Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Garmin 010-01769-01 Vivoactive 3, GPS Smartwatch with Contactless Payments and Built-In Sports Apps, Black with Silver Hardware

Top positive review

(Still) My FAVORITE watch (over a year later)

Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2018

Update: I’ve had this now for over a year and I still absolutely love it. The bands have held up, the watch face protectors I got sincerely save my watch and I’ve only replaced it once!

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!

330 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Nick on Amazon

Clunky software, decent performance, horrible customer support from Garmin.

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2023

This watch worked well for the first year. Battery lasted about a week before needing to be re-charged. The GPS and the heart rate sensor are fairly accurate. It's a decent fitness tracker if you get it on sale.

The software on the watch is unbearably slow. You have to wait several seconds for the screen to update/refresh after you tap an on-screen button. I'm not exaggerating. After finishing a workout, for example, it takes FOREVER for the screen to prompt you to save your workout. And then the "saving" screen takes forever to finish.

The watch performed okay for the first year, but after that, the battery life tanked.

I contacted Garmin support to inquire about getting a battery replacement, and I was told that Garmin doesn't perform battery replacements. They can only replace your watch with a used watch (for a fee, NOT for free), but you cannot keep the same watch with a new battery. In other words, YOU CANNOT SEND IN YOUR WATCH FOR A BATTERY REPLACEMENT.

The cost of exchanging my watch with a used watch was about $10 less than the original price I paid for my watch when it was brand new.

Why would I pay almost the same amount for a used watch?

Shame on Garmin for designing this device in such a garbage way that the device becomes landfill waste once the battery stops working. Shame on them for not offering battery replacements.

I don't think I will purchase any Garmin products in the future.

12,290 total ratings, 2,460 with reviews

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From the United States

Jon Skaehill

(Still) My FAVORITE watch (over a year later)

Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2018

Verified Purchase

330 people found this helpful

Helpful

Woj

Perfect fitness tracker and smart watch for price

Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2020

Verified Purchase

I purchased this a few months ago and waited to write a review to make sure it was still the perfect fitness tracking smart watch. Yes. Yes it is. Before purchasing I spent way too much time comparing and contrasting fitness/smart watches including Fitbit and the Apple Watch. I went with this one and I’m so glad I did. It does everything I was looking for it to do.

I purchased this because I began running when COVID hit and the gyms closed and I was quarantined with my family (love them all dearly, but everyone needs a break). I was using free apps on my phone but I was finding that they were glitchy and not always accurate.

I am in love with this watch and it is exactly what I was looking for. It’s the first thing I put on in the morning before I even get out of bed. Sometimes I even sleep with it to keep track of my sleep. It has a touch screen and can be controlled by rolling along the side as well as a push button that acts as a start/pause/stop for activities. It’s waterproof so I can wear it in the shower and swimming. I will say that because it’s a touch screen, the water seems to activate the touch so it will bring up different screens. I haven’t researched whether there is swim mode that prevents because it’s not a huge deal for me as I’ll just take it off if I’m in the pool.

I love the app. It’s keeping track of all of my activities and it’s very easy to use. The watch is synced to my phone so while I can’t respond, I get vibrating notifications about texts, emails, phone calls etc.

I find that the heart rate monitor seems fairly accurate for a wrist monitor. The watch itself has been very durable. I wear it constantly and it still looks brand new after a few months. The battery life is pretty long and it charges quickly.

I really can’t say enough good things about this. It is perfect for what I need it for and was priced just right. A friend of mine but the Apple Watch because she liked the look of it better but she sees me wearing mine and says she wishes she got this one instead. I’d highly recommend.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Decent watch!

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2024

Verified Purchase

It's a fitness watch that'll do the fitness aspects reasonably well but there are problems. For one, when you go to do an activity guess what you can't see? The time! So it'll record your workout no problem. GPS looked pretty accurate, the app is easy enough to use and collects data well enough but you want to know what time it is during the workout? Good Luck. Maybe you can switch faces but with the default option, not a chance.

In the three years of ownership, the watch has taken a few hits and the screen has gone dim so it's hard to see it in any condition. The watch strap loop broke in a year...compared to an analogue Citizen watch I've had for years with a glass face, it makes you wonder if the tech portions of the watch really are worth it. Battery has lasted well and still sticks to its 3-4 day life span.

Sleep tracking is useless, along with insights for the same reason. The software can get all of this data but it has nothing useful to tell you. Insights gave up with me last year when it spat out the helpful suggestion I should climb more stairs. Why? Who knows. Anything about my workouts? No. Sleep Tracking will tell you that you slept. Thrilling observations there.

