So you’re looking to get yourself a smartwatch without breaking the bank, whether it’s your first smartwatch or your wanting to upgrade from a more basic fitness tracker style watch, we’re going to take a look at whether the Garmin VivoActive 3 is the right option for you. I personally have been using the watch on a daily basis for about 4 months now and have been extremely pleased with the results, so let’s take a deeper look.
Price point: The Garmin VivoActive 3 is one of the most reasonably priced smartwatches available on the market right now, coming in at $123 (Reduced from $250) on sale, this sale can be found here. There are a couple different configuration options with the watch, that being the base model, the Verizon connected model, or the “music” model, all three of which have only very small differences between them, that being the capability to store music device itself and the ability to have GPS via Verizon. We will be taking a look at the base model as it comes in at the best price for a very generous amount of features and also because it is the model I have been rigorously using for the past few months.
Look and comfort: The VivoActive 3 comes in 4 different color options, Black and Silver, Black and Slate, White and Silver, and White and Rose Gold. The watch itself is very sleek, minimal, and lightweight on the outside, making it a great option for those who aren’t a fan of the G-Shock style, blocky big watches. The strap is extremely comfortable and fits well on my medium sized wrists, being silicone, it has a bit of stretch and doesn’t become uncomfortable even when doing awkward movements like pushups that often lead to watches being taken off. If for some reason the strap doesn’t work with you due to large wrists or wanting a different look, there are other straps on the market such as these:
Sturdiness: I must say I didn’t expect it to be very tough of a watch, though the look may be much smoother than the G Shock, it certainly seemed like it would lack the sturdiness that such watches boast. After using it while mountain biking, skiing, working out, snowshoeing, and doing labor work, I have yet to put a single scratch on it. This watch is way tougher than it may seem. The large watch face that appears to be just asking for destruction actually seems to be built to withstand it all. When combined with a strap that has some stretch it actually makes for quite a durable watch.
Battery life: The battery life advertised by Garmin is 7 days in smartwatch mode and 13 hours in GPS mode. While it’s not far off, I have found that after a few months of use mine lasts about 5-6 days in smartwatch mode. Though it’s not quite as advertised, one really can’t complain about nearly a week of battery life, especially when it charges in a matter of a couple hours. The battery life is also unsurprisingly rather variable depending on screen brightness and use of GPS.
Activity tracking: Through testing by tracking my walks, bike rides, and workouts, I have found the results from the VivoActive 3 to be pretty accurate in tracking steps, distance, intensity, with the exception of a few anomalies. When compared with the results gained after a day wearing the Fitbit Versa 2, I found them to be quite similar. As far as heart rate goes I compared it to the fit bit, a couple of apps on my phone, as well as just measuring it by hand and was pleased to find that the results were indeed accurate.
Connect app: The connect app is one of the biggest perks of purchasing a Garmin watch as it provides in depth analysis of the data your watch tracks. Connecting your watch and syncing data from it was simple and only took a matter of a couple minutes. The app makes it extremely easy to view all of your stats in one convenient and customizable place. I think the most useful thing I have found in the app is the last 7 days reports, which gives weekly averages for things such as heart rate, stress level, steps, floors, calories, and sleep; This is by far the most straightforward way to see a general overview of your activity and basic health. If you care to put in the effort you can also track water intake and weight, but personally I haven’t bothered with that part of the app so I don’t have much to report there. Overall though the app is a huge bonus and almost makes the watch worth in and of itself.
Waterproofing: According to Garmin, the watch is rated as 5 ATM waterproofing, meaning that it is able to withstand pressures from depths of up to 50m, or put simply you can go swim or shower with it on and there won’t be any problems. But I would not take this watch diving or into any situation in which you would be submersing deeper than 50m.
Garmin Pay: Garmin pay is one of the seemingly more useful features especially during COVID times, it allows you to pay for this via contactless payment with your watch. Yes that’s right, you can literally pay for things with your watch. I have found it extremely handy in situations where I don’t want to carry a wallet on me or I simply forget it at home. Accessing your card is protected via a pin number so that if your watch were to be stolen you wouldn’t have to worry about your card being used. Furthermore Garmin pay is accepted essentially anywhere that accepts contactless payment, making it extremely convenient.
What it isn’t: So let’s talk about what this watch is not. While the health and activity tracking is without a doubt well done and rather accurate, it still isn’t going to compare to more expensive Apple watches in the realm of features and connectivity for iPhone users. An example of a feature this watch lacks would be blood oxygen measurement, which for some may be a deal breaker. Also while being able to charge it in a matter of about 3 hours feels pretty quick when actually done, if put next to the charge time of other watches on the market it doesn’t quite hold up, with Apple boasting 1.5 hour charge times on their newer watches. But what other smartwatch companies haven’t been able to achieve is the fair price point, a new apple watch can cost upward of $600, while you can pick up a Garmin VivoActive 3 for only $123. Because of this, it would be foolish to not consider the VivoActive when analyzing your options as no other watch can boast such quality for such a fair price.
Leave a Reply