Garmin vívosmart HR+ activity tracker provides wrist-based heart rate plus GPS

Garmin vívosmart HR+

Garmin unveiled its latest activity tracker, vívosmart HR+, which includes a heart rate monitor (Garmin Elevate) and GPS.

The updated version of the original vívosmart, the product comes with additional running data and Garmin Move IQ auto activity detection. As such, it is capable of tracking steps, distance, calories, floors climbed and activity intensity. The vívosmart HR+ has a sunlight-readable display and water rating of 5 ATM, so it’s swim and shower safe.

Garmin vívosmart HR+ is shipping now and has a suggested retail price of $219.99.“With a compelling combination of GPS, wrist-based heart rate, long battery life and water resistance, the vívosmart HR+ was designed to keep up with users’ active lifestyles,” Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales, said in a statement. “Wherever your day takes you the vívosmart HR+ is made to help motivate and track all your active moments.”

Some of the running features that were enabled with the vívosmart HR+ are personal records, virtual pacer, Auto Pause, Auto Lap and walk/run mode. Furthermore, thanks to the built-in Elevate wrist heart rate technology, the device can quantify the intensity of users’ fitness activities using intensity minutes.

Beyond activity tracking, Garmin’s wearable also provides notifications on incoming calls, texts, calendar entries, alarms and social media updates. In addition, users are able to control music on their smartphone and find their phone when they’ve misplaced it.

The vívosmart HR+ has up to five days battery life in watch/activity tracking mode (with 24/7 heart rate monitoring, no GPS) or up to eight hours using GPS. It is shipping now and has a suggested retail price of $219.99; the wearable is available in regular size black/shark fin gray, imperial purple/kona purple and midnight blue/bolt blue, and an extra-large black/shark fin gray band.

Earlier this year, Garmin unveiled the vívofit 3 fitness band and vívoactive HR smart watch, as well as the Garmin vívomove, an analog watch that doubles as an activity tracker.