Garmin Vivomove HR vs. Vivomove Style: Should you go for the bare essentials or prioritize style?

Garmin Vivomove Style

More often than not, we're left to choose between smart features and a stylish appearance. Fortunately, you get the best of both worlds with the Garmin Vivomove Style. In addition to heart-rate monitoring and activity/sleep tracking, you'll have connected GPS and NFC payments.

Garmin Vivomove HR

Whether you're investing in your first hybrid smartwatch or simply want an attractive accessory that offers only the essentials, the Garmin Vivomove HR will treat you well. It offers smartphone notifications, heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep tracking, and music controls.

It has been a while since Garmin rolled out these two additions to the Vivomove Series, and now it's becoming more and more clear that these amazing hybrid smartwatches are capable of more than looking pretty. The Vivomove Style is one of the best options for those who want to upgrade but don't want to break the bank in the process. While the original Vivomove HR is still an impressive watch and now more affordable than ever, the Vivomove Style has done a great job of filling in some of its gaps.

As you may have gathered from the name, one of the main goals with the Vivomove Style is to, well, be stylish. It succeeds in that area without a problem but there's more to it than looks. You get some helpful upgrades over the Vivomove HR, including a dual AMOLED display, connected GPS, and Garmin Pay. These were all missing on the Vivomove HR, which is indeed a fashionable hybrid but lacking some key features. If you want to enjoy these improvements, upgrading to the Vivomove Style will definitely be worth it. If you're content with the bare essentials, you might prefer the Vivomove HR.

Style plus features

First things first, let's address the elephant in the room when it comes to the Garmin Vivomove HR vs. Style. The Vivomove Style is one stylish watch. However, without its most important improvements, it might not be worth it to buy now that the prices for both watches have dropped to a similar figure.

Considering that these watches are for different audiences, they have quite a few similarities, especially in regards to battery life. The Vivomove Style will get you up to five days in smartwatch mode and one additional week in watch mode. The Vivomove HR is able to squeeze out two weeks in watch mode rather than just one. Other than that, you can expect battery life to be identical when it comes to typical usage. They also share some features, including 5 ATM water resistance and heart-rate monitoring.

Beyond that is where things start to differ. The Vivomove HR has a standard OLED display for showing users their notifications, stats, and other information on the hidden display. With the Vivomove Style, it's now a color AMOLED, so you'll enjoy a bit more vibrancy with your display. It also has a slightly larger display, though it can be argued that this isn't always a good thing, especially when it comes to smartwatches for women.

As for the design of the watch itself, the Garmin Vivomove Style is available in a 42mm aluminum casing that comes in multiple metal finishes, including Light Gold, Rose Gold, Silver, and Graphite. You'll also have your pick of a 20mm silicone or nylon quick-release band. The watch face is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, which is also found on the Vivomove HR. The only difference is the case is 43mm, made of stainless steel, and comes in Rose Gold, Slate, and Silver. It also offers 20mm, quick-release bands.

If you're someone who cares more about having a fashionable accessory on your wrist than a functional hybrid, you may not be too discouraged by the lack of features on the Vivomove HR. After all, you'll still have the bare essentials. You can track your heart rate, activity, sleep, and stress levels. You'll have access to smartphone notifications, music controls, and 5 ATM water resistance. This is more than enough for some users, especially given the very low price tag.

On the other hand, the Garmin Vivomove Style has a lot more to offer, especially now that it costs a lot lesser than it did at launch. While you don't get any GPS options with the Vivomove HR, you do get connected GPS on the Vivomove Style, which means you can track your route as long as your phone is with you. You also have NFC for Garmin Pay.

That's not all. The Vivomove Style has also stepped up its game with some other fitness and health tracking features. You'll get the Body Battery energy monitor, which lets you check your energy levels throughout the day. This feature collects key data from heart rate variability (HRV), sleep, stress, and activity, which helps you schedule your exercise and rest times accordingly. There's also a Pulse Ox sensor that monitors blood oxygen saturation levels to provide more accurate readings for stress and sleep tracking. You'll also be able to track your hydration intake and menstrual cycle.

Which should you choose?

If you don't want to spend a lot or you simply don't need all of the extras, the Garmin Vivomove HR is a nice budget-friendly option. It still comes with the bare essentials, like notifications, music controls, waterproofing, heart-rate monitoring, and activity/sleep tracking. If you're a fan of the low price tag and happy with the basics, this could end up being your favorite.

However, you get so much more with the Vivomove Style and not just in terms of style, either. This feature-packed hybrid smartwatch has come a long way since the Vivomove HR. If you're all about the upgrades, you'll appreciate everything you get from this new watch. To recap, you'll get a hidden color display, connected GPS, Garmin Pay, Body Battery energy monitoring, a Pulse Ox sensor, as well as hydration and menstrual tracking. That's a whole lot of upgrades, especially now that the passage of time has reduced the hefty price tag significantly.