I examined the Vivoactive 6 and Apple Watch SE, and Garmin gained out

The Apple Watch SE is the blueprint for what most individuals anticipate from a smartwatch: a clear design, deep smartphone integration, and sufficient wellness monitoring options to remain fairly wholesome. At a lowered value in comparison with the model’s flagship lineup, the SE can also be accessible. Nonetheless, with the launch of the Vivoactive 6, Garmin appears to be stepping as much as the plate with a possible competitor.

After testing each watches aspect by aspect, it’s clear Garmin isn’t making an attempt to beat Apple at its personal recreation. It’s taking part in a unique one. And for anybody severe about health, it could be a tempting prospect.

At a look, these watches inform completely different tales. The Apple Watch SE wears like a bit of jewellery. It’s minimalist, rounded, and acquainted. Regardless of its strong monitoring suite, I are likely to set it with watch faces that emphasize aesthetics greater than stats, so the every day impression is much less sporty and extra covert-tech (or as covert as a smartwatch could be). It’s additionally so ubiquitous that it doesn’t say a lot about my health routine; you’re as more likely to see an Apple Watch on an exec as you’re on a power-walking mother.

In different phrases, I’m simply as snug sporting the SE to a cocktail party as I’m on a treadmill. The Vivoactive 6, in contrast, feels unapologetically purposeful. Its rounded, sport-first construct and bodily buttons are made for the fitness center (or the path), and whereas I believe it’s a handsome watch, it’s not fairly as upscale as Apple’s choices. It’s a health tracker at the start.

But, even supposing the SE suits extra eventualities, the Garmin stays on my wrist longer due to its improbable battery life. As is commonly the case with Garmin watches, longevity is a robust level of the Vivoactive 6. The Apple Watch SE requires a every day top-up, lasting simply over 24 hours between fees. The Vivoactive 6 simply lasted me 5 days per cost. That type of endurance means I don’t have to consider charging it earlier than a hike or a morning exercise, and I can take it on in a single day adventures with out packing a cable.

Exercises and weekend adventures are, after all, the place Garmin shines. The Vivoactive 6 tracks every little thing from steps and energy to coaching load, restoration time, coronary heart price variability (HRV), stress, and sleep, plus Garmin-specific instruments like Physique Battery and Well being Snapshot. It’s an extremely dense platform that turns stats into actionable insights.

Apple has made large strides in sports activities monitoring, however Garmin contextualizes information in a means that feels extra athlete-focused. After I prepare too onerous, Garmin responds with restoration recommendation. After I underperform, it guides me simply the identical. I really like Apple’s Rings for primary motivation as a lot as the following particular person, however Garmin’s instruments are constructed for extra devoted athletes and information junkies.

Even on GPS accuracy, Garmin nonetheless holds the sting. I ran an identical routes with each watches and in contrast the maps. Garmin’s tracks had been tighter and extra constant, particularly in tree cowl and dense areas. You may see on the map above the SE’s route dips into the highway quite than sticking to the trail I really ran. Across the bend, it even has me on the exact opposite aspect of the road. To be truthful, total, the SE is superb, but when true precision issues, Garmin remains to be the benchmark.

No doubt, the Apple Watch SE is the higher smartwatch. It handles calls, texts, voice instructions, app help, and music management with the type of seamlessness solely Apple can pull off. The haptics are crisp, the interface is clean, and the third-party app help is unmatched. And but, throughout exercises, I discovered myself continuously distracted by it. Deep iPhone integration means a flood of buzzes, banners, group chats, and information alerts breaking my focus. The Vivoactive 6, in contrast, stayed quiet. It delivered solely the necessities: a notification right here, a calendar alert there. And once I wanted to test one thing, the interface was easy and distraction-free. I wasn’t tempted to scroll by means of the household chat whereas pausing a exercise or altering my music. Typically, much less actually is extra, particularly if you’re mid-run and on the lookout for any excuse to give up early.

So sure, the Apple Watch SE stays a crowd-pleaser. It’s the last word entry level into the Apple Watch world and impressively succesful for the value. It’s lengthy been my most popular choice for on a regular basis put on as a result of I really like the seamless integration with my iPhone and the strong app help (exterior of the fitness center setting). However Garmin isn’t chasing Apple’s system. The Vivoactive 6 doubles down on data-rich health, weeklong battery life, and instruments that show you how to prepare smarter. After I’m within the thick of a coaching cycle and care extra about break up instances than textual content replies, that focus makes it a much more helpful system.