Review on 🌟 Garmin Vívoactive 3 GPS Smartwatch with Contactless Payments & Built-In Sports Apps, Black/Slate - Model 010-01769-11 by Robert Wood

My previous smartwatch was the Garmin Vivoactive HR. This was my first smartwatch and I chose it precisely because it has GPS and is waterproof. Apple watches with similar features either didn't exist yet or cost three times as much - and this device needs to be charged every night (SMH). The long battery life and heart rate monitor were nice bonuses that I think are essential in any decent smartwatch. From the looks of it, however, not much better than the old plain fitness band or fitness band. When the V3 came out, I started to envy its cool looks... but when my VivoActive HR broke, Garmin replaced it. with another XP! Very cool of them, but it meant I had a long way to go because I couldn't justify buying anything else. Luckily I wore HR to play hockey a few months ago and the puck saved the TAG! DESTROY! Once again, Garmin tried to save me by offering a 20% discount on damage replacement, but that didn't sit well with me. I had to look at hundreds of wearables before I could make up my mind. So I settled on the Coros Apex 42mm. WHY? I was drawn in by the months of battery life and it struck me as a good looking sports watch. Looking back I wonder if it had better photos on the web than the Garmin VA3! I've added some comparison images to this review in case you're wondering how the Coros Apex compares. But anyway, the Coros Apex watch made me miss the Garmin VA HR! Yes, the Coros battery can last so long that you forget about it, but I think that's because the screen is really dark! I missed the touchscreen, the Garmin ecosystem, the music controls, the almost inordinate number of sports and workouts to choose from, the quick access to the many menu options available, and just the overall sense of completeness and readiness that Garmin has. I don't want to criticize Coros, but he just isn't ready for prime time. It turns out that I really like some of the SMARTwatch features, not just fitness, and the Coros pretty much ticks all the boxes for ultramarathoners who want to track their activity 24 hours a day with GPS. Okay, back to the product at hand... or on the wrist... The Vivoactive 3 has everything the HR has, but it's a lot more stylish. It also has a bunch of custom faces which are more fun if you're into that sort of thing. Seriously, who doesn't love fun? The most amazing thing was how good this watch looks. It's the perfect size for my alien-thin wrists. Big enough to read but doesn't feel like I'm carrying a CD on my arm. I also added a picture to compare with HR (ignore, HR is broken)! Hey, who doesn't crash every once in a while? In summary, the Vivoactive 3 is the bomb. Great looks with all the features I love. Life is damn good.