I recently had the chance to try out the Garmin vivofit fitness tracker courtesy of Verizon Wireless. It is now time to send it back but before I do, I wanted to share some of my favorite features of the device.
I already own the UP fitness band by Jawbone, so it was interesting comparing the two.
Both are wristband type devices that track activity, steps and sleep. Food can be tracked in the UP Band app and both can track food in various compatible apps. I use My Fitness Pal. There is also community/team features that allow you to connect with others on both devices.
You can read more about the features of the UP band here.
Below are the additional features of the Garmin vivofit that I really liked, not offered on the UP.
1. The wrist band has a digital display so you can see the number of steps you have taken or watch the steps countdown from the suggested goal already displayed.
2. The display also shows calories burned, miles walked, date and time.
3. The wristband doubles as a watch.
4. When connected to a compatible heart rate chest strap monitor (sold separately), the device can display heart rate.
5. The device can sync via Bluetooth through the app on your mobile device, or sync to a laptop via the USB ANT Stick included.
6. The device uses a battery with one year life guarantee so there is no charging involved.
7. By wearing the band consistently the device learns your current activity level, then assigns an attainable daily goal.
When comparing both bands, I noticed that the Garmin vivofitit registered slightly higher steps. Had I tried the vivofit before I had the UP Band, I might have chosen the Garmin since it has quite a few additional features.
UP Band registered steps
Garmin vivofit registered steps
For more information on the Garmin vivofit visit the Verizon Wireless or Garmin websites.