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  • Review count
    7
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  • First review
    May 6, 2009
  • Last review
    July 18, 2016
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    4.4
 
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  • Answer count
    9
  • Helpfulness votes
    9
  • First answer
    February 24, 2015
  • Last answer
    November 10, 2015
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gadgetman01's Reviews
 
For the sports enthusiast, this Garmin fenix 3 HR GPS watch monitors fitness activity such as distance traveled, steps taken and calories burned. The watch comes with smart notifications to alert you of emails or text messages on the go. This Garmin fenix 3 HR GPS watch has a 1.2-inch sunlight-readable Chroma Display for easy viewing.
 
  • My Best Buy® Elite Plus Member
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Best device out there
on July 18, 2016
Posted by: gadgetman01
from St. Joe, MI
I have tried almost every device out there, devices from Polar, Fitbit, Motorola, Samsung, Misfit, Basis, Microsoft and other Garmin devices. This one out does them all in almost every area. Some of the other devices may do a few things as well as the Fenix 3 but this devices does everything well not just a few things like the others.
I put off buying this one because of the price, and tried to get by with using cheaper devices and always thinking I wish this one did this or why doesn't this work right. I even went so far as to have a device on each wrist to try to get everything I wanted.
After trying the others I finally decided to take the plunge and spend the money on the Fenix 3 HR and wow am I glad I did. You don't have to be a fitness nut to enjoy this watch, it looks great and functions flawlessly. I am in my late 50's so my heavy workout days are behind me but I still love all the things this watch does even if I don't use them all. If you are a fitness nut this thing does it all. Might feel a little big at first but you get used to it and the bezel makes it look like a nice watch not just a fitness device.
Pros:
Does fitness better than anything out there, very reliable and accurate.
Tons of features that will keep you interested in the watch instead of getting bored with.
Looks great and built tough.
HRM is very good for normal activiities and also will pair with an external ANT+ HRM for very active weight training sessions.
Cons:
Wish the phone app was a little better, not quite as good as some of the others but it is getting better as they continuously make improvements.
Display is not super bright indoors but it is fine, outdoors this thing is ridiculously easy to see, amazing.
If you can afford it don't waste time with the others, get this one. I tried the Garmin Forerunner 235, Vivoactive HR and other Vivo products and they were okay but felt like a plastic toy compared to this. If you find yourself looking at a device thinking well I will give it a try even if it doesn't have everything you think you want, I should be able to get by. Don't get by just get this one.
My Best Buy number: 0069886843
I would recommend this to a friend!
+37points
40of 43voted this as helpful.
 
Garmin Vivosmart HR Activity Tracker: Measure your daily activity with this device that helps you to set and maintain aerobic fitness goals. Vibration alerts let you receive call, text and e-mail notifications from your phone.
 
  • My Best Buy® Elite Plus Member
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great fitness tracker and will get better
on November 10, 2015
Posted by: gadgetman01
from St. Joe, MI
I have owned numerous trackers and smartwatches over the past year and always seem to return them because they are missing something. This one comes the closest to fitting what I want in a device and although there a few bugs between it and their Garmin Connect app I have confidence Garmin will fix. They fixed it on the Vivoactive and original Vivosmart.
Pros:
Heart rate is spot on during exercise and normal activity. I compared this to a Garmin chest strap and a Mio Fuse and they match with a couple of BPM.
I love that the display is always on and if you orient it in vertical mode it makes it much easier to see and more comfortable to view this way.
The vibration 'Move' alert is a great motivator if you have been inactive too long.
Garmin is getting more social aspects to their application where you can join groups, create groups and check progress or compete against others.
Cons:
Device is still in its infancy and has some bugs to work out, which Garmin always seems to fix.
Garmin Connect doesn't always agree with what is displayed on the device, mostly in terms of steps climbed. My device usual shows one more floor than the software shows.
Sleep tracking is not refined quite yet, it shows me still sleeping when I have been up for a half hour
Having owned a Gear S2 and Moto 360 this device is so much better for activity and exercise tracking. Having tried a Polar M400, Garmin Vivoactive this device wins because of the bulitin heart rate monitor and its footprint on my wrist is much smaller than the rest.
My Best Buy number: 0069886843
I would recommend this to a friend!
+21points
23of 25voted this as helpful.
 
Garmin vívoactive Smartwatch: Stay motivated with real-time workout stats while you run, swim, bike or golf. The built-in GPS helps you navigate, while the move bar lets you know when you've been inactive for too long.
 
