I know this is a watch that came out in 2017 we’re in 2020, so i figured it is a good as good a time as any with the holiday season approaching people are going to be out there getting gifts, buying smart watches and things like that. Maybe you’re a runner you’ve never had a fitness watch or fitness tracker and you’re trying to get into that. So i think now is as good of a time as any seeing as this is a watch that is definitely going to be on sale still around. You can still buy directly from garmin um and many other different retailers that support or sell garmin’s. So i want to break this review down into about really three different aspects. The first thing i’m going to talk about what the garment is not um. I think a lot of people who are looking into this might be comparing it to a certain other watch from a different brand. I want to talk about what the garmin is. Number two number three i’ll talk about, what i buy it again and who do? I think that this watch is actually best for so you know jumping straight into it number one. I don’t think if you’re looking for an apple watch, if you have an apple watch on your mind and that’s, the type of experience you’ve seen your friends with them. Maybe or your co workers or whatever and that’s, really what you’re looking for? I want to make it very clear that the garmin vivo active 3 is not an apple watch.
I repeat the garmin vivoactive 3 is not an apple watch. Okay, all right! If you uh clicked off the video there there you go all right, but um. Here we go so the reasons that i’ve mentioned. That is because a the display is just if you’re used to the display on your phone, your apple watches or even like a android smartwatch or something um. You know they have a very high resolution lcd or led display. The garmin uses something that the best i can describe. It is more like an e reader or something of that nature. So the colors aren’t gon na be quite as vivid they’re, not gon na pop, quite as much um you’re, not gon na, be able to view pictures on this. This watch, which i guess who is really viewing pictures on their small watch display anyway, especially when you probably have your phone name, but i digress. So what i’m trying to say here is, if you’re, expecting that type of picture quality from the this small watch display. It’S, just not going to happen um and i’ll get into why that’s actually not really that much of a drawback later on, but i figured i’d preface that here and say if that’s something you’re looking for then maybe you’re in the wrong place. Um number: two: why i think the garmin is not an apple watch. Uh is because the app store is just it’s smaller. You know it’s it’s not like going to the apple app store and basically, every app that you could ever desire.
Is there some things that are probably too too sophisticated to manipulate on a watch? You know they’re still, there there’s still options for you, but here um it’s a lot more limited. I mean all of the basics that you would really need. Are there like? If you have a garmin, vivoactive, 3 music edition, you know you can use amazon music spotify. I think there’s a couple different ones, but things like that watch customization, all kind of different watch faces and different little apps, like i downloaded an app that could allow me to track jump roping and things like that. So uh there’s maps app and uber app. So the very basics are there, but you’re, not gon na find like a game that you can play or something of that nature it’s just a little bit more restrictive than what an apple or an android watch would would offer now point number two and i think What you’ll find is there’s a lot more points on what a garmin watch is than there are. What a garmin watch is not so you know um. I think the really important thing here is just the build quality of the watch. It’S very high it’s water resistant in fresh water. I learned that the hard way i actually had a vivo active um hr. I think a couple generations prior to this watch and i took it swimming with me in uh, the atlantic ocean and uh yeah.
It promptly died by being exposed to the salt water, but as long as you’re swimming in a pool or something of that nature, uh a river or something fresh, water, uh, it’s, very water resistant. I shower with this thing. Every single day, i’ve never had a problem with it. I’Ve gone swimming with it. I’Ve had zero problems with it um it has a gorilla glass display, so it’s highly scratch resistant and somewhat impact resistant. I take this with me when i go to the gym and i’m, really not afraid to kind of bang it around while i’m lifting weights and doing things of that nature. So i think it will serve you really well, if you’re seeking something that’s, sturdy, durable um, it also uses silicone straps, which are very nice. They don’t really pinch my skin or grab my hairs or anything like that on my arm and um. You know, after months and months of use i’m, not really seeing any kind of fraying or anything which i’ve i’ve noticed. Um i’ve had like a fitbit um i’m blanking on the name, a charge fitbit charge there we go and uh the strap kind of gave up. The ghost after a couple months, you know just taking it into the gym and running every day and things of that nature. So i really like the build quality of this. It hasn’t shown really any scratches or anything of that nature, and i wear it every single day, never take it off unless i’m charging, it and it’s just been a really good experience, so really really high build quality.
Another great point for what the garmin watch is is that it has phenomenal battery life. If you are looking at this and you’re a person who owns an apple watch for an android wear watch, you will be so pleased with the battery life on this garmin um. I think that they say the battery life lasts seven days in just standard watch mode and then, when you’re using gps, i think it’s 13 hours uh. I can tell you right now: i go on a run every single day, um or a bike ride, and they tend to be around the hour. Long range, maybe a little bit less or a little bit longer, depending if it’s a really easy day or a long run day and um. I charge this watch Music, four or five days every four or five days, whereas i know for a fact, if you even the latest apple watch, i think the battery life is like 18 hours, so best case scenario, you’re charging this every day you know um. So this watch it’s great you can do sleep tracking and things of that nature, so you’ll be able to wear it every single night and a really quick charge. I think if i leave this plugged up to my computer or something of that nature for about 30 to 45 minutes i’m ready to go back up at 100, so it’s battery life is phenomenal, um even with heavy gps usage, uh, so really good things, especially if You’Re, a person who’s planning on running a half or a full marathon.
