Garmin Vivoactive 6 review: The tailored training and week-long battery life has impressed me
Fitness trackers have come a long way since just tracking steps, and Garmin can be thanked for a lot of this progress, having been a leader in the market since 2003. Its newest all-rounder model, released in April this year, is designed to blend health tracking with everyday life.
Priced from £260, The Vivoactive 6 is top of the midrange. To put it into perspective, Garmin watches range from £80 to £1,599.99 – but most sit below £400.
The new smartwatch claims to monitor how much energy is running in your body, plus there's a new personalised sleep coach. With more than 80 preloaded sport activities to track, advanced safety tools like incident detection and up to 11 days of battery life, it's an excellent option whether you're a casual athlete or just health-conscious and wanting to track fitness and sleep, without the luxury price tag.
JUMP TO
How we test fitness trackers
I've tested several fitness trackers from the Garmin Venu 3S to the Whoop 4.0 and the new Whoop MG, and I track my health and fitness each day with a smart watch. I always spend around a month wearing a tracker, taking it running and wearing it during HIIT sessions, yoga classes and sleep. I wanted to see how accurately the Garmin Vivoactive 6 tracked my activity, sleep and recovery levels.
I also tested how long the battery life lasted and the charging time. I considered how comfortable the tracker was to wear, both during the day and as I slept. As none of this wear would be useful if the app wasn't easy to understand, I also thought about how easy the data was to digest and how accurate it was by comparing it to other smart watches.
Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended
Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don't accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles.
From running shoes to exercise bikes, all reviews are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more.
Design, display and controls
Score: 9/10
I'll admit, the look of my fitness watch matters a lot to me, and if you feel the same, this model will impress you. There's a thinner and lighter design than before, with a lightweight aluminium bezel and a choice of four colours: green, white, black and pink. Like other Garmin watches, it offers both a responsive touchscreen and physical buttons for easy navigation.
The 1.2-inch AMOLED display (a type of thin, bright display technology) is bright and clear, making it simple to check stats like steps, sleep and heart rate with just a swipe. The two side buttons are intuitive: the bottom returns you home, while the upgraded round top button starts and stops activities in just a few clicks. I wore it day and night; its silicone strap is comfortable, though it can rub after prolonged wear. At night, the watch's sleep mode ensured no bright light from the screen disturbed my rest, making it a great all-day companion.
Score: 9/10
Having my health stats instantly accessible on my wrist was genuinely useful – I often found myself swiping down to check steps, calories burned and my body battery (an estimate of your energy reserves throughout the day, decided by a combination of heart rate, stress level, activity and sleep quality). While I didn't use the Garmin app as obsessively as some might, it proved helpful after intense workouts or when chasing a specific goal. The watch supports tracking for up to 80 preloaded sports, and I appreciated being able to add favourites like walking, running, strength and cardio to the main menu for quick access.
In terms of detail, the tracking isn't quite as comprehensive as the Apple Watch. It provides key stats such as calories burned and heart rate zones during HIIT sessions, but lacks in-depth visualisations. However, running metrics are more robust, with pace and distance on the watch and further details like cadence (the number of steps taken per minute) in the app. Notably, Garmin's new Pace Pro feature helps structure training plans by acting like a coach on your wrist, helping you to pace yourself throughout a race or training run, though setup could be more intuitive.
Sleep tracking is another highlight, offering a sleep score, consistency insights and a sleep coach that recommends optimal rest based on your activity. The body battery and daily reports are excellent additions, helping you gauge when to push harder or take a well-earned rest.
Other lifestyle features
Score: 8/10
Much like Garmin's Venu 3S, this watch offers Garmin Pay, enabling contactless payments directly from your wrist. While setting it up through the Garmin Connect app took a little time, the four-digit PIN adds a reassuring layer of security.
You can also download playlists from apps like Spotify, and this model boasts increased storage compared to previous versions, making it even more convenient for workouts.
