Garmin vivomove 3S, Smaller sized, Hybrid Connected GPS Smartwatch with Real Watch Hands and Hidden Touchscreen Display, Rose Gold with Light Sand Silicone Band

Product Information

Now, we won't get bogged down in the different variations of the Vivomove 3 - as we mentioned up top, they largely do the same thing. However, we will say this particular model, the 42mm Vivomove 3 Style, was very light to wear on the wrist - just 35g. It makes sense in a way - again because the color screen is doing so much - but we'd still expect the battery life to be more in the realms of 7 - 10 days, rather than the 4 - 6 we experienced during testing. Our only real criticism is the responsiveness of the raise-to-wake. During exercise, this works perfectly, but it very rarely responds to wrist movements outside of that. On one hand, this is good, because it means the watch can conceal itself as a regular watch unless you double tap, but we do wish you could adjust the sensitivity in the app (like you can with screen brightness) rather than rely on it to respond when turned on. Garmin Vivomove 3: Activity and sleep As we mentioned earlier, the Garmin Vivomove 3 shouldn’t be considered to be a fully fledged sports watch. However, for pursuing casual exercise, health and wellness goals, it provides all the features you’re likely to need.

The most powerful and feature-rich smartwatches are often a bit oversized and ugly on the wrist. But the Garmin Vivomove 3’s case, at 44 x 44 x 11.3mm, is sized much more like a normal watch, and features a traditional analog dial with an elegant look and feel. Behind this lies a hidden digital display (64 x 132 pixels), which you can reveal with a double tap or by sharply raising your wrist. Cleverly, the analog hands then move out of the way, allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds. While it doesn’t have in-built GPS, it can connect with a compatible smartphone’s GPS during walks and runs. And while that’s going to be a little less accurate, that’s not really a problem unless you’re pursuing a strict training scheme. It also has many more activity profiles than the Vivomove 3, including a raft of options specifically for golfers (digital scorecard, hazards and course targets, Garmin Autoshot etc). For cyclists, there's compatibility with Varia rear-facing radar and lights, and support for speed and cadence sensors. Both the Vivoactive 3 and Vivomove 4 have a stainless steel bezel with a plastic rear cover and silicone strap - a combination that strikes a happy balance of stylish looks and light weight. The Vivoactive 4 weighs 50.5g, while the Vivomove 3 is slightly lighter, tipping the scales at 46.1g.Unlike other devices we've tested with a hidden screen and analog hands, we've suffered no faults with the Vivomove 3 - there's no lag, no incorrect showings, and the screen responsiveness, considering this isn't a traditional touchscreen, is very good. Rivalled primarily by the Fossil Hybrid HR and the Withings Steel Sport HR, Garmin builds upon what made the 2017 Vivomove HR so great and improves pretty much everything about the experience. It also comes in a variety of finishes - the regular Vivomove 3, the smaller Vivomove 3s and the pricier Vivomove Style and Vivomove Luxe. As for the added features, they’re harder to justify paying extra for. The additional screen makes things a lot clearer and easy to read, but it doesn’t add a great deal. There’s also an added chronograph and Garmin Pay – the latter of which may sound useful but, given the shortage of banks that support it in the UK, it’s really not all that. The hybrid smartwatch isn't what it used to be. What was once a smartwatch masquerading as an analogue timepiece has now been replaced by a new crop of hybrids that sprinkle the smarts around mechanical hands - and the Garmin Vivomove 3 is up there with the best at doing this we've tested.

Even during some intense five-day periods, where we reached tens of thousands of steps, and logged a couple of runs via our phone's GPS and a few gym exercises, the Vivomove was still standing. The nylon-style band isn't the comfiest, but it's still comfier and cheaper than the Luxe's steel clasp strap (though, admittedly, not as good-looking), and it has the bonus of being useable in exercise, sleep, and everyday wear.By contrast, the Vivoactive 4's display is entirely digital. You can choose an analog-style watch face design if you prefer a classic look (as shown in this article's header image), but these are pixels on a screen; there are no moving parts. You'll find a good range of general smartwatch features here too, including a calendar, a weather app, ‘find my phone’ and ‘find my watch’ tools, and the ability to respond to, or reject, a call via text (Android only). There’s no onboard storage for music, but you do get the ability to control music from your phone. Conclusion Our only real gripe is the Pulse Ox measurements, which did seem to be measured in real-time but then didn't ever show the data within Garmin Connect. Garmin Vivomove 3: Battery life