I’ve had this watch for three weeks now. While it’s not my first smart-watch, it is my first Garmin. I am extremely impressed with the technology and its features, but the watch band has a major design flaw, which makes me not want to wear it. The rubber clasp that is meant to hold the excess band is too big. it does not keep the band tight or in place and causes it to come loose and flop around. This is not what you want while you’re working out, or even just wearing throughout the day. It’s quite annoying to deal with and I will end up returning the watch because of it.

I bought this watch about a month ago after exchanging my Garmin Fenix 7 that I had purchased a few months before that. The vivoactive 5 is exactly what I was looking for. The Garmin Fenix 7 was too large and too complicated. The vivoactive 5 has all of the features I was looking for, very similarly to the Fenix 7, but is a lot smaller profile and easy to wear. I am so happy with this watch.

Overall, I really like the vivoactive 5. I've had a 4 for several years, and the battery life wasn't what it once was, so I decided to go ahead and get a vivoactive 5. I like the controls and UI really well. The biggest drawback is the fact it no longer records "floors climbed". Apparently the 5 doesn't have the Barometer in it anymore. Frustrating. Didn't expect features to be removed. Other than that it's great. if you've never had that feature, you'll not miss it.

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.

I got this watch as a replacement for my Garmin Forager(which I loved but, needed a upgraded model). My husband chose Garmin's Vivoactive 5 for me because, I was currently jogging/training for 5k and the 11 day battery life before it needing to be recharged. This watch was a great choice! Because of the 11 day charge I sleep with in on and have got some great insight into my sleep. Let's me know how hard to train. When to train. Of I need my or less sleep. I'm still loving and learning daily my with Garmin Vivoactive 5! If your in the market for a new smart watch this one shouldn't be overlooked.

I love all the activities this watch measures- however I skied today and it only gave me credit for 2 runs- it measured time and distance accurately but it should have been 7 runs. My vivoactive 3 measured skiing accurately- I’ll have to see if I need to do something other than hit the start button but I just used it the way I used my old watch. I’ve had the watch 14 days and have only charged it 2x and used it biking, hiking, swimming, skiing, and running - my old watch was needing charging daily when I did any activity that lasted more than an hour.

My gf got me this watch for xmas and I didn’t have to charge it until many days after. The battery life is great. Shows you your sleep score and stress levels while also teaching you how they impact one another. Has features to monitor many different sports and activities. Every day I know how much rest and recovery I’ll need to keep moving forward in my days. With two kids under 10 this watch has helped me become better motivated for my kids. Thank you, Garmin.

I got this watch to replace my Vivoactive 3 Music. Almost the same watch but with beautiful display, more activity options, and I've noticed the GPS takes a lot less time to locate before a run. Music downloads faster. Touchscreen works great, even in the pool. Overall very happy because I loved the 3 Music and wanted something similar.

i bought watch about three weeks ago and love it so far. helps track calories and links to other apps such as Myfittnesspal to make tracking and eating easy. good for wearing while running and playing sports. not great at tracking reps when weightlifting but tracks calories and let you edit weight/reps. overall really good. love that it monitors sleep and hydration to help push me to be better

I thought I would miss my Vivoactive 3 after the battery ran out, but the 5 is OUTSTANDING!! The sleep monitor is better, the ease of use is so much better than my Forerunner that replaced the 3. It is so much easier to use than any other of my Garmin devices and much more enjoyable and simpler to use and attractive. The only reason I can’t give it a 5 star is that you dont know how to add apps and activities out of the box until you get the excellent “ thank you for registering “ from Garmin!! The instructions in the box are woefully inadequate.