So if you're reading this review in 2024 and looking at this watch for some reason, look at a newer edition with an OLED screen and better sensors. Your data is safe, the watch is reliable and if you're buying Garmin, it'll do the job. Software could be better in giving you better info but at least it has a lot of accurate data and it isn't being sold off to who knows what.

That all said, I'm pretty pleased with it but if you're buying a watch today,

Helpful

traveltheworldandrun

Best Garmin watch to date

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

I'm a long time Garmin user, and have been using Garmin running watches starting 2011.
This watch has exceeded my expectations and I'm a very happy with it for 6 months now.
I wasn't convinced that I should buy the VivoActive 3 as every Garmin watch I had before had issues. Ranging from firmware and software problems, super slow GPS detection or material defects, I have in touch with Garmin support just too many times.
I decided to buy this watch after my Vivoactive HR wouldn't charge or be recognised by my computer anymore after connecting it by cable. That was well after the wristband had broken and the screen had cracked.
This watch feels and acts a lot better so far. A quick overview:
Pros:
+ Usability
+ Looks
+ Sleep tracking: although I didn't think I would sleep well wearing a watch, I have found it to not an issue at all. The sleep tracking can be improved to be more accurate, but overall I'm happy that it tracks sleep pretty well without any setup.
+ design / quality. So far, no complaints. not too sportswatchy and nothing has broken yet.
+ Glass: worried that I might bump and break the glass, as other reviewers wrote I did buy and install a screen protector. So far this works great ([3-Pack] Supershieldz for Garmin Vivoactive 3 )
+great GarminIQ apps and new watchfaces can be downloaded and installed - super handy for runners

Cons:
- the biggest downside I have found so far is short battery life. Where my Vivoactive HR could work a week on a charge, this watch needs to be charged every other day. I use GPS about 4/5 hours per week while running, so the battery drain is really mostly just from passive use. I have already turned off or reduced many notification features that use buzzing or backlight to save as much energy as possible.
- The altimeter is highly unreliable. Software updates haven't solved this so far. To the point where it the data is as good as useless. I have to manually correct my runs elevation profile in Strava and in Garmin Connect.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

youtoo

37 years old and I found out I was in early heart dysfunction through using this watch

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2021

Verified Purchase

I bought this watch in late March. It was quickly delivered on March 31. I had originally bought a cheaper smart watch but felt uncomfortable with the inability to turn off the blue tooth (radiation emission) with the other watch and returned it. I bought this one because it was priced pretty well and I had the choice to turn off the bluetooth. Another function that I now really appreciate but did not realize before is that this Garmin watch can constantly broadcast your heartrate while wearing the watch, rather than the 5 minute heartrates that the other watch provided. In using this broadcast function I began to notice, that at certain times my heartrates were running slightly higher than I would expect. I could be just standing talking to someone and all of a sudden my heartrate would be 105 or 110 for a few minutes and then just return into the 80's, and then a few minutes later it might run back up. I am a nurse, I decided to check the accuracy of the watch with the vitals machine at work. In doing so, I realized that the beep that tracks the pulse on the vitals machine sounded irregular. I then felt my pulse and realized that my pulse was also irregular. At this point I had not gotten any warnings from the watch (as the warnings come when the heartrate is elevated over a certain amount of time), but I did pick up from the watch that something might be going on. That night I noticed a small superficial blood clot in a varicose vein in my left leg. I called and scheduled an annual exam (which I was due for). I have a family member who has a genetic congenital heart defect. My Dr. referred me to a cardiologist for testing. I was still hesitant to believe the accuracy of the watch, but I guess she heard enough. I continued to watch broadcast and monitor my heartrates while waiting for my appointment. My watch did give me 2 irregular HR alarms during the few weeks I was waiting. I went and the cardiologist didn't seem to see much that was concerning with me (exercise regularly, good activity levels, no shortness of breath) but did an echocardiogram just to be sure. The echo came out abnormal. She then sent me for a cardiac MRI which also came out abnormal. Shortly after the result was returned I was put on medications for my heart. I am pretty unlucky to have a heart issue at 37 years old, but do consider myself very lucky to have had the problem noticed at an early stage and before my heart had enlarged which causes much more damage. I now can take some measures to try and slow the progression of the disease and prevent the enlargement. One of those measures is using this watch to watch my heartrates when I exercise to make sure that I don't overdo it. I have found there are certain things (the stair-stepper/running) that just cause my heartrate to go up to high and I can find exercises to do which don't cause me to overdo it (walking/swimming-yes I can and do broadcast my heartrate while swimming in the pool). The watch also counts laps for me in the pool but it can not do both heartrate and lap counting at the same time. You have to choose one or the other. Overall... I LOVE this watch. I am not only so happy that I bought it... but so LUCKY that I bought it. I truly believe it saved me years on my life and will continue to do so by allowing me to measure my heartrate constantly. I know also own a chest strap that pairs with the watch for maximum accuracy (which I found the watch was accurate the whole time).

