Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have used virtually every fitness band since the original Jawbone UP disaster. (UP, Nike, Polar, FitBit, Shine, etc.) I have also tried the Pebble Steel smart watch. But a smart watch is a notification / control device first and a health device second. Plus battery life typically is no more than 1 day. All of the monitors had strengths and weaknesses. I am not a fitness fanatic, but I am a senior citizen who is of necessity health conscious. Of the simple devices I liked the UP24, but the way the bracelet fit was a problem for me. I was constantly catching it on clothing etc. But their ecosystem was the best I have seen to date. Of all the fitness monitors with display, I have best liked the Polar Loop, the Garmin Vivofit and now the Vivosmart. I prefer those three because they can pair with a heart rate monitor for those times where I am at the gym and need to stay in a particular HR zone. The Polar loop was excellent BUT the touch display required a solid connection to your wrist before a finger touch was detected. Plus when you are in motion you have to use both hands to see the display. The Garmin Vivofit was near perfect for me. I loved the battery life and the always on display. I didn't like not being able to tell the time at night. The Vivosmart is the best of the lot for MY use. Water PROOF. Reasonable battery life, it turns on with a raise of my wrist, it has all the fitness features I need (including heart rate) AND it has a moderate number of alert capabilities. I have carefully tuned my iPhone to only include certain types of alerts in the notification center. For example email only from those in my VIP group. That keeps the number of alerts on my wrist to a minimum. My only issue is with the Garmin Connect service. In general it lags behind FitBit etc. Sleep data is captured but not analyzed. Food can be logged into Myfitnesspal but there isn't (yet) much of an exchange of data beyond that. ETC. My needs are well served by the Vivosmart. I have no need for an Apple Watch or a Motorola 360. The wrist based HR monitor devices are all either flaky during aggressive exercise or not water resistant enough for the shower. I suspect I will keep wearing the Vivosmart for some time to come. YMMV.