Although I initially skipped email and text notifications, adjusting these settings later via the app was straightforward. Android users can even reply to texts directly from the watch - a handy feature for staying connected on the go. For added peace of mind, Garmin includes safety and tracking features that can alert your emergency contacts if you feel unsafe or experience an incident while exercising. Overall, these smart features make the watch versatile enough for both fitness and everyday life.
App and connectivity
The watch pairs seamlessly with both Android and iOS devices via Bluetooth, while Wi-Fi is required for accessing email and text notifications. It also integrates smoothly with fitness platforms such as Strava, MyFitnessPal and Apple Health, making it easy to transfer data like body mass and sleep metrics across your favourite health apps.
All your activity data syncs automatically to the Garmin Connect app, which provides a more detailed breakdown of your health and fitness statistics. While the app isn't quite as intuitively designed or comprehensive as the Whoop 5.0 app, for example, I found myself checking it daily for deeper insights into my workouts and sleep patterns.
The In Focus section on the homepage offers a concise overview of your fitness and sleep, while the At a Glance section displays key daily stats, including heart rate and calories burned. As a runner, I found the extra detail, such as lap times and stride charts, particularly valuable, though a more user-friendly app refresh would be welcome.
Battery life
Score: 10/10
Once fully charged, this fitness tracker boasts an impressive battery life of around 11 days – one of the longest I've encountered. As I'm used to charging my Apple Watch daily, I found it refreshing to only need a weekly top-up. Naturally, after particularly intense workout days or extended GPS use, the battery drained faster but still comfortably lasted about a week.
A thoughtful design feature is the battery indicator, prominently displayed when you swipe down on the watch face, showing both percentage and estimated days remaining – an improvement over the Garmin Venu 3S. Charging is straightforward via a USB-C cable that magnetically attaches to the back, taking roughly an hour to reach full power.
Overall, this model marks a significant upgrade from Garmin's usual five to seven-day charge cycle, making it a strong contender for those looking for longevity in a fitness tracker.
Technical specifications
The Garmin Venu 3S is a Telegraph Recommended Best Buy, but although it's more expensive, how does it compare to the Vivoactive 6's other features?
Should you buy the Garmin Vivoactive 6?
I loved the Garmin Vivoactive 6 for its smart design and ease of use. Some features, like the running tools, were tricky to set up, but the personalised sleep advice and morning reports felt genuinely helpful. The app isn't as intuitive as Apple's, but the watch puts key stats right at my fingertips. At just under £300, it offers great value with plenty of data and functionality.
Yes, if:
You need personalised health advice, such as how much sleep is enough for you
You are a mid-range runner and you're looking to push yourself with pace or get a PB
You need a long battery life
No, if:
You need a running-specific watch – other Garmin watches, such as the Forerunner range, have more detailed stats
You just want basic health stats – a cheaper watch could be a better option for you
£279
Buy now
Price at
John Lewis
Garmin Vivoactive 6 FAQs
What are the key upgrades from Vivoactive 5?
Slightly lighter and more compact, it offers running features like Pace Pro, along with improved GPS accuracy and enhanced movement sensors.
What's the battery life?
Up to 11 days, dependent on GPS use.
Does it support wireless charging?
No, the Garmin Vivoactive 6 does not support wireless charging.
Does it have a barometric altimeter for elevation tracking?
No, the Garmin Vivoactive 6 does not have a barometric altimeter for elevation tracking. Instead, it relies on GPS data to estimate elevation, which is less accurate and means features like stair tracking and precise elevation gain are not available on this model
What sensors does the Vivoactive 6 have and what do they track?