  • My Best Buy® Elite Plus Member
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great fitness watch and smartwatch
on April 16, 2015
Posted by: gadgetman01
from St. Joe, MI
I have tried many different fitness trackers and this one is the best so far. Tried the Misfit, Vivofit, Vivosmart and Polar M400 and had an older fitbit clip. This one is the best I tried, followed closely by the Polar and the Vivosmart. The Polar and this one are very close with the edge going to this with smart notifications, autosyncing and Connect IQ setting it apart.
Pros of this tracker are:
Customizable workouts to select from such as outdoor activities and indoor activities. By customizable you can set which data fields you want displayed, things like speed, distance, heartrate etc... for each activity.
GPS is very good and locks quickly.
Abiltiy to attach multiple sensors to it, I have used a garmin heart chest strap and Mio Fuse with this without any problems. Looking forward to adding a bike cadence and speed sensor to this.
Connect IQ apps allow you to get different watch interfaces so you can get more information on main screen. I have downloaded a watch face which shows time, date, steps for the day with progress toward goal, distance, calories burned and the activity bar.
You can change fields displayed for different workouts, for example you can have an indoor walk where all you display is heart rate, heart rate zone or you can add more fields to it as well.
The activity reminder(vibration) to tell you have not been active enough is a real motivator to get you moving.
Smart Notifications work well and have saved me from missing phone calls that I normally would miss if phone was in pocket or sitting on kitchen counter.
Syncing with my phone worked flawlessly, I read where someone was having issues with this but mine works great with my Android phone.
Cons:
Display is a little dim for a darker room, I believe it is a reflective type display which is aided by extra room light or outdoor light. In a dim room it is harder to see, but it does have a backlight button for those situations. It is not going to have a vibrant display like a Samsung Galaxy Fit.
Sleep tracker is very basic and detects movement, but overall I am not so interested in this function.
Final thoughts:
I think this is the best tracker out there at the moment that fits in the category of fitness tracker and smartwatch. Yes there are better fitness devices like the Fenix 3 or 920xt but those are $450+ and this has most of those features. With the way technology in this area is evolving there will be newer, better, more advanced devices coming but if you want a great one now, get this one.
My Best Buy number: 0069886843
I would recommend this to a friend!
+7points
9of 11voted this as helpful.
 
Polar M400 GPS Watch with Heart Rate: Enhance your training sessions with this GPS watch, which tracks speed, distance traveled, calories burned and more for comprehensive monitoring. Bluetooth technology allows easy wireless pairing with an Android or iOS device.
 
  • My Best Buy® Elite Plus Member
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Great fitness watch, looking forward to updates
on February 24, 2015
Posted by: gadgetman01
from St. Joe, MI
Purchased this watch for mainly tracking activity during the day and also treadmill and exercise bike workouts. First off the activity tracker works very well and motivates me to keep active. The alert for inactivity is helpful but wish it had a vibrate in addition to a tone for this.
In terms of tracking workouts that don't involve the GPS a heart rate monitor is mandatory to log these properly and the M400 with heart rate strap fits the bill for this. For this the watch works very well, it logs my exercise bike workouts very well in terms of heart rate, time on the bike and calories burned. However to put the distance in you need to this from the website, there is no ability to do this from the watch or from the Android app. In terms of treadmill work it is the same as the exercise bike in terms of what it tracks, when you enter workout mode it does not track steps with the built in pedometer and tie those to the workout.
Overall I am very happy with this watch but look forward to some firmware updates soon.
Pros:
Heart rate monitor is top notch.
The ability to track workouts with the heart rate monitor and see those on the website and mobile app.
Combines a lot of functionality into one device, it allow me to use one device to track everything. Before I was using my phone to track my workout and then sharing that data with mulitple apps to get the info I needed for me.
Progess tracking is very nice on the mobile app and website.
Cons:
Website and mobile app need some work in terms of more user friendliness. Please add the ability to manually import workouts, edit the workout from the mobile app in terms of editing the distance of the exercise bike ride and somehow track steps on a treadmill and tie that distance to the workout instead of having to purchase a foot pod.
Wish it had a vibration alert for inactivity, I have a hard time hearing the beep in a noisy environment.
Despite the cons I feel this is one of the best fitness trackers on the market right now and would recommend it. I haven't even had a chance to try the GPS because of the weather but look forward to it.
My Best Buy number: 0069886846
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
 
