When comparing Garmin Vivofit vs Fitbit Surge, the Slant community recommends Fitbit Surge for most people. In the question“What are the best fitness trackers?” Fitbit Surge is ranked 6th while Garmin Vivofit is ranked 22nd. The most important reason people chose Fitbit Surge is:
The Fitbit Surge fitness tracker has automatic, continuous, wrist based heart rate tracking. Heart rate data is stored at one second intervals during exercise, and at five second intervals during non-exercise activities.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Battery last a whole year
Vivofit runs on two CR1632 batteries with a combined life of a year.
Pro Good activity tracker
Pro Continuous heart rate tracking eliminates risk of forgetting to activate the feature
The Fitbit Surge fitness tracker has automatic, continuous, wrist based heart rate tracking. Heart rate data is stored at one second intervals during exercise, and at five second intervals during non-exercise activities.
Pro LCD screen that can display multiple stats without the need of using the app
Similar fitness trackers depend on Bluetooth in order to relay info to a smartphone. Fitbit Surge can display information locally on the display which is far more convenient.
Pro Lets users log meals by voice
Users can tell Surge what was eaten, and a database will be used to match the entry with nutritional information.
Pro Does not need to be recharged frequently
The battery lasts 5-7 days which is one of the longer lasting options for rechargeable fitness trackers.
Pro Easy to operate compared to display-less options
While Surge easily syncs with iOS, Android, and Windows phones, it does not depend on them for functionality. The touch screen and physical buttons are a huge step up from display-less models.
Cons
Con No third-party app support
The Garmin Vivofit syncs only with the Garmin app.
Con Uncomfortable wristband
Though durable, the wristband is made of stiff plastic and not designed for comfort.
Con Might cause skin irritation for some
A number of people are reporting the Surge causes skin irritation. According to the company it's a very small percentage of customers.
Con Screen prone to inadvertent touches
It's really easy to accidentally brush up against the fitness tracker's watch and end up on screens that the user wasn't intending to navigate to. This forces you to swipe back to the correct screen.
Con Fairly big investment
While it's one of the most advanced trackers that Fitbit offers, it comes with a hefty price tag.