I have downloaded the ECG widget (which gives a free 5 minute trial) but I can't really figure out how it is supposed to work or where the ECG actually is. It just gives me a timer looking thing and I'm not seeing a heart rhythm. In the future (when I get older) I may have to upgrade to a watch that does rhythms too, but for now I feel ok with this. I like that I can customize my own watch face with face it (which I do), and it does well at tracking several different exercises- including weight reps (which it does accurately). I love that I can use it while swimming. I like the menstrual tracking function which works pretty well. It's not an ovulation/pregnancy tracker like some but a true menstrual tracker. I find myself using the breathing (relaxation) function some, and the stopwatch too. I've also used to compass a few times. Overall I love that all of these functions are right there in one place on my wrist. I was a little concerned about the reviews about skin problems before I bought the watch, but I use the original band and have not had any issues. I do wash the band and watch with soap and water regularly after I sweat or work in the dirt in the yard though and I take the watch off and charge it while in the shower. I broadcast my heartrate a lot (which drains the battery) so I charge it about every 2 days when I shower. It If I didn't broadcast so much I could wear it at least 6 days on one charge- no problem. I don't know exactly how long it takes to charge but within the 15 minutes before I actually look at it, it's always at 100%, so battery life is great.

Thank you to Garmin for such a great product!

27 people found this helpful

Helpful

Wade M

Everything I was looking for

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2018

Verified Purchase

This watch was everything I was looking for and more. I have been debating for a long time as to whether I would replace my Vivosmart HR that I lost in October 2017 when it fell off my wrist. When I started researching, I was torn between the Vivoactive 3 and an Apple Watch. I was attracted to the Vivoactive 3 because it actually looks and feels like a watch, with a round face and almost smooth back cover. You can customize the faces to fit you or your needs, which is awesome. Overall, I feel like this was a homerun purchase for me, especially since I bought it when the price dropped and had some leftover Gift Cards from Christmas that I applied to it. Battery life has not been as advertised, but that is to be expected. I have updated all to the *I think* current SW version 3.50, which was expected to reduce battery drain. GPS is also a factor in the battery life, but I have yet to find a way to disable it completely.

PROS:
-Can be easily read outside -- I'm a football coach, and with spring ball rolling, I've yet to have a problem seeing the screen.
-Customizable to your needs (You can change the face, the activities, download new apps from the Store on your phone, etc.
-Looks (Looks and functions like a regular watch -- suitable for business casual environment like mine in school)
-Quick release bands -- this is huge from Garmin. Previous devices in the Vivo line have had proprietary bands with few options for customization.
-Durability -- I've only had this watch about a month, but it seems to be holding up pretty well. I have only taken it off a couple times to clean the band and then to change to one with a little more breathability.

CONS:
-Battery Life -- Advertised at 7 days.. I usually get 3 to 4 days out of it depending on activity, whether notifications sync, etc. GPS is a killer but I can't find an option to turn it off.
-Band not made for large wrists -- I measured my wrist between 8" and 8.25" (Granted, I know, that's on the large side) and the band fit, but it was on either the second or third hole from the end. Not that big of a deal as I just bought a new/bigger band to replace it.
-GPS seems to always be on (see battery life note above.

Overall, I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons, and I still gave it five stars because I'm definitely overly pleased with my purchase. I would recommend to anyone who wants smartwatch and fitness functions while maintaining the look and feel of a normal watch.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Phillip L.

Preferred over Fitbit Ionic

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2017

Verified Purchase

I've had the watch for about 2 weeks so far, and I absolutely love it. It's my favorite tech purchase so far this year.

