When comparing Garmin Vivofit 3 vs Fitbit Charge, the Slant community recommends Garmin Vivofit 3 for most people. In the question“What are the best fitness trackers?” Garmin Vivofit 3 is ranked 24th while Fitbit Charge is ranked 26th. The most important reason people chose Garmin Vivofit 3 is:
The Vivofit 3 is waterproof up to 50 meters. You can confidently take it swimming, or wear it in the shower without risk of damaging the tracker.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Completely safe for swimming and showering
The Vivofit 3 is waterproof up to 50 meters. You can confidently take it swimming, or wear it in the shower without risk of damaging the tracker.
Pro No need to recharge the tracker
The Vivofit 3 runs on battery so there is no need to worry about keeping it charged.
With a battery life of up to 1 year, it can go longer without a battery change than most other fitness trackers.
Pro Integrates social features
Users can see their friends' activity, compete one-on-one, and earn badges.
Pro Battery lasts a week or more on a single charge
The battery is rated for 7 days, and has been tested up to 9 days by reviewers.
Pro Multifunction display
In addition to fitness metrics, a Fitbit Charge synced with a phone will display time and caller ID.
Pro Smart alarm wakes you up at the optimal time
The Charge tracks sleep cycles, and its alarm can be configured to take this into account, attempting to select an optimal wake time.
Cons
Con Too unreliable for the cost
The Vivofit 3 has multiple serious issues impacting its reliability which means you're taking a gamble by purchasing it. At $80, you can get trackers with much better build qualities and a similar set of features.
Con Software that detects different activity often doesn't work
The "Move IQ" software in the tracker, which is supposed to detect different types of exercise, often doesn't work. Either it will track everything as walking, or will not start tracking them all.
Con It's easy to lose the watch because of the weak clasp
The clasp frequently comes undone during physical activity because of its poor design. If you aren't constantly paying attention to it or add re-enforcement to the clip, it would be easy to lose the tracker.
Con Syncs with a limited number of devices
Con Not for people with small wrists
The tracker is available in two sizes, regular or extra large. The regular band is too long for people with below average sized wrists.
Con Flimsy two-prong wrist strap
Fitbit was expected to update their wrist strap with the Charge, but an upgraded buckle can only be purchased with Charge HR.