I tried the Garmin Vivoactive 6 for two weeks - here's 5 ways it helped me stick to my routine

But, what happens when you take the Garmin Vivoactive 6 back to basics? As one of the top brands for exercise lovers, I was confident this watch would deliver on all fitness tracking fronts, so I was interested to see whether it could help me stick to my workout routine and help improve my fitness.

I have been wearing some of the best fitness trackers for over five years, both as a keen runner and gym goer, and as woman&home's digital health editor. In this time, I've developed a keen eye for what features make a good tracker and which ones are worth avoiding.

Advanced health sensors are great to have, but if the watch doesn't do the basics, like motivating you to log another workout or boost your fitness, then what's the point? I focused on testing the Garmin Vivoactive 6 across all my workouts (strength training, cycling, and running), overnight, and in daily life to see how it fared over two weeks.

Garmin Vivoactive 6 review

Quick overview of the Garmin Vivoactive 6

The Garmin Vivoactive 6 was released earlier this year. It's an upgrade to the Garmin Vivoactive 5, offering exciting new sports modes (like trail running), downloadable workouts, and better sleep insights (including data on naps outside of regular sleep and Sleep Coach).

Whether you like to go to the gym or hit the trails for a hike, this watch can keep up. I wore the device for seven days, doing five GPS workouts and three strength sessions, as well as overnight. I didn't have to charge it until the final day - and even then, the battery only hit 10%.

A pleasingly simple (and interchangeable) home screen shows vital information like step count, and a simple swipe down on the touchscreen reveals your heart rate, Body Battery, HRV Status, sleep data, suggested workouts, and a weather report. Swipe up and you'll get text and call notifications. It's so easy to use.

While smartwatch features on the Vivoactive 6 are limited compared to the likes of the Apple Watch Series 10, you can connect to Spotify or Deezer for phone-free listening and pay for a coffee with a flick of the wrist.

It has everything you need and nothing you don't. I struggle to see how it gets better than this, to be honest.

Specifications

• RRP: £279.99
• Size: 42.2 x 42.2 x10.9 mm
• Weight: 36g (with band)
• Material: Fibre-reinforced polymer, aluminium, reinforced glass, silicone
• In-built GPS: Yes
• Battery life: Up to 11 days
• Waterproof: Swimproof, up to 5ATM

How the Garmin Vivoactive 6 helped my fitness routine

1. Daily suggested workouts

Having worn some of the other best Garmin watches, I'm no stranger to suggested workouts. Many of them have suggested running and strength workouts. However, the suggested walking workouts are new on the Vivoactive 6.

As walking is one activity I do a lot, it was useful to have these on my wrist for when I lacked motivation to get outdoors. My workouts included brisk 25-minute walks, interval training, and easy walks, all of which help boost fitness.

You can also download mobility workouts on this watch, bringing it in line with the Garmin Venu 3 in one way, a device that's almost double the price (unless you see a Garmin sale).

2. More sleep data

After wearing the Garmin Vivoactive 6 for a couple of nights, I knew I needed to make a change to my sleep habits. Though I know how to sleep better, I rarely prioritise my eight hours.

The Garmin Vivoactive 6 has more sleep features than most fitness trackers, by Garmin or otherwise. This watch records how long you slept for, sleep types (light, deep, REM), and sleep quality, and goes one step further by offering suggestions with Sleep Coach. The feature recommends hours based on factors like activity levels, age, and recent sleep, and highlights room for improvement.

After going for a particularly long walk one Saturday, I received a low sleep score, having not gone to bed early enough. The following day, my watch told me I needed almost eight hours to recover and suggested I have a nap.

Unlike many fitness trackers, the Garmin Vivoactive 6 also records any naps you take. Though for me, these are very few and far between.

3. Better running features

One of the reasons I love the Garmin Vivoactive 6 is that it's a great all-rounder. Whether you're a runner, hiker, gym-goer, rower, or tennis player, this watch has so many sports modes (over 30), you'll find several variations on your sport, to help you log your exact activity.

As a keen runner, I was particularly interested in the various running modes, which helped me accurately record my runs. For example, runners can log:

• Run (designed to record outdoor activity)
• Track Run
• Treadmill
• Virtual Run
• Indoor Track
• Trail Run
• Obstacle Racing

As you might have noticed, I'm someone who likes to delve into the nitty gritty of my exercise routine. So, imagine my happiness when I saw that the Garmin Vivoactive 6 came with better running data than the previous model.

Along with Pace Pro (which predicts race times), the running dynamics have improved. This was a winner for me as I could track the tiny details of my running form, like stride length, torso movement, vertical oscillation (how much you bounce up as well as forward), and ground contact time.

Day after day, I'd look at these stats and want to get back in my running shoes to do better next time, keeping me honest with my training schedule.

4. The Garmin app

When I'm testing fitness trackers, I find it all too easy to focus on the watch and ignore the app - until I actually have to use it. Apps can be where some fitness trackers fail if they aren't easy to use and motivational tools themselves.

I like to be able to see all my daily data in an app, but also an overview of the week and weeks gone by, to work out if I've been reaching my goals long-term. In terms of motivation and sticking to my routine, I find it pretty essential.

The Garmin app, which is the same across all Garmin watches, ticks all these boxes. At a glance, I can see my Sleep Score every morning, my live heart rate, how many intensity minutes I've had that day, step count, and calorie burn. In 'Activities', I can filter through various exercises or other metrics, like steps, to see my total for the week, month, and year in a handy bar chart. Ideal.

The only downside I could find was in the watch strap. The silicone rubbed against my skin for the first few days before it had time and pressure to mould more around my wrist. Weeks later, it's not a problem.

5. Design

The fact that all of this is packaged up in a smooth design is just a bonus point. I wanted to wear this lightweight watch every day - even days I wasn't working out - because it looked good. The off-white silicone band and silver bevel look premium yet understated, pairing just as well with my office co-ord as my Lululemon gym kit. Having reviewed fitness trackers for over five years, you can trust me when I say that's rare.

Though I initially had doubts about the lighter colour, being a sweaty gym-goer and runner, I found it held up to sweat well, and the silicone was very easy to clean.

The Garmin Vivoactive 6 looks similar to the previous model, aside from a few hardware features. The top side button (that you use to access the main menu and settings) protrudes more, and the watch face is slightly thinner overall, but you'd never notice this unless you were looking for it.

Is the Garmin Vivoactive 6 worth it?

Yes, overall, I'd say the Garmin Vivoactive 6 is a great fitness tracker. It seamlessly recorded my workouts, offered advanced insights into my exercise routine and sleep habits, and offered smart and genuinely useful suggestions for improving both.

It's also easy to use and looks great on the wrist, and while it doesn't have the same level of smartwatch features as the newest Apple Watch, it's ideal for those looking to stay consistent and motivated in their workouts.