If you had it to do again would you still buy the Vivoactive 3?

ORDERED through Amazon. Figured I would not beat the price and will get 5% cashback on the purchase for a net cost of $237 plus tax. Even if I could get it elsewhere and not pay the tax up front, I would in the end as our state charges a use tax on out of state purchases. I am not sure if the price will go down more or not but I still remember when I got a brand new Astro 320 with DC50 collar for $350 and never saw it that low again. ......

Just FYI, Clever Training has the Gunmetal version on sale for $279 and the others for $249.

Absolutely not! I chose this device because our company's health plan requires us to carry a fitness tracker, and the only ones they support are either Garmin or Fitbit. I bought the VA3 with the hope that it would act as a decent replacement to my Gear S2, but unfortunately it doesn't even come close. I've spent so much time trying to get this darn thing to work properly but it's too bug-ridden. Garmin has a long way to go before this replaces any smartwatch. It's a shame that we've all become beta testers for them. It should not have been released so soon.

One thing to consider is that Garmin watches aren't really smart watches with some fitness apps. They are more fitness watches with some smart apps. You can find things like apps for Uber and Lyft in the app store, but you'll find more more things for fitness in the store. You'll' find far more people training for a Tri with a Garmin watch than a Gear s2 or apple watch, for example. Things I like about Garmins is that you can do most things without a phone, the always on display, and other things. Are there bugs? Yes, but you'll find that with any vendor.

Absolutely not! I chose this device because our company's health plan requires us to carry a fitness tracker, and the only ones they support are either Garmin or Fitbit. I bought the VA3 with the hope that it would act as a decent replacement to my Gear S2, but unfortunately it doesn't even come close. I've spent so much time trying to get this darn thing to work properly but it's too bug-ridden. Garmin has a long way to go before this replaces any smartwatch. It's a shame that we've all become beta testers for them. It should not have been released so soon.

Odd odd thing is I’ve also come from an S2 Classic. And my thoughts are the opposite, in that it blows the S2 out of the water. It’s fitness related stuff is miles ahead of Samsung, which only tracks HR every ten mins for example. The Tizen infrastructure is sadly lacking in apps, and it’s battery life is poor.

I got the watch. Returned it for a bad vibration motor, got a new one, and am happy with it. The Fenix looks like a great option but for the cost not for me and to get one with the map etc means getting a larger model that is just too big for me. About the only thing is I wish this would have more fitness related features and some of the "smartwatch" features such as text notifications, music etc - meh - that is not why I bought a Garmin. I will say they need to adjust their battery life estimates. I wind up charging mine every day and am concerned that an all day hike may be too much -

I got the watch. Returned it for a bad vibration motor, got a new one, and am happy with it. The Fenix looks like a great option but for the cost not for me and to get one with the map etc means getting a larger model that is just too big for me. About the only thing is I wish this would have more fitness related features and some of the "smartwatch" features such as text notifications, music etc - meh - that is not why I bought a Garmin. I will say they need to adjust their battery life estimates. I wind up charging mine every day and am concerned that an all day hike may be too much -

hello Nancy, i had the Fenix 3hr and its a huge bulky watch(i am man with slim wrist, but i loved it),no way its for women. I had to send it back for replacement when the HR sensor got cracks(garmin sent me brand new piece!) and decided to sell and get Vivoactive 3. I did so few days ago, and had to replace it in the store after 2 days when all the readings were way off. Got new one yesterday and when fiddling with stress widget it suddenly started to power off and on, had to factory reset and now its working fine for time being. Now i wanna say the only completely stable device i ever had was the original vivofit, i guess the more technology you put it in, the more bugs&issues one can expect. Now this is a a touchscreen as well, so more things can go wrong with the software. I dont give up on it and will wait for future update to get the bugs out:) I considered the Ionic instead, but the lack of external connectivity for HR belt put me off. It is what it is, this all technology is still fairly new and in development sort of state. Somebody already mentioned it should mostly serve as a motivator to improve your health and thats how i look at it as well. Best of luck and happy days!

I recently bought a Fenix 5 (standard) despite ordering then cancelling a VA3. I have to say I would probably do the opposite if I could do it again as the Fenix 5 has notorious Ant+ & BT connection probs that drive me a bit nuts with my Garmin HR straps, and it is overpriced. I bought it 2 weeks before the prices recently dropped about $150, and by then it was too late to return, so I am still pissed about that. Like an earlier poster said, I'm getting tired of being an unpaid Garmin beta tester, especially when they refuse to acknowledge/address major problems like basic sensor connectivity. The Fenix is not far off end-of-life anyway (it's been what? 10 months?!) so any further significant firmware support is wishful thinking.

But yes, unfortunately most other pure fitness watches suck.

Sorry to hijack ;)

I wish I kept my VivoActive HR. I am not happy with the VA 3 at all. In fact, I am considering switching maybe to the Samsung gear. I was really hoping Garmin would make an improved and better VivoActive HR, but instead it really sucks.
1) Battery life is worse. (Half of the VA HR)
2) Sensors are garbage. Heart Rate, Compass, Altimeter. The heart rate is the worse one, not sure if it's the location of the sensors but it's only good if you are running or walking.
3) Side swipe is useless. Don't think they can fix it with software. Just disable it.