Garmin Fenix 3

Garmin Fenix 3 watch – Great watch but the band lets it down i have one and my son and both bands have broken im on my third band they need to have a better band for the price you pay ! Show details

Cannot fault – Really good GPS watch. Highly accurate from my experience. Sort of wish I got the heart rate version but I am under the impression that the band you wrap around yourself is more accurate. Show details

Excellent battery life – The Garmin Fenix 3 is a serious runner’s watch. As well as offering GPS tracking for runners and cyclists, the Garmin Fenix 3 has specific modes for other sports and exercise, including skiing. It isn’t an all-metal design: Only the rim and buttons are metal. But the plastic casing feels incredibly tough, clearly a higher grade of material than you’re likely to see in the average fitness tracker. It’s “fiber-reinforced polymer”. Very fancy.  Show details

it wont die only take it off to sleep or have a shower – Bought it when they had only just come out in Australia. I've owned it for 6 years and only take it off to shower or sleep. I use the GPS daily to log commutes in my bike. I take it when I mtb logs swimming laps in the pool when I was swimming about 1km 2 to 3 times a week. Ive used it running heaps and even to log distance yacking on the water.… Read more

It's great if your lost too as the compass had come in handy when out in the Bush. The original strap died years ago so I removed it re attached the pins and use a nato strap. It started to give me a rash on the back of my wrist but I've had no issues since having nato strap the backing stainless steel used has nickel in it and often gives rashes. Battery life is awesome when the step counter is disabled and bluetooth is off. With bluetooth on battery wont last a full day and I only flick it on to occasionally sinc it to my phone when I'm camping or away from home. other than that it auto sincs to strava or anything you link to garmin connect through wifi. it auto updates through wifi too. Only needs to be charged about once a week if that. Nato strap comes off her and that gets washed and spare one goes on. Use it for my alarm clock and she auto updates time through bluetooth or GPS. It let's me know about sunrise and sunset and that's really handy when you need to head home before dark. Overall excellent robust and bulletproof.

Reliable and Easy to use – I bought the Fenix3 as a secondary choice behind a Gshock simply because it was a digital version of an already tough product. I have had this watch for 2 years without an issue to report. The interface is simple and the buttons are easy to press. Battery life has to be its greatest plus. She lasts me over 4 days without charge  Show details

Garmin fenix 3 – I am a long time gamin user must be going on 10 yrs now and I have had multiple watches and have always been extremely happy. So when I dropped 850 dollars on my fenix 3 sapphire I was looking forward to years of enjoyment, however it only lasted 2 yrs and the golf app stopped working properly then suddenly last week it had complete failure. I… Read more

called Garmin and they cant help except to allow me to buy a refurbished watch as I'm outside 12 mth warranty. My issue is who in there right mind expects an $800 watch to last 2 years before TOTAL failure. I was thinking of upgrading as I'm after a watch with inbuilt HR capabilities, now I'm thinking It's not worth the risk staying Garmin especially given their top of the range watch only seems to lasts 2 years, guess its off to a new brand :-(

Perfect – I got the Fenix 3HR model (advantage is no uncomfortable chest band heart rate monitor you have to wear). The face of the watch is quite large and sits off the wrist quite high, but i am not opposed to large watches. With the amount of functions that the Garmin Fenix 3HR has it is only a small set back for people who want something a little more… Read more

sleek. I like this watch so much, i bought one for my friend for his birthday when i managed to get it half price (can be found quite easily). I jumped online and loaded a whole bunch of other functions onto the watch, cant speak more highly of it.

Rubbish support – Bought fenix 3 and was super excited. However had heaps of sync issues and Open Water GPS and data issues. Called Garmin Support and worked for 2 hours to correct. No good. They offered replacement (send in watch and wait 4 weeks if lucky), no thanks. Or refund. However must be store of purchase. I bought it at a 99 Bikes store nowhere near… Read more

home. Had a 99 Bikes store close to home but they refused. Garmin was no help. What if I bought a GARMIN in Paris on holidays and lived in Cairns...?

Yes this is more of a Garmin Customer Service review, but FYI anyway. No more Garmins for me.

Value $$$ – Great item, solid piece of technology that's a must-have for sports addicts. It definitely has a lot less features than the Apple Watch, but it's definitely a lot more sturdy in build. I was debating between picking this up or the Fenix 5, but honestly grabbing this at sub $300 - Who can complain!  Show details

Minor issues with data transfer, but much improved on previous models – I bought the Fenix 3 to replace my old and less than reliable Garmin 310. The F3 looks like a watch and I wear it daily now, as it actually tells the time, which the 310 did not. I bought the sapphire glass version with the metal band and it looks great. Data transfer is by Bluetooth to my iPhone and then wi-fi transfers it to Garmin Connect on my… Read more

PC. The data is very comprehensive and covers all sorts of fields, depending on the activity. Transfer works 95% of the time, but occasionally you have to do a re-boot. Once I had to plug the watch into the PC to make the transfer. Updates are done over wi-fi. Accuracy is good. For example it gives you your VO2 max and mine was only 1% out form my lab test. I also hike and this gives a link to maps and I also use an external mapping app to give me 3D maps of my routes take. I love it!