Tune out the external environment and tune into your own private concert experience anytime, anywhere with the Image S4. This noise-isolating in-ear earphone delivers dynamic sound and unequaled comfort for a price that's easy on the wallet.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Great headphones
on January 22, 2011
Posted by: gadgetman01
from St. Joe, MI
Type of Listener:Avid listener
Most Important to Purchase:Sound quality
How Often Used:Daily
Bought these based off reviews on CNET. I would have to say when I first started using them I was not impressed. You have to play around with the fit on these and once you get the fit right you will be amazed. The detail, smoothness and the impact of these will amaze you. The key to the fit is to pull the back of your ear so the phones sit in there tight, you know you have a good fit when the outside world noise is almost completely blocked out, I snap my fingers by my ears to check this.
So far these have blown away other headphones of all types I have, they are better than my 10 year old Grado 125, better than the Bose AE2, and I am trying the Monster Turbines right now. So far I am enjoying the S4s more than the Turbines but the sound of the Turbines might be a tad bit harsher and not quite as musical. Also comfort on the S4 is bettter than the Turbines.
What's great about it: Amazing sound
What's not so great: Takes a while to get a good fit
I would recommend this to a friend!
Sound Quality
5 out of 5
5
Comfort
5 out of 5
5
Durability
5 out of 5
5
+4points
4of 4voted this as helpful.
 
Immerse yourself in your music and enjoy an around-ear fit that stays comfortable for hours. The advanced product design and durable materials contribute to lasting quality. The fold-flat design and carry bag provide for easier storage and transport.
 
Customer Rating
3 out of 5
3
Good not great
on January 22, 2011
Posted by: gadgetman01
from St. Joe, MI
Type of Listener:Audiophile
Most Important to Purchase:Sound quality
How Often Used:Daily
I bought these headphones looking for an upgrade to my 10 year old Grado headphones. I have to say these headphones are good but not great. The Grado's still have more detail than the Bose, you can hear things in the Grado's you cannot in the Bose.
The Bose have a pleasing sound but not detailed enough for me. Comfort and build quality were outstanding for the limited time I had them.
What's great about it: Build and comfort
What's not so great: Not so great detail
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+6points
9of 12voted this as helpful.
 
Add a stylish look to your home theater setup with this TV stand that features 3 adjustable shelves and 2 side drawers for media storage.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Nice piece of furniture
on May 6, 2009
Posted by: gadgetman01
from St. Joe, MI
This is a very nice piece of furniture and a great stand. In terms of its ability to hold stereo components it is very limited but I knew that going into it. The shelves behind the doors are fine for an Xbox and a PS3, but not for a stereo or surround receiver. I used the shelf below the TV for that, but also be aware that this is only 6.5" high so not all receivers will fit. Once you get the receiver slid into this area you gain about 2 more inches of clearance for air flow for the receiver because there is just a trim piece on the front that limits the height of the component you can slide into the shelf below the TV.
Shelves behind the doors are 17" but the door and hinges almost take an entire inch off of this. You can remove the doors place your component in there and put the doors back on.
Yes this piece has some limitations but if you know what you are getting and it suits your needs it is an excellent piece of furniture.
What's great about it: Finish and looks
What's not so great: Shelf space
I would recommend this to a friend!
Durability
5 out of 5
5
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
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gadgetman01's Answers
 
Garmin Vivosmart HR Activity Tracker: Measure your daily activity with this device that helps you to set and maintain aerobic fitness goals. Vibration alerts let you receive call, text and e-mail notifications from your phone.
 

How do you charge the battery?

To charge do you need to purchase extra cords and plugs or is that included in the purchase price.
There is a charging cable included that needs a USB plug to charge, so either plug into computer or wall adapter with USB plug.
8 years, 4 months ago
by
gadgetman01
   St. Joe, MI
 
Garmin Vivosmart HR Activity Tracker: Measure your daily activity with this device that helps you to set and maintain aerobic fitness goals. Vibration alerts let you receive call, text and e-mail notifications from your phone.
 

people sweat when they exercise - is this water or sweat proof?

people sweat when they exercise - is this water or sweat proof?
Yes, I sweat quite a bit with this and also shower with it.

It has a water rating of 5ATM which means it can go under water up to 50meters or 165 feet. Which means you can swim with it.
8 years, 4 months ago
by
gadgetman01
   St. Joe, MI
 
Garmin Vivosmart HR Activity Tracker: Measure your daily activity with this device that helps you to set and maintain aerobic fitness goals. Vibration alerts let you receive call, text and e-mail notifications from your phone.
 

