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Considering buying Vivoactive 3 from Fitbit Blaze/Versa. Thoughts?

Hi! I'm contemplating migrating from the Fitbit universe to the Garmin and the vivoactive3 looks like a great device, features and price wise. Right now I can get this for $250 from the Garmin website, which is not much more than the limited edition Fitbit Versa ($230) and I can get more bang for the buck - built in GPS, always on display and presumably more.

The reason I am thinking of leaving Fitbit is because I've experienced a major show stopping bug with the latest one I got - the Versa. Long story short, the connected GPS simply did not work and so it was an expensive pedometer effectively. And as it has no built-in GPS, I was stuck. So I returned it and went back to my older Fitbit Blaze, which still works. But I am hoping for an upgrade.

I like the Vivoactive3 because it has, on paper, a solid battery life (7 days) and reviews say it goes realistically to about 5, it has an always on display which will be a HUGE plus to me (no more waiting for a few seconds to see the time), and it seems to be light and thin. Although I need to see it to believe it. Because so far in the promotional pictures and in reviews, it looks HUGE! Definitely bigger than the Fitbits I have. Yet, the specs say it is thin, as thin as an Apple watch or the Fitbit I currently have and also fairly light.

So, I want some answers. Firstly, is it really as thin and light as the specs say? My current Fitbit is around 11.5 mm thick and about 40 grams. I would like this Garmin to be in a similar ballpark. Secondly, are there any big issues with this that I should be aware of? Given that I've been burned by the unfortunate issue with the Fitbit Versa's connected GPS feature, I want to be careful before I make another expensive purchase. I see a lot of complaining on these forums and that is not reassuring. But on the other hand, forums like these mostly attract people with bad experiences. The folks who are delighted by their device won't come here and post about it, so all the negativity might simply be due to this inherent selection bias, so I don't know! And finally, is it possible to transfer my fitness and health data from the Fitbit platform to the Garmin? Even if it is not a complete transfer, it would be a plus if I can transfer something.

Oh, another thing I am curious about: the smartphone features and apps. Are there a lot of such apps on Garmin? It is not a deal breaker if it is not, as I likely won't use this much. But it would be a nice bonus! And anyone know if the Garmin can multitask, i.e. run multiple apps at the same time?

So, please let this curious fella know what it is like in the Garmin world! :)

0 AuYeungKwokOn over 7 years ago

I had pre-ordered the fitbit versa and i was waiting the grey version. as people start receiving their devices more and more had problems and bugs with it and i desided not to make the beta tester. . i cancel order and i search for other device. Finally after a lot of search i went with vivoactive 3. More expensive from Versa but has GPS and better quality and sensors. Battery lasts 7 days and maybe 8 without gps use and with gps it uses about 10% / hour. Connection with my Huawei phone is constant where the fitbit have a huge problems with Huawei devices... Am very happy so far from vivoactive 3 and am glad i did not bought Versa. .

I am afraid VA3 is not a good choice either.
"not to make the beta tester": this is what makes Garmin so famous. If any of my friend ask me for buying advice, I would now say "never touch Garmin."
I really hope I am wrong.

0 AuYeungKwokOn over 7 years ago

Agree. Have the same devices as you, the edge 1000 is still full of bugs after 3 years ( or even more) on the marked.

My Edge 1000 is still in FW 5.2 just because TBT and ANT+ still works! I never trust the updates even though there are one million features but TBT and sensor connection doesn't work.
We are all poor guys, just asking for the most basic functions. So I have to say again, no more Garmin in the future and I highly advice people not to support Garmin, especially there is a Sigma ROX 12.0 Sport released and it looks much better than Edge. Even though it is not better, I would still buy it because why Garmin can still survive as there is not much competition.

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

I am afraid VA3 is not a good choice either.
"not to make the beta tester": this is what makes Garmin so famous. If any of my friend ask me for buying advice, I would now say "never touch Garmin."
I really hope I am wrong.