Optical Heart Rate sensor for heart rate, blood oxygen sensor to measure blood oxygen saturation, GPS for outdoor activities and a Gyroscope sensor to accurately track movement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
19 minutes ago
- The Sun
Self-driving cars are coming to UK in 2026 & serious concerns remain – but there's also 5 incredible benefits
AN EXPERT has opened up on the challenges the UK faces as it approaches the adoption of self-driving technology. Recently, mega-brand Tesla revealed footage of two major test runs of one of its cars negotiating central London and Swindon's Magic Roundabout - without human intervention. 4 4 4 4 The clips showed a Tesla Model 3 navigating past iconic locations in central London, as well as Swindon's Magic Roundabout - a complex system of five mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle around a larger central one - while the person in the driver's seat was not holding the steering wheel. But the technology's potential and its imminent nationwide rollout - which could be by spring 2026 - have understandably sparked public concerns about safety, while also bringing up discussions on the transformative impact on the automotive industry. John Kushnick, Legal Operations Director at the National Accident Helpline, has been closely following these developments. He recently spoke to Sun Motors about how the tech could enhance safety and revolutionise transportation, although he remains cautious about its readiness for widespread adoption - citing public mistrust, regulatory hurdles and the necessity for greater transparency from manufacturers. Indeed, John emphasises that brands, such as Tesla, need to do a lot of work in addressing public mistrust. 'Everything has got to be transparent and I think that's where it has been lacking,' he said. 'If we look at Diesel-Gate as an example, if we leave it to companies, it will always be seen as in their best interest to hide any issues rather than show them in hope that they'll get away with it. 'None of us really know how self-driving cars work because they use massively complex software and AI in the background to make decisions - so we're never going to understand that. 'We have to be sure that the companies understand it and then they're going to act in our best interest.' To address the public's potential mistrust, John believes manufacturers will have their work cut out to show they're willing to be open with the public - including the way they record and display their data, especially around accidents. He also highlights the need for a comprehensive regulatory framework to manage self-driving technology, explaining how regulators like the DVSA are not yet prepared to handle the complexities of self-driving vehicles. 'They'd have to up their game,' said John. 'You need some quite high-tech solutions to this because you're going to need to be having pretty regular updates to their systems.' One particular concern is legal and regulatory barriers, such as grey areas around liability when the car transitions control back to the driver. John explains that liability depends on the mode in which the car was operating. If the vehicle is in self-driving mode during an accident, the manufacturer is liable. However, if the driver takes over control, the responsibility shifts to them. He highlights grey areas where self-driving assistance fails or where the car detects it cannot operate properly and passes control back to the driver. Quoting a report by Faction, a company focused on developing autonomous vehicle technology, he said: 'If it's in self-driving mode and it has an accident, then the liability goes on to the manufacturer. 'If the driver has taken over control, then it's going to be on them. 'The grey area will be where it's assisted and the assistant doesn't work properly. 'There's also going to be situations where a car's in self-driving mode but it then detects that it can't work properly or it doesn't understand the layout, and it passes over to the driver. 'That's where you'd have to be able to say, have they been given enough time? Has anyone else taken over? If not, then the liability goes on the driver.' Indeed, John warns that any major accidents during the rollout of self-driving cars could severely harm public perception and slow adoption. He stresses the importance of careful implementation to avoid catastrophic incidents. Another problem that John points out is the UK's older and more complicated road infrastructure, which poses significant challenges for self-driving technology. Narrow roads, potholes, and rural areas make it harder for autonomous vehicles to operate reliably, compared to places in the US like Arizona or San Francisco, where self-driving cars are currently in operation. John said: 'In Arizona, it's a classic, you're not going to see many cars passing you, they're nice straight roads and San Francisco's, with a lot of those roads built on grids. 'That does make it easier. It is much harder where you've got potholes, which can then make the vehicles react in an unpredictable way. You've got narrow roads. 'How are the rules going to go, where you really have not got quite enough space for two vehicles? Is it just going to stop and not do anything? 