Good
Subtle, circular, stylish design
Good GPS and heart rate monitor
Tracks a range of activities
Bad
Can’t choose which apps get alerts
iOS users can’t respond to texts
Base model can’t support music playback
With smart notifications, GPS, sports tracking to rival high-end devices, an on-board payment system and a subtle, stylish design, Garmin has created a versatile wearable with true mainstream appeal.
Garmin Vivoactive 3 price
Starts at £229/$200
There are three different colors of the Garmin Vivoactive 4 to choose from. There’s black silicone and slate, which is a premium-looking dark grey along with rose gold.
Key Specifications
Review Price: £229
GPS/GLONASS
Optical heart rate monitor
Garmin Connect IQ apps
Up to 7-day battery life/13 hours’ GPS
Smartphone notifications
Presumably one of the main reasons Garmin chose a transflective memory-in-pixel display was to save on battery life, so you’d expect it to be great to make up for the lack of a beautiful screen – and it really is.
With the Garmin Vivoactive 3, Garmin has created a smartwatch designed with mainstream audiences in mind, combining fitness tracking with health and lifestyle features, as well as smart notifications. This makes it one of the most versatile wearables, which is bound to suit a range of people.
The addition of Garmin Pay also means the Vivoactive 3 is also able to battle with the Apple Watch and Fitbit for your next fitness watch.
As you’d expect from a brand with a lot of legacy, the Garmin Vivoactive 3’s exercise and heart rate tracking are accurate and super detailed, which makes them fascinating for those with an interest in their own biometric data.
Having said that, it’s data like this that is bound to feel overwhelming for those who just want activity tracking, the odd run and little else.
This proves that although there are plenty of lifestyle features and smart additions to this stylish-looking wearable, it’s still a Garmin product and is first and foremost focused on fitness. So if fitness isn’t your thing, look elsewhere.
The Garmin Vivoactive 3 has GPS capabilities, improved battery life and it’s waterproof, which means it’’s really for fitness enthusiasts.
