Garmin usually keeps its smartwatch and sports watch lines pretty separate. You’ve got sleek, everyday smartwatches like the Venu and Vivoactive series. Then there are the best running smartwatches like the Forerunner watches, packed with advanced features for serious athletes.
But what if you want the best of both worlds? What if you want a watch that looks good at the office but can also track your trail runs with detailed metrics?
That’s where the Garmin Vivoactive 6 comes in. It’s like Garmin heard our requests and decided to blend the style of the Vivoactive with some of the advanced sports features of the Forerunner. Pretty cool, right?
In this post, we’ll dive into everything new with the Vivoactive 6. We’ll also cover what’s stayed the same from the Vivoactive 5 and how it stacks up against other Garmin watches.
Garmin Vivoactive 6 Specs: What’s New in 2025?
- Bright AMOLED Display – 1.2-inch screen for clear visuals
- Long Battery Life – Up to 11 days in smartwatch mode
- Built-in GPS – Accurate tracking for outdoor activities
- Advanced Health Monitoring – Sleep tracking, Body Battery, stress tracking, heart rate monitoring
- Fitness & Sports – 80+ workout modes, animated workouts, Garmin Coach training plans
- Smart Features – Smart wake alarm, Bluetooth connectivity, touchscreen interface
- Durability & Design – Round case, multiple color options
Garmin Vivoactive 6 Pros and Cons: Is It Worth Buying?
| Pros ✅ | Cons ❌ |
|---|---|
| Breadcrumb Navigation | Single-band GPS |
| 8GB onboard storage for music | No ECG sensor |
| Up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode | |
| 42mm case available in multiple color options | |
| On-screen guidance for strength training | |
| Automatic nap detection |
Garmin Vivoactive 6 Review: Design & Build Quality, and More
A Familiar Feel
If you’re familiar with the Vivoactive 5, the Vivoactive 6 will feel like coming home. Garmin hasn’t drastically changed the overall design.
The watch still features a comfortable 42mm case that’s lightweight and easy to wear all day. It’s made with a plastic case and an aluminum bezel around the outside.
Color Options
The Vivoactive 6 comes in four different colors, so you can pick one that matches your style:
- Black
- White/Gold
- Green
- Pink
Display Enhancements
The display is still a sharp 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a 390×390 resolution.
However, Garmin has bumped up the brightness a bit. This makes a noticeable difference when you’re trying to see the screen in bright sunlight.
Button Updates
One small change is the shape of the upper right button. It’s now round instead of rectangular. It’s a subtle tweak, but it might feel different if you’re used to the Vivoactive 5.
Navigation and Interface
Navigating the Vivoactive 6 is simple. You use a combination of the touchscreen and two physical buttons. The upper button is your “start” or “enter” button.
The lower button is your “back” button. You can also swipe left on the watch face to quickly access activities and apps.
A cool new feature is that you can now set the back button to act as a quick-access shortcut for your favorite app.
Previously, long-pressing the back button would bring up the settings menu, but that’s been moved to the app list.
Controls Menu Redesign
Garmin has also revamped the controls menu, which you access by long-pressing the upper right button.
Instead of the old circular layout, it now uses a grid layout. Some might say it takes inspiration from the Apple Watch. What do you think?
Garmin Vivoactive 6 Battery Life & Music Storage Compared
Music Storage Boost
If you like listening to music while you work out, you’ll appreciate the increased storage on the Vivoactive 6.
The fitness tracking watch now has 8GB of onboard storage, double the 4GB of the Vivoactive 5. You can load it up with songs from streaming services like Spotify and Amazon Music.
Vivoactive 6 Battery Life Expectations
Battery life is always a big concern with smartwatches. The Vivoactive 6 offers similar battery performance to its predecessor.
You can expect up to 11 days in smartwatch mode if you don’t use the always-on display. If you do use the always-on display, that drops to about 5 days.
Keep in mind that battery life can vary depending on how you use the watch. If you track a lot of outdoor activities with GPS or if you’re constantly interacting with the screen, you’ll likely see shorter battery life.
One user reported getting around 4 days of battery life with the Vivoactive 5 while recording about an hour of outdoor activity per day with the always-on display enabled.
For recording outdoor activities, you can expect up to 17 hours in the most accurate GPS mode or up to 21 hours in a less accurate mode.
Health and Activity Tracking: Staying Consistent, With a Twist
Heart Rate Sensor
The Vivoactive 6 uses Garmin’s 4th-generation heart rate sensor, which also tracks blood oxygen saturation levels.
This is a reliable sensor, but it’s not quite as advanced as the 5th generation sensor found in the Venu 3. The main difference is that the 5th generation sensor has ECG capabilities.
Sleep Tracking Enhancements
Garmin’s sleep tracking is pretty comprehensive. The Vivoactive 6 gives you a sleep score and tracks your sleep stages throughout the night. A new addition is the “smart alarm” feature.
This is designed to wake you up at the optimal time based on your sleep stages so you feel more refreshed. Does it work? More testing is needed to say for sure.
HRV Status
HRV (Heart Rate Variability) is becoming a popular metric for tracking overall health and recovery. The Vivoactive 6 tracks your HRV over time and gives you a status to show if you’re within your normal range.
