Garmin · 2015
VivoactiveSize, Dimensions & Wrist Fit
Case Width
43.8mm
Thickness
8mm
Lug-to-Lug
38.5mm
Weight
38g
The Garmin Vivoactive sits best on flat wrist widths of about 41–55mm (≈ 10.9–14.7cm wrist circumference). Adjust the slider below to check your wrist.
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The vívoactive® in short
The figures that decide whether this watch suits you, pulled out of the full specification sheet further down.
- Between 10 hours and 13 days per charge depending on the power mode — smartwatch at best, gps at worst.
- Water rated to 50 m.
- 8mm thick. Thinner than 100% of 44mm watches, so it slides under a cuff more easily than most of its size.
- 1.13" x 0.8" (28.6 x 20.7 mm) LCD display, always-on capable.
- polymer case, chemically strengthened glass glass.
Does the Vivoactive fit your wrist?
Drag the slider to your wrist width and see the Vivoactive overlaid at true scale. Lug-to-lug — not case diameter — decides whether a watch overhangs your wrist.
Watch Fit Tool
For sports watches, lug-to-lug (L2L) is what matters most — it decides whether a watch overhangs your wrist. Bulky is fine; overhang is not.
Measure at the point where you wear your watch — typically just below the wrist bone.
Flat width — lay your arm on a table, palm facing up, and measure straight across the top of your wrist with a ruler. Bone to bone; do not follow the curve down the sides.
Around — wrap a tape measure snugly round the wrist. No tape? Wrap a strip of paper, mark the overlap and hold the strip against a ruler.
Width ≠ circumference. They are different numbers — around 170mm is about 64mm across — so set the toggle to whichever one you actually measured before you type it in.
Garmin vívoactive®
Case 38.5mm · Lug-to-lug 38.5mm · Thickness 8.0mm · 38g
Understated
38.5mm on a 55mm wrist
Well inside your wrist on every measurement — you have room to go a size up if you want more presence.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 38.5mm, so you could go bigger.
Measure where you wear it, just below the wrist bone. Either of these works — the tool converts between them.
- 1. Flat width — arm flat on a table, palm up. Measure straight across the top of the wrist, bone to bone, ignoring the curve down the sides.
- 2. Around — a tape, or a strip of paper marked and held against a ruler, snug the whole way round.
Leather: Attaches at the lugs, so the case back rests on your skin. Thins and softens with wear. Typical figures, not this model’s own.
Show the measurementsHide the measurements
- Across the wrist8.3mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist8.0mm off the skin
Sits low enough to disappear under a cuff. (8.0mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~3.0mm under the rim
Sits flat on the wrist with contact right across the case back.
- Weight on the wrist38g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.7g per mm of wrist)
Happy with the fit? Check current availability for the Vivoactive.
Check offer2D Dimension Schematics
The vívoactive® drawn to scale — from above, and in profile against the wrist.
- Garmin vívoactive®43.8mm × 38.5mm · 8mm thick
3D preview
Garmin vívoactive® on a wrist
On an arm sized to your own wrist — the view a product photo never gives you.
Shapes are built from published measurements, not manufacturer 3D models — accurate proportions, generic dial.
How long the vívoactive® lasts, by power mode
Runtime changes by a factor of 31 depending on what you leave switched on. Bars are scaled against the longest mode.
- Smartwatch13 days
- GPS10 hours
How the vívoactive® ranks on battery
Against the 296 Garmin watches in our database, ranked on each figure Garmin publishes.
- Everyday use21 days#107 of 285
- GPS tracking10 hours#243 of 267
vívoactive® specifications
The figures that decide a purchase, followed by every line Garmin publishes.
