Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Garmin Vivoactive 4S (Comparison Review)

Are you on the lookout for a smartwatch that can help you keep track of your health? When that is so, then this post will be helpful. You see, today, we are living in very stressful conditions that can take their toll on our health.

That is why it is important we keep track of our health and monitor our vitals. It is not possible to visit a healthcare center or a hospital. What better way to ensure that your health is in top condition?

We are going to read about the Garmin Vivoactive 4, GPS Smartwatch vs the Garmin 010-N2172-21 Vivoactive 4S GPS Smartwatch. Garmin is one of the popular manufacturers of smartwatches.

It is safe to say that the maker has produced some of the best models in the market for consumers. Their products are almost on par with Apple models. That is right because if at all any maker can come close to Apple smartwatches in terms of features and accuracy, then it has to be this.

The Garmin Vivoactive 4 smartwatch was released on the market in 2019. It comes infused with features like health monitoring, a large display, and good battery life. There are several changes in the features compared to the Vivoactive 3 smartwatch.

You can see that there are immense changes in the hardware of the model. There is a wide range of features including hydration tracking, optional all-day pulse Ox measurements, and new breathing exercises.

Users can also notice that it comes with outstanding custom workouts and several on-screen animations. However, they increase the price point of the model which stands at around under $400.

This is $100 more than the earlier model of the Vivoactive 3 smartwatch. However, they come with intense features that make them valuable for the product. As we said, they manage to compete with the Apple models in monitoring.

The unit has a notable feature in terms of the music playback. It makes the model as one of the most appealing sports watches that you can buy right now. The Garmin Vivoactive 4S smartwatch has awesome features in it.

The model is quite similar to that of the Vivoactive 4 unit. It is a small variant that comes in a 40mm case. Most of the features are got in the Vivoactive 4 smartwatch. There could have been some improvements in the battery life, but it is light and portable too.

Let us read more to learn more about these two models that are sold in the market. We have given the winner at the end.

GARMIN VIVOACTIVE 4	GARMIN VIVOACTIVE 4S
PROS	PROS
The model comes with a large display. The unit has GPS, HRM, and NFCActivity/sleep tracking. It comes with the Pulse Ox reading feature. It has an exceptional body battery feature. The product has longer battery life.	The unit has a streamlined & elegant design. The model comes with a new music storage feature. It comes with the optional all-day pulse Ox. It is suitable for small wrists and does not cause discomfort. The product has GPS, HRM, and NFCActivity/sleep tracking.
CONS	CONS
The smartwatch can be slightly big for some hands.	The smartwatch comes with a short battery working life.
CHECK ON AMAZON	CHECK ON AMAZON

Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Garmin Vivoactive 4S: Design & Features

The Garmin Vivoactive 4 smartwatch has an elegant design to it. The unit comes with a lightweight of 50g. It has a small strap when compared to most of the other smartwatches that are sold on the market.

Many users have thought that the model is much larger for females. Many women users prefer using the unit because of the women-friendly features that it comes embedded with. However, large people with muscular hands do not feel so and claim that it fits them well.

It comes with an interactive touchscreen that works splendidly. However, it might take some time to get used to it. The color display found on it is appreciable because it helps you to adjust the settings as and when you want to when you are working outside.

There is a fantastic 260 x 260-pixel resolution. The battery life of the watch is exceptional providing you with almost 8 days of life. That is good. Some users claimed that it does not provide them with the quality of Fitbit and Apple units.

It works only for 18 hours with music and only 6 hours when you use GPS mode. That is not something that you would expect from a model at this price point. However, it can give other models a run for their money.

But you have a sleek, opulent, and attractive model at your disposal. You would enjoy your workout activities both inside and outside the house. Those of you who do not use it a lot for music or GPS, have nothing to worry about charging it more than required.

The Garmin Vivoactive 4S smartwatch is the smaller version of the Vivoactive 4 smartwatch. The model weighs 40g. You can note that the shape is quite elegant and small. It can easily fit on any hand.

However, we suggest that those of you who have smaller hands wear them. That is because it may not be ideal for large hands. It comes with a small circumference infused having a very slim casing of metal.

It also comes with an additional side button. You can use the button for the back, menu, and for lap access. Though it took some time, you can get used to the input methodology. Additionally, you can effortlessly navigate the smartwatch using the side button.

You can also easily make use of the other side button and color touchscreen effortlessly. Besides, you will want to note that the display comes with the transflective memory-in-pixel panel. They are not the same as the LCD panels found on other brand models.

But it makes use of less power. Something that users would appreciate in a device that already comes with limited battery working life. According to the manufacturer, it comes with a battery of 7 days.

We did not find any issues when reading the display when moving outside under the bright sun. However, we felt that the Garmin Venu smartwatch comes with a stupendous AMOLED panel. You will be delighted to know that the model is almost on par with the Apple Watch Series 5.

But the Vivoactive 4 model comes with its own set of eloquent features packed in it like the accelerometer, gyroscope, pulse Ox, altimeter, and optical heart rate monitor. You can find that it comes with a compass and a thermometer.

The GPS & heart rate monitor come with new sensors. The values provided by them are now extremely accurate when compared to the earlier Garmin models. You can also find that they have provided you with storage space for music.

It has onboard music storage offering you with the ability to use the device without having to pay an additional fee. We can say that the maker has drastically enhanced their models with several features like music storage.

Besides, the data transfer was quite efficient when compared to the other brand models. Garmin has been provided adequate support for downloading your favorite playlists & tracks from Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Prime Music.

Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Garmin Vivoactive 4S: Setup & Performance

The Garmin Vivoactive 4 model comes with an outstanding setup & performance to say. You can find that the unit can track all your physical activities and cardio work. Moreover, those of you who regularly use the gym can make use of stair-stepping, floor climbing, and elliptical training.

