Garmin: Customers report design flaw with particular model

Garmin's Vivosmart 5 has been available for quite some time and is still readily available at various retailers. In a recent Reddit post, however, one user strongly advises against purchasing the Vivosmart 5, citing what appears to be a major design flaw. Specifically, the user describes a problem with the housing of the main watch unit in the wristband, which eventually culminates in the watch unit falling out of the band altogether. As the Reddit user also points out, this problem appears to be widespread and not just an isolated incident. Furthermore, the user also voices dissatisfaction with Garmin's support, as their solution was to offer a replacement watch for $129 instead of a refund or a different model.

The way we see it, Garmin is not completely blameless in this situation, but for reasons that may not be immediately obvious. As the user describes, there is nothing wrong with the watch unit itself. Instead, the material of the wristband gives way relatively quickly, which can cause the Vivosmart 5 to fall out. In this respect, Garmin could have informed the customer of this fact. While a fault like this should not occur after nine months, replacement wristbands with a different design and possibly better hold are relatively inexpensive, such as on Amazon. Because of the shape (the Vivosmart 5 is a wearable in the shape of a puck), it is more likely that the watch unit will fall out because it is housed in the wristband and not held in place by spring pings like on traditional watches.