This thing will get you to the very end, no matter what time you’re finishing in um. Another big thing here is. Obviously this is a fitness tracker. First and foremost, it is also a smart watch, but the primary goal of any garmin product is, you know fitness based outdoors based – and this is just such a phenomenal workout tracking device um, as you can see i’m going to throw up a video here, but it Has running walking, biking, weight, lifting rowing, golfing swimming every type of thing that you could ever think of? Is there and even things that i did not mention right so i’m i’m. I mentioned things that i’ve done before um, so i’ve been pre loaded on my device, but you know if you’re a person who does indoor cycling or um the elliptical or anything of that nature. This watch can track all of those things uh. You can even throw it on like a cardio mode, if you’re doing like a high interval, high intensity interval, training, core class or something of that nature, so it’s really great it tracks your calories. You can input your weight things that you’ve been eating, how much water you’ve been drinking. So if your primary goal is to focus on fitness and get all of those metrics, this watch will not let you down um. I really enjoy it because uh prior to having a smart watch, you know i was tracking my runs and my bike rides and things of that nature on my phone and you know when you’re using the phone you’re getting some metrics you’re getting your pace.
The whole whole distance that you traveled and things of that nature, but once you unlock the potential of using this watch, you start to get a little bit more right. You get your cadence, so how many times your feet are touching the ground per minute um. You start to get things like elevation changes, so you can know how hilly that hilly course you were on was or um even things like gps features of and things of that nature, so you can actually have turn by turn directions like right there on your wrist. So i think that is something that’s really important to me, and i wanted to highlight that here for you guys as well, just in case you’re you’re on the fence, saying hey. Why do i need this? In the first place, i use my phone and um. I also think that really quickly, here, covering a few more important things is that, even though the display is not quite as vibrant as like an apple watch or something of that nature, it is completely visible in direct sunlight. So when i’m out there on a run wearing polarized shades and everything i can look down at this, and i can always see the information that’s on the screen. I’M, never worried about missing something um and that’s, just not something you’re gon na get from something with an lcd display. You notice! When you take your phone out in the sun, you have to crank the brightness up to the max level so that you can see it on this.
I can have the brightness at the lowest setting and i can still see it, no matter where i am so very, very good feature there um and then also you can control your phone and also use basic applications. So on my watch i can control my music. I can control, i can see text messages coming in or if i have a call coming in, which is very very helpful, especially if i’m in like a meeting or something where i you know, it’s kind of unprofessional – to pull my phone out. But i can glance down in my watch and say: okay cool, like that’s who’s. Calling me like this is important. Maybe i need to take this or, if it’s, a text message or something i can do a really quick response to it and just say like okay or i’ll call you back um and lastly, i think the update support from garmin on this watch is just spot On top notch, their customer support is really good too, if you have any problems but um. This watch just got an update, i think two weeks ago or something like that for me, and it came out in 2017 guys it’s 2020 and this watch is still getting updates. I mean that’s crazy to me and um, just really great customer support really good on garmin looking out for their customers and making sure that any vulnerabilities of the watch so for your own security, but also for the performance of the watch are being updated.
Constantly and um, i think, that’s something that you know really shows that they stand by the product and they stand by their customers. So last but not least, would i buy it again and who do i think this watch is best for so i’m gon na say i even though i’ve said all these good things about the watch. I personally would not have bought this again, but i think that’s, because i fall into a very specific demographic, so i guess i’ll start with who i think this watch is best, for, i think it’s best for a person who you know maybe you’re just trying to See do i want a smart watch. Do i want a fitness tracker that can tell me a little bit more data and different metrics that my watch can’t tell me or that i’m not able to get just going out and working out on my own? I think this is a great first step, because it does everything that you need right. It does sleep tracking. Does your gym, workout tracking um, you can put you know basic apps and things like that and control your phone, but it’s not gon na break the bank. You know i got it for about 130 dollars and i know that it’s possible for you to get it for cheaper than that for sure you could get it uh certified pre, owned or even used and definitely hit it for under 100. Bucks and um know that you’re having a quality product there, but you know um, i think it’s it’s great, just to dip your toes into the water and see if it’s, something you want um, and on top of that, if you’re a person who you you know, Your casual runner, maybe um you’re, a person who you know you might do a 10k or two a year, something of that nature.
Uh can’t really go wrong here. I think it’s gon na have more than enough data for you and um yeah. I i really do think it’s a great watch, but i would say the reason that i wouldn’t personally buy it again is because uh you know i have been kind of interested in maybe experimenting with like a stride, foot pod or something of that nature. Like a chest, strap um heart rate, monitor things of that nature, and this watch isn’t really compatible with those types of items. So i think and i’m in no by no means like an elite athlete or anything like that. But i do think that, like a garmin, uh, 245, 4runner or 645, or something that has a few more features that are more run specific or more, you know triathlete specifics or somebody who’s biking and swimming as well. I think that would really help um, although i think i’ve gotten all that i need out of this watch. I just think there’s a few more pieces of data that i’d like to get during my daily workouts that i just can’t quite get here. You know um. So just some things to keep in mind, but if you’re, not a person, if you’re not planning on training for a marathon or something or you know, you’re you’re, just kind of working out for the fitness of it and the joy of working out um. I think you’re gon na enjoy it.
I think it would be more than enough and honestly, i think this is a gift that you could get as a stocking, stuffer or something you know, um. If you have a teenager, asking you for a watch or something of that nature, i see no reason why this wouldn’t be a good fit for that that type of demographic, so just some things to keep in mind um. But thank you so much for tuning in to this video. I really would appreciate it if you guys, like this content, if you go and hit that like button hit, the subscribe chat with me in the comments, whatever it may be, i’m always down to talk to you guys, um.8c_BmW_KZHY
