Features:

  • Garmin Pay contactless payment solution lets you pay for purchases with your watch (available for supported cards from participating banks)
  • Personalize your watch with thousands of free watch faces, apps and widgets from our Connect IQ store. Memory/History : 7 timed activities, 14 days of activity tracking data
  • More than 15 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, including yoga, running, swimming and more. Lens material: chemically strengthened glass, bezel material: stainless steel, case material: fiber-reinforced polymer with stainless steel rear cover
  • Monitor your fitness level with VO2 max and fitness made estimates, plus keep an eye on how you handle stress (see garmin.com/ataccuracy). Fits wrists with a circumference of 127-204 mm
  • Get connected features such as smart notifications, automatic uploads to Garmin Connect, LiveTrack and more when paired with a compatible smartphone
  • Battery life: up to 7 days in smartwatch mode; 13 hours in GPS mode. Connectivity-Bluetooth Smart and ANT+. Smartphone compatibility-iPhone, Android.Display size:1.2 inch diameter
I tried a different brand but came back to Garmin and love this thing!

My previous smartwatch was the Garmin Vivoactive HR. It was my first smart-watch and I chose it specifically because it had GPS and it was waterproof. An Apple watch with similar features either didn’t exist yet or was 3x the price – and that device needs to be charged every night (SMH). Long battery life and HR monitor were nice bonuses that I now feel are necessary in any decent smartwatch. As for how it looked, however, not much better than a plain old fitness band or bracelet. When the V3 came out, I started to envy the cool looking watch-ness of it … but when my VivoActive HR went bad, Garmin replaced it with another HR! Very cool of them but that meant I was in for the long haul because I couldn't justify buying something else. THankfully, I wore the HR playing hockey a few months back and a puck saved the DAY! SMASH! Once again Garmin tried to save me by offering 20% off with a damage trade-in but that wasn't going to cut-it for me ... I needed to look around at the hundreds of wearables before I decided ... So I ended up with the Coros Apex 42mm. WHY? The month-long battery life was appealing to me and it seemed to be a nice sports watch with a good look. Looking back I wonder if it just had better photos online than the Garmin VA3! I added some comparison images to this review if you care to see what the Coros Apex looks like in comparison. But either way that Coros Apex watch really made me miss the Garmin VA HR! Yes the Coros battery can last so long you forget about it, but I think that's because the screen is just really DIM! I missed the touch screen, the Garmin ecosystem, the music controls, the almost excessive number of sports and workouts you can choose, the quick access to many available menu items and just the general finished and ready feeling the Garmin has. I don't want to slam the Coros but it just isn't ready for prime time. Turns out I really like some of the SMARTwatch stuff rather than just the fitness stuff and the Coros is pretty much for ultra runners who want to track their activity with GPS for 24 hours straight. OK back to the product at hand … or on wrist … The Vivoactive 3 has everything the HR did but it entirely more stylish. It also has a ton of custom faces which make more fun if you are into that sorta thing. Seriously though - who doesn't like fun? The most surprising thing was how good this watch looks. It is the perfect size for my alien-like thin-guy wrists. Big enough to read but it doesn't feel like I'm carrying around a discus on my arm. I added a comparison image with the HR as well (don’t mind that the HR is smashed)! Hey, who doesn’t get smashed every now and then? In conclusion, Vivoactive 3 is the bomb diggidy. Great look with all the features I enjoy. Life’s just too dang good.

Battery problems? Read here!

I upgraded from my forerunner 230 this year to the vivoactive 3. I love that it has so many options for activities, seems better at counting my steps, sleeker looking, and I like that I can see my heart rate during workouts. However I had read that garmin boasted a 1 week battery life and I was having to charge mine every 2-3 days. This was disappointing considering my forerunner could go like 10 days between charges. I loved the watch but wasn’t sure if I was ready to commit to having to charge every 2 days indefinitely. I did some reading online and discovered if you tell the watch to stop constantly broadcasting your HR to your phone it should improve battery life. It’s still monitoring all the time but I don’t see it real time in garmin connect, which I really could care less about. I changed it yesterday and as of turning it on at 7 this morning, doing a 7 mile treadmill run, 4.5 hours have passed and the battery has dropped 1%. This is a MASSIVE improvement and with this discovery I am 100% satisfied with my new watch. Ps- doing runs with the gps enabled outdoors did not seem to drain the battery any faster than doing runs on the treadmill so I expect this will not be a contributing factor.