I did a significant amount of research in deciding what fitness/smart watch I would buy to replace my Fitbit Surge that broke about a year back. I wasn't fully happy with Fitbit because the Surge had broken on the band in a way that didn't allow for an easy replacement. Still, I had a lot of data in my Fitbit account and I liked their app, so I was pretty excited for the Fitbit Ionic. However, after researching the Ionic in addition to looking at my friends' Ionic watches and talking to them about their experience, I decided against it. I'll summarize my opinions below:

Personal Opinion, Pros vs. Fitbit Ionic:
- Round watch face looks better than square watch face
- Fitbit charges money for standard work-outs and seems poised to adopt a Pay-As-You-Go approach to their devices
- Fitbit's stock photos of activities seem tacky and distracting... I just want a clean and simple User-Interface
- Garmin's data visualization and work-out selections are superb

Fitbit seems to be going the way of Apple in developing an expensive pay-to-play ecosystem with more fluff and show than actual substance aimed at a relatively "casual" audience. Don't get me wrong, the Fitbit Ionic is functionally almost the same as the Garmin Vivoactive 3 (and it even has a couple additional features like the ability to play music without a phone... but... all the reviews I read said that functionality was sub-par and not really the feature you think it would be). I can't really do justice to describing all the various pros/cons of the Garmin Vivoactive 3, especially in comparison to other watches, so if you're curious to learn more, I recommend simply watching a few reviews on YouTube. They'll do a much better job of explaining technical differences between the various watches.

In theory, you can use the Fitbit Ionic and the Garmin Vivoactive 3 in exactly the same way for the vast majority of use cases. So, if you're like me and couldn't decide between the two, I will have to echo what others have said in that it's really a matter of personal preference. I prefer the Garmin Vivoactive 3 because I prefer how it looks, how the data is collected and presented, and how the company operates. Some may feel differently, but for me it was a clear choice the more I looked into it and I couldn't be happier with my decision.

Now, what if you're just thinking about whether or not you should get a fitness watch? Yes, you should get a fitness watch. They come in a variety of price points, so if you're not ready to spend $250-$300 on one, I recommend getting a cheaper one to try it out. That being said, I think that the $300 price point is really the best bang-for-your-buck at the moment. You have to spend about that much to get the combination of heart rate monitoring, GPS, and smart watch functionality. It helps that my company offers incentives for tracking steps and fitness activities, but even without that, having something that motivates you get out and exercise is incredibly nice. We all know we should be exercising regularly, but let's face it, life can get pretty busy and it's easier to sit on the couch than it is to get outside to walk/run or head to the gym to work out. A fitness watch is a nice reminder/motivator... and also a neat toy and useful accessory. Again, I love mine and I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone!

18 people found this helpful

Helpful

Andrés

Still satisfied after a year, minor details

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2021

Verified Purchase

So I've had this watch for more than a year now. I came from a Vivoactive HR and besides the battery life (HR lasted about a day more), every other aspect was an upgrade. I installed a tempered glass as soon as I took it out of the box and the next day I cracked it when I accidentally hit it with a working tool. Replaced the tempered glass and it's been there the whole year.

Activities: My main sport is mountain biking. It was work flawlessly as my HR did. My only issue is when I have long rides (more than 6 hours), I usually have to carry a small battery bank to charge it during a rest time to avoid it going dead. During the pandemic I starting running and it has also worked pretty well.

Battery: The HR used to last some more hours on GPS and one more day on normal usage (4-5 days vs 6 days average). Fortunately it charges very fast, a 15 minutes charge could give me around 30% juice. I also had a problem when I recently bought it because I installed a face watch called "data lovers" that literally drained my battery in less than two days. I was concerned it was a hardware issue, but after some research I installed another face watch and it solved the problem.

GPS accuracy: When I go out for a ride with friends, most of them track their activities on their phones using Strava (which I sync with Garmin Connect). I normally get the same amount of distance as them, but my elevation gain is usually lower. For example, if they get 1000 m elevation gain (± 50 m) on an activity, I get 800. Not sure if my watch is more accurate or their phones is. Not a big issue for me but it catches my attention. I had a few weeks when my elevation sensor was kind of messing around, while riding my elevation sensor said I was at -50 m APSL, which was completely inaccurate. It fixed by itself later, and after a couple of weeks I stopped having that issue, I don't remember if it was after an update.

Steps and floors count: Here comes my main concern on this watch. I get floors count while driving. I travel 30 minutes to and from work everyday and normally when I'm driving I get the notification of "floors goal completed". My goal daily was 5 and I normally get 20 a day because of those floors counted while driving. I had to turn off this goal. Step counter does work great. I even have to take it of my wrist at work (I am not allowed to wear a watch), I put it in my pocket and it still counts my steps.

