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Garmin Vívoactive 3 Music GPS Smart Watch $244.99

  • Last Updated:
  • Aug 21st, 2020 11:55 pm
Member
May 10, 2015
313 posts
218 upvotes
Toronto, ON
I have the Samsung Active 2 and I turned on the "extra accurate" option (forgot the exact name) and the GPS tracking is ok.

My only complaint is in some rare moment Spotify will go "offline" in the middle of my run and no music until I go home. Also Spotify always want to sync my playlist when I turn it on, but I didn't make any changes to my playlist.
Deal Addict
Oct 4, 2006
3638 posts
3017 upvotes
Toronto
Cowboy905 wrote: not sure strava would ever go under. maybe it'll get scooped up by someone but there's a TON of strava users including all the elite athletes out there racing. The user base is immense and I think it'll get bought for that alone before it even had a threat of going under. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/strava
I can see it being bought out by someone...although most major running shoe manufacturers have aligned themselves with an app already.
So perhaps a Google or Samsung.
Sr. Member
Dec 26, 2012
828 posts
764 upvotes
Hamilton
yea, maybe Under Armour something and they can merge it with MyFitnessPal.
Deal Addict
Jul 17, 2009
1391 posts
498 upvotes
Yeah I was thinking someone might scoop it up, but at the same time they have tried monetizing the app for a while and it hasn't been working for them. But you are right even though it seems to be a bit of a money pit some tech company might pick it up anyways just because. Actually maybe Nike, I don't think they have monetized their app so if the price is right maybe or under armour to advertise their stuff more. I don't think it would be a money making move but I can see them being convinced it will be a net positive for them.
Sr. Member
May 22, 2016
812 posts
1043 upvotes
So, just did a walk with the Garmin Fenix 3HR, Garmin Vivoactive 3, Vivomove HR (no GPS), and also had my samsung s20 fitness app tracking my walk.

Distance
Fenix 3HR = 8.07km
VA3 = 8.01km
VM = 7.29km
S20 = 7.53km

Measured against mapmyrun = 8.10km

HR
Fenix 3HR and VA3 matched up almost identically without getting into specifics, only a minor spike on the Fenix3 at one point. VM was off.

Given how close these are, there really is no need for me to keep the VA 3, so I'll be returning it. It doesn't have the recovery advisor which I find fantastic, and I prefer the Fenix look though I think I'll upgrade to the Fenix 5 or 6
Sr. Member
May 30, 2015
845 posts
457 upvotes
Qc
shadowsteve wrote: Music really shortens the battery life with GPS. For the 75$ I'll stick to my regular 3 and play the music off my phone. I have it on the bar when I'm biking anyway and in my pocket when hiking.
thats the only difference ? Music player/storage ?
Newbie
Feb 2, 2006
40 posts
29 upvotes
Windsor
Eli2015 wrote: thats the only difference ? Music player/storage ?
I had both the original 3 and 3 with music. Different bezel options; i.e. stainless steel vs poly carbonate, also the charge part moved/rotated 90 degrees which is fine but means any silicon protection cover for the 3 music meant you had to pull it aside to attach the charge cable.

I eventually moved onto a 645 music. Preferred non touch screen and a stainless steel bezel for protection. Hate running with a phone so on board music great feature. I have run 2 marathons 3:20ish and still have over 50% battery left playing music.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Nov 24, 2012
2139 posts
2551 upvotes
Metro Vancouver
number17 wrote: I believe the VA3 music was available for $199 around boxing week last year? And I think it hits that price at Costco occasionally?

So $249 doesn't seem that hot to me.
With regard to Costco, are you perhaps thinking of the standard VA3? I don't recall ever seeing the VA3 music in Costco stores.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jul 5, 2008
2178 posts
2040 upvotes
By the Large Bay
tcwinont wrote: I had both the original 3 and 3 with music. Different bezel options; i.e. stainless steel vs poly carbonate, also the charge part moved/rotated 90 degrees which is fine but means any silicon protection cover for the 3 music meant you had to pull it aside to attach the charge cable.

