Garmin Vivomove Sport smartwatch review

Stylish and functional hybrid for anyone keen to track fitness and lifestyle, rather than performance

Main photo
(Image credit: Emma Silversdes)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The Garmin Vivomove Sport is a super option for those would like quality fitness and lifestyle tracking without the expense and commitment of a full smartwatch. The combination of classic, physical watch hands with a hidden OLED screen make it ideal for anyone wanting to avoid the bulkiness of a full-on smartwatch with endless widgets and settings. The lack of on-board GPS will likely be the deciding factor in any purchase, though the option to pair to a smartphone for GPS tracking means it's still possible to dabble with more in-depth stats, albeit at the cost of battery life.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Lightweight

  • +

    Discreet and stylish

  • +

    Easy to use

  • +

    Intuitive app

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    No independent GPS

  • -

    Pairing for a signal, or broadcasting HR significantly compromises battery life

  • -

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

The Garmin Vivomove Sport is a great choice for anyone wanting to track day-to-day activity and recovery without being overwhelmed by a plethora of data and analysis that’s arguably fit for a pro. Its sleek, discreet and lightweight design offers a range of functions that should satisfy most fitness enthusiasts.

Garmin Vivomove Sport: first impressions

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Emma’s first encounters with a bike were in between swimming and running. Soon after competing for GB in the World Age Group Triathlon Championships in Edmonton in 2001 she saw the light and decided to focus on cycling. 

With a couple of half decent UK road seasons under her belt, she went out to Belgium to sample the racing there, spending two years with Lotto-Belisol Ladies team, racing alongside the likes of Sara Carrigan, Grace Verbeke, Rochelle Gilmore and Lizzie Deignan. Emma moved from Lotto-Belisol to Dutch team Redsun, working primarily as a domestique for Emma Johansson. When Redsun folded, Emma was offered the opportunity to ride with a newly formed Belgian team and home to the first year senior and budding rider Anna Van Der Breggen.

After retiring, Emma returned to teaching, setting up her own tutoring business. When not coercing kids to do maths, she is invariably out on two wheels. While the road bike remains her true passion, she has also developed an addiction to touring, with destinations including Iceland, Georgia and Albania, to mention just a few. There have also been sightings of Emma off-road, on mountain and gravel bikes… As if all of this isn't enough, she's been working as a freelancer since 2005, testing and reviewing the latest kit and sharing her insight into the sport.