Vivosmart 5 as Primary Wearable

@hueys_uk

I agree. 

After a chat with Garmin, it is evident they are aware of how users want to use the Vivosmart 5 (as a compliment device), but their responses were convoluted. I got the sense they are not getting into specifics as the unified training status is a new feature being implemented. So it is on their "radar", but I couldn't get specifics.

I agree that is seems like unified training status is still being rolled out and  so we may see new devices added. I took a look at the list of devices that currently support unified training status and it's a rather small list at the moment with some weird omissions. Such as the Edge 1040 being the only Edge device listed, and both the Fenix 6 and 7 but only the Forerunner 955 and not the 945. Leads me to think they're adding a few devices at a time as they update firmware. Also gives them the opportunity to observe how the feature works as load is added to the system over time vs just opening the floodgates.

Hopefully that is the case and we see more devices, including the Vivosmart, added.

Can anyone comment if the Vivosmart 5 would work well as a solely a Advanced Sleep Tracking device only?

I currently own a Fenix 7X & Edge 840. I currently have the Fenix 7X set as Primary Wearable and Training Device. 

I would likely not set the Vivosmart 5 as primary anything, but rather hoping it would stand in for advanced sleep tracking only for my Fenix 7X so I don’t have to wear that in bed. 

Goal is for it to obviously contribute to all sleep data that would then be compiled on the 7X so that all the other advanced features can still be used during the day (Unified training status and etc)

Any insight?

My few tests is that the sleep score measured on the VS5 will not be taken into account in the Training Readiness score of the training device (I've tested with EPIX and FR265 as primary devices). May be some day we'll get a 'whoop' like Garmin device for those of us still liking to wear a mechanical watch on some occasions... 

Assuming you’re on a gen 2 Epix? Do all the other training metrics that are part of the Epix/Fenix 7x sill work if using the Vivosmart 5 as sleep tracker?

More or less. For example Body battery will be not be in sync so not correct on the EPIX. Recovery time will not be shorten by an excellent sleep… I ended up switching off the VS5 indefinitely and back to sleeping with a Watch. Really a missed opportunity from Garmin. 

So here we are a couple of months later.

Can the VS5 record sleep data WITHOUT being the primary device? I don't really care about "training" status, I would just ratther take the bulky watch off at night and wear the VS5 without going through the process of making it the primary device, and then changing it again in the morning.

No, only the primary device records sleep. Garmin have artificially cobbled this obvious  use case of a tracker + watch combination.

I just tried this again last night.

Removed Vivoactive 4 and powered it off.
Put on Vivosmart 5 for the night.
DID NOT make the Vivosmart 5 the primary device.
The steep stats were recorded and shown in Connect.

Obviously I'm going to test this for a full week before saying "it's fixed:, but for now it seems Garmin has made a change behind the scenes.