Garmin vívoactive 3 Golf GPS Watch Review

Garmin vívoactive 3 Golf GPS Watch Review

If you’re looking for a stylish and functional watch for an active lifestyle then Garmin vívoactive 3 GPS Watch should be on your buying list.

This Garmin watch is easy to operate with a smart-looking touchscreen and one button on each side, with a further two touch-sensitive buttons below the screen. Its overall appearance is arguably one of the smartest out there.

The Vivoactive 3 is Garmin’s first true smartwatch, but unlike other golf GPS rangefinder watches out there, this one is targeted at golfers who also like to swim, cycle, walk and run – so think of it as a part traditional smartwatch, part activity tracker, and part fitness GPS watch.

This golf GPS watch is very different from most of the watches in the same category because it offers a plethora of features that others miss out on. It has a stylish appearance and color touchscreen display which is readable even in bright outdoor conditions.

The watch is GPS-enabled and offers smart features like notifications and various other widgets. It also comes with a long-lasting battery that delivers 10-hour performance in GPS mode.

Let’s get to this Golf GPS watch features in detail:

Garmin vívoactive 3 Golf GPS Watch Review:- Features

Garmin vívoactive 3, GPS Smartwatch Contactless Payments Built-in Sports Apps, Black/Gunmetal

$279.99
Last updated on April 29, 2023 10:35

Features

  • Garmin Pay contactless payment solution lets you pay for purchases with your watch (available for supported cards from participating banks)
  • Personalize your watch with thousands of free watch faces, apps and widgets from our Connect IQ store. Memory/History : 7 timed activities, 14 days of activity tracking data
  • More than 15 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, including yoga, running, swimming and more. Lens material: chemically strengthened glass, bezel material: stainless steel, case material: fiber-reinforced polymer with stainless steel rear cover
  • Monitor your fitness level with VO2 max and fitness made estimates, plus keep an eye on how you handle stress (see garmin.com/ataccuracy). Fits wrists with a circumference of 127-204 mm
  • Get connected features such as smart notifications, automatic uploads to Garmin Connect, LiveTrack and more when paired with a compatible smartphone

Key features

  • Precise yardages– front, middle and back yardages of the green
  • Lay-up distances– yardages to doglegs and hazards
  • Ultra-thin GPS smartwatch – with a sunlight-readable, high-resolution color touchscreen
  • Built-in sports apps – GPS-enabled golfing, running, and biking, plus swimming and activity tracking, let you view your stats even when away from your phone.
  • Personalize your watch with thousands of free watch faces, apps, and widgets from Connect IQ store
  • More than 15 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, including golf, running, swimming, and more
  • Monitor your fitness level with VO2 max and fitness age estimates, plus keep an eye on how you handle stress
  • First Garmin wearable that is Garmin Pay ready, so customers can pay for purchases with their watch
  • Get connected features such as smart notifications, automatic uploads to Garmin Connect, LiveTrack, and more
  • Battery life: up to three weeks in smartwatch mode; 13 hours in GPS mode

Weight: 38 g
Dimensions: 4.8 x 3.8 x 0.8 cm (without wristband)
Touchscreen: Yes
Battery life: Up to three weeks (watch mode), 10 hours (GPS mode)
Course maps: Over 38,000 (must be downloaded from database)
Colors: White, Black (customizable)

Reasonably Priced the Vivoactive 3 Smartwatch seems to be quite dear.

There are other cheaper options are available for about $100 but they certainly don’t boost the ridiculous amount of features as with this new release.

However, such a price tag on the Garmin Smartwatch suggests excellent features and handfuls of styling.

Things are moving fast in the tech world today and the Vivoactive 3 is a shining star. It even enables you to make payments while out and about and with more than 15 preloaded sports apps.

The watch comes with an in-built GPS that kicks out the guesswork and users get accurate information about their movements. Golf enthusiasts and lovers can make use of the features as it does provide yardages to the center, front, and back of the green.

The built-in GPS gives you access to vital distance, pace, and location data of more than 12,000 golf courses around the world with no subscription fees.

To check your distance on the golf course, just tap the screen to see your accurate readings. The GPS provides live feedback on every step you take.

On the course, The Vivoactive 3 watch provides you with traditional front, middle and back yardages of the green in clear, bold numbering, as well as to pinpoint distances to hazards and layups of the hole in question.

The addition of GPS to Vivoactive 3 is one of its strongest features that allow users to track their movements while they are playing golf, running, cycling, swimming, and even walking.

While The Garmin Vivoactive 3 does not have as many key features as the impressive Garmin Approach S62 watch if you are looking for a golf watch, we do like how it provides layup yardages in an easy-to-view list format.

Although we didn’t experiment too much with the other fitness modes on offer, this watch will track your speed, distance, time, and heart rate should you wish it to.