What is the accuracy for each feature (e.g. Heart rate, step, calorie, etc)?

What is the accuracy for each feature (e.g. Heart rate, step, calorie, etc)?
Heart rate seems spot on, compared this to a Garmin chest strap, a Mio Fuse wrist based HRM and also a Basis Peak and they all seem to match well.

Steps seem slightly inflated but I suspect the accuracy will improve with firmware upates. It is about 700 steps ahead of my phone step tracker, so far today my phone shows 5400 and the Garmin shows 6100, but I have other devices that would be 1000 steps higher than my phone. Not sure which is exactly accurate but to me if it is consistent that is half the battle to give you something to shoot for.

Calories are always subjective depending on the manufacturer, they use different algorithms to calculate this and some put more weight on different criteria, some may put more weight on steps, where others take heart rate into account. My morning bike ride on my stationary bike shows my calories burned as 170, the garmin shows 250, but if I use my Mio Fuse with the Adidas mi coach app it shows 400. Not sure who is correct.
8 years, 4 months ago
by
gadgetman01
   St. Joe, MI
 
Garmin Vivosmart HR Activity Tracker: Measure your daily activity with this device that helps you to set and maintain aerobic fitness goals. Vibration alerts let you receive call, text and e-mail notifications from your phone.
 

Can this sync/work with a Galaxy 6s phone? I am getting conflicting info about whether it is only for Apple products or if it will work with Android.

Mine is working with a Galaxy S6, and I have read reviews of the device working with iPhones as well. The app supports both Android and IOS.
8 years, 4 months ago
by
gadgetman01
   St. Joe, MI
 
Garmin Vivosmart HR Activity Tracker: Measure your daily activity with this device that helps you to set and maintain aerobic fitness goals. Vibration alerts let you receive call, text and e-mail notifications from your phone.
 

Sleep

Does it measure REM sleep or just hours slept?
It breaks down sleep into deep sleep, light sleep and awake and gives a graph of this and also time.

It also tracks movement during sleep and shows a different graph for this.
8 years, 4 months ago
by
gadgetman01
   St. Joe, MI
 
Garmin Vivosmart HR Activity Tracker: Measure your daily activity with this device that helps you to set and maintain aerobic fitness goals. Vibration alerts let you receive call, text and e-mail notifications from your phone.
 

How long does the battery last? How long to charge?

Fit bit hr only lasts 3 days and takes 4hours to charge. I did not want that.looking for one with a better battery life. My mom has the fit bit and isn't liking that either
I have charged mine twice since the initial charge in the first week of owning it, both times I charged it probably had another 3/4 to full day left on it but I did not want to take any chances. So I am seeing 3 to 4 days but I think it could be stretched to 4 to 5 days.

The initial charge took about an hour, the next time I charged overnight and today it took about two hours.
8 years, 4 months ago
by
gadgetman01
   St. Joe, MI
 
Garmin Vivosmart HR Activity Tracker: Measure your daily activity with this device that helps you to set and maintain aerobic fitness goals. Vibration alerts let you receive call, text and e-mail notifications from your phone.
 

How do you turn the sleep mode on?

I can only figure out how to put "do not disturb" mode on, and track my sleep manually.
It automatically detects your sleep. They still have some work to do in refining this. Mine says I am still sleeping for about a half hour after I wake up. On the Garmin Connect website you can edit your wake and sleep times.
I contacted Garmin and reported this bug, hopefully they fix this.
8 years, 4 months ago
by
gadgetman01
   St. Joe, MI
 
Polar M400 GPS Watch with Heart Rate: Enhance your training sessions with this GPS watch, which tracks speed, distance traveled, calories burned and more for comprehensive monitoring. Bluetooth technology allows easy wireless pairing with an Android or iOS device.
 

Does the heart rate monitor require extra straps or devices

The M400 with heart rate monitor will have a heart rate strap included which you have to wear around your chest.
9 years, 1 month ago
by
gadgetman01
   St. Joe, MI
 
Polar M400 GPS Watch with Heart Rate: Enhance your training sessions with this GPS watch, which tracks speed, distance traveled, calories burned and more for comprehensive monitoring. Bluetooth technology allows easy wireless pairing with an Android or iOS device.
 

Does it work for indoor rowing?

If you get the heart rate monitor with it the device will track your workout based on calories burned determined by time and your heart rate.
9 years, 1 month ago
by
gadgetman01
   St. Joe, MI