Meet the Garmin Vivoactive 6. A modest update over the Vivoactive 5, this $299 smartwatch is a direct competitor to the Apple Watch SE (2022) — the best affordable smartwatch available — boasting a stylish, easy-wearing design and a practical mix of wellness, fitness and smart features.
For under $300, the Vivoactive 6 features a modern 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen paired with two physical buttons, a slim and lightweight 42mm case size, lots of advanced workout training tools borrowed from higher-end Garmins, NFC for mobile payments, onboard storage for music and up to 11 days of battery.
Perhaps most notably, the Vivoactive 6 debuts Garmin’s new sleep cycle-informed Smart Alarm feature, something that could be a total game-changer for anyone who frequently (or occasionally) wakes up feeling groggy.
Read on for everything you need to know about the new Garmin Vivoactive 6.
Garmin Vivoactive 6: Price and availability
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 was announced on April 1st, 2025. Priced at $299, preorders open up on April 4th via Garmin directly. No word yet on when units will start shipping. Choose from four colors: Black/Slate, Bone/Lunar Gold, Pink Dawn and my favorite, Jasper Green.
Garmin Vivoactive 6: Design changes
Not much has changed design-wise from the Vivoactive 5 to the Vivoactive 6. The most notable improvement comes in the form of 2mm shaved off the case depth, but the weight, display and button layout all remain the same.
That said, the main (upper) button has a new shape, which should make it easier to distinguish the two. It also appears to protrude further than before. It’s worth noting that we found the buttons on the Vivoactive 5 to be a tad stiff, so, hopefully, the new buttons address that qualm.
The Vivoactive 6 shares its predecessor’s aluminum bezel and boasts the same impressive battery life rating of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and 21 hours when using GPS tracking.
Garmin Vivoactive 6: Under-the-hood
Cosmetic changes may be few but the Vivoactive 6 boasts some welcomed under-the-hood upgrades over its predecessor. Onboard storage has been doubled from 4GB to 8GB, so now you can save even more music for offline listening, sans smartphone. It also has more advanced GPS tracking, however, there’s still no onboard altimeter for elevation tracking data. Oddly the Vivoactive 4 had this bit of tech but it vanished with the 5.
The Vivoactive 6 also gains an onboard gyroscope for better movement tracking, something that should improve step-count accuracy when walking, running or hiking.
Garmin Vivoactive 6: Fitness and wellness
Garmin added several higher-end workout features to the latest Vivoactive 6, primarily those geared toward runners including Running Dynamics, Running Power, PacePro and race time predictions.
There are also some new goodies for folks more keen on walking than running. In addition to strength training suggestions, the Vivoactive 6 can also recommend walking workouts. For example, you might be challenged to maintain a certain pace on your next walk or incorporate short bursts of faster speeds at certain intervals.
Similar to the Vivoactive 5, the updated model continues to support an enormous range of workout types (80 as of writing) and offers tons of tools to help you keep tabs on your fitness goals and well-being. These include Garmin’s Body Battery metric, daily Morning Reports, access to Garmin Coach for advanced training insights and the ability to create custom workouts.
That said, unlike higher-end Garmins, there's no onboard ECG or skin temperature sensor on the Vivoactive 6. Still, for under $300, the device does monitor heart rate, stress, sleep quality, women’s health, blood oxygen and heart rate variability.
Garmin Vivoactive 6: Sleep
Garmin's approach to sleep tracking is solid. Not only do Garmin watches monitor a wide range of useful metrics, like heart rate variability and body movement while you snooze, but all the insights are presented in an easy-to-digest report upon wake-up. You also get a daily Sleep Score out of 100 and a Body Battery score (also out of 100). The Vivoactive 6 can even detect midday naps.
And now the brand has another nifty sleep feature. Garmin's Smart Alarm — only available on the Vivosmart 6 for now but likely to make its way to other models via future firmware — works similarly to Fitbit's smart wake alarm except you don't have to pay a monthly premium to access it. No, it's not one of those soon-to-be-paywalled Garmin Connect+ features (thankfully).
Smart Alarm works by monitoring a user's sleep stages, specifically during a pre-selected window to determine the best possible time to gently wake you up via a series of vibrations on the wrist. In theory, this should lead to you only being awakened during lighter sleep stages, which in turn should alleviate any potential grogginess.
As someone who loathes being jolted from my slumber amid deep sleep or REM, I very much look forward to testing this tool as soon as I can get my hands on a Vivoactive 6.
Garmin Vivoactive 6: Outlook
The Garmin Vivoactive series is for cost-conscious folks who want a capable and handsome fitness-tracking watch with useful smart and connectivity features like tap-to-pay and mirrored smartphone notifications.
A well-priced alternative to the higher-end Garmin Venu 3, the new Garmin Vivoactive 6 looks impressive on its own but is by and large an iterative update to its predecessor.
You'll find much in common with the Vivoactive 5. Sure, tracking accuracy should be improved thanks to an upgraded GPS antenna and a new onboard gyroscope. And there's now additional storage for music, but the basic design, build quality, overall functionality and battery life are essentially a match with the older model.
That said, rather than a boatload of physical enhancements, Garmin made some noteworthy software-based improvements. These mostly come in the form of high-end training tools borrowed from pricier models, many of which are aimed at coaching runners in particular.
Don't like running? The Vivoactive 6 now makes walking-based workout suggestions in addition to strength training ones. However, of all the new features offered on the device, it's the new sleep- stage-based smart alarm that I'm most eager to test out (hands-on experience coming soon).
Ultimately, the Vivoactive line is Garmin's answer to the Apple Watch SE line, and the latest Vivoactive 6 looks to be a solid alternative to our favorite cheap smartwatch, even if it's only marginally improved over its predecessor. Stay tuned for a full review.
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