Garmin announced several devices at consumer electronic show IFA in Berlin, including the Vivomove HR.

Our quick take

The Garmin Vivomove HR combines beauty with brains. It's a stunning device that appears to find the perfect balance between a classic timepiece you can wear with jeans or business wear and a smart device thanks to that hidden touchscreen.

Its feature set is promising too, with heart rate monitoring, VO2 max, stress tracking ad general activity tracking all on board, as well as waterproofing.

The Garmin Vivomove HR is one device we are very excited about strapping to our wrists. Watch this space as we will update this preview when we get the device in for review.

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Garmin vivomove HR

Garmin's most attractive watch design, combining the classic look of a wristwatch with basic activity monitoring.

On first glance, the Vivomove HR looks like any other analogue watch, but this device has a dirty little secret. It has a hidden touchscreen, as well as heart rate monitoring, making it the first of its kind.

Bringing the latest and greatest Garmin connectivity in an elegant design, here are our first impressions of the Garmin Vivomove HR.

Garmin Vivomove HR preview: Design

  • Premium, classic design with analogue face
  • Hidden touchscreen
  • Three colour options, leather or silicone straps

The Garmin Vivomove HR has a lovely classic design with a solid, premium finish. It looks like a standard watch and on first look, that's exactly what you would assume it is.

There is a lovely stainless steel bezel around the analogue watch face, along with stainless steel lugs holding the leather or textured silicone strap in place, depending on which model you choose - Premium or Sport.

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There are three options of the Vivomove HR, comprising a black face with silver bezel and a brown leather strap, a green face with a brushed steel and a tan leather strap, both Premium models, or a rose gold face with a rose gold bezel and a textured silicone white strap, which is the Sport model. All the straps are fastened with a buckle fastening, reinforcing the device's appeal as a traditional watch.

The face itself, no matter what colour, comes with two simple hands and a plain face with no detailing or complications, only even numbers highlighted as numbers with small lines in-between and bolder lines differentiating odd numbers. There is also a small Garmin logo.

Turn your wrist and the Vivomove HR springs to life though, with that hidden touchscreen we mentioned previously appearing on the bottom half of the watch face. The touchscreen will present various stats like heart rate and notifications like messages and the hands ik the face will cleverly move out of the way in order to show the data.

Garmin Vivomove HR preview shots image 5
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The touchscreen is clear and crisp, as well as responsive, offering a plethora of information when you want it, but keeping it hidden for when you need a classic and timely look. It's an excellent compromise, especially with the addition of heart rate monitoring, and one Garmin has executed brilliantly.

On the underside of the Vivomove HR is where you'll find the heart rate sensor, which is circular and slightly raised from the stainless steel body. The charging pins are also present to the right of the heart rate monitor.

Garmin Vivomove HR preview: Features and specs

  • Activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, VO2 max
  • Smart notifications with vibration alerts
  • Five day battery life in smart mode

The Garmin Vivomove HR features reminders to move and activity tracking functionality, including steps, intensity minutes, sleep and stairs climbed, among others.

There is also heart rate monitoring on board, as we mentioned, smart notifications with vibrations for emails, texts, calls, app alerts and social media, and that touchscreen we spoke about when you turn your wrist.

Additionally, the Vivomove HR will measure VO2 max and fitness age, offering users data to help monitor their fitness level and encourage improvement, like taking the stairs instead of the lift.

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The Vivomove HR will also monitor all-day stress tracking, displaying current stress levels by measuring heart rate variability while also offering a Four-Fold Breath relaxation timer for helping with immediate stress relief.

There are pre-loaded profiles for walking, running, cardio and strength training and the Vivomove HR is both swim and shower safe. You can also control music on it and send an alert to locate a misplaced smartphone.

In terms of battery life, the Vivomove HR will offer up to five days in smart mode and up to two weeks in watch mode.

Garmin Vivomove HR preview: Software

  • Syncs to Garmin Connect
  • Easy access to data and patterns

The Garmin Vivomove HR automatically syncs to Garmin's Connect software, where user's will be able to see their data and statistics, as well as workouts, strength training activities, stress levels and sleep patterns in detailed graphs.

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Data and patterns can be seen on the Garmin Connect mobile app, or on a desktop computer, offering easy accessibility and usability. It's a great software platform that offers a huge range of data, giving you a great insight into your health and where you can improve.