Waterproof: I am not a swimmer, but I've been in pools or at the beach and never had a problem. I even did snorkeling once. I shower with it everyday, I basically only take it off for charging.

Connectivity: I've used three phones since I've had it (all Android) and they all synced fine with the watch. Notifications work fine.

Design and esthetics: I really like its form factor. The main reason I replaced my Vivoactive HR was the design, I wanted something more classy and light (and cheap!). This one's fine for me.

Sleep tracking: I am glad with the data I get. Sometimes if I wake up to the bathroom very close hour to my wake up time, It'll register that as my wake up time. When that happens, I just edit it on the App and it updates my sleeping data to that time.

I bought this for a Black Friday and I'll stick with it as long as I can. I do exercise but I am not a passionate athlete, so I wouldn't spend more on a higher end device (like a Fenix). Maybe in the future I decide to upgrade to a Vivoactive 4 if it gets cheaper. I don't think I would replace Garmin for another brand, I am already used to how they work.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Adam Gruszczynski

Vivoactive 3 vs Ionic

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

So I was looking to upgrade from my Fitbit Blaze that has been my trusted motivation to keep working out and moving for the past year and a half as I work a mostly desk job. The Fitbit had everything I was looking for at a fair price for beginners. Now with a little more cash in my pocket I was looking for something to up my workouts, I figured why not! I was mega interested in the new Ionic at the start because I already had a Fitbit and felt comfortable with its accuracy and features. The ability to swim with my tracker was a huge selling point since I like to hop in the pool every once in a while. I heard Garmin was a heavy hitter in the fitness watch category so I figured I'd do some poking around. The Fenix 5 is absolutely everything I am looking for and then some, except for the $500+ price. I looked at the Fenix 3 HR but I was hesitant on that price too. I ran across the VA3 and after a day of research between the Ionic and VA3, I went with the VA3.

First Positive Impressions:
- Love the style, looks a lot more at home with a dress shirt at work than in a gym bag.
- Showered with it a few times and had no problems. Screen can get glitchy when wet, but that's a thing with any touch screen.
- More activity/sport modes than I would need. Guess I'll use it as motivation to try something new!
- Super light but not a cheap feel by any means. Stainless steel is a huge plus.
- Fits any quick release 20mm band and has plenty of downloadable faces so customization is huge.
- Don't know how often I'll use the Garmin Pay but its a cool thing to have (not a major selling point for me).
- Had it on for a couple days and battery is still going strong without charging out of the box (70% when I opened it up).
- Display is easy to read when under good lighting conditions due to reflective screen.

First Bad Tastes:
- Really the only thing that bugged me is that the display is not as sharp as Fitbit's. The back light washes out most colors and leaves a blue/indigo hue. Some watch faces were also pretty pixelated, and not as big of an array of available colors. Kinda disappointing because the screens on the similarly priced Apple and Fitbit are mega sharp OLEDs. The screen is truly clear in the daylight or a well lit room, but like an actual watch its hard to read anything without the back light in a darker setting. Maybe its just me because I've been spoiled with the Blaze's sharp screen already. Also,the Bluetooth has bugged out on me once or twice as far as syncing goes but it may just be an issue with Connect IQ as a restart of the app usually solved the problem.

Verdict as of 1/17/18:
From what I have researched, both the Ionic and VA3 are very similar devices that both offer the same great array of fitness & GPS tracking sensors. You could flip a coin and not go wrong with either, if those were your only selling points. Both also have really clean designs and great battery life, even though the Garmin will go a couple days further. Where the similarities split is that the Fitbit has the looks, as the screen is slightly crisper and it has music storage, and the Garmin is for the fitness-minded person who prefers function over form. Music storage wasn't a selling point for me as I don't really run marathons and work out with my phone anyway. Neither really excels in the smartwatch spectrum, so our not really missing a whole lot there, but there is enough to justify its place among Apple and Samsung's wearables. In my opinion it really just comes down to whether you prefer form (Fitbit) over function (Garmin).