When the GPS mode is inactive, Vivoactive 3 transforms into just another everyday watch and users can use the same watch to their office and other formal events.Garmin vívoactive 3 : A Full Featured Smart GPS Watch Review

The style factor of the watch is designed keeping in mind that users can use it on casual and formal clothing at the same time. The watch is extremely slim and lightweight.

The Garmin Chroma Display is very easy to read even in direct sunlight.

It is protected with an extra-durable Corning Gorilla Glass. Unbelievably easy to use especially with the Side Swipe interface which makes for swift scrolling and navigation.

It weighs around 38 grams making it one of the lightest GPS watches in the market.

It also comes in with the daily activity tracker which is common to the Vivoactive lineup by Garmin.

The watch tracks your steps, calories, and distances. It also shows the number of hours you have been inactive.

The watch also tracks the cycling distances and swimming distances and can transfer all the data on the app.

Vivoactive 3 is completely waterproof and that means you can take a bath or go for a swim for the depth of 50 meters and it will still work as accurately as it promises to.

The watch has various smartwatch features because it can collaborate with various apps and it has this touchscreen display.

Users can swipe left and right and access various widgets to see the information like weather information through the weather widget and so on.

The watch supports Connect IQ which is Garmin’s new app store from where users can download watch faces, apps, widgets, and data fields.

It offers great battery life with a 13-hour performance with active GPS mode and a three-week performance without GPS mode.

Setup

The Garmin Vivoactive 3 watch is quick and easy to set up out of the box, just as you would expect for a Garmin GPS.

The golfer can connect the device via their phone and download more than 38,000 golf courses worldwide.

The battery life is also superb with 13 hours in GPS mode and up to one week in watch mode.

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Garmin vívoactive 3 Golf Watch 2022 Review:- Benefits

Vivoactive 3 is visually appealing and has all the features that you would need in a smart and practical watch for an active lifestyle.

This means that users can use the same watch for sports, formal meetings, and casual evening parties. The sleek and contemporary design of the watch makes it ideal for any occasion.

The GPS feature allows users to track their movements when they are playing golf, running, swimming, cycling and walking.

The GPS accuracy is pretty good and the watch can transfer all the information to other platforms using built-in apps.

Vivoactive 3 also offers tons of features to users as they can track their daily activity and see how many hours they have worked and have been idle.

The Garmin Vivoactive 3 Golf Smartwatch is very well built with its impressive rugged and waterproof design.

You will be in safe hands if the smartwatch goes for a swim in the lake or gets hit by a stray golf ball.

It is also extremely comfortable with its silicone strap and weighing in at only 43 grams with a battery life of up to three weeks – that’s impressive!

Pros & Cons

Garmin vívoactive 3 Golf GPS Watch Review 1

Pros

Pros
  • Daily Activity Tracker
  • GPS Enabled
  • Visually Appealing Sleek Design
  • Compatible with Apps & Widgets
  • Extremely Lightweight
  • Color Touchscreen Display
  • Waterproof
  • Contactless Payments
Garmin vívoactive 3 Golf GPS Watch Review 2

Cons

Cons
  • Difficult to Navigate Features
  • Swim Tracker Inaccurate
  • Low-Resolution Screen

 

Garmin vívoactive 3 Golf GPS Watch 2022 Review:- Conclusion

 

This watch is the perfect GPS option for the modern-day athlete, who not only enjoys a spot of golf at the weekend but also likes to swim, cycle, walk, and run. It also doesn’t look out of place as a traditional watch.

The Vivoactive 3 might lack some of the key “golf techs” that other GPS watches in this test feature, but if glancing at yardage is all you care about while out on the course then this one is well worth a closer look.

Vivoactive 3 is certainly one of the most interesting GPS-enabled watch in the market.

It has a blend of features like a daily activity tracker, GPS, and compatibility with apps and widgets which make it one of the best watches out in the market.

With a sleek contemporary design and other features, it can transform into a regular everyday watch.

It is also one of the most lightweight watches in the market and has a color touchscreen display making it easier for the users to access information by swiping from left to right.

The watch connects with Connect IQ and supports third-party apps to extend its functionality.

Overall the Garmin Vivoactive 3 GPS Smartwatch is a great investment that will set you in good stead when you’re swinging away on the golf course.

It’s jam-packed with so many more features and functions that you will just have to go and check it out now!

 

FAQS

Yes, It can track the daily steps and can track the sleep automatically.

Yes, It does support biking and cycling. It measures distance, average speed, highest speed and elevation gain, etc.

No, Vivoactive 3 has no audible alerts or alarms. It's vibration only and it's true for both the standard and the with music models.

Yes, there are a large number of free and paid watch faces that can be downloaded from the Garmin store.

It comes with a USB charging cable. You can charge it using any charging block or laptop USB port.

It does. But, Garmin suggests avoiding placing over dark tattoos for Improving the Accuracy of the Optical Heart Rate Sensor.

Not much, apart from the music rest of the features are the same.

 
4.7/5 - (15 votes)
Garmin vívoactive 3 Golf GPS Watch Review
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