I’ve never quite warmed up to the look of smartwatches—even after owning a few Garmin models. To me, they lack design ingenuity, and they require charging. I started looking for a watch that had the look of a traditional timepiece with modern smart features. I discovered this hybrid smartwatch from Garmin. Given Garmin’s ecosystem was already integral to my cycling and sports gear, some sensors, the aesthetics and features of this watch made my decision easy as I was already invested in Garmin. Somehow, my wife found out of my interest, and to my surprise, she gifted me one.
The Garmin Vivomove Style is the fourth smartwatch I’ve owned, and I can’t think of anything it’s missing—it has everything I need. I consider it a ‘sleeper’ watch; its conventional aesthetics don’t reveal the impressive tech hidden underneath. It tracks so much that I sometimes wonder who might have access to my personal health data—but more on that later. While the smartwatch is constantly running in the background, its presence becomes clear with a simple tap on the dial. That’s when the hidden display illuminates, instantly transporting you into the 21st century.
If you’re like me and not a huge fan of traditional smartwatches or simply want something different from the mainstream, keep reading. Hopefully, my experience with this hybrid watch will help you take the leap and get one for yourself. I’ve broken down my experience into five key categories: design, wearability, practicality, smart features, and how it fits into my daily life. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!
Design
Starting with the watch size, the Garmin Vivomove Style measures 42 x 42 x 11.9 mm. Its weight varies depending on the band used—ranging from 44.5g for the watch alone to approximately 86g when paired with a metal bracelet. The watch feels and fits like a glove in my average wrist size. It features a standard 20mm lug width, a practical choice since 20mm bands are widely available, come in a variety of designs, and are among the most affordable options.
This watch boasts premium materials at an affordable price, featuring a graphite anodized aluminum case and a Gorilla Glass 3 crystal, an excellent combination. Anodized aluminum is an ideal choice for a hybrid watch for three key reasons. First, it efficiently conducts heat, helping to dissipate the warmth generated by the microprocessor. Second, its lightweight nature enhances comfort on the wrist and third, it delivers a sleek, modern aesthetic that complements the watch’s overall design. I have the version with the Black Pepper Woven Nylon Band, and while it looks great, I have several bands that I rotate depending on the day’s activities or my attire. Something worth noting is that the Woven Nylon band collect lint and it takes a long time to dry when wet.
From the moment I opened the box, my unit was absolutely pristine—no scratches, no imperfections, no rough edges, unfinished sections, or assembly flaws. Just pure perfection, exactly what you’d expect from Garmin. The watch features a button-free design, relying entirely on its touchscreen for navigation across multiple screens and tools. While the screen can be somewhat unresponsive when wet, it’s never enough to diminish my appreciation for the watch. Additionally, it can be configured to vibrate as tactile feedback for every interaction, which is a fantastic touch.
The dial is protected by a high-quality Gorilla Glass crystal, making it scratch-resistant and providing a clear view of the dial. The design is simple and elegant; the branding is discreet, not ostentatious, and complements the dial beautifully. Daytime readability is excellent, as the dial is very easy to read. However, at night, you’ll need to rely on the digital display, as the hour markers and hands do not feature lume. Keep in mind that the watch continues to operate in ‘watch’ mode even when the battery is depleted. Making it difficult to read in low-light conditions, as you’ll have to rely solely on the analog display, which lacks illumination.
To conclude the design review, the watch is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, delivering up to 5 days of operation in smartwatch mode. Even after the battery runs out, it continues to function as a traditional timepiece for an additional 3 days. The dial embraces a minimalist aesthetic, ensuring clarity and ease of use, with customizable options to suit individual preferences. In terms of time accuracy, the watch syncs with your phone multiple times throughout the day, guaranteeing precise timekeeping.
Wear Experience
The minimalist design of the watch, combined with interchangeable bands or bracelets, makes it suitable for any occasion. It’s highly versatile—you can dress it up, wear it casually as your daily driver, or rely on it as a durable beater watch. Not only does the watch look good, but swapping out the bands can also enhance comfort, also making it more suitable for the activity.