Update As Of 2/16:
So I have had the watch for a month now and I have to say I'm pretty impressed. I have gotten used to the screen and it isn't as bad as i thought it would be. Lots of watch faces with plenty of cool info to pick from. I haven't been able to use Garmin Pay yet as my bank hasn't been updated as an option yet. Kinda bummed as it would be a cool thing to have but its useless if I can't sync my cards to it. I am really impressed on the fitness tracking capabilities of it. The auto rep counter is a plus and you can track weight as you lift. No word on GPS accuracy yet as its winter in Illinois and I'm not into winter running. The swim feature thoroughly meets my expectations with more information than I would ever need. The distance counting can add/miss a lap or two every once in a while but I've found if you have a good GPS signal its not an issue. The battery life as been pretty good too. I work out every other day and I can get 4 days consistently on a charge. I bought an extra cable for my office and never have issues of it dying on me. It takes a solid 20 min to charge it to full from like 10%. The notifications sometimes come to my watch before they show up on my phone (no idea how but that's cool). The only issue I have with it though is the stair counting. With it being waterproof there is no accurate way for the barometer to get data and it regularly misses a few flights unless you are going up a few floors. I don't really have a huge priority on counting my stairs throughout the day, but for the price I feel like it should be more accurate. A month into it and I have to say the watch meets my expectations, and I was worried because for the price and the brand I was expecting a lot.

171 people found this helpful

Helpful

Big6ft6

Great for price, but some annoying things to be aware of

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is my first fitness watch. Overall I've been happy, seems really accurate, sleep tracking seems really really good, all the features have worked, no problems, but there are some annoying things I will share. I would still recommend the watch.

0) Biggest frustration is no auto-pause when fitness tracking. So for example if I'm riding my bike after work to my car, when I get to my car, if I forget to stop the fitness tracking, by the time I have driven home I will have accumulated an additional 10 miles of biking at 70 miles per hour and the workout tracking is ruined, no ability to edit out the time in the car, I just have to delete it and lose my bike workout. Similarly if I bike to work, and forget to stop my watch when I get to my office. By lunch time the watch will be tracking a 5 hour bike ride with an average speed of 1.7 mph. (since most of the "bike ride" was sitting at my desk). It seems with GPS and accelerators etc the watch should be able to guess that you've change your activity and vibrate and ask "are you still biking?" to remind you to stop the work out when you transition to your car or to your desk. With our busy chaotic lives it is too easy to forget to push "stop" at the end of every activity.

1) the screen is very sensitive and lights up all the time with little movements or brushes of the screen, even at night while in bed, you can put it on do-not disturb, but that doesn't change the lighting. You can go in to setting and reduce the screen brightness to zero, but then you it doesn't light up all (making checking time at night not possible). They should have a night setting where, the screen only lights up when push the button on the side of the watch, similar to a regular watch.

2) screen lock. The screen is very sensitive, so it is pretty easy to accidentally find you watch on some random screen when you just want to know the time. You can set a screen lock, but when this is set, if you try to wake up the watch to look at the time, a giant lock symbol covers much of the digits of the time (to let you know your watch is locked) , and you have to wait for the lock symbol to go away on its own to see the time, which takes a ridiculously long time, so if you have the watch screen locked there is no "glancing" at the time.

3) **updated, I was able to adjust screen settings to show lengths however it isn't quite accurate often alternating between showing an odd or even number of lengths at the same end of the pool, I'm going to compare to my physical lap counter***The swimming feature doesn't count laps. Yes, you heard that right, it doesn't count laps. Well actually it does, it just won't display how many laps you've completely. It gives you average time per lap, (and total yards and other things) so clearly it knows how many laps you've done. But it doesn't display laps which seems absurd. So in the middle of a swimming work out I find myself dividing the total yards on my watch by 25 to try and determine which lap I'm on. This is really annoying. Maybe there is a setting I haven't found?

4) Swimming feature also is different to operate than all the other fitness tracking apps. The rest of the apps function the same way and have the same menus, like when you're done you push the side button to end tracking, it asks if you're done, and then asks if you want to save the work out all on the touch screen? But the swimming app uses the side button to pause, to end, and to save without on-screen buttons. This lack of symmetry to other fitness apps in operation is annoying.

5) Battery life. If you use the fitness features a fair amount you'll need to charge the watch almost daily, or at least every two days. I'm not a crazy active person, but I ride my bike to work, then go to the gym at lunch time. and if I used the gps/fitness apps for all three activities it really sucks down the battery life quickly. So if you're planning to do a lot of fitness tracking prepare to charge your watch a lot. It charges relatively quick, it is just annoying compared to a traditional watch that lasts for years on a single battery.

6) Speaking of charging, this watch uses a proprietary charging cord. So you won't be able to use the 15,000 micro-usb cords you have scattered throughout your life for all your other electronics to charge this watch. So if the watch is running low on charge while you're at the office, hopefully your brought along your special watch charging cord!! :)

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