Garmin Vivoactive 4S review: specs and price
The Garmin Vivoactive 4S is a sleek smartwatch that will look great on your wrist while also helping you keep track of your activity and wellness goals. Advance your workouts with a variety of tracking, whether you’re cycling, swimming, running, or any of the other supported activities. Aside from workouts, you can track a range of aspects of your wellbeing, including sleep, hydration, menstrual cycle, stress, and breathing.
Unlike many smartwatches that need a smartphone connection to operate at their best, this Garmin smartwatch lets you leave your phone behind when working out. GPS is built-in, plus you can save offline music to the watch to play over your Bluetooth headphones. You can even make payments with Garmin Pay (market dependent). If you’re looking for a fitness smartwatch, you can’t go wrong with the Garmin Vivoactive 4S.
Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Why is Garmin Vivoactive 4S better than the average?
- Waterproof depth rating?
50mvs46.64m - Weight?
40gvs47.19g - Height?
40mmvs44.61mm - Maximum operating temperature?
60°Cvs48.36°C - Volume?
20.32cm³vs22.29cm³ - Width of band?
18mmvs21.11mm
Price comparison
Buy used:
$179
| Product | Store | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin vivoactive 4S, Smaller-Sized GPS ...Garmin vivoactive 4S, Smaller-Sized GPS Smartwatch, Features Music, Body Energy Monitoring, Animated Workouts, Pulse Ox Sensors and More, Silver with Gray Band (Renewed) | $180 | ||
| Garmin vivoactive 4S, Smaller-Sized GPS ...Garmin vivoactive 4S, Smaller-Sized GPS Smartwatch, Features Music, Body Energy Monitoring, Animated Workouts, Pulse Ox Sensors, Rose Gold with White Band | $280 | ||
| Garmin 010-02172-31 Vivoactive 4S, Small...Garmin 010-02172-31 Vivoactive 4S, Smaller-Sized GPS Smartwatch, Features Music, Body Energy Monitoring, Animated Workouts, Pulse Ox Sensors and More, Light Gold with Light Pink Band | $230 | ||
| Garmin vivoactive 4S Smartwatch (40mm, S...Garmin vivoactive 4S Smartwatch (40mm, Slate Stainless Steel Bezel/Black Case, Silicone Band) | $280 | ||
| Garmin vivoactive 4S Smartwatch (40mm, R...Garmin vivoactive 4S Smartwatch (40mm, Rose Gold Stainless Steel Bezel/White Case, Silicone Band) | $350 | ||
User reviews
Design
screen size
1.1"
The size of the screen (measured diagonally).
Display type
LCD
The type of technology used in the display.
is dustproof and water-resistant
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
The device is dustproof and water-resistant. Water-resistant devices can resist the penetration of water, such as powerful water jets, but not being submerged into water.
ATM rating
5 ATM
The ATM rating indicates how much water pressure a device can withstand. 3 ATM is one of the lowest ratings and means that the device can only withstand splashes of water, whereas 20 ATM is one of the highest ratings and means that the device can be used for snorkeling and water sports.
Ingress Protection (IP) rating
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value.
The first number of the IP rating refers to protection against dust, while the second number refers to protection against liquid. E.g. a first number of 6 denotes that it is completely dustproof, and a second number of 7 denotes that the device can withstand full immersion in water.
has branded damage-resistant glass
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Damage-resistant glass (such as Corning Gorilla Glass or Asahi Dragontrail Glass) is thin, lightweight, and can withstand high levels of force.
Gorilla Glass version
Gorilla Glass 3
Gorilla Glass is one of the most popular brands of chemically strengthened glass, manufactured by Corning. Several versions have been developed, the newer ones being more durable and providing better damage resistance.
pixel density
280ppi
Pixel density is a measurement of a screen's resolution, expressed as the number of pixels per inch (PPI) on the screen. A higher pixel density translates into more clarity and sharpness for the images rendered on the screen, thus improving the quality of the viewing experience.
sweat resistance
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Resistance to sweat makes it ideal for use while doing sports.
Sensors
Monitors blood oxygenation levels
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Your blood oxygen level is a measurement how much oxygen is reaching your muscles. It is important because low levels mean that you will become easily fatigued during exercise. The more exercise you do, the better your blood oxygen levels will become.
Has a heart rate monitor
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
A heart rate monitor can help show your fitness levels, enabling you to calculate a suitable intensity of exercise.
has GPS
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
GPS enables global positioning, useful in map, geo-tagging or navigation apps.
has an accelerometer
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
An accelerometer is a sensor used to measure the linear acceleration of a device. A common application is detecting when a device changes between vertical and horizontal positions.
