garminfitnesstracker.com/ for the Top 10 Garmin watches. Whether you are tight on budget, a beginner, a swimmer, a runner or a super triathlete, there are a range of Garmin Watches to choose from.