A lower HRV can indicate that you’re stressed or not recovering well, while a higher HRV can mean you’re well-rested and ready for a hard workout. Keep in mind that HRV is highly personalized, so it takes time to establish your baseline range.
Core Activity Tracking
The Vivoactive 6 covers all the basics when it comes to activity tracking.
It tracks your steps, heart rate 24/7, pulse ox sensor, and calories burned, and uses Garmin’s Body Battery metric to give you an idea of your energy levels throughout the day.
Garmin Vivoactive 6 Fitness Tracking & Sport Modes: What’s New?
Expanded Sport Profiles
The Vivoactive 6 includes all the sports profiles you’d expect, like running, cycling, gym workouts, racket sports, pool swimming, and open-water swimming. But Garmin has also added a bunch of new ones, including:
- Track Running
- Trail Running
- Gravel Cycling
- E-biking
- Surfing
- Snorkeling
- Ice Skating
- Motorsports (motorcycling, ATVing)
Outdoor Activity Tracking
For outdoor activities, the Vivoactive 6 has an updated satellite chipset that can access more satellite systems.
It’s still a single-band chipset (not the multi-band GPS found on higher-end watches), but the increased satellite access should provide better global coverage.
Advanced Running Features: Borrowing From the Forerunner
Running Dynamics
The Vivoactive 6 tracks all the essential running data, like distance, speed, pace, cadence, and stride length. But now, it also includes advanced running dynamics, such as:
- Vertical Oscillation
- Vertical Ratio
- Ground Contact Time
These metrics can help you analyze your running form and identify areas for improvement.
For example, ground contact time is how long your foot stays on the ground with each step. Generally, you want to keep this number low for better efficiency.
Running Power
Running power is another new feature that’s making its way into the AMOLED fitness tracker.
It measures the amount of force or propulsion you generate with each step.
This can be a more useful metric than pace, especially when running on hills or in windy conditions.
PacePro
Garmin’s PacePro feature is a training tool that lets you set up specific pacing strategies for your runs.
You can target a consistent pace, negative splits (gradually getting faster), or positive splits (starting fast and tapering off).
Workout Animations
The Vivoactive 6 leverages Garmin’s extensive library of workout animations in Garmin Connect.
This gives you visual guidance for exercises, especially for strength training.
Navigation and Connectivity: Expanding Horizons
Breadcrumb Navigation
A welcome addition to the Vivoactive 6 is breadcrumb navigation. This feature was previously reserved for Garmin’s higher-end watches.
It allows you to follow routes, which is great for exploring new areas.
Connect Plus: What You Get (and What You Don’t)
With the launch of the Garmin Connect App’s new Connect Plus premium plan, you might be wondering what features you’ll miss out on if you don’t subscribe.
Core Functionality Remains: Don’t worry; all the core features of the Vivoactive 6, like accessing your health data, are still available without a subscription.
Active Intelligence: Connect Plus offers an “Active Intelligence” feature that provides insights and guidance based on your recovery and workouts. However, this is essentially just a summary of data that’s already collected on your watch.
Live Activities: One potentially useful feature that is behind the paywall is “Live Activities.” This lets you view your workout metrics for indoor activities on the Garmin Connect app. This could be handy for guided workouts with animations, as viewing the animations on a larger screen is easier.
Garmin Coach: The good news is that Garmin Coach training plans and workouts remain free. You only need a Connect Plus subscription to view the data on the app.
Other Connect Plus Features: Other Connect Plus features include enhanced LiveTrack and more detailed performance dashboards.
Final Thoughts: A Smartwatch That’s Getting Smarter
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is a solid update that brings some exciting new features to the lineup.
While it’s not a complete overhaul, the addition of advanced running dynamics, running power, and breadcrumb navigation make it a more capable sports watch.
Compared to the Apple Watch SE, the Vivoactive 6 now offers similar features like running power. Garmin is stepping up its game!
If you’re looking for even more advanced features like a speaker/microphone and ECG capabilities, you might want to consider the Garmin Venu 3. Check out a full review of the Venu 3 to learn more.
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FAQ Sections
Is the Garmin Vivoactive 6 better than the Apple Watch SE?
Garmin Vivoactive 6 and Apple Watch SE cater to different users. The Vivoactive 6 excels in fitness tracking, battery life, and advanced running metrics, while the Apple Watch SE offers a more polished smartwatch experience with app integrations and ecosystem support. If you prioritize fitness and battery life, the Vivoactive 6 is the better choice.
How long does the Garmin Vivoactive 6 battery last?
Garmin Vivoactive 6 offers up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and around 5 days with the always-on display enabled. If using GPS extensively, expect up to 17 hours in the most accurate mode.
What’s new in the Garmin Vivoactive 6 vs Vivoactive 5?
Vivoactive 6 improves upon the Vivoactive 5 with a brighter AMOLED display, enhanced GPS tracking, new sport modes like trail running and e-biking, advanced running dynamics, breadcrumb navigation, and 8GB of onboard music storage (double that of the Vivoactive 5).
Does Garmin Vivoactive 6 support ECG and sleep tracking?
Vivoactive 6 does not have an ECG sensor, but it does offer comprehensive sleep tracking, including sleep stages, sleep score, and a smart wake alarm feature to optimize rest.
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