Has a temperature sensor
✖Garmin Vivoactive 4S
With a temperature sensor you can monitor changes in temperature to measure your exertion levels and avoid hyperthermia.
has a compass
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
A compass is useful for gaming, maps, and navigation software.
Has a barometer
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
This measures barometric air pressure. It can predict weather changes, for example a sudden drop in air pressure could mean a storm is coming. When calibrated correctly it can be used to determine altitude, which helps GPS devices to lock on quicker and with greater accuracy.
has a gyroscope
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
A gyroscope is a sensor that tracks the orientation of a device, more specifically by measuring the angular rotational velocity. Initially, they were built using a spinning rotor to detect changes in orientation, like twisting or rotation.
Has a cadence sensor
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
A cadence sensor measures the number of pedal revolutions per minute when you are cycling. It enables you to monitor how fast you are pedaling.
Activity tracking
Tracks your sleep
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
It can track your sleep, such as how long you sleep for and the quality.
Tracks distance
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
It tracks how far you travel.
Tracks steps taken
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
It tracks how many steps you take throughout the day, allowing you to see how active you have been.
Measures pace
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Measuring pace shows how much time it takes to travel one kilometer or one mile. For example, in running, a 4 minute kilometer would be a very good pace.
Provides sleep reports
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Your sleep data is analysed to give you a report, available to view through the app or website. This allows you to see the quality of your sleep and to help you make improvements.
Detects activities automatically
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
The device automatically detects when you start an activity such as jogging, saving you from entering it manually at a later time.
Has a route tracker
✖Garmin Vivoactive 4S
With a route tracker you can add your route onto a map. It is helpful if you plan to do the same route again, or want to share it with your community.
Tracks elevation
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
It can detect changes in elevation, such as when you are climbing stairs.
Has multi-sport mode
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
A multi-sport mode allows you to easily switch between tracking different sports such as running, cycling, and swimming. This feature is ideal for those who need to change quickly between various activities (e.g., triathletes).
Connectivity
Is compatible with iOS
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
It is compatible with a range of iOS devices such as iPhones, iPads and the iPod Touch.
Is compatible with Android
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
It is compatible with a range of Android devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Bluetooth version
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value.
Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data transfers between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
supports Wi-Fi
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
The device can connect to Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
The Wi-Fi versions supported by the device.
supports ANT+
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
ANT+ is a wireless protocol similar to Bluetooth Smart, and is very power efficient. It is mainly used for fitness monitoring devices such as heart rate monitors and cadence sensors to connect to other devices (e.g., sports watches, smartphones, and cycling computers).
has NFC
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
NFC (near-field communication) allows a device to perform simple wireless transactions, such as mobile payments. Note: this feature may not be available in all markets.
has a cellular module
✖Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Devices that use cellular technology can connect to mobile networks. Cellular networks have much wider signal coverage than Wi-Fi.
supports Galileo
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Galileo is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that is similar to GPS. Supported devices can use a combination of Galileo and GPS for location-based services such as Google Maps, and tend to be around 30% more accurate than GPS-only devices.
Battery
battery life
7 days
With a longer battery life, you don’t have to worry about charging the device as often.
battery power
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value.
Battery power, or battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store. More battery power can be an indication of longer battery life.
battery life in training mode
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value.
With a long battery life, you can train for several hours a week and only have to recharge the device every few weeks.
charge time
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value.
The time it takes to fully charge the battery.
battery life in power save mode
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value.
In power save mode you can still check what time it is and other basic functions. A long battery life is good if you wear the device day to day.
There is less chance that you will run out of battery during an adventure.
has wireless charging
✖Garmin Vivoactive 4S
It supports a wireless charging standard such as Qi. To charge the device, you simply put it down on a compatible charging pad.
has a rechargeable battery
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
The battery can be recharged and used over again.
Has a solar power battery
✖Garmin Vivoactive 4S
A solar battery takes its energy from light, and stores it in a self-recharging battery which never needs to be changed.
Features
Can be used to answer calls
✖Garmin Vivoactive 4S
The device has a speaker and microphone that allow you to answer calls made to your smartphone.
Locates your phone
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
The device has a feature that allows you to find your smartphone if you have misplaced it.
Has call control
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
The device alerts you to incoming calls on your smartphone, and allows you extra control such as muting or rejecting the call.
Has notifications
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
If you get a notification such as a call or message, the device will vibrate on your wrist or make a noise to alert you.
has irregular heart rate warnings
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Through continuous heart rate monitoring, the device is able to detect an irregular heartbeat and alert the user.
