Garmin mixes activity tracking and smart notifications in a fitness band that bridges the gap between step counter and smartwatch.

Sleek; smooth no button design; Touch screen; Smart Notifications; Vibration alerts; Water resistant to 50 meters (5 ATM; Move reminder

OLED display is difficult to see in direct sunlight; Only one alarm; and no way to add more

Garmin's Vivosmart activity tracker counts steps, measures sleep, reminds you to move, and sends notifications, including text messages, to your wrist. Its midrange price point makes it an attractive option.

Discreet design; Contains remote controls for music; Vibration alarms and "move" alerts available; Supports push notifications; Measures miles, steps, calories burned, active time, and sleep; Informative, touch-capacitive display; Comfortable; Waterproof

Fixed form factor; Can't interact with notifications (e.g; can't reply to incoming text messages from the bracelet); Steps and mileage seemed slightly inflated in tests

For people who are serious about moving more, and looking to distance themselves from their smartphones, the Garmin Vivosmart is a solid device for its $169 price. Whereas the Samsung Gear Fit takes a backseat to fitness tracking, the Vivosmart easily and accurately tracks steps, distance and...

Smartphone notifications; Comfortable; water-resistant design; Tracks steps; calories; distance; active time and sleep

Clumsy clasp; Bland app design; Cannot interact with smartphone notifications

We at Wareable were delighted to hear that Garmin was ready to take another bite of the fitness tracker Apple, when the Garmin Vivosmart was announced back in September at IFA. Hot on the heels of the Sony SmartBand Talk , that was also unveiled at the big tech expo, the Garmin Vivosmart takes the...

Awesome OLED display; Accurate step and distance recording; Slick looking design; Smartwatch notifications

Slightly expensive; All or nothing notifications; No built in heart rate monitor; Basic sleep tracking

Nice and tidy piece of kit, not too obtrusive. It has some good features built in and shows notifications from your phone. The device also gives a little buzz if you've been stationary for too long to remind you to move.

Garmin, a company predominately known for its GPS-enabled devices, is entering new territory with its latest and perhaps smartest device yet. In early 2014, the company released the Vivofit , an activity tracker with one year of battery life.

The Vivosmart can accurately track your daily activities and display notifications from your smartphone; It can connect with third-party apps like MyFitnessPal and wireless heart-rate monitors; It's also waterproof and has personalized activity goals

Notifications can be difficult to read and aren't interactive; Sleep tracking isn't automatic, Garmin's mobile app is dated, and the touchscreen is sometimes unresponsive; Select smart features aren't available for iOS users

Last year was a chock a block full of fitness-focused wearables , with Garmin's underrated vivofit (review) proving a surprisingly handy wearable. Part of its lure was the high accuracy of its movement capturing and easy-to-use functionality.

Good comfortable fit; Responsive and easy to navigate interface; Accurate information recording

Setup takes a while; Far more expensive than the vivofit

Fitness bands are now a well established part of the tech canon, and they're aimed at a specific kind of person – does this sound like you? You're someone who, halfway through the decade, decided to get moving. Naturally, you want to log these new bursts of momentum – else what's the point, right?

With the almost inevitable rise of smartwatches (which still hasn't quite hit the mainstream), the humble fitness tracker could soon have a hard time justifying its demands on your wrist real-estate. As such, they too are getter smarter.

Great bit of kit if only it lasted! I've had a Vivosmart for ten months now and my third has just died. This time instead of the 'lines of death' it has just turned off and refuses to come back to life!