Thank you so much to Garmin for sponsoring this post. All opinions are our own.
Back in the spring, we introduced you to the Garmin Vivomove. Now that it’s been some time, we wanted to update you on if we are still liking it, how it’s held up, and things we’ve learned along the way. We are also SO excited to show you the latest product from Garmin – it is STUNNING. Meet, the Vivomove Luxe.
Shop The Vivomove Luxe:
Six Month Garmin Update
Since some time has passed, we wanted to share how we feel about our Garmin watches now. Newsflash: WE LOVE THEM!
If you have noticed, Ashley hasn’t taken hers off since the spring — it’s literally in every single one of our photos! I – Emily – don’t work out as much as Ashley does (I’m definitely working on changing that this year – new year, new me!!!) but I love it for when I’m having trouble sleeping, or for when I know I will be walking a ton. I love tracking my steps, my stress and my sleep… and thankfully the Garmin is perfect for all of those things.
I am also loving that the new Vivomove Luxe has menstrual cycle tracking. As many of you know – Joe and I are looking to possibly have another child this year, and I love that I don’t need a whole other app on my phone to track my cycle!
There are so many features of the Garmin that makes it perfect if you’re like Ashley – the avid fitness enthusiast, OR if you’re like me – the busy mom. No matter where you fall on that spectrum, the Garmin Vivomove is perfect for you. AND the best news is it just got some amazing new updates and we’ve been testing out the new Vivomove Luxe.
If you haven’t jumped on the Garmin train…now is the perfect time.
Standout Features:
It tracks sleep:
This is so important to both of us. Sleep is such an important part of everyone’s overall health. Getting the recommended 7-9 hours a night improves your physical health, well being, and overall mental health. The Garmin watches track light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep… and not only uses movement and heart rate to determine their data — but heart rate variability as well. This gives you THE most accurate picture of your sleep health.
The battery lasts more than one day:
With a full charge, you only have to charge your Vivomove Luxe once every 5 days. Compared to other smartwatches that you have to charge every day – this is a huge benefit. Other smartwatches have to be charged every night and that means you totally miss out on all your sleep data.
It allows you to disconnect:
From Ashley: Before I got my Garmin, I found myself reading text messages and emails while in a workout class – this is an absolutely not! It’s so important to me to give myself that one hour in the day to myself.
From Emily: I am always connected via my phone so it is nice to be able to not have the ability to respond to texts and emails via my watch. You can receive and read your incoming text messages (and see who the sender is) but you cannot dictate replies or send replies from the Vivomove Luxe.
The Garmin watches allow you to see your text messages and emails if you want to, but they are easily turned off, and they don’t display predominantly on the main screen. We like being able to stay connected, but sometimes smartwatches can feel TOO connected. We like that the Garmin is more of a watch and less of a phone.
It tracks your stress:
From Ashley: During the first trimester of my pregnancy, I was OBSESSED with checking this. My hormones were completely out of control and my anxiety had skyrocketed. I knew this was not good for the baby and used my Connect app to make sure that I wasn’t overdoing it.
From Emily: I love being able to check my stress levels throughout the day. I also like being able to check my Connect App and seeing at what points during the day I am most stressed. This allows me to see what situations, people and places are stressing me out the most and I can adjust accordingly. Also – when my watch can sense that I am getting stressed, it reminds me to breathe. I like that it gives me a healthy coping mechanism, because oftentimes I don’t even realize I am feeling stressed. I like that my watch catches it before I do, helps me recognize my stressors, and gives me a healthy way to cope.
It is water resistant:
This is a question we get on stories all the time when we talk about our watches. It is water resistant. Garmin rates it “Swim”, which means it is suitable for showering, swimming, and diving.
It doesn’t look like a smartwatch:
This is probably why we love the Vivomove Luxe most. We love that you can wear it to the hardest workout of your life, or you can wear it with a very dressy winter white look as I have here. Garmin has successfully made the most stunning smartwatch on the planet, and we are obsessed. If you don’t want a leather band, you can always switch it out for one of the silicone bands.
New Features:
Five days of battery life:
As you know this is something we LOVE about the Garmin smart watches! They are second to none in this area!
Pay and Go:
Garmin Pay allows for contactless payments via Visa and MasterCard – and works with payments from a range of major U.S. banks. The Garmin Pay feature allows you to use your watch to pay for purchases in participating stores using credit or debit cards from a participating financial institution. You enter your passcode, hold your watch near the payment reader, with the watch facing the reader. And then the watch vibrates and displays a check mark when it is finished communicating with the reader. Boom. Paid.
Calendar View:
We love that the new Vivomove Luxe allows you to easily see your plans for the day with a dedicated calendar screen.
Smart Notifications:
As we said earlier, you can receive emails, texts and alerts right on your watch.
Chronograph Timer and Stopwatch:
Watch the seconds tick as the hands synchronize together as a stopwatch and timer.
New Health Features:
Body Battery:
See your body’s energy levels throughout the day so you can find the best times for activity and rest.
Stress Tracking:
Find out if you’re having a calm, balanced or stressful day. Relax reminders will even prompt you to do a short breathing activity when you’re feeling stressed.
Wrist Based Heart Rate:
The watch constantly samples your heart rate3 and will alert you if it stays high while you’re at rest. It also helps gauge how hard you work during activities.
Hydration Tracking:
Log your daily fluid intake as a reminder to stay hydrated.
Advanced Sleep Monitoring:
Get a full picture of how you’re sleeping, with a breakdown of your light, deep and REM sleep stages as well as Pulse Ox4
Menstrual Cycle Tracking:
Use Garmin Connect to track your cycle, log physical and emotional symptoms and learn about training and nutrition during each phase of your cycle.
The Vivomove Luxe is an amazing option for someone looking for a smartwatch that has reliable fitness tracking capabilities – without having the look of a normal fitness tracker. It is also great for people who don’t want all the phone capabilities of an Apple Watch. Also – we love that you can opt for the less expensive version if you want to! The cost ranges from $250 – $500 – the main difference between the two is the color display.