'You've got all sorts of more complications here, because we've got older roads, we've got narrower roads, more rural roads. 'I also think we're slower to adopt energy. Once we see self-driving cars operating successfully in certain circumstances, I think public perception will start to shift.' FIRST STEP John, though, also believes self-driving tech could significantly reduce accidents by eliminating human error. He also believes that autonomous vehicles can learn from real-world data and improve their performance over time, making roads safer. "The good thing about this sort of technology is that you've got the ability to learn over time, and for that learning to stick,' John added. 'You can use technology to learn what happens in different circumstances and it can then help avoid accidents." John suggests that self-driving technology could eliminate specific types of accidents - such as distracted or impaired driving. "We have to see if on balance it is safer to have these vehicles, because it may actually mean we can reduce accidents,' he said. He also envisions a future where self-driving cars make transport more efficient and reduce the need for private car ownership. He predicts fewer cars parked on streets, as autonomous vehicles can operate as shared fleets, constantly in use and available on demand, with the shift able to open up urban spaces, reduce congestion and lower costs for individuals. He said: "Imagine a world without streets lined with parked cars. Once this really takes off, you won't need to own a vehicle - it'll be so much cheaper." Furthermore, with self-driving cars becoming more prevalent, insurance costs could decrease - since automated systems are likely to result in fewer accidents. Additionally, shared self-driving taxis could be cheaper than owning and maintaining a personal vehicle. John added: "For the sake of argument, if you're using an automated mode three-quarters of the time, you're actually driving less, so in theory the price should come down." What's clear is that self-driving technology offers the promise of safer roads, reduced congestion and transformative changes to transportation, although significant challenges remain. As John emphasises, "it's all about that first step. If you don't take it, you'll never get there."
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Wolverhampton man thanks optometrist for picking up rare cancer
A man has thanked his optician for saving his life after spotting he was unknowingly living with a rare type of blood Campbell went for a routine eye test in January at Flint Optometry, near his home in Wolverhampton, when optometrist Claire Williams became noticed a number of haemorrhages at the back of his eyes and he was soon called into New Cross Hospital, where he was told he had Campbell said he had been feeling unwell for a while but multiple blood tests, a colonoscopy and an endoscopy had not detected the cancer, so it was a "shock" to receive the news. "I got a call from a consultant at New Cross saying they wanted to see me now, so I went and he told me I'd got lymphoma," he said."I am grateful as without Ms Williams picking it up, I don't know where I'd be now, I dread to think."He added that his cancer was now under control after undergoing Williams said she made an immediate referral to hospital following his eye test. "As I checked the peripheral part of the back of the eyes, I was able to see quite a number of haemorrhages and a third of them were even more unusual and very rarely seen," she Rockett, another optometrist at Flint Optometry, said regular eye tests were important as they could detect more than just poor said: "You can see deep into the body through a convenient window, the pupil."So it is a great way to assess someone's eye health as well as their general health." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Medical News Today
an hour ago
- Medical News Today
The secret to weight loss? Opt for minimally processed foods
People whose diet contained fewer processed foods lost more weight than people who ate more ultra-processed foods, a recent study both groups lost weight, those eating less in the way of processed foods shed twice as many key to weight loss in both groups was likely that they both consumed a well-balanced diet, with the only difference being the amount of ultraprocessed foods they who ate a diet of minimally processed foods lost twice as much weight as other people consuming ultra-processed foods in a new randomized crossover groups shed pounds during the weight-loss trial, in which all participants followed a diet based on the UK Eatwell Guide. The only difference between their diets was the proportion of processed foods they people in the minimally processed foods group lost twice as much weight as those in the ultra-processed foods group, suggesting that eating less processed foods can better help one maintain a healthy on a minimally processed foods diet consumed 289.9 fewer calories per day, and lost 2% of their body weight on average. According to the study authors, this could amount to as much as a 13% weight loss for men and 9% for women over a period of 1 eating ultra-processed foods reduced their daily calorie intake by less, 119.5 calories, and lost 1% of their weight over the course of the study appears published in Nature