I am happy with the watch overall, the activities are easier to use and the sleep coach has been very helpful. It is not as easy to charge as the 4, but I am getting the hang of it. It often dropped from my Bluetooth and has twice put out an emergency notice, but these were easy fixes.

As a novice looking for a versatile smartwatch to support training, I chose the Garmin Vivoactive 5, largely due to the range of apps available. The variety of training features makes it accessible and adaptable for beginners, with plenty of options to support different fitness goals. However, the device's overall quality is not up to Garmin’s usual standards. The materials used for the Vivoactive 5 feel disappointingly cheap. The casing has a thin plastic feel, and the buttons don’t inspire confidence—they feel flimsy and give the impression they might not last. Given Garmin’s strong reputation for durability and high-quality builds, it’s surprising to see this apparent compromise on materials and construction. It's disappointing to see a respected brand like Garmin potentially sacrificing quality to appeal to a wider market. While the Vivoactive 5 has solid training features, the lack of durability may be a concern for those seeking a lasting investment.

The Vivoactive 5 watch has some nice features. You can set a time to take a small nap ( I like this feature). Not sure yet of some of the features like HRV status, not sure what this is telling me. Also, the Recovery, not sure yet what this is telling me. It has been telling me how I am sleeping, which is apparently not so good. Not sure how to make it better, but I do like this watch, at least I know I am apparently not sleeping very well. I like that it has the time, day and date on the front watch. It does have a sleep mode and if you touch it you can see what time it is. You can press walk and it will time your walk and when you are done you can stop it and it will enter you walk for you. So far I do like this watch.

The Garmin VivoActive 5 is a great tool to know where my body is at physically. I can see my heart rate, body battery (very cool), and even my stress level at a glance. This provides feedback so I can modify my activities, or better yet, get more active, as needed. I enjoy the sleep score and knowing how I slept. Activities are easy to track and there are many default activities to choose from. This is a nice looking, easy to wear, smartwatch. I really like it.

I loved everything about this watch but there was one critical part for me personally that wouldn’t work - receiving texts/calls. It doesn’t play nice with Apple. I returned this and got the venu3S and that feature did work, but annoying it’s advertised on this watch and jt not work. Aside from that it’s wonderful.

Well - it does keep time. And step count seems good. HRV is okay I think. It is very poor at detecting heart rate when exercising. I could be 15 minutes into 120BPM (Garmin chest strap) and it still reads 72. The sleep scores often bear little relationship to reality - like says I woke at 4:30 when I slept soundly until 6:30. Battery life, on the other hand, is excellent. My first one would not charge after a 18 months. Replacement is charging fine so far.

I was a fitbit fan for so long but one after another the bands broke. I was up to my fourth one. Then my research started for a replacement. I wanted something with an easy app, easy to use, great looking/stylish. I used the Garmin tool to select my Vivoactive 5. Very great choice!

I bought this watch as I am trying to be more mindful of my walking. I opened it on a Friday, set it up and straight out of the box it was up to 85%, I did not charge it until 9 day later, that next Sunday as it was 3% and I had worknon Monday. IMPRESSIVE! Also during the day it tells me if I am stressed if I need to get up a walk a bit, my body battery levels. Still letting it learn my sleep patterns and all the other functions. I love this! Already recommended a coworker to get one as well ❤️

Using this watch since about 3 month.very exited and satisfied. However as a beginner I have few queries 1. Why watch is reducing back the steps. 2. Watch and app connect shows different steps. 3. Can weight entry put in watch 4. Watch full charge last for only 3-4 days, may be due to frequent disconnect of app (may be due to Bluetooth signal) ,is it possible to connect app only for the limited time. Expecting positive response to help me.

I moved from a Garmin Lily to the vivoactive and too my surprise, my sleep quality is now rated as Poor, Fair, etc. I sleep well most nights and accept I move more than average. I wish I could turn the ratings as I am desirous to only learn time asleep. Remember that Jimmy Buffett song about Junior Mints and watered down Cherry Coke at the movie theater? Sleep rating for some of us is over programming.