No device is perfect. All of them have a lot of bugs when released but with new fw updates many problems solved. VA3 is for almost a year on sale so i prefer to go with it and not with fitbit Versa as it is a new product and needs time to work properly.
And if we would like to speak generaly, name one device that is perfect without problems or bugs. Even the most expensive have problems... As former fitbit user i found out that Garmin is more reliable than Fitbit.

0 AuYeungKwokOn over 7 years ago

I am not aware of Fitbit bugs as I am not familiar with the brand. If it is true, it might show that many of the fitness watches are too early to release to customers. They should cut down their functions if they don't manage the technologies yet. I have few colleagues using the US$50 MI watch made in China with heart rate ,basic running and cycling recording functions as well as smartphone notification. Battery life is around one month. They are simple and not that buggy. If Garmin or any watch makers could not make sure most of the functions are always able to work, then don't add them. Just like autonomous driving, do it step by step.

Talking about cars, all of the vechicles are not perfect even though they "debug" for over 100 years. All of our cars sometimes break down and need repairing. But some break down 5 times a year (my case). If the car maker told me "some brands can even break more so pls accept it", then I think my anger would be reasonable.

So if Garmin is bad in stability and Fitbit is even worst, both of them should not be supported by customers. I would not say as Fitbit is the worst, so I should forgive and buy the Garmin. Our life would be hard without cars so may be we don't have much choice but tolerate. However, fitness watch is not a must for life. It is a luxury thing. So it is not so wise to buy something luxury but problematic.

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

Hello everyone,

I am new to the smartwatches world. Purchased a Fitbit Ionic and am having a nightmare experience. And I am wondering whether Garmin VA3 would be a better choice or should I ask for a refund and forget about smartwatches. All I want is a device that I can wear all-day-long and estimate accurately how active am I being and a correct heart rate reading while on the gym (strenght training and elliptical bike).

I never expected that OHRMs and wrist monitoring were so choppy. To save time I will quote my post from Fitbit forums:

This is my second day with Fitbit Ionic and I think I'm asking for a refund. Fortunately I purchased it on Amazon and they are usually nice when returning any purchase.

Never had a smartwatch before, and I guess the technology is still too primitive:
Heart rate is completely off. Usually readings are lower than actual HR. Sometimes I am at 140bpm and it says 80, huh? I know wrist reading is more difficult than using a chest band. But then why buying a thing that just does not work properly?
Calorie counter is too generous. Anyway I already knew that you should never trust calorie counters by any gadget or gym equipment, otherwise you will overeat and get fat.
Step counter is accurate as long as you are walking on the street. However weird readings start to happen when you are moving around your home, or in the gym. For example I like elliptical bike and I grab the central grips, but still the hand is slightly moving sometimes. So the Ionic counts SOME of these movements as steps, and doesnt count others. This leads to a complete mess, as I just don't know how many steps have I made. Of course any lifting movement counts as a step, for example biceps or shoulder exercises. Yeah this is an activity watch so it makes sense to accept that lifting movements can be counted as activity. But oh well...
I would like an "always on" option for screen, it is just annoying to get it OFF all the time.
Screen is beautiful but the crystal gets dirt too easily, and then it doesnt look as great as in youtube videos or promotional pics....
It is not exactly comfortable, maybe this is because I haven't worn a watch for more than 10 years.

I have read that Garmin Vivoactive 3 is way more accurate for heart rate, counts on an awesome app, and is very light so should be more comfortable. However I dont like its aesthetics and the fact that it is round. To be honest I purchased the Ionic mostly because it looks gorgeous, I like the square format, and it has a high quality screen compared to other products in the market.

They say the sleep pattern readings are awesome, but again, is this important enough and what can you do if you have slept badly any day? You can't go back in time and repeat your night sleep can you? lol.

In addition I think this type of products may be useful for a short period of time, after which you can't learn/make improvements as its always "the same". This happened to me when I used a pulsometer 5 years ago, after 6 months I stopped using it as I didn't learn anything new and I just predicted very accurately my heart rate without even looking the watch.