Has ECG technology
✖Garmin Vivoactive 4S
ECG stands for electrocardiogram and measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat, which is a more in-depth reading of heart health than blood pressure alone. Note: This feature may not be available in all markets.
Has silent alarm
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
The device can wake you using vibration, so as not to disturb anyone else sleeping in the room.
Has vibrating alerts
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Vibrating alerts have a variety of uses, such as interval training.
has fall detection
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Fall detection is a feature that relies on accelerometers and other sensors to differentiate between regular movement and a fall. If the wearer falls, the device can perform functions such as sounding an alarm or displaying an alert.
App & Software
Provides activity reports
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Your activity data is analysed to give you reports, available to view through the app or website. This allows you to see how active you have been and to help you make improvements.
Has inactivity alerts
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
The device detects when you have been idle for too long, and alerts you to encourage you to stay active.
Counts how many calories you've burned
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
This is useful if you are on a strict training diet or if you are trying to lose weight. It can also help to boost your motivation.
Has goal setting
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
Allows you to set your own goals, such as reaching 15,000 steps in a single day.
Has achievements
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
You are awarded achievements for reaching goals, helping to encourage you and keep you motivated.
Free app
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S (Garmin Connect Mobile)
You can download the app for free, from platforms such as Google Play or the App Store.
Has exercise diary
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S (Garmin Connect Mobile)
It has an exercise diary, allowing you to easily keep track of your previous workouts.
Ad-free
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S (Garmin Connect Mobile)
Adverts can be distracting and obtrusive. Apps and blogs without ads are more aesthetically pleasing, nicer to use, and make the content stand out.
Has coaching
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S (Garmin Connect Mobile)
The app can determine the best way for you to progress in your exercise, and offers coaching advice.
Miscellaneous
has a battery level indicator
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
An indicator shows you when the device has low battery.
has aptX
✖Garmin Vivoactive 4S
aptX is a codec used for transmitting audio wirelessly with Bluetooth. It is developed by Qualcomm, and supports 16-bit audio at a bit rate of 384kbps.
Available on PC
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S (Garmin Connect Mobile)
These services are ideal if you want to use the app while sat down at your computer, as well as on-the-go.
Has auto pause
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S (Garmin Connect Mobile)
It can determine when you have stopped working out and pause your current workout tracking until you start moving again.
Compatible with smart scales
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S (Garmin Connect Mobile)
It is compatible with smart scales such as the Fitbit Aria and Withings range. These scales transmit information such as weight and BMI to connected services over Wi-Fi.
Compatible with external heart rate monitors
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S (Garmin Connect Mobile)
It supports third-party heart rate monitors to incorporate your pulse data.
Is compatible with Windows
✔Garmin Vivoactive 4S
It is compatible with PCs and laptops running the Windows operating system.
has an external memory slot
✖Garmin Vivoactive 4S
The device has a standard memory slot (such as an SD or micro SD card slot) that enables you to extend the built-in internal storage with affordable memory modules, or easily retrieve data, such as photographs, from the memory card.
has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack
✖Garmin Vivoactive 4S
With a standard mini jack socket, you can use the device with most headphones.
Price comparison
Buy used:
$179
| Product | Store | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin vivoactive 4S, Smaller-Sized GPS ...Garmin vivoactive 4S, Smaller-Sized GPS Smartwatch, Features Music, Body Energy Monitoring, Animated Workouts, Pulse Ox Sensors and More, Silver with Gray Band (Renewed) | $180 | ||
| Garmin vivoactive 4S, Smaller-Sized GPS ...Garmin vivoactive 4S, Smaller-Sized GPS Smartwatch, Features Music, Body Energy Monitoring, Animated Workouts, Pulse Ox Sensors, Rose Gold with White Band | $280 | ||
| Garmin 010-02172-31 Vivoactive 4S, Small...Garmin 010-02172-31 Vivoactive 4S, Smaller-Sized GPS Smartwatch, Features Music, Body Energy Monitoring, Animated Workouts, Pulse Ox Sensors and More, Light Gold with Light Pink Band | $230 | ||
| Garmin vivoactive 4S Smartwatch (40mm, S...Garmin vivoactive 4S Smartwatch (40mm, Slate Stainless Steel Bezel/Black Case, Silicone Band) | $280 | ||
| Garmin vivoactive 4S Smartwatch (40mm, R...Garmin vivoactive 4S Smartwatch (40mm, Rose Gold Stainless Steel Bezel/White Case, Silicone Band) | $350 | ||
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