- Battery life
- 13 days
- Display
- LCD
- Resolution
- 148 x 205 px
- Water rating
- Waterproof
- Case material
- polymer
- Glass
- chemically strengthened glass
- Strap
- silicone or TPU
- Storage
- 7 timed activities, 14 days of activity tracking data
Full specification sheet
100 published lines across 23 groups, unedited
Overview
- Family
- Garmin
Design
- width
- 43.8
- height
- 38.5
- weight
- 38 g
- thickness
- 8
- resolution
- 148 x 205 px
- Display type
- LCD
- Has a display
- water resistance
- Waterproof
- Always-On Display
- has a touch screen
- waterproof depth rating
- 50 m
Battery
- battery life
- 13 days
- battery life with GPS on
- 10 hours
- has a rechargeable battery
General
- Battery life
- GPS mode: Up to 10 hoursSmartwatch mode: Up to 3 weeks
- Display Size
- 1.13" x 0.8" (28.6 x 20.7 mm)
- Case material
- polymer
- Color display
- Lens Material
- chemically strengthened glass
- Memory/History
- 7 timed activities, 14 days of activity tracking data
- Strap material
- silicone or TPU
- Display resolution
- 205 x 148 pixels
Sensors
- GPS
- GLONASS
- has GPS
- Accelerometer
- has a compass
- Has a barometer
- has an accelerometer
Features
- Has notifications
- Locates your phone
Connectivity
- supports ANT+
- Bluetooth version
- 4
- Is compatible with iOS
- Is compatible with Android
Product Info
- Main SKU
- 010-01297-01
- Product ID
- 150767
- Product Name
- vívoactive®
- Product Variation
- White
Miscellaneous
- has a battery level indicator
App & Software
- Has achievements
- Has goal setting
- Has inactivity alerts
- Counts how many calories you've burned
Clock Features
- Timer
- Stopwatch
- Time/date
- Alarm clock
- GPS Time Sync
- Automatic daylight saving time
Cycling Features
- Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories)
Golfing Features
- Digital scorecard
- Yardage to layups/doglegs
- Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green)
- Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course)
- manual
Running Features
- Foot pod capable
- GPS-based distance, time and pace
- Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute)
Activity Profiles
- Swim
- Pool Swimming
- Cycling
- Biking, Indoor Biking
Activity tracking
- Measures pace
- Tracks distance
- Designed for golf
- Tracks your sleep
- Tracks steps taken
- Has multi-sport mode
- Provides sleep reports
- Has a stroke counter for swimming
Swimming Features
- Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only)
- Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories)
Outdoor Recreation
- Back to start
Daily Smart Features
- Calendar
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth® Smart and ANT+™
- Find My Phone
- VIRB® Remote
- Weather forecasts
- Smart Notifications
- Smartphone compatibility
- iPhone®, Android®
- Controls smartphone music
- Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile
- Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields, widgets and apps)
Activity Tracking Features
- TrueUp™
- Step counter
- Calories burned
- Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity)
- Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal)
Health & Wellness Monitoring
- Sleep
Safety and Tracking Features
- LiveTrack
Training, Planning and Analysis Features
- HR zones
- HR alerts
- Manual lap
- Auto scroll
- HR calories
- Custom alerts
- GPS speed and distance
- Customizable data pages
- Activity history on watch
- Auto Pause® automatic timer halt
- Auto Lap® interval tracking feature
Alternatives to the vívoactive®
Watches that cover a similar amount of wrist, with the measurements that separate them.
Garmin
Forerunner® 745
- Width
- 43.8mm
- Thick
- 13.3mm
- Weight
- 47g
Garmin
Approach® S12
- Width
- 43.7mm
- Thick
- 11.5mm
- Weight
- 34.1g
Garmin
Venu® 2 Plus
- Width
- 43.6mm
- Thick
- 12.6mm
- Weight
- 51g
Garmin
D2™ Air X10
- Width
- 43.6mm
- Thick
- 12.6mm
- Weight
- 51g
Garmin
vívomove® 3
- Width
- 44mm
- Thick
- 11.3mm
- Weight
- 29.6g
Garmin
Garmin Swim™
- Width
- 44mm
- Thick
- 13mm
- Weight
- 40g
vívoactive® — Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Garmin Vivoactive fit my wrist?
The Garmin Vivoactive looks balanced on flat wrist widths of roughly 41–55mm (about 10.9–14.7cm circumference). Drag the slider above to check it against your own measurement.
How long does the Garmin Vivoactive battery last?
Between 10 hours and 13 days per charge, depending on the power mode. Garmin rates Smartwatch at 13 days and GPS at 10 hours; the chart above lists all 2 modes.
How does the Garmin Vivoactive battery compare with other Garmin watches?
At 21 days in everyday use it ranks #107 of the 285 Garmin watches in our database — the top 38% of the range. The full ranking, including GPS and power-saving figures, is on our Garmin battery life comparison.
Is the Garmin Vivoactive thick for a 44mm watch?
At 8mm, thinner than 100% of 44mm watches, so it slides under a cuff more easily than most of its size. Thickness, not case width, is what decides whether a watch catches on a shirt cuff.
What other watches are the same size as the Garmin Vivoactive?
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Master Co-Axial 43.5 Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport Titanium - Ceramic / Blue / Bracelet, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Samsung Galaxy Watch8 - LTE · 44mm all sit within half a millimetre of the Garmin Vivoactive's 43.8mm case, so they cover the same amount of wrist.
What is the lug-to-lug of the Garmin Vivoactive?
38.5mm, against a 43.8mm case width. Lug-to-lug is the measurement that decides overhang: if it exceeds the flat width of your wrist, the lugs sit past the edge no matter how modest the case diameter looks.
