Update 5 April 2020:
Anna's Vivoactive HR watch is still going strong, although the battery life is dropping off, and it needs charging perhaps twice a week now, rather than the once a week it was before.
My Vivoactive HR watch is still soldering on, cracked screen and all.
Yeah, it has lost some functionality, but it still does most of what I want.
Both of our watches have broken the little strap band that you use when you wear the watch, so we are both using a suitably sized elastic band as a workaround.
Only once has the lower battery life of the Vivoactive HR (compared with the FR 301xt) been an issue - I charged up my Vivoactive HR, but the battery only lasted 12 1/2 hours ... so I had to estimte the last part of my trip! https://www.strava.com/activities/2346118589
Compare than the with FR310XT, where it lasted more like 14 hours, with some battery left! https://www.strava.com/activities/376314125
Would I buy a Vivoactive HR watch again? Not for someone like myself, but like I said, Anna is very pleased with hers.
For me the touchscreen is a gimmick - I would prefer the functionality to be through buttons. Colour, for me, is a gimmick, too. I just want it to record everything, and be tough enough. The battery duration issue is negotiable (depends on price!) because a lot of long distance riders carry little battery packs so they can recharge their watches while they are taking a break on a long ride.
It is also an issue that only affect the minority of folks who actually do all day exercise - I expect most users of this type of watch do the odd hour or two, and even a ragged "beginners" marathion doesn't usually take more than 6 to 8 hours.
You can see all the other review stuff I have posted about the Vivoactive HR here:
https://2nd-gear.blogspot.com/2016/10/long-term-review-garmin-vivoactive-hr.html
Updated summary: A great value watch, but a little fragile, so if you are an "active person" with an "active" job, think very carefully about whether the Vivoactive HR is tough enough for your needs!
Also think about whether you need more than about a 10 hours battery life - most folks don't, but some of us do!
Anna's Vivoactive HR watch is still going strong, although the battery life is dropping off, and it needs charging perhaps twice a week now, rather than the once a week it was before.
My Vivoactive HR watch is still soldering on, cracked screen and all.
Yeah, it has lost some functionality, but it still does most of what I want.
Both of our watches have broken the little strap band that you use when you wear the watch, so we are both using a suitably sized elastic band as a workaround.
Only once has the lower battery life of the Vivoactive HR (compared with the FR 301xt) been an issue - I charged up my Vivoactive HR, but the battery only lasted 12 1/2 hours ... so I had to estimte the last part of my trip! https://www.strava.com/activities/2346118589
Compare than the with FR310XT, where it lasted more like 14 hours, with some battery left! https://www.strava.com/activities/376314125
Would I buy a Vivoactive HR watch again? Not for someone like myself, but like I said, Anna is very pleased with hers.
For me the touchscreen is a gimmick - I would prefer the functionality to be through buttons. Colour, for me, is a gimmick, too. I just want it to record everything, and be tough enough. The battery duration issue is negotiable (depends on price!) because a lot of long distance riders carry little battery packs so they can recharge their watches while they are taking a break on a long ride.
It is also an issue that only affect the minority of folks who actually do all day exercise - I expect most users of this type of watch do the odd hour or two, and even a ragged "beginners" marathion doesn't usually take more than 6 to 8 hours.
You can see all the other review stuff I have posted about the Vivoactive HR here:
https://2nd-gear.blogspot.com/2016/10/long-term-review-garmin-vivoactive-hr.html
Updated summary: A great value watch, but a little fragile, so if you are an "active person" with an "active" job, think very carefully about whether the Vivoactive HR is tough enough for your needs!
Also think about whether you need more than about a 10 hours battery life - most folks don't, but some of us do!
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