So at this point Im debating myself whether I should keep my Ionic, return it and get a Garmin Vivoactive 3, or return it and never again use a smartwatch (at least while technology is still so patchy).

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

ioniccrash There are many variables that come with an oHRM watch. How it's worn, skin complexion, movement, etc. Each is an individual thing. The VA3 may work better for you or worse. If your Fitbit isn't working well for you, I suggest you return it. Your best course of action is to borrow and test a VA3 if possible. If that isn't an option and you decide to purchase one, just make sure you're able to return it if you have the same issues.

0 AuYeungKwokOn over 7 years ago

Hello everyone,

I am new to the smartwatches world. Purchased a Fitbit Ionic and am having a nightmare experience. And I am wondering whether Garmin VA3 would be a better choice or should I ask for a refund and forget about smartwatches. All I want is a device that I can wear all-day-long and estimate accurately how active am I being and a correct heart rate reading while on the gym (strenght training and elliptical bike).

I never expected that OHRMs and wrist monitoring were so choppy. To save time I will quote my post from Fitbit forums:

I also agree that don't buy it if it is not possible to return.
VA3 is a very poor device in my experience although I don't have any Fitbit. The most basic functions, such as heart rate and bluetooth notification not working well in my sample. Today I got a ride and heart rate was below around 30 rpm in the middle of climbing. Bluetooth always disconnect. Why I need a smart training watch which cannot measure heart rate and poor phone connection? Just use it for telling me the time maybe.

0 Sitronen over 7 years ago

Moved from VA3 to Ionic two weeks ago. Just my 2 cents:

* Both devices are solid, I have only a few problems with both, but each is with its own flaws.

* The Ionic is the better fitness tracker bc it does a better job motivating you throughout the day and a much bigger user base, which means you have more people to compete and socialize with. Its sleep tracking is actually acurate. Its HRM is accurate enough while doing sports if you don´t have health issues or if you do competitive sports, even without chest strap.

* The VA3 is the much better sports watch. It has much more activities preloaded, the IQ store gives you additional activities, it gives you more stats and insights and connects to external sensors like heart rate and cadence. The screen and the UI is IMHO superior for sports. The battery lasts longer.

* The VA3 is - right now - the smarter watch. It gives you your daily agenda, informs you if you forget your phone at home or in your car, has a find-my-phone feature and much more apps in the IQ store.

* The Ionics music playback feature is sexy at first, but bothersome to set up and to load music to the watch itself.

If Garmin FINALLY get sleep tracking right, which means tracking multiple sleeps and naps throughout the day, I will go back to the VA3

0 litetaker over 7 years ago

I also agree that don't buy it if it is not possible to return.
VA3 is a very poor device in my experience although I don't have any Fitbit. The most basic functions, such as heart rate and bluetooth notification not working well in my sample. Today I got a ride and heart rate was below around 30 rpm in the middle of climbing. Bluetooth always disconnect. Why I need a smart training watch which cannot measure heart rate and poor phone connection? Just use it for telling me the time maybe.

Everyone has different experiences as there has never been a product in my memory that is 100% flawless. So, @ioniccrash take the feedback you get here with a grain of salt. I too got a lot of conflicting feedback when I asked if I should buy the VA3 as seen in this thread. Nonetheless, I went ahead and bought it and I absolutely love it! No regrets here.

I choose to respectfully disagree with AuYeungKwokOn. One cannot claim that the VA3 is a poor device because of one person's experience. Any electronic item will have its issues, laptops, TVs, phones, smartwatches. Unfortunately, for AuYeungKwokOn, there seems to be a lot of issues, heart rate, bluetooth etc.

For me, however, so far it has been a very pleasant experience. I got this device almost 2 weeks ago. I've had no issue with Bluetooth connectivity. In fact, Bluetooth connectivity is a thousand times better than it has ever been on my Fitbit. I used my Fitbit Blaze and the short lived Fitbit Versa with an Android device. The bluetooth connectivity always cuts off at numerous points in a day. Sometimes I have to reboot the phone to fix it. Sometimes reboot the watch. Here, not a single issue so far. (Fingers crossed, no jinxes!)

