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Garmin vívoactive® 5 GPS Smartwatch
The vívoactive 5 is Garmin's mid-range GPS smartwatch with a bright 1.2-inch AMOLED display, 11-day battery life, Body Battery energy monitoring, Sleep Coach, nap detection, HRV status, 30+ sport profiles, on-device music storage, and Garmin Pay. Launched September 2023, it sits between the budget Venu Sq line and the premium Venu 3/4 series — offering the best balance of health tracking, fitness features, and connected smartwatch functionality at $237.99.
Our Take: The vívoactive 5 is the Garmin we recommend most often for people who want solid health and fitness tracking without paying for features they won't use. At $299.99, you get a bright AMOLED display, 11-day battery, Body Battery, Sleep Coach with nap detection, HRV status, 30+ sport profiles, on-device music, and Garmin Pay — a genuinely complete smartwatch. The Gen 4 HR sensor handles everything from rest to HIIT well, and the 42mm case is light enough to forget you're wearing it. The trade-offs vs the premium Venu line are specific: no barometric altimeter, no speaker/mic for calls, no ECG, no flashlight, and no compass. If any of those matter to you, the Venu 3 or Venu 4 fill the gaps. But for the majority of everyday fitness users, the vívoactive 5 delivers everything you need at the best price point in the lineup.
Why you'd choose this model
- A vivid 390×390 AMOLED touchscreen with optional always-on mode. Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Excellent sunlight readability and deep blacks for rich watch faces.
- Up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and approximately 21 hours in GPS activity tracking. Dramatically longer than Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch — wear it overnight for sleep tracking without worrying about charging.
- Tracks your energy reserves on a 1–100 scale using HRV, stress, sleep, and activity data. Shows exactly how sleep, naps, workouts, and stress impact your energy throughout the day.
- Get a nightly sleep score with personalized coaching for how much sleep you need. Nap detection automatically logs daytime naps and shows how they recharge your Body Battery.
- Track running, cycling, pool swimming, open water swimming, golf, HIIT, yoga, strength, Pilates, wheelchair activities, and more with built-in GPS and Garmin Coach running plans.
- Download playlists from Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music for phone-free listening with Bluetooth headphones. 4 GB of on-watch storage.
- Make contactless NFC payments from your wrist at supported terminals. No phone needed — just tap your watch to pay.
- The 42mm round case with aluminum bezel weighs just 36 grams. Comfortable enough to wear 24/7 including overnight. 5 ATM swim-proof rated. Standard 20mm quick-release bands.
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Who this watch is perfect for
- Everyday fitness users who want comprehensive health tracking, on-device music, and multi-day battery in a lightweight watch.
- People switching from Apple Watch or Fitbit who want dramatically better battery life without losing music, payments, and notifications.
- Casual-to-intermediate runners, cyclists, and swimmers who want GPS tracking, Garmin Coach plans, and sleep coaching.
- Anyone who wants a Garmin smartwatch at the best price-to-feature ratio in the current lineup.
You may prefer a different Garmin if…
- You want the latest features at the same $299.99 price — the vívoactive 6 adds a compass, gyroscope, PacePro, running power, and 50+ sports.
- You want wrist calls with a speaker and mic — the Venu 3 ($449.99) is the only Venu-line watch with that feature.
- You want multi-band GPS, ECG, and an LED flashlight — the Venu 4 ($549.99) has all three.
- You need a barometric altimeter for floor counting and elevation tracking — both the Venu 3 and Venu 4 include one.
vívoactive® 5 Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Case size | 42.2 × 42.2 × 11.1 mm (round) |
| Display | AMOLED touchscreen — 1.2", 390×390 px, always-on capable |
| Lens | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 |
| Case material | Fiber-reinforced polymer with aluminum bezel |
| Battery — Smartwatch | Up to 11 days |
| Battery — GPS | Up to 21 hours |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo (single-band) |
| Water rating | 5 ATM (50m) |
| Weight | 36 g with silicone band |
| Memory | 4 GB (music + data) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi, NFC (Garmin Pay) |
| Sensors | Elevate Gen 4 optical HR, accelerometer, thermometer, ambient light, Pulse Ox |
| Buttons | 2 side buttons + touchscreen |
| Charging | Garmin proprietary USB cable |
| Band size | 20mm quick-release bands |
| Sport profiles | 30+ (run, bike, swim, golf, HIIT, yoga, strength, Pilates, wheelchair, and more) |
| Music storage | Yes — 4 GB (Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music) |
| Garmin Pay | Yes (NFC contactless) |
Available Variants — MPN & UPC Reference
| Color / Description | MPN | UPC | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slate Aluminum / Black silicone band | 010-02862-10 | 753759324902 | $299.99 |
| Cream Gold Aluminum / Ivory silicone band | 010-02862-11 | 753759324919 | $299.99 |
| Metallic Navy / Navy silicone band | 010-02862-12 | 753759324926 | $299.99 |
| Metallic Orchid / Orchid silicone band | 010-02862-13 | 753759324933 | $299.99 |
How the vívoactive® 5 Compares
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| Feature |
vivoa. 5★ Everyday
|
vivoa. 6Everyday
|
Venu 3Premium
|
Venu 4Premium
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case material?What the watch body is made of. | FRP + aluminum bezel | FRP + aluminum bezel | FRP + SS bezel | Stainless steel |
| Display?Screen type and size. | AMOLED 1.2" | AMOLED 1.2" | AMOLED 1.2" / 1.4" | AMOLED 1.2" / 1.4" |
| Lens?Glass protecting the display. | GG3 | GG3 | GG3 | GG3 |
