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With wellness-oriented individuals striving towards achieving their health and fitness goals, activity trackers are becoming more and more popular.
For a vast market of choices, it can be quite challenging to pick the best tracker to help you achieve your goals.
This article contains a detailed comparison of Garmin Instinct vs. Vivoactive 3, which are qualified tracking watches for health-conscious individuals searching for a range of performance metrics and routing details.
Here, we are going to guide you through the pros and cons of these fitness watches to help you make a well-informed purchase without hesitation.
Table of Contents
Garmin Instinct vs Vivoactive 3 – Comparison 2021
| Model | Instinct | Vivoactive 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Graphite | Black with Slate |
| Are Batteries Included | Yes | – |
| Screen Size | 1.27 Inches | 1.2 Inches |
| Human Interface Input | Buttons | Touchscreen |
| Item Dimensions | 1.8 x 0.6 x 1.8 inches | 1.7 x 0.5 x 1.7 inches |
| Connectivity Technology | GPS | GPS |
| Map Type | Worldwide | 150 |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Garmin Instinct
With its compact form, the Garmin Instinct bridges the void between luxury exercise watches and inexpensive outdoor watches. It packs the basic functionalities of the Fenix watches at an affordable price.
While it does contain some of the best features of the Fenix series, it is far from being a luxury watch.
In fact, with its streamlined display, easy-to-use interface, and customizable screen, it facilitates need over pleasure.
The key features of this smartwatch include location tracking, which uses a trackback system to help you guide your way back to your point of departure, and fitness monitoring that tracks your average heart rate, movement, and stress.
Furthermore, it has several built-in modes of operation within the system.
Apart from the basic functionalities, the watch lets you stay connected with smart alerts as it is compliant with all devices running iOS and Android.
Not only that, but it also has a great battery life, which lasts up to 14 days in smartwatch mode, 40 hours in Ultratrac power-saver mode, and 16 hours in GPS mode.
If you admire the outdoor monitoring features of the Fenix watches but are not ready to pay a hefty price to get them, then the Instinct is made for you.
Specification
PROS
CONS
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Garmin Vivoactive 3
Garmin offers a wide array of fitness trackers for all forms of competitors, coming in different shapes and sizes.
Whatever type of exercise you may prefer, Garmin surely has a system built to monitor your progress.
Having real market value, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 is a dynamic watch. It provides all the specifications anticipated from a top-tier fitness tracker, like GPS tracker, heart rate sensor, fitness functionality including certain VO2 Max forecasts, and day-to-day stress screening.
All of this is complemented by simple smartwatch features. One of the core smartphone features of the Vivoactive 3 is smartphone updates and notifications.
However, there’s a drawback. You can only respond to texts if you have an Android device.
Moreover, these watches allow you to make transactions without having to use your phone.
In fact, the Vivoactive 3 is the first fitness watch for Garmin to feature this electronic payment service, Garmin Pay, which was deliberately created as a response to Apple Pay and Fitbit Pay.
On smartwatch mode, the battery lasts for around 7 days, and on GPS mode, for around hours. So, the overall battery life is relatively moderate.
While the Vivoactive 3 does have one of a kind fitness-tracking, if you overlook workout sessions, it has several disadvantages, like the music storing features on Fitbit Ionic or numerous additional applications on Apple Watch.
Specification
PROS
CONS
Related Guide: Garmin 735XT vs. Fenix 3
Difference between Garmin Instinct and Garmin Vivoactive 3
Let’s compare them head-to-head here.
Screen Dimensions
Despite looking quite similar, the two watches have slightly different sizes. While the Garmin Instinct is 45 mm x 45 mm x 15.3 mm, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 is 43.4 mm x 43.4 mm x 11.7 mm.
Screen Resolution
Although both have MIP LCD display, the screen resolution for Instinct is 128 x 128, and the Vivoactive 3 is 240 x 240.
Touchscreen
Unlike the Vivoactive 3, the Instinct does not offer the touchscreen feature.
Watch Crystal Material
The screen of the Instinct is made of chemically strengthened glass, and the other is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. That’s why the latter can offer touchscreen features.
Watch Material
In addition to the polymer, the Garmin Instinct also has silicone, and the Garmin Vivoactive 3 also has stainless-steel.
Weight
While Garmin Instinct weighs 52 grams, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 weighs a little less at 43 grams.
Water-Resistance Depth
With 10 ATM and 5 ATM, respectively, the Garmin Instinct can manage up to 100 meters, and Garmin Vivoactive 3 up to 50 meters depth.
Battery Life
Although both watches have quite good overall battery life, the Instinct can last twice as much on smartwatch mode and 3 hours longer on GPS mode.
Garmin Pay
Garmin Pay takes the productivity of the Garmin products to a whole new level. Unfortunately, the Instinct does not have this feature, but the Vivoactive 3 sure does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we have the most commonly asked queries regarding the Garmin products:
Is there a better alternative to Garmin Instinct?
The Garmin Instinct fills the void between ridiculously priced outdoor watches and accessible fitness watches.
How long will the Garmin Instinct last?
Should I buy the Garmin Instinct?
It is ideal for outdoor explorers looking for advanced features from the Fenix series, without having to pay the expense of the luxury watch.
What activities does Vivoactive 3 track?
Should I buy the Garmin Vivoactive 3?
Conclusion
Despite both having similar functionalities, there are three distinct differences which make the decision between Garmin Instinct vs. Vivoactive 3 quite easy.
If you’re opting for advanced Fenix-like features, such as Garmin Pay or touchscreen, get the Garmin Vivoactive 3. But if you don’t necessarily need those, and prioritize battery life, then get yourself the Garmin Instinct!