I eventually moved onto a 645 music. Preferred non touch screen and a stainless steel bezel for protection. Hate running with a phone so on board music great feature. I have run 2 marathons 3:20ish and still have over 50% battery left playing music.
My VA3 has the stainless bezel ring. I keep a glass screen protector on it and have broken 2 so far, no other protection.

I'm not a big music person when hiking, usually podcasts or something. Pretty sure the VA3 got down to 169$ @ Costco but they've not had the VA3+music.
Deal Addict
Jul 7, 2009
1223 posts
762 upvotes
tvisforme wrote: With regard to Costco, are you perhaps thinking of the standard VA3? I don't recall ever seeing the VA3 music in Costco stores.
Could be... And if VA3 Music at $250 is the best price, then I guess the next question would be if VA4 at $380 ($130 more) would be a better deal?

Bigger screen, bigger battery, more features like body battery etc... You have 2 buttons instead of 1 too, which make a big difference Imo. If it's a watch you wear for a long time it may be worth the premium.
Sr. Member
May 22, 2016
812 posts
1043 upvotes
Ya, I've actually been looking at the Venu as a possible replacement for my Fenix 3 HR as it would be much thinner and much nicer screen, and wondered if the Body Battery could replace the Recovery Advisor...
number17 wrote: Could be... And if VA3 Music at $250 is the best price, then I guess the next question would be if VA4 at $380 ($130 more) would be a better deal?

Bigger screen, bigger battery, more features like body battery etc... You have 2 buttons instead of 1 too, which make a big difference Imo. If it's a watch you wear for a long time it may be worth the premium.
Deal Addict
Jan 14, 2013
2215 posts
2059 upvotes
Toronto
Bought the VA3 music as a gift for myself for running so much during quarantine after running a lot with the Forerunner 35.

Some don't see the value in having the music built in, then definitely don't get this. But the first few times I went out for my run it felt like I was forgetting something - it felt so freeing. Key in shorts, tie your laces, out the door. That's all I had to do. It doesn't sound like much but I love not having to put on the arm band as during long runs it tended to chafe away at me.

The cons - the GPS signal is actually a bit weaker in the vivo than the Forerunner series. I had my Forerunner for 2-3 years and had only a single run where the GPS went weird on me. My GPS signal went really off on 3 runs using the VA in the first two months (one interval run it put me off the shores of Lake Ontario and said I ran a 3 minute km LOL). I removed some automatic features (for god's sake, turn off the Auto Trophy alerts - it'll screw you over at some point, I promise) and the GPS signal seems to be more focused of late. I run in suburban Niagara where it's only tree interference if anything.

Just ran a half marathon with it (1:42) on Wednesday and my battery went from close to 100% to 78%
Sr. Member
Dec 26, 2012
828 posts
764 upvotes
Hamilton
I'm primarily an edge user (cycle all the time) but i'm really enjoying this VA3 Music. These garmins have come a long way. i had the Forerunner 305 and 310xt before this and they were an absolutely nightmare to deal with. the menus were terrible, they took forever to find signal, there was no Bluetooth so i had to plug it into USB and do a data transfer and then push it over to Strava etc etc.
Deal Addict
Jul 7, 2009
1223 posts
762 upvotes
SS76SS wrote: Ya, I've actually been looking at the Venu as a possible replacement for my Fenix 3 HR as it would be much thinner and much nicer screen, and wondered if the Body Battery could replace the Recovery Advisor...
From what I hear, that's exactly what it is ... it is a recovery level meter. But you can read about its review.
Deal Expert
Dec 26, 2010
25986 posts
10378 upvotes
I've had the VA3 now for awhile after buying it from SDM using points to get it under $200. Pretty nice. They didn't have the music version but since it's very limited in memory and I don't listen to much music anyway, it would never have been a deal breaker. Need to get a different strap for it though as the plastic one sometimes cuts off a bit of the circulation to my wrist. I have to take it off at that point. But overall, it's pretty good...

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