| Weight?Watch weight with silicone band. | 36 g | 36 g | ~35 / ~46 g | 36 / 47 g |
| Water rating?How deep the watch can safely go. | 5 ATM | 5 ATM | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Buttons? | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Sizes offered?How many case sizes are available. | 1 (42mm) | 1 (42mm) | 2 (41 / 45mm) | 2 (41 / 45mm) |
| Feature |
vivoa. 5★ Everyday
|
vivoa. 6Everyday
|
Venu 3Premium
|
Venu 4Premium
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPS type?Satellite positioning accuracy tier. | Single-band | Single-band | All-Systems GNSS | Multi-band L1+L5 |
| Barometric altimeter?Sensor for elevation and floor tracking. | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Compass?Magnetic compass for directional orientation. | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Preloaded maps?Topographic or road maps stored on the watch. | No | No | No | No |
| Feature |
vivoa. 5★ Everyday
|
vivoa. 6Everyday
|
Venu 3Premium
|
Venu 4Premium
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch mode?Days of battery in daily use without GPS. | 11 days | 11 days | 10 / 14 days | 10 / 12 days |
| GPS mode?Hours of continuous GPS activity tracking. | ~21 hrs | ~21 hrs | 21 / 26 hrs | ~21 hrs |
| Feature |
vivoa. 5★ Everyday
|
vivoa. 6Everyday
|
Venu 3Premium
|
Venu 4Premium
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HR sensor?Optical heart rate sensor generation. | Gen 4 | Gen 4 | Gen 5 | Gen 5 |
| ECG?Electrocardiogram for atrial fibrillation detection. | No | No | No | Yes |
| Body Battery?Energy level estimate based on HRV, stress, sleep, activity. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HRV Status?Overnight heart rate variability trend tracking. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep Coach?Personalized sleep recommendations based on your data. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nap detection?Automatically detects naps and their Body Battery impact. | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Health status alerts?Proactive alerts when biometric data looks unusual. | No | Yes | No | No |
| LED flashlight?Built-in white and red light on the watch. | No | No | No | Yes |
| Feature |
vivoa. 5★ Everyday
|
vivoa. 6Everyday
|
Venu 3Premium
|
Venu 4Premium
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speaker & mic?Built-in speaker and microphone for wrist calls. | No | No | Yes | No |
| Music storage?On-device music for phone-free listening. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Pay?NFC contactless payment from your wrist. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Coach?Adaptive training plans for running, cycling, strength. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sport profiles?Number of built-in activity types. | 30+ | 50+ | 30+ | 80+ |
| Running power?Wrist-based running power metric. | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| PacePro?GPS-based pacing strategy guidance for runs. | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Where does the vívoactive® 5 fit in the Garmin lineup?
☆ You Are Here
- From $229.99
- vívoactive 5 — AMOLED, 11-day battery, music, Garmin Pay, 30+ sports, Sleep Coach.
- View on heartratemonitorsusa.com →
Step Up — Same Price, Newer
- From $299.99
- vívoactive 6 — Adds compass, gyro, PacePro, running power, 50+ sports, health alerts.
- View on heartratemonitorsusa.com →
Step Up — Premium
- From $449.99
- Venu 3 — Speaker/mic for calls, baro altimeter, Gen 5 HR, 14-day battery.
- View on heartratemonitorsusa.com →
Step Up — Flagship
- From $549.99
- Venu 4 — Multi-band GPS, ECG, LED flashlight, health trends, 80+ sports.
- View on heartratemonitorsusa.com →
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vívoactive® 5 — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the vívoactive 5 and the vívoactive 6?
The vívoactive 6 (released April 2025) adds a magnetic compass, gyroscope, PacePro pacing guidance, running power, 50+ sport profiles (vs 30+), and health status alerts. It keeps the same Gen 4 HR sensor, 1.2-inch AMOLED display, 11-day battery, and $299.99 price point. If you already own a vívoactive 5, the upgrade is modest. If you are buying new, the vívoactive 6 is the better value.
Does the vívoactive 5 have music storage?
Yes. The vívoactive 5 has 4 GB of on-device music storage. You can download playlists from Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music for phone-free listening with Bluetooth headphones.
Does the vívoactive 5 have a barometric altimeter?
No. The vívoactive 5 does not have a barometric altimeter, so it cannot track floors climbed or provide real-time elevation data during activities. If you need elevation tracking, the Venu 3 and Venu 4 both include a barometric altimeter.
Can you make phone calls on the vívoactive 5?
No. The vívoactive 5 does not have a speaker or microphone. You can see incoming call notifications and accept or decline calls, but you need your phone to talk. The Venu 3 is the only current Venu-line watch with a built-in speaker and mic for wrist calls.
Does the vívoactive 5 have ECG?
No. The vívoactive 5 uses the Elevate Gen 4 heart rate sensor, which does not support ECG. The Venu 4 includes the Gen 5 sensor with ECG capability for detecting atrial fibrillation.
What size bands does the vívoactive 5 use?
The vívoactive 5 uses standard 20mm quick-release bands. You can swap the included silicone band for leather, nylon, or other 20mm bands from Garmin or third-party makers without tools.
What is Body Battery on the vívoactive 5?
Body Battery is a Garmin feature that estimates your energy reserves on a 1–100 scale using heart rate variability, stress, sleep quality, and activity data. The vívoactive 5 shows how sleep, naps, workouts, and stress specifically impact your energy throughout the day.
Support
If you have questions about this product, please contact sales at 215-259-2700 or 800-403-8285.