Excellent – Cannot live without this now. I use it for all my training sessions, which it allows me to track like never before. Even normal day to day life it makes everything so much easier. Every now and then it un-syncs from my phone, but I think that's my phones fault for being older.  Show details

Can't live without it now – Wasn't keen on the idea of smart watches originally, but had the Garmin Fenix 3 given to me as a gift. Now, I can't believe I ever went without. For tracking your training and progress, there is no better. And the GPS functions, have never missed a beat. Always told me exactly where I am.  Show details

Best watch ever – Can’t live without it! I’ve had it over a year and it hasnt missed a beat. I have run two marathons and countless half marathons with it, plus lots of training and other activities that it allows. Easy to use and navigate through the settings, has run: walk ratios and virtual partners. Love this watch, and the battery lasts for ages!!  Show details

Great watch but really big – The watch is great and offers really great functions. Phenomenol battery life compared to other fitness trackers. The only complaint I have is that the watch is really big, and doesn't look very feminine. I have bought a pink watch band for it to try and make it look better but it's still so massive on a smaller wrist. I wish I knew the fenix 5 was going to be smaller bc I would have waited and purchased that one.  Show details

A well-featured and reliable GPS watch for triathlon and multisport – Both my spouse and I have owned a Fenix 3 (non wrist HR version) each for nearly 2 years, using them near-daily for logging training and events for running, cycling, swimming and triathlon. While the Fenix 3 has now been superseded technically by the Fenix 5/5S/5X, at current discounted prices it now represents much more affordable entry into a… Read more

multisport GPS watch, and is still worthy of consideration if you desire more than just run/bike functionality, but don't want to spend the best part of a grand.

The Good:

* It handles pretty much every sport known to man, and you can stitch them together for any kind of multisport event... not just triathlon and duathlon. Very useful for events like Icebreaker (kayak-ride-run) and the Winter Challenge (kayak-road ride-mtb ride-run).

* It's pretty much infinitely configurable to your particular needs. The App list can be culled of unnecessary sports and new ones added. Each App can have have a number of screens, each with multiple layouts of any data field available. ConnectIQ allows for a wide variety of Garmin and third-party Apps, Widgets, Data Fields and clock faces. Basically, you'd be doing well to NOT to be able to configure the Fenix 3 to display what you want it to.

* Covers a tonne of metrics with built-in functionality, and plenty more with various sensors. I use mine with the HRM-Tri or HRM-Swim HR straps, and the Speed and Cadence sensors for my road bike.

* Has pretty much every relevant function and feature you'd want... or could think of. Alarms for any metric, ETA, Recovery Advisor, estimated VO2Max, Race Predictor (though a bit ambitious with the longer distances) etc. etc.

* Simple and logical user interface works well given the heavy feature set. Not difficult to find your way around everything.

* Battery life is very good and will cover 99% of people's requirements (see Not-So-Good for the other 1%).

* Fast and accurate-enough GPS, and decent Navigation functionality. Obviously doesn't have 'proper' mapping like the newer Fenix 5X, but can be loaded with routes and waypoints to help you around race courses and time-to-aid stations and water points. Satellite lockup with a few seconds with GPS+GLONASS.

* Works well as a general daily 'smart' watch. Chunky design obviously but attractive and fashionable. Maybe a little big for some wrists but my wife wears hers constantly. Durable too... a few scratches on the bezel (once dropped it from my bike at 35kmh) but otherwise no broken straps or major issues with it's build.

The Not-So-Good:

* As mentioned before, battery life is going to be more than enough for the vast majority of people... it'll only be something to worry about if you're doing Ultras or other activities going longer than 8-10hrs. I've had the watch, fully charged, die on me about 10.5 hrs into a 12 hr Ultra... that's in 1s GPS mode, capturing HR+run dynamics data and with course navigation running. Annoying because didn't have a complete track for Strava (easy enough to stitch in my running partner's data from his still-functioning 310xt) but still quite impressive. Ultra Trac mode stretches battery life out considerably, but at the expense of track accuracy. Whether that's an issue depends on your application; for recording multi-day hikes, probably not, for knowing how many kms you're away from an aid station in an Ultra, maybe. Suffice to say I take a small USB Power Bank and the charge cradle with me on really long events or training sessions, so I don't get caught out.