There is also a feature for having breathing activity. You can find a wide range of on-screen workout features. You can use them for customizing your preference on the smartwatch, but you might require some guidance.

Some of the other activities include snowboarding, skiing, stand-up paddleboarding, and even also rowing. You can use the device underwater for 50 meters. For golf lovers, there is an interesting feature that helps you make decisions on different yardage metrics.

Runners not to be missed out on can make use of the features that come present on the smartwatch. You can keep yourself healthy and fit that way. You can now track & monitor your heart rate 24/7.

You also know more about your respiration rate, blood oxygen saturation, and sleeping patterns. Women can track their mensural cycles and also monitor the stats for themselves. This immensely helps you handle your stress level.

Users have complained about the number of pop-ups that tend to come up often. This can be extremely annoying and frustrating. Besides, it also causes you to lose concentration on the kind of work that you are doing.

A notable feature here would be the Garmin Connect. It is as good as the Apple App Store. However, it still needs some improvement on it. But we found the newly added feature, the Music app extremely useful and delightful.

We also liked the optional all-day pulse Ox. Using the sensor that is present inside, you can now keep track of the blood, oxygen, and breathing data as well. Though it is not a medical device, you can share the data received with your physician.

The Garmin Vivoactive 4S model comes with a phenomenal setup & performance that is infused into it. You will be able to use the pulse Ox during your sleep. However, you will want to know that the battery can be reduced drastically from it.

This model comes with a 7-day battery life otherwise, that can run for 8 hours on the GPS model. The pulse Ox feature is not essential for you, but you can use a pulse ox sensor in most of the new models.

It can track most of your workouts including walking, running, and cycling. Moreover, you can also make use of skiing, yoga, rowing, elliptical workouts, and a host of others. There is also the cardio, yoga, strength, and pilates workout.

The Connect feature also works splendidly on the device. You can get more control of the workouts that you do use the model. Unfortunately, the custom-made workouts cannot support the animations and you have to do the exercise you are adding.

Users have commended the device for the accurate values that it can provide you with. The Polar’s H10 chest strap can be used too if you want. Moreover, the GPS takes less than 10 seconds to tell about your whereabouts.

It is an extremely useful feature to have on your smartwatch. When you begin an outdoor work session, the GPS can be switched off to help save on the battery. Otherwise, this is a feature-rich watch that can help you with your exercise and workout.

Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Garmin Vivoactive 4S: Price

The Garmin Vivoactive 4, GPS Smartwatch is priced under $330. You can personalize your smartwatch with several free watch faces, apps, and widgets from their Connect IQ store. The personalized feature is stupendous.

There are plenty of safety and tracking features. A few of them are assistance (when paired with a compatible device) & incident detection (during select activities). These then send your real-time location to the emergency contacts in your region.

It is ideal for those of you who prefer to go on trekking and long hikes. Moreover, the smartwatch comes useful for those wanting to keep a track of their health value. The Garmin 010-N2172-21 Vivoactive 4S GPS Smartwatch is priced under $330.

As you can see, the pricing is almost the same. You can get some discounts on them during the sales period. So, if you are short on budget, then you can watch out for those discounts that can help you get these awesome models at a cheaper price.

It keeps track of your energy levels. The pulse Ox helps you in monitoring any medical condition. Moreover, it also helps you monitor your stress, respiration, menstrual cycle, hydration, sleep, estimated heart, and others.

You can now download songs, including the playlists from Spotify, and Amazon music. You can also make use of Deezer with the premium subscription. You may have to connect to headphones that are sold separately.

You can record ways to move using more than 20 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps. Please do note that it is not a medical device. If at all you have any serious health ailment, then get it checked by a reputed physician in your locality.

Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Garmin Vivoactive 4S: Verdict

We have ended our comparison review on the Garmin Vivoactive 4, GPS Smartwatch vs the Garmin 010-N2172-21 Vivoactive 4S GPS Smartwatch. We hope that you liked the above review and were able to make a decision on the smartwatches.

If you haven’t, you can always read the post again, probably you would have missed something. The Garmin Vivoactive 4 smartwatch comes with a wide range of features like the music playback & lengthy body battery.

Additionally, the design aspect of the watch has been dealt with elegantly. You will also want to know that they have the Spotify support the manufacturer has learned from the previous mistakes.

Besides, you can find outstanding features like guided animated workouts, hydration, and period tracking. There is basically nothing not to like about the smartwatch. When you want sports to watch, then you will be hard pushed to find anything decent.

You might want to consider wanting to upgrade from the exceptional Vivoactive 3 smartwatch. The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is the better model as it comes with 1-day long battery life, has a temperature sensor, and 40% higher resolution.

It automatically syncs and comes with a bigger screen size. It comes with a route tracker, 3hour longer battery life – GPS, and can track your calorie intake. The Garmin Vivoactive 4S could be the ultimate unit as it is 10.5grams lighter, has weight tracking, and also comes with a cadence sensor.

The model is 5.1mm shorter, 5.1mm narrower, and comes infused with fall detection. You will be glad to know that the unit has a 21% less body volume and a 4mm narrower band. You will not be missing out on any features.

Either way, users get to choose the suitable features present on the models there. They both are similar in terms of hardware and performance. So, your decision comes down only to the size and the battery working life of the smartwatch.

Our winner in the comparison review between the Garmin Vivoactive 4 smartwatch vs Garmin Vivoactive 4S model is the Vivoactive 4S unit. Though it is somewhat narrower, it comes with a magnificent performance.

Besides, it comes in 4 different colors. When you want more features, a larger watch, and more battery performance, then go with the Garmin Vivoactive 4. The price point of both units is almost the same, and that should not be an issue in making a choice between them.