This discussion has been locked.

You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

Skin rash and blister with vivosmart 4

I purchased a vivosmart 4 to replace my vivofit 3 which I have used for 3 years. After a week an itch started under the band which turned into a rash then a blister and then peeled. You cant change the band so what is the answer to this issue. I see I am not alone with this problem with all the complaints here and on the web. Has Garmin acknowledged this issue? Are they working to fix this problem? Is there to be a recall or a class action suit? Didn't have this problem with my vivofit.

Hey Garmin, wake up here .... you have a problem. Are you just gonna let us talk about this and ignore us?

Top Replies

All Replies

0 7985579 over 3 years ago

The bands are also defective.

forums.garmin.com/.../blister-bubble-on-viosmart-4-band

0 Johant123 over 3 years ago

I disabled the heart rate monitor, to see if that makes the problem disappear. My skin irritation is right below where the leds sit.

0 9723524 over 3 years ago

I have the same issue

0 Johant123 over 3 years ago in reply to Johant123

It definitely is the heart rate sensor. If I disable it, everything is fine. If I enable it, my skin starts feeling irritated within a few hours. This does not happen with my Garmin Forerunner (which I have on my other wrist when running).

Garmin, why do you sell devices that can cause skin irritation?

0 seilogramp over 3 years ago

Anyone with this issue should contact Garmin directly to open a support case, starting with the Garmin Support Center. Call or chat for the most responsive experience

There have been official Garmin responses on some other threads including this one: Rash or Irritation happening on my wrist

0 pepe over 3 years ago

The same here.

Stopped using my Vivosmart 4, for that reason. Had the same problem with Miband 1, but not with Miband 2 and Miband 3. Had also a Forerunner 945 with the same kind of "rubber" in the band that give me the same rash, had to give it away. Very sad with that.

0 2@547@46@ over 2 years ago

I too was also getting skin irritations from my Vivoactive 4s.. very frustrated and not happy with product at all. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT! I bought mine in July 2020 when they were newer (or rosegold version anyway). It was over $300 with accessories and purchased directly from Garmin. Unfortunately I had to stop wearing it because it was causing a red, circle SKINBURN mark on my wrist everytime I wore it! I tried changing wrists and of course ensuring it was always clean and wiped off every time I washed my hands etc. to make sure there wasn't soap trapped under it causing any issues (which is not exactly convenient either). I DID NOT have this issue with different products like my previous fitbits. Sadly I thought I was upgrading from my fitbit, but this expensive smart watch just sits unused and was not a smart purchase :-/ For my experience, it was a total waste of money. Shocked to see the issue seems to not still be resolved after multiple similar posts and years. Doubt reaching out to Garmin customer support will resolve anything unless they offer a full refund. If they want a doctor's note for proof, I have one! Disappointing because I really wanted to like my 4s.

0 2@547@46@ over 2 years ago in reply to Johant123

Seems to pretty much defeat the purpose of a health accessory don't you think?!

+1 seilogramp over 2 years ago in reply to 2@547@46@

seilogramp said:
Anyone with this issue should contact Garmin directly to open a support case, starting with the Garmin Support Center. Call or chat for the most responsive experience

There have been official Garmin responses on some other threads including this one: Rash or Irritation happening on my wrist