Provided below is a simplified table of Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fenix 6. It should help you quickly compare the watches.
Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fenix 6 Comparison Table
| SPECIFICATIONS | GARMIN VIVOACTIVE 4 | FENIX 6 |
| Display | 1.3”, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Colored | 1.3”, Corning Gorilla Glass DX, Colored |
| Resolution | 260 x 260 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
| GPS & Compass | Yes | Yes |
| Added Features | Mobile payment, accelerometer, altimeter, gyro, Heart Rate Monitor, pulse Oximeter, Garmin Connect IQ | Open water swimming, TOPO and Ski Maps, Heart Rate Monitor, Pulse Ox (SpO2 sensor)Garmin Connect IQBarometric altimeter, Compass |
| Battery Life | Up to 8 days on smartwatch mode & 8 hours on GPS mode No batter saving mode | Up to 14 days, about 36 hours on GPS mode 48 days on battery saving mode |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ANT+ | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ANT+ |
| Water Resistance | Up to 50 meters | Up to 100 meters |
| Touchscreen | Yes | No |
 Buy on Amazon |  Buy on Amazon |
Design and Display – Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fenix 6
Fenix 6 and Garmin Vivoactive 4 look slightly the same from the outside but differ so much in what they offer. Looking at the watches from the outside you get the sporty and durable feel.
Vivoactive weighs less than Fenix and that makes it feel much more comfortable on the wrist. A feature you will not find on Fenix 6 but find on Garmin Vivoactive 4 is the touchscreen feature.
Those with Vivoactive can simply navigate through the watch by touch while those using the Fenix 6 have to use the side button to navigate through the watch which sounds a bit complex work, especially to those who are getting started with the watch.
Since Garmin Vivoactive 4 watch is already touchscreen it is added two buttons to the left while the Fenix 6 comes with 5 buttons, three on one side and the other two on another side.
We thought you should know Garmin Vivoactive 4 is the first smartwatch in the Garmin series to come with a touchscreen display. What begins to draw a line between the two is the display.
Although both displays are circular in shape and 1.3 inches, the display on Vivoactive 4 is Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens which is much more robust. On the other hand, the lens display on Garmin Fenix 6 is of Corning Gorilla DX lens.
Talking water resistance, both Garmin watches are waterproof. The Vivoactive 4 features a water-resistance rating of up to 50 meters which makes it good water to have when swimming.
Garmin Fenix 6 on the other hand comes with a water-resistant rating of 10 ATM. That means a deep dive of up to 100 meters below water won’t hurt.
Fenix 6 is two times more waterproof than Vivoactive 4. That makes it the best Garmin Watch for Swimming. Each watch can track swimming. Both watches also go ahead to track open water swimming.
Health and Sports Features – Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fenix 6
You will find a Pulse Oximeter or the SpO2 sensor on both watches. The work of this sensor is to estimate the body’s blood oxygen saturation level. Each watch will be able to track how well or bad you sleep plus track stress.
Garmin Fenix 6 and Vivoactive 4 also come with heart rate sensors situated at their backs to monitor your heartbeat a notice is sent by both watches when an irregular heartbeat is detected.
Apart from tracking your breathing, both Garmin smartwatches can track your body’s rate of hydration. A feature you will find on Garmin Vivoactive 4 and not on Fenix 6 is the animated workout.
While a feature you won’t find on Vivoactive 4 but find on Garmin Fenix 6 includes background Ski, XC Ski dynamics, climbpro, power manager, expedition mode, recovery time, performance metric, and an ultra-run.
Price – Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fenix 6
If you are looking for a smartwatch that does not cost much but has a lot to offer then consider settling for Garmin Vivoactive 4.
The Fenix 6 watches come at a starting price of $550 and about $950 for the Fenix 6 Solar model. While the Garmin Vivoactive 4 comes at about $300 for each of its variants, 40mm and 45mm.
Battery Life – Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fenix 6
Garmin knows most of its users are outdoor enthusiasts and for that, they make sure the watches they offer come with good battery life.
Each of these watches comes with extended battery life meaning you don’t spend much time charging and less using, matter of fact it is vice versa.
The Garmin Vivoactive 4 watch can last up to 8 days with a single complete charge. This period is also only achievable when the watch is in smartwatch mode.
In case you use the Vivoactive watch on GPS mode, you will only spend up to 8 hours with it.
Garmin Fenix 6 on the other hand can serve you for 14 days on smartwatch mode and up to 36 hours (about a day and a half) with the GPS mode active.
Without forgetting, there is a power-saving mode on Garmin Fenix 6 that when used can extend the battery life on Fenix to 48 days. That’s a whole month and 2 weeks of instant power, is so super impressive!
Location Tracking – Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fenix 6
Garmin Vivoactive 4 and Fenix 6 both come with compasses and GPS. With the help of these two features, Garmin users are able to track their routes and paces while outdoors walking, jogging, running, or cycling.
Fortunately, the GPS is built-in thus no need to carry your phone to morning workouts like runs, jogging, and cycling.
Pros and Cons – Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs Fenix 6
Garmin Vivoactive 3 Pros
- Can track your strokes while swimming
- Slightly cheaper than the Fenix 6
- Simply to use thanks to the touchscreen feature
- Waterproof.
- Has a built-in GPS and compass to track locations.
Garmin Vivoactive 3 Cons
- Power battery life when on GPS mode
Fenix 6 Pros
- Comes with a power-saving mode that extends battery life to 48 days.
- Has an impressive water-resistance rating of 10 ATM hence Swimproof.
- Can track swimming.
- Will track your routes using the GPS and Compass.
Fenix 6 Cons
- The watch is more expensive
- Not touchscreen
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