* Generally every button press is fast and responsive, but a few functions do seem to bog the watch down, particularly anything to do with loading tracks or workouts. Saving and syncing long workouts can take up to a minute or more.

* Crashes and bugs. I wouldn't say the watch is particularly buggy or crash-prone, but over the past 2 years I have had a couple of occasions where the watch has restarted itself during an activity. Once during my first Ultra, which I wasn't particularly happy about for obvious reasons (!) until I discovered it automatically resumed the workout and managed to carry on only missing about half a kay of distance... and thanks to the HRM-Tri's ability to save HR and run dynamics info and transfer it later, I didn't even lose that data. So I suppose that's fairly impressive. There's been a few other instances of the watch needing to be rebooted, usually when it refuses to sync or connect to a sensor.

Generally it has been very reliable and dependable, though it should be noted my partner's watch died completely only a few weeks after we got it... was replaced under warranty, no questions asked. Annoying but not entirely unheard of given the complicated nature of electronics these days.

* No Bluetooth sensor support. Not a huge issue for myself as I've stuck with Garmin's own ANT+ sensors, but might be for some, especially if you've got intelligent bike trainers or 3rd party sensors... a problem solved with the Fenix 5.

* Most functionality (alerts for example) can be configured on the watch itself, which is a good thing, but some functions - namely structured/guided workouts, and creating/transferring courses - require help from Garmin Connect.... more specifically, the Garmin Connect website. Much has been written about Garmin Connect Mobile, so I won't repeat it, but you still can't quickly download a course, or build up a timed interval workout on your mobile phone then quickly transfer it over to your watch, and that's a real missed opportunity in my opinion.

* Being a superseded model, don't expect too much more in the way of firmware updates and new features for the future. The Fenix 3 doesn't support ConnectIQ v2 and I'm finding more newer apps/widgets require this as a minimum, including the Training Peaks Daily Workout app which would be mighty helpful. Something to be aware of.

With the Fenix 3 now available discounted with a HRM for a bit over AU$400, the question is whether you accept the feature-set as it stands today, or spend nearly twice as much for the current model? Or, if you want just want a multisport watch (minus the navigation functions) spend a little more and get a current model 735 or 935 instead? Hard one to call, really - really depends on what features matter to you - but it is definitely an option for those who want a full-featured GPS sports/hiking/smart watch on a more modest budget.

I've been really happy with the Fenix 3's performance over the past 2 years - it's been a solid performer. I'd certainly like to upgrade to the 5X at some point as on-wrist topo maps would be great for hiking, fast packing and trail runs, but I'm in no great rush... partly because of the 5X's current price, but mostly because my F3 does 95% of what I need it to do perfectly well already. Even in 2018, it's a worthy of your consideration.

chunky but changed my running! – everything about this watch is awesome. I'm an average runner in terms of ability but I run A LOT and run ultra distances. The battery life on this is amazing, I run 5-6 times a week normally and it last for days and days, probably over a week without being charged. I believe it lasts about 6 weeks in standby mode but ive never tried! all the… Read more

gadgets etc on there are great, its super easy to use. I think it looks great (although maybe a little big on my small wrists but i dont really care!)

Can't fault it – I have had this watch now for 12 months and are thrilled with the data and usability. I enjoy reading my personal health trends and use it to track all of my fitness. The running component is excellent with all of the datapoints I'm looking for. Battery life is excellent we a charge only once a week if I'm running lots or 2-3 weeks if I'm not that… Read more

active (which is rare). Email, SMS and news notifications work well. The only concern I have is the data sits in the cloud and not on the app in my phone. I'd love a local copy of data which I can look at when I'm not online (ie on a plane).

This sport watch does all you need – Fantastic watch that does everything you need in a sport watch. There is a large price gap between running watches and good multi sport. I wanted multi sport and decided to pay a little extra as the Fenix looks great compared to some of the others. I've used it on a range of sports with great tracking and simple to sync with the Garmin app.… Read more

Fantastic that there are a lot of additional apps and watch faces that people make and let you have for free (you can donate to them.

Battery life is fantastic as well. I am currently on 12 days with 6 activities completed (about 1 hour each but not all using GPS which drains faster) and have 25% charge left.

It's not the best 'smart' watch but that's not what its trying to be. It links to your phone and tells you calls and texts. Great for sporty people who like to monitor a range of fitness activities.

Downside is price which is up to each individual.