Great device I expect to last several years

This is the third GPS fitness watch I've owned, and it's easily the best of the 3 Both my Microsoft Band 2 and Fitbit Surge had problems with the strap separating from the device, and they weren't designed to be replaced. The VA3 has replaceable bands, so that won't ever become a problem, and that's what I felt was the biggest obstacle to having the other devices more than 1 1/2 years. Most of the stuff that I would consider an issue was also an issue on other devices I've had, but it also doesn't have a lot of the problems I've had with other devices. It tends to cut corners when I turn during runs, causing the pace it's calculating to drop, but my Fitbit Surge did this too. During a run, it starts out about the correct elevation, but then drops throughout the whole run, but my Microsoft Band 2 would have me falling off cliffs at times. Once in a while, something seems to stop working right, like I could get 0 floors even if I walked up the Sears Tower, but restarting it always resolved it. HR isn't always great, especially during weightlifting when my HR goes up during sets and down during rest, although it does seem good during cardio activities. And no wrist-based HRM is going to be perfect. Overall, I expect to own this as long as Garmin continues to provide support for it.

Replacement for Forerunner 230

I have only had this for a couple days, so I can't say much for the durability of it, but so far so good. I am an average sized woman runner, so most smart watches and gps watches just look so huge on me. I wanted to use my Forerunner 230 as a smart watch, but it was so big that it wasn't comfortable to wear during the day. The va3 really interested me because it looks so much more reasonably sized and I love that you can change the band to any standard 20mm band! I did try out the va3 music version as well, but was disappointed with the fact that it was thicker than my Forerunner, and the curved glass bezel makes it look bigger and less like a normal peice of jewelry. I added some comparison pictures for the Forerunner, va3 regular and music. I have a rose gold Milanese band on in the one that's comparing it to the Forerunner

Vivoactive 3 vs Forerunner 235 from avid runner

I was very skeptical to order this watch based on reviews I had read. I am an avid runner training for a marathon and have been currently using the Garmin Forerunner 235. I have also been incorporating other activities such as yoga, spin and strength training. While I do really enjoy using the 235 the lack of additional work out features was very frustrating for me personally. I took a chance on this watch and must say that I am very pleased as I am very picky. This watch is very sleek and visually appealing but at the same time very easy to use. You can customize the data screens to each workout to your specific needs or wants just like the 235. You must remember that no watch will ever be perfect but when set up correctly this is a really great watch and I would highly recommend it.

Love it!

I have had my watch for only a week or two, but I love it. I originally bought it to help me track my fitness. It tracks fitness and my workouts very well! It will even give me workouts to do. All of the information on it (Such as distances) seems to be accurate. The battery life lasts a long time, and I do not have to charge it that often. I have never dropped it so I do not know about the strength of the watch face glass. I have also never used the music option, but my whole family has this watch and say the music works great on it. It is very easy to use and is comfortable to wear. I would definitely recommend this watch to anyone.

had to return the first one, second one works perfectly, works great as both a smartwatch and a sports watch

This is a combination smartwatch and sports watch. The smartwatch features are not as smart as the Google or Apple products, but I still get notifications, text messages, and caller ID synced from my phone, which are the main feature that I want from a smartwatch. A full week of battery life per charge is tremendously better than Apple and Google. The sports features are much more accurate and better thought out than Apple and Google. I use this watch to record my runs and bike rides. Most of the time, I don't even use my Garmin bike computer any more since the watch is accurate enough, though I still use the bike computer for turn-by-turn directions on some routes. These Garmin watches are also better looking (to me) than the Apple or Google watches. I really don't see any reason to buy Apple or Google watches instead of Garmin (at least for now). I had problems with the first Garmin vivoactive 3 that I received. For some reason, it didn't sync with my smartphone very well and only half my notifications arrived on the watch. After a couple of weeks fighting with the watch I returned it (no questions asked) for a new one and the second watch works perfectly. I read in the Garmin forums that notification syncing problems are very common with this product. My advice is not to fight with your watch, since you are going to lose. If syncing doesn't work, then just return it for a new one.

The best Vivoactive yet!