The watch feels very comfortable on the wrist—neither too heavy nor too light. The heart rate sensor on the back sits flush with the case, so it doesn’t press into your skin or cause discomfort. It stays securely in place and never gets in the way. The absence of a crown or physical buttons is a thoughtful design choice, especially during workouts, as it prevents accidental presses that could interrupt your activity tracking. Lastly, its high-quality materials make it tough and resistant, enhancing your wearing experience since you won’t have to baby it.
When it comes to wardrobe compatibility, the watch’s simple design blends effortlessly with virtually any attire. In my opinion, black complements most outfits, and with its 20mm lug width, it’s easy to find a band or bracelet that suits your style. Whether you prefer sporty plastic straps, elegant Italian leather, or a classic stainless steel bracelet, this watch will pair well with virtually any outfit.
Combine its looks with its specs, and you’ve got a truly versatile timepiece. It can serve as your reliable beater watch, ready to handle daily wear and tear, or accompany you for a swim or water sports. There’s no need to baby it—it’s built to be used
The watch is somewhat practical, and while it does help keep my day organized, I find it a bit overwhelming at times. Just to give you some context—I try to avoid using my smartphone as much as possible, and this watch makes that difficult. Not only does it mirror nearly every notification, text, and call from my phone, but it also includes constant activity goal reminders. It tracks stress levels and frequently suggests actions like resting, walking, or taking a break. To be honest, I find these prompts more intrusive than helpful—they start to feel a bit like nagging.
Smart Features
The Garmin Vivomove Style watch comes loaded with features such as smart notifications for calls, texts, emails, and app alerts, music controls, and weather updates. It also includes wellness tools like heart rate monitoring, Pulse Ox for blood oxygen levels, stress tracking, sleep analysis. While it doesn’t have built-in GPS, it uses your phone’s GPS for tracking outdoor activities and supports various fitness profiles like walking, running, bicycle, and strength training
As mentioned earlier, this smartwatch is packed with features. However, it has some notable limitations: you can’t install apps, it lacks handwriting input, there’s no built-in GPS, and it doesn’t include a microphone or camera. In my opinion, many of these features seem more geared toward showing off than practical use. That said, I do appreciate the smart features like music control, activity and sport tracking, heart rate monitoring, sleep analysis, phone finder, and notifications. I use these functions cautiously, though, as they involve highly personal and sensitive data.
If you’re into health and wellness, it’s definitely nice to have access to data like heart rate, sleep patterns, and blood oxygen levels. However, I take this information with a grain of salt, just like stepping on a scale doesn’t tell the whole story when you’re trying to lose fat. These metrics can be helpful, but they don’t always capture the full picture of your health. For instance, there have been nights when I barely slept or felt rested at all, waking up groggy and miserable—yet my sleep score was over 90%. On the flip side, I’ve had mornings where I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day, only to see a surprisingly low sleep score. This just goes to show that while the data is useful, it doesn’t always align with how you actually feel.
I find the many features in this watch cool, but if I were to add an adjective, I’d say they’re more novel than practical. None of the features truly excel or replace traditional methods. Take payments, for example: they aren’t very practical. My smartphone needs to be nearby, connected to the internet, and by the time I’ve entered the passcode to unlock the feature, I realize everyone is waiting on me to pay. Using my smartphone, cash, or a credit card is much faster and more convenient than using the smartwatch.
Don’t get me wrong—the watch and its features are great. However, I feel the smart features are often oversold. In my opinion, smartwatches in general act more like sensors that collect personal data and upload it to the cloud, rather than tools that genuinely improve your lifestyle, fitness, or wellness.
Before buying one, I would ask myself a few important questions:
- Where is my data being uploaded?
- Who controls and has access to my personal data?
- Do I really need it?
- Will it help or hinder my training?
If you trust the technology and don’t have concerns about data privacy—and you’re looking for a smartwatch that resembles a traditional watch—look no further. Get the Vivomove Style (or one of its successors). Garmin is an excellent company that stands behind its products, and their support is great