Heart rate monitoring is very good as well, and similar to what you get with a Fitbit. There are a lot of things you get with this Garmin device that is beyond what any Fitbit can offer. A few simple ones include: (a) always on screen, (b) nicer design, (c) a lot more stats, (d) more detailed information right on the device, (e) more useful smartwatch features built-in like Calendar! and find my phone, (f) well done notifications with a lot of options for interaction.

There are somethings it does not do as well as the Fitbit. Most noticeable for me is sleep tracking. It is just not as good as a Fitbit. So I use it for more basic information about sleep now, like duration of sleep. Most of the rest seems to be a hit-and-miss. There is no built-in way to track how many hours you moved (more than 250 steps) like on the Fitbit. The Garmin app does not let you input body fat % along with weight measurements. The app is also a bit more challenging to use, but it does have a lot more information present.

But overall, it is a very good change in my opinion and the pluses of the watch and the Garmin platform far outweigh the minuses. Definitely worth taking the dive into the Garmin world.

0 AuYeungKwokOn over 6 years ago

Everyone has different experiences as there has never been a product in my memory that is 100% flawless. So, @ioniccrash take the feedback you get here with a grain of salt. I too got a lot of conflicting feedback when I asked if I should buy the VA3 as seen in this thread. Nonetheless, I went ahead and bought it and I absolutely love it! No regrets here.

I choose to respectfully disagree with AuYeungKwokOn. One cannot claim that the VA3 is a poor device because of one person's experience. Any electronic item will have its issues, laptops, TVs, phones, smartwatches. Unfortunately, for AuYeungKwokOn, there seems to be a lot of issues, heart rate, bluetooth etc.

For me, however, so far it has been a very pleasant experience. I got this device almost 2 weeks ago. I've had no issue with Bluetooth connectivity. In fact, Bluetooth connectivity is a thousand times better than it has ever been on my Fitbit. I used my Fitbit Blaze and the short lived Fitbit Versa with an Android device. The bluetooth connectivity always cuts off at numerous points in a day. Sometimes I have to reboot the phone to fix it. Sometimes reboot the watch. Here, not a single issue so far. (Fingers crossed, no jinxes!)

Heart rate monitoring is very good as well, and similar to what you get with a Fitbit. There are a lot of things you get with this Garmin device that is beyond what any Fitbit can offer. A few simple ones include: (a) always on screen, (b) nicer design, (c) a lot more stats, (d) more detailed information right on the device, (e) more useful smartwatch features built-in like Calendar! and find my phone, (f) well done notifications with a lot of options for interaction.

There are somethings it does not do as well as the Fitbit. Most noticeable for me is sleep tracking. It is just not as good as a Fitbit. So I use it for more basic information about sleep now, like duration of sleep. Most of the rest seems to be a hit-and-miss. There is no built-in way to track how many hours you moved (more than 250 steps) like on the Fitbit. The Garmin app does not let you input body fat % along with weight measurements. The app is also a bit more challenging to use, but it does have a lot more information present.

But overall, it is a very good change in my opinion and the pluses of the watch and the Garmin platform far outweigh the minuses. Definitely worth taking the dive into the Garmin world.

Please check the feedback of other users before firmware 5.2. I am afraid no one could broadcast their HR to Edge devices. And I am sure no one able to connect ANT+ speed sensor and cadence sensor normally few months ago before the update. I am glad you are a happy user, but it is because new users get latest firmware upgrade. They didn't experience lots of wide spread problems as older users. So I respectfully to say you may be happy because your happiness is based on the experience of different timeline as other users.
I bought a computer decades ago with Windows 95 and it crashed once per day. You just bought a computer with updated Windows 10 and it crashed once a month and you think my experience on Windows 95 was not valid.