Garmin Vivofit 3 Silicone Auto-Activity Detecting Fitness Tracker
Last updated: January 6, 2022
We looked at the top Fitness Trackers and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Fitness Tracker you should buy.
Product Details
In our analysis of 64 expert reviews, the Garmin Vivofit 3 Silicone Auto-Activity Detecting Fitness Tracker placed 11th when we looked at the top 11 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.Our Expert Consultant
Stephanie Mansour
Certified Personal Trainer, Health and Wellness Expert
Certified Personal Trainer, Health and Wellness Expert
Stephanie Mansour, host of “Step It Up with Steph” on public broadcasting, has been coaching women for over a decade on how to lose weight and make it last. She has a Bachelor of Arts in communications with an emphasis on women’s studies and psychology from the University of Michigan. She holds certifications in life coaching, personal training, yoga and Pilates.
Expert Reviews
What reviewers liked
The Garmin Vivofit 3 avoids this issue by keeping its features simple and its tech super-efficient, for battery life of up to a year.
The step tracker and sleep tracker were the most useful to me.
We were fans of the longer, slimmer display and it seems the decision to go smaller is linked to the other big design change.
- Wearable
he Vivofit 3 arrives with the fitness band and a quickstart guide. There is no cable included because with a one-year battery and Bluetooth connectivity there is no need to plug it in, ever.
The Vivofit 3 also uses what Garmin calls Move IQ technology to detect different types of activity — walking, running, biking and so on — and then capture "active minutes.
Comfortable. Tracks calories, distance, intensity, sleep, and steps. Waterproof. Long battery life.
The Garmin Vivofit 3 is an excellent choice for anyone who wants all of the benefits of today’s fitness trackers without making a dent in their savings account.
As with the previous Vivofit devices, the Garmin Vivofit 3 doesn’t have a rechargeable battery. Instead it’s powered by a lithium cell that’s good for a year of usage before it’ll need changing.
What reviewers didn't like
Don’t expect amazing accuracy from any of the Garmin Vivofit 3’s stats beyond the time and date, but it seems roughly on par with the better wrist-worn pedometers.
There's no altimeter to measure elevation or a optical heart rate sensor on board, but you can still pair with a heart rate monitor chest strap like you could with its predecessors.
- Wearable
The Vivofit 3 has one audible alarm that can be set to any combination of days, however, it does not have a vibration alert.
But that information isn't always accurate, and the device is also less comfortable.
Cheap-looking design. Small, dim screen. Slow to automatically register activity. Doesn't count stairs climbed. Drab and cluttered app.
Unfortunately, there is no heart rate monitor on the Garmin Vivofit 3 Tracker. It can be paired with a chest strap heart monitor like previous models, though.
The downside of the change in display orientation is that the screen itself is now much smaller but that doesn't make it more difficult to read.
View our Fitness Tracker buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.