processed foods linked to fewer cravings, more weight lossAt the outset, the authors of the study ran a battery of tests on all 55 participants, capturing measurements for a comprehensive suite of health were divided randomly into either the minimally processed or ultra-processed foods group, and followed the corresponding diet for 8 the individuals could choose what to eat, they chose from food delivered to them by the researchers that matched both the Eatwell profile and the minimally processed foods/ ultra-processed foods group to which they had been food they received contained more calories than they needed, and they were instructed to eat as much as they wanted. Participants regularly responded to questionnaires on which they reported their food Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, a preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished, who was not involved in the study, commented to Medical News Today that 'the free-living setup makes the findings more realistic but also introduces variables that are hard to control, so while the results seem compelling, they should be interpreted with caution.'Individuals on the minimally processed foods diet reported greater success at resisting cravings, although they were the group that turned out to be losing the most 8 weeks, a 4-week washout period took place, during which participants returned to their normal diet. This was followed by a 2-week baseline period in which the researchers performed additional health tests to observe the effects of individuals' 8-week minimally processed foods or ultra-processed foods this break, participants switched sides, with the individuals in the minimally processed foods group moving to the ultra-processed foods diet and vice versa for another 8 the end of those 2 months, the researchers once more assessed both groups' health metrics.'The study's crossover design and use of a washout period strengthened its internal reliability, and coaching likely improved adherence,' noted Routhenstein.'However,' she said, 'reliance on self-reported food diaries and the exclusion of certain dietary groups limit generalizability.''Unusual' finding: Ultra-processed foods may not increase bad cholesterolUnexpectedly, the researchers found that the ultra-processed foods diet was associated with a lower LDL ('bad') cholesterol level. Ultra-processed foods are often criticized for adding unhealthy elements into a person's described this finding as 'unusual,' saying that it 'doesn't align with most existing research.' She noted, however, that 'it may reflect the specific types of ultra-processed foods consumed, such as those lower in saturated fat or fortified with cholesterol-lowering ingredients.''This underscores the importance of considering the full dietary context rather than judging foods by broad categories alone,' Routhenstein a balanced diet can aid weight lossIt is likely that the reason both groups lost weight is that they both ate to Routhenstein, 'a balanced, nutrient-dense diet, such as the one outlined in [United Kingdom] guidelines, helps to support weight management, metabolic function, heart health, and healthy aging by providing the essential nutrients the body needs.''While ultraprocessed foods are often linked to poor outcomes,' she said, 'what we choose to include in our diet may matter even more than what we avoid.'MNT also spoke with Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, who was not involved in this told us that:'What we recommend to our patients, and what is the basis for most successful diets, is reducing carbohydrate and sugar intake and emphasizing protein and non-starchy vegetables in the diet. Minimizing carbohydrates and sugars helps direct the body towards burning fat.''Ultraprocessed foods,' he cautioned, 'tend to have additional additives that can be detrimental, so it is better to minimize these foods as well. Therefore, having the proper nutrients and a good source are both important.''It's also,' added Routhenstein, 'important to consider the nutritional quality of individual foods, as not all [ultra-processed foods] are the same, and broad labels can miss meaningful differences in the nutritional composition, and therefore health impact.'How do ultra-processed foods affect weight loss?'While ultra-processed foods may not directly hinder weight loss, prior research has linked them to poor metabolic health, increased cardiovascular risk, higher mortality, and negative impacts on gut health,' Routhenstein told us.'Their engineered flavors, low satiety, and high palatability can lead to overeating, and they often contain additives, preservatives, or contaminants with unknown long-term effects,' she ultra-processed foods still afforded study participants a measure of weight loss, the trial 'did show a benefit of minimally processed foods over ultra-processed foods,' Ali further shakes are one type of processed food that may be of value in healthy dieting — with some caveats — said Ali. They 'can be helpful for weight loss, provided they have the right ingredients.' He cited 'smoothies with a lot of fruit, though not ultraprocessed.''Low-sugar shakes that are high in protein can be beneficial, but not ultraprocessed [shakes, which] will not help weight loss due to sugar content,' he added.
