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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Garmin Vivoactive HR Review}}
[[File:VivoactiveHR-comp.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The VivoactiveHR is an upgraded version of the Vivoactive, but I prefer the original.]]
The {{Garmin VivoactiveHRVivoActiveHR}} is an upgraded version of the [[Garmin Vivoactive]], the main addition being Optical Heart Rate Monitoring (OHRM). In this review I'm going to argue that you're probably better off with the Vivoactive than the VivoactiveHR. This is not a clear cut choice, and buying the VivoactiveHR is not unreasonable. Pretty much everything I mention in the Vivoactive review applies to the VivoactiveHR, so I'll focus on the important differences.
* '''Optical Heart Rate Monitoring'''. If OHRM worked, it would be a great convenience over using a chest strap. The ability to monitor heart rate continuously would be an even bigger advantage, giving insight into sleeping heart rate and overall activity levels. Sadly, ORHM works rather poorly in practice and I believe you're better off with no heart rate monitor than one that's inaccurate. It's a case of misleading information is worse than no information, and the VivoactiveHR is inaccurate all too often. The continuous OHRM is a little misleading as the watch only periodically polls your heart rate, but that would be okay if the reading were right. I was expecting the OHRM to influence the estimate of calories burned, but it doesn't appear to.
* '''Activity Tracking'''. The Vivoactive has become my favorite activity tracker. It's small and comfortable so I don't mind wearing it all day and all night, and the [https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/7ef071c3-4a14-4eb3-aca9-e3a531262711 ActiFace] watch face that's available on all Garmin watches that support Garmin's [[Connect IQ]] is outstanding. It provides a lot of data on the small screen, and the graph of the last week's activity is a great motivator. The VivoactiveHR will track the number of flights of stairs climbed and the number of active minutes which are better in theory than practice. The stairs climbed seems way too inaccurate for it to be of value to me, and the "active minutes" ignores intensity.