All you need for a sport watch – it is tough, long lasting, accurate and full of sensors. doesn't matter it is a day to day office work, or multiple days trekking in wild, it suits all my needs and it looks good as well. HR monitor is a bit disappointment sometimes as it can't detect my heart rate after being unintentionally dislocated during my excises.  Show details

A real fitness watch with some smart features – Great looking watch, brilliant battery life up to two weeks for me including over 10 hours of exercise tracking. Screen is very easy to read in daylight. HR model has Heart-rate built in, but the strap gives a better more consistent HR level. Notifications are good but doesn't do emoji characters.Waterproof.  Show details

Bought the Garmin Fenix 3 HR , the best in the lot – This is what GPS watches are all about: tough, long lasting, accurate and full of sensors. It now looks good enough to wear day to day, works as an activity tracker for 24/7 use plus offers enough notifications that can be read to actually be useful as a smartwatch. It falls down on small things like being slightly too heavy and large for some and… Read more

having an app that tries to offer too much at the cost of over-complication. Nothing that’ll hinder its main purpose of tracking sports.

Fantastic activity watch! – Whether you enjoy hiking, running, swimming, walking, triathlons, swimming and more, this watch is a great tracker for all your needs. With a wealth of sensors on board (GLONASS, GPS, altimeter, barometer, compass, wifi, bluetooth + many more!) and an excellent app that tracks it all for you and gives you decent reporting after each activity. … Read more

Apps available for the watch itself are in abundance in the store, and a real feature of any garmin watch.

The watch is rather bulky and heavy, so may not be ideal for females, but looks great on my wrist and is quite an eye catcher. If you are also looking for a touch screen a la apple watch, this is not the watch for you as the menus etc. are operated via the buttons.

Cannot fault – I previously owned a Microsoft Band 1 & 2 and whilst I thought they were great in terms of exercise statistics it doesn't hold a torch to the Garmin Fenix HR. I purchased this watch after I had issues with the Band and haven't looked back. It has everything you could ever want from a wearable and more. Highly recommend.  Show details

Hands down the best ! – Ive had this watch since the Fenix 3HR model was released....roughly 3 months. Well I cant fault it. I would say I was initially overwhelmed but with time ive gotten a hang of the enormous amount of features. Unless your bear Grylls cross/triathlete youll never use everything it has to offer haha. it has Excellent battery life, I get close to… Read more

2 weeks with 3 x times a week running, some swimming and weekly cycling and also use it for receiving text message and phone call notifications, ive turned other smart phone notifications off but I haven't made any compromises for extra battery life. The watch is very light, comfortable even with built in HR monitor and actually fits well with a suit I wear daily for work. I find that its incredibly tough as I bang it about a bit and this brings me to the next comment....I would highly recommend getting the sapphire glass version as its just so much more durable and can take big knocks without scratching. Ive synched a training plan to my watch from Garmin connect and it keeps me more motivated than I would have expected. As I also have the heart rate strap I don't think ide bother with getting the HR model again unless your interested in day to day resting heart rate stats. The golf app is also pretty handy and pretty easy to use.

Overall, its a fine tuned sports watch which ticks all the boxes.

Great Sports And Hiking Watch – Pros: Covers just about every sport incl swimming but you will need to buy Ant+ sensors like heart rate strap, speed, foot pod, power to acquire useful data - [link removed] Useful and convenient as a navigational aid for hiking/bushwalking/outdoors activities esp when off road/off track [link removed] Easy to read/check on the trail - reliable… Read more

compass and altimeter are useful. Waterproof and tough.

Superb watch because of so many good free downloadable different faces from Connect IQ - [link removed]. Lasts weeks between charges if just used as watch - battery life depends on number of functions engaged - full tracking gps will limit battery life to about 20 hours. Easily changed to any 26mm wide band you like. Useful Bluetooth notifications link to phone when you want to be notified.

Recharges quickly, 2 user customisable buttons, very customisable display faces for many sport or off track navigation data fields. Works well in either the pc or mac world but you must have a computer to link it to.

Cons: Bit bulky when used in the office. Must use in conjunction with a lot of (free) Garmin software like Garmin Connect, Express, BaseCamp to install apps watch faces and planned tracks and download activities when done and must use Garmin proprietary recharge cable. Takes time to learn menus and how to set data fields and display faces - needs good existing level of navigational skill and knowledge to set up to integrate fully with map and compass navigation. No downloadable maps display on its face and no use at all for on road/turn by turn navigation (need a different gps for that).

Very Nice – I purchased this about 4 weeks ago. So far I'm very impressed. The watch it quite large in both height and width. The height is the worst problem. It catches on everything. Otherwise I'm loving it. The best function is the notifications from my phone of who is calling, reading emails and text messages and getting reminders. There aren't… Read more

that many apps and most aren't useful but there will be more to come. I've used the golfing app and gym timer app and they are both good.

It was a bit expensive but I like it. I also do bush walking and found the Gps good. If I had my time again I'd get the sapphire glass model as I'm sure I'll scratch it soon as it catches on everything.