Garmin Vivoactive 6
Exact average 83.3 · 8 printed, 8 estimated · printed scores only: 81
Image: Garmin16 professional reviewers tested the Garmin Vivoactive 6, and 16 recommend it. Most praised: health tracking and battery life. Most common complaint: software.
Reviewed by CleverHiker, Garage Gym Reviews, The Independent and 13 more
The catch: Missing a barometer and some sensors.
8 of these 16 outlets print no score. We estimated theirs from the review text, then adjusted the estimates against the ratings outlets actually print (ours ran slightly low). An estimate is never higher than 92.
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What 16 critics said
Highest score first · all converted to 0–100- 88CleverHiker
A sleek, very light health-focused GPS watch that suits daily wear and thin wrists, but it is weak for backcountry navigation and needs frequent charging.
Read CleverHiker review - 85Garage Gym Reviews
Rated the best fitness tracker overall by the testers for value, comfort, activity tracking and long battery life.
Read Garage Gym Reviews review - 80The Independent
After two months of wear, the reviewer calls it a fantastic all-rounder for everyday exercisers with great battery and health insights.
Read The Independent review - 80Android Central
Reviewer finds it a great, affordable fitness watch especially for Garmin newcomers and casual users.
Read Android Central review - 80WIRED
A light, accurate entry-level Garmin with onboard GPS and the full Garmin metrics suite, plus genuinely useful AI insights.
Read WIRED review - 80T3
A versatile, easy-to-use AMOLED fitness smartwatch that suits active everyday users, held back by a high-ish price, average battery and some Android-only perks.
Read T3 review - 80Woman & Home
A sleek, mid-priced fitness watch with useful running data, good battery and sleep insights that suits those stepping up from a beginner Garmin; the strap needs breaking in.
Read Woman & Home review - 78OutdoorGearLab
A feature-rich, lightweight smartwatch that gives road runners and gym-goers great everyday value, with modest battery life and no multi-band satellite accuracy as the main limits.
Read OutdoorGearLab review - 89est.Digital Trends
Reviewer loves the comfort, battery and fitness tracking and calls it exceptional value for a fitness-first watch.
Read Digital Trends review - 89est.TechRadar
Reviewer calls it a great-value, comfortable fitness watch packed with running and sleep features.
Read TechRadar review - 89est.Wareable
A well-rounded, good-value sporty smartwatch with a friendlier interface and useful new coaching features, held back by an older heart-rate sensor and no multi-band GPS.
Read Wareable review - 85est.NBC Select
Chosen as best overall after hands-on testing: a good balance of fitness depth, smartwatch features, battery life and price.
Read NBC Select review - 85est.Business Insider
Reviewer calls it a sleek, accurate everyday fitness watch with long battery life and a near-perfect all-rounder for most people.
Read Business Insider review - 83est.ZDNET
Reviewer recommends it as a comfortable entry-level Garmin with a brilliant display and broad activity support.
Read ZDNET review - 83est.Trusted Reviews
A solid all-round smartwatch with strong sports tracking and a much improved interface.
Read Trusted Reviews review - 79est.The Quantified Scientist
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is a solid, well-priced sports watch that offers good value, though it struggles with heart rate tracking during intense exercise and lacks advanced sleep staging accuracy.
Read The Quantified Scientist review
"Est." means the outlet printed no score, so we estimated one from its verdict and checked our estimates against ratings outlets print. How we check estimates
Watch a video review
- The Quantified Scientist on YouTube ↗Counted in the score: 79
From YouTube channels we vetted by hand. Videos paid for by the brand are never listed.
What critics praise most
What critics dislike most
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Common questions
Is the Garmin Vivoactive 6 worth it?
Most critics think so: 16 of 16 recommend it. Missing a barometer and some sensors.
Do critics agree about the Garmin Vivoactive 6?
Critics agree: scores range from 78 (OutdoorGearLab) to 89 (Digital Trends), a spread of 11 points across 16 reviews. Reviewers broadly agree.
What do critics dislike about the Garmin Vivoactive 6?
Software (4 of 16 reviews), Battery life (3 of 16 reviews), Subscription costs (2 of 16 reviews).
What is the best alternative to the Garmin Vivoactive 6?
The Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro (critic score 91), top pick, narrowly.