To be fair, I will say I am a huge Garmin fan. I used to use the Forerunners and then stepped into the Vivoactive category. Both of my kids have Garmin wearables. Their customer service just can't be beat. I can't emphasize that enough. They are great to work with if a problem ever arises (rarely does). I purchased this watch about a month ago and it did not disappoint. I know others have mentioned the battery drains quicker than the previous versions. It does, but that can also be changed with personal adjustments (notifications, type of watch face). On the flip side of that - it charges in no time at all! The functionality of the watch is great. You can change/adjust the scroll feature to switch sides or not use at all. It's very customizable. I find the heart rate monitor on this to be more accurate than the Vivoactive 2 was. It's probably the closest to the Garmin chest strap that I used with my Forerunners and Vivoactive 1. The vibration feature is much better. It doesn't rattle like my VA2 did. I know that may sound silly, but I swear the VA2 could be heard across the room. The menus are all very easy to navigate and things are easy to find. I'm so pleased with how Garmin improved the look of the 3. Although I always love the functionality of the Vivoactive 2, I didn't like how it looked. At all. I purchased the Vivoactive 3 in white and just love how it works for both at the gym and everyday wear. Overall, I would highly recommend this watch to anyone looking for a great activity/exercise/daily device. No, it doesn't replace the more sport-specific Garmins for those that train heavily (it lacks some of the running-specific features like manual lap, trainer...), but it's perfect for covering a wide range of workouts! I am also convinced that any bugs (which I haven't found any lately) will be worked out with Garmin in their updates. They are really good about getting the kinks worked out after release.

My FAVORITE watch

Update: 8 month check in! I still love it! It tracks gym work outs, road workouts, yoga and more. I can track my sleep and heart rate when I’m stressed and so much more. Still love it! Original review: I have had this watch for 6 months and I wear it daily. I absolutely LOVE this watch. I researched for months before purchasing one and I’m so glad I got this one. I previously had a Garmin Forerunner and while it did the job I didn’t love it. Before that I went through FitBit watches left and right. They definitely are not built to last. My only regret with the VivoActive is that I didn’t buy a watch base in white, I purchased black. The battery life isn’t awesome. Mine lasts a full 4 days, maybe 5 if I don’t workout as much. But since I work from home that’s no big deal. I do have to take the cord with me when I travel. PSA: take off your watch before you go thru security at the airport. It gives me trouble every single time. Phone notifications seem to drain the battery. I wish I could tell the watch “only give me call, text and amazon delivery notifications.” But your watch options are to receive all notifications that come to your phone or no notifications. This thing is durable and I purchased different bands that I love. These bands tuck into themselves so there’s no bulk on my wrist. I also purchased a protective film for the glass, but I ordered that one “door frame” too late and got a nick in the glass of my Garmin. The film cover is great and I forget it’s even there. The touchscreen still works just fine with the cover on it. I keep the charging cord in my car. I recharge my watch while driving. It charges pretty quickly. The green heart rate lights can be a little annoying at night. I’m sure there’s a way to turn them off but I haven’t figured it out yet. I also downloaded a different watch face. I like that I can see everything in one place: Time, date, HR, steps, battery life, and it even shows that I have 1 alarm set. I like the app where I can see what all I’ve done on the calendar view. If you don’t synch a few times a week the sync process can a bit. Maybe 5 min at the most for several week’s worth of data. I’m still very pleased with this Garmin. I wear it every single day!

Great size, nice features, and now works with Spotify!!

1. The overall size of the watch hits the mark. It looks and feels 'normal' I have friends that have older generation garmin watches and they seem huge and look way to large for their wrists. 2. As of February 2019 Spotify now works with vívoactive 3 Music which is a MAJOR improvement!!!!! before February the options were limited to Deezer and iHeart Radio. iHeart Radio had a lot of bugs and Deezer was okay but I'm a user and fan of Spotify so this is a big improvement for me. 3. Music on my wrist was a major selling point for me and the vívoactive 3 Music allows me to leave my phone at home or in the locker at the gym. I would say that getting to the volume control screen takes to many taps on the watch face. also when syncing music on the watch with your music provider make sure to plug the watch in to an outlet as this process eats up a lot of battery life. 4. Overall battery life seems to be pretty awesome (GPS and Music) will shorten life. If you use both features at the same time you will see the drain. However from friends that have an apple watch they have to charge it every day no matter which functions they use/don't use. 5. Garmin Connect app is pretty cool, easy to use and intuitive. Workouts are loaded from the watch automatically into the app (via blue tooth) and the app links easily with Strava. 6. This is a fitness watch with a few 'smart watch' features. Now that Spotify is available on the vívoactive 3 Music I'm extremely happy with my purchase. If you want a 'smart watch' purchase an Apple or Android watch if you want a durable fitness watch get a Garmin. Note: I have not used or researched Fitbit at all. I have several Garmin devices which work very well for me in the past and a number of friends recommended the Garmin and I'm happy with the choice.

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