Garmin - vívosmart® 3
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Mar 17, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
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"she won't even remember she has it on"
"The Garmin vivo line is really nice and light."
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"The one unexpected benefit is that it tracks my strength workouts far better than my Wahoo Rival, actually counts reps really well."
Disliked most:
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"we're getting at the lower end of the spectrum for runners ... enough for the most casual runners that only need to track their runs and little else ... They are enough if you're not training for anything specific."
"it is a smart watch first, and a sports watch second."
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"It tracks sleep, but not well."
Get the mk2i or 3i if you’re into diving. The dive computer is on par with the best tec dive computers. I’m an instructor and my mk2i is always on my wrist
I got the Garmin Vivo 3 to replace a FitBit before I started back into trail running. It does great, but it is a smart watch first, and a sports watch second. It also doesn’t have a dedicated trail run activity, but I just modified and copied the run feature and downloaded a trail run app for the info I wanted. I’m looking to upgrade whenever I can convince my wife it’s necessary lol
Just switched from an AWU to a Garmin instinct 3 and have no regrets so far, having owned a series 3 and 6 prior to the ultra there really isn’t anything I miss. Went with the Amoled version after a very brief stint with a Coros nomad as I didn’t feel the MIP display was right for me, still checks all the boxes and the significant upgrade to battery is a big bonus
Apple watch is the best smartwatch, Garmin is the best sportwatch. If your runs are under xhours, than go for the AW; if you are going to train seriously, Garmin all the way
I have used AW, Garmin, Polar and Suunto and AW is by far the worst sportwatch. After switching back to Polar after AW the quality of life improved immediately by not having to charge the thing more than once a week.
Garmin is a sportwatch with some smart features. Apple Watch is the opposite. The battery of Apple Watch is a nightmare, I always forget to charge Apple Watch, i think a Watch should be a help no another task.
Moonwatch SS and a Garmin vivosmart daily. The vivosmart is small and discrete. It gives me simple notifications, battery life is multi day, and does basic health tracking. Doesn’t feel like I am dual watching. Garmin Fenix 6 when I am exercising or doing something manual. Large readable, light to wear and hardy. No risk of damage for the nice watch.
This is what I do. I have a Garmin Fenix as my sports watch and switch to the Vivosmart when I am wearing my Speedy.
I'm in the same boat as you. I wish Garmin had a ring or band or something like that. Vivosmart or vivofit are as close as it gets. I actually just ordered a vivosmart yesterday that I'm going to change the band on to something that won't grab the cuff of my dress shirts like silicone. I'm tired of my Fenix ruining the cuffs of my dress shirts and also having a nice watch sitting at home unworn.
I actually ended up getting a vivosmart to wear on R wrist that’s a little more discreet. On non workout days or when the epix is charging I’ll wear it with my mechanicals.
I’ll be the first to admit it’s not perfect, you do have to sync to the Connect app. But if you do it right, your step tracking, health metrics, and sleep metrics should be OK! I would just not recommend the vivosmart for running without your phone since it lacks its own GPS.
I was a big fan but the more training I do the more I realize that it mostly confirms what I already know. If it says I slept poorly and HRV is low, it's probably because I slept poorly and don't feel up for a big workout. At this point I probably don't need it, but I keep it on my wrist anyways. The biggest benefit I've found is that it can help alert you when things are going pear shaped. If you're usually at like a 42 HRV, and it starts dipping consistently, then it may be time to change something or you may be getting sick or something like that. I noticed my spO2 was dropping and my breath rate was up and it turned out that I was in the early stages of pneumonia. Anyways, I use an apple watch and the metrics are fed into coachcat, but I may dabble in athlytic soon. The apple sensors are the best but apple health doesn't really give you actionable info with their home app. Garmin has usually been mediocre for me (735xt and vivosmart bands) while fitbit was actually really good (luxe was a nice compact band).
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