Garmin vívoactive 5 Review: Is This GPS Smartwatch Worth It in 2025?

Our Review

Design & Build

The Garmin vívoactive 5 sports a round 1.2-inch AMOLED display that's a significant upgrade from its predecessor's LCD screen. The vibrant colours and improved contrast make it easy to read in various lighting conditions, from bright sunlight to dimly lit gyms. At just 36 grams with dimensions of 4.32 x 4.32 x 1.09 cm, this is one of the lighter smartwatches in Garmin's lineup.

The black leather strap gives it a more refined look compared to typical silicone sports bands, though some serious athletes might prefer a more sweat-resistant material for intense workouts. The build quality feels solid for the price point, and the touchscreen is responsive enough for quick navigation through menus and stats.

Performance & Features

Where the vívoactive 5 truly shines is in its health and fitness tracking capabilities. The Body Battery energy monitoring is genuinely useful, providing insights into when you're ready to tackle a workout or need to prioritise rest. It factors in sleep quality, stress levels, and physical activity to give you a surprisingly accurate picture of your daily energy levels.

The sleep tracking with personalised coaching goes beyond basic sleep stages, offering actionable advice on improving your rest quality. The addition of automatic nap detection is a thoughtful touch that many competitors overlook, helping you understand how daytime rest affects your overall energy.

With over 30 sports modes, including swimming (the watch is water-resistant), golf, HIIT, and wheelchair-specific activities, there's coverage for virtually any activity. The GPS tracking is accurate for outdoor activities, and the workout benefit feature helps you understand whether each session is improving your endurance, speed, or aerobic capacity.

Health Monitoring

Beyond fitness, the vívoactive 5 includes comprehensive health features like wrist-based heart rate monitoring, HRV status, stress tracking, and menstrual cycle tracking. The morning report provides a helpful daily briefing on your sleep, recovery, and training outlook. While Garmin notes these are close estimations rather than medical-grade measurements, they're consistent and useful for spotting trends.

Battery Life

The 11-day battery life in smartwatch mode is genuinely impressive and stands out as one of the vívoactive 5's strongest selling points. This crushes most competitors that struggle to make it through three days. Even with regular GPS use for runs or rides, you can expect around 5-7 days between charges. The included charging cable is proprietary, so you'll want to keep track of it, but the long battery life means you won't need it often.

Value

At £160.78, the Garmin vívoactive 5 represents exceptional value. You're getting features typically found in watches costing £100-150 more, including the AMOLED display, comprehensive health metrics, and that stellar battery life. The inclusion of wheelchair-specific features also shows Garmin's commitment to accessibility without charging a premium.

While it lacks some advanced features like detailed navigation maps or music storage found in Garmin's premium models, these omissions are reasonable at this price point. For most users focused on fitness tracking and daily health insights, the vívoactive 5 delivers everything needed without the bloat.