Garmin Vivosmart 5

Manufacturer Garmin
Type Smart fitness tracker with Pulse Ox, Body Battery and wrist-based heart rate
Series Vívosmart
Released April 20, 2022
Price at launch $149.99 USD
Predecessor Vívosmart 4
Sizes Small/Medium (wrists 122–188mm, 24.5g), Large (wrists 148–228mm, 26.5g)
Colours Black, White, Cool Mint (Small/Medium); Black (Large)

Specifications and features as at launch.

Jump to: Expert opinion | What’s new | Specifications | Battery life | Features | Activity profiles | Further reading

Expert opinion

The Vivosmart 5 serves a specific niche: a lightweight, screen-minimalist band for non-subscribers who want Garmin’s health ecosystem, including Body Battery, sleep scoring and HRV stress tracking, without wearing a full watch.

Its value case is weakened by a small, dated black-and-white OLED display, a plastic lens prone to scuffing, the removal of the stair-tracking altimeter its predecessor had, and complete reliance on a paired smartphone for outdoor GPS tracking. It works best as an unobtrusive daily health tracker worn alongside a mechanical watch. Dedicated runners and cyclists are better served by stepping up to an entry-level GPS watch such as a Garmin Forerunner.

Buy Garmin Vivosmart 5

Garmin Vivosmart 5

Simple, easy-to-use fitness tracker with Pulse Ox, Body Battery and up to 7 days of battery life.

from $149.99 / £129.99
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What’s new versus the Vívosmart 4

Hardware

  • Display 66% larger: 10.5 x 18.5mm, 88 x 154 pixels, versus 6.6 x 17.7mm, 48 x 128 pixels on the Vívosmart 4
  • Physical button added alongside the touchscreen, replacing capacitive-only controls
  • Interchangeable silicone bands, replacing the Vívosmart 4’s integrated band design
  • Standard Garmin proprietary charging connector, replacing the Vívosmart 4’s unique connector
  • Acrylic display lens, replacing toughened glass
  • Weight increased to 24.5g (Small/Medium) and 26.5g (Large), up from 16.5g and 17.1g on the Vívosmart 4
  • Barometric altimeter removed: the Vívosmart 5 cannot track floors climbed, a feature the Vívosmart 4 had

Software

  • Morning Report wake-up screen showing sleep score, weather, calendar events and step goals
  • On-device sleep score display, shown as part of the Morning Report on waking
  • All-day respiration rate tracking
  • Incident Detection during select outdoor activities
  • Manual Assistance alerts via a long button press
  • New activity profiles: Breathwork, HIIT, Pilates, Treadmill, Indoor Rowing
  • Bluetooth heart rate broadcast to apps such as Peloton and Zwift

Specifications

Display
Type Grayscale OLED touchscreen with physical button, on-demand with ambient light sensor
Size 10.5 x 18.5mm
Resolution 88 x 154 pixels
Physical
Weight 24.5g (Small/Medium), 26.5g (Large)
Case material Polycarbonate
Lens material Acrylic
Strap material Silicone
Water rating 5 ATM
Sensors and positioning
Heart rate sensor Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate monitor with Pulse Ox (SpO2)
Other sensors Accelerometer, ambient light sensor
GPS No built-in GPS; Connected GPS via a paired smartphone for walk, run and bike activities
Connectivity and storage
Wireless Bluetooth Smart (smartphone); ANT+ (heart rate broadcast only)
NFC / Garmin Pay No
Memory 7 timed activities, 14 days of activity tracking data
Smartphone compatibility iPhone, Android

Battery life

Mode Battery life
Smartwatch mode Up to 7 days

Garmin’s owner’s manual lists a reduced figure of around 4 days when Pulse Ox is set to all-night monitoring rather than spot-check only; this reduction is not stated on Garmin’s current product page and should be confirmed against the manual directly before publishing as a firm figure.

Features

Full explanations of the metrics below are covered in Garmin Features Explained.

Plan

  • Auto goal, learning daily activity level to set a step target
  • Move alerts after a period of inactivity

Prepare

  • Fitness Age, using chronological age, weekly vigorous activity, resting heart rate and BMI or body fat percentage
  • Customisable activity profiles and interval training

Perform

  • 24/7 wrist heart rate with abnormal heart rate alerts
  • Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation, spot-check, sleep, or all-day
  • Body Battery energy monitoring
  • All-day stress tracking with relaxation reminders and breathing timer
  • Sleep tracking with on-device sleep score
  • Respiration rate tracking
  • Hydration tracking
  • Women’s health tracking
  • VO2 max (Run)

Connect

  • Smart notifications, with text reply on Android
  • Incident Detection and Assistance alerts
  • LiveTrack
  • Phone music control
  • Find my phone
  • Weather and calendar sync
  • TrueUp and Move IQ

Activity profiles

Category Profiles
Running Running (outdoor, Connected GPS), Treadmill Running
Cycling Biking (Connected GPS)
Swimming Pool Swimming
Gym and fitness Strength Training (with rep counting), HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing, Walking, Pilates, Yoga
Other Other: a general catch-all profile

This is a shorter activity list than Garmin’s watch-tier devices, reflecting the Vívosmart 5’s position as a simplified fitness tracker rather than a multisport watch. It has no Multisport profile and no built-in GPS; outdoor walk, run and bike activities rely on Connected GPS through a paired phone.

Buy Garmin Vivosmart 5

Garmin Vivosmart 5

Simple, easy-to-use fitness tracker with Pulse Ox, Body Battery and up to 7 days of battery life.

from $149.99 / £129.99
Order Now logo

Further reading

Garmin watch and band specifications