Garmin Vivosmart HR fitness tracker now available in South Africa

Garmin has announced that its new Vivosmart HR activity tracking wristband is now available in South Africa.

The device is more fitness tracker than smartwatch, but it does feature a large always-on “sunlight readable display” that displays messages received, calls and the time, alongside the company’s new heart rate monitoring technology.

“This is the first activity tracker from Garmin with Elevate wrist heart rate technology that monitors your heart rate, offering more feedback on your daily activity, calories burned, workouts and sleep,” explains Walter Mech, Garmin’s sub-Saharan Africa MD.

“Thanks to the vívosmart HR’s high-resolution display which remains on throughout the day, you can review your progress against your fitness and stay connected with smart notifications while you are on the go.”

Garmin claims that the band will last five days between charges, while boasting a water resistance of up to 50 metres. Effectively, this means the band is on the user more often than not, providing a more rounded activity profile.

Like other fitness trackers, the Vivosmart HR also monitors the user’s current rest state and encourage them to move about if they’ve been binging on series for a bit too long. Distance, steps taken, calories burnt are also monitored.

The band’s available in black, purple and grey and should retail for around R3899.