11-13-2017 03:18 - edited 11-13-2017 03:19
11-13-2017 03:18 - edited 11-13-2017 03:19
I can't decide whether to get the fit bit ionic, or the Garmin Vivoactive 3. Any advice on how I can choose between the two. I wanna use the sports watch for running,walking,and Basketball. I have a strava and Runkeeper account that I know syncs well with the Fitbit,but I also have a Nike+run club account that I know works well with the Garmin. Can anybody give me advice on which would be the best option for me, please and thanks.
11-13-2017 07:47
11-13-2017 08:04
11-13-2017 08:04
If you want to store music on your watch, this is the one to get. If you are a hardcore fitness person, you might want to look at the Garmin.
Otherwise they are really very comparable. And while I have the Ionic, I would have been just as happy with the Vivoactive, as I do not use the music feature. But I have years of Fitibit data, and a web app I created to get all my data, so I went with the Ionic.
Reviews are equally good and bad. People here tend to think Garmin is so much better, but reviewers (on the Garmin site, as well as Amazon and Google) speak to similar issues many have with Fitibit (lack of customer service responsiveness, bad HR measurement, bad GPS, not syncing, crappy phone app...), none of which I have ever experienced.
We'll see how the Ionic app store pans out, if we get new apps soon, and what kind of apps are available.
11-13-2017 08:56
11-13-2017 08:56
I am on the same search. Different activities but have frustrations with my Charge HR HR zones where the dashboard on the computer is different than the Dashboard on my phone as is the HR history and I just worry about what is going on there because I actually do like to use the info.
Since I am actually trying to push into peak zones for bits of time I would like better tracking and the fitbit is leaving very unhappy. I think the Garmin may have better fitness features.
I wish I had the Fitbit dashboard from a few years ago to be honest. I have an ipod so music, sure it would be nice but. the least important thing.
I plan on making a chart about what is important to me and then evaluating. My plan is to make the plunge when I meet a weight goal of 20 more lbs lost.
Hard choice. Looking at reviews on both sites and both seem to have their share of problems. Also look on youtube for reviews.
11-13-2017 09:55
11-13-2017 09:55
How important it is to track your fitness progress? How important it is to integrate with a chest heart rate monitor? How important it is to have a local music store?
Vivoactive 3 has bells and whistles on fitness category. IONIC's strong point is the local music store however limited it may be. For an average person, either one should be good notwithstanding the fact that IONIC is new. Vivoactive is relatively cooked in the field.
If you can't take surprises wait for a few more months for IONIC.
11-13-2017 10:46
11-13-2017 10:46
I don't think you're necessarily going to get objective answers when you ask this question on the Fitbit forums (or the Garmin forums for that matter). I would recommend reading DC Rainmaker's reviews of each device and seeing which one you think will work best for your needs:
Fitbit Ionic: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/09/fitbit-ionic-smartwatch-in-depth-review.html
Vivoactive 3: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/10/garmin-vivoactive-3-in-depth-review.html
11-13-2017 11:51
11-13-2017 11:51
I think there is a very simple and rather objective answer. Look at the Amazon reviews: the Ionic and the Garmin came out around the same time. The Ionic has over 1,200 reviews, 80% of which are positive. The Garmin has 50 reviews with a much lower grade than Fitbit. If this is not a nobrainer, then I have not seen one yet.
11-13-2017 12:21
11-13-2017 12:21
Based on my experience with Amazon, 50 reviews is really not enough for the sampling to be meaningful.
11-13-2017 12:28
11-13-2017 12:28
@jocoyn wrote:Based on my experience with Amazon, 50 reviews is really not enough for the sampling to be meaningful.
50? There are 1224 at the moment.
11-13-2017 12:31
11-13-2017 12:31
@jocoyn wrote:Based on my experience with Amazon, 50 reviews is really not enough for the sampling to be meaningful.
Not at all but it speaks volumes about the popularity of the watch and the interest behind it.
11-13-2017 12:32
11-13-2017 12:32
@SunsetRunner wrote:
@jocoyn wrote:Based on my experience with Amazon, 50 reviews is really not enough for the sampling to be meaningful.
50? There are 1224 at the moment.
There are 50 reviews for the Garmin. The Ionic has indeed 1224 reviews.
11-13-2017 13:49 - edited 11-14-2017 05:35
11-13-2017 13:49 - edited 11-14-2017 05:35
I had Ionic for about 6 weeks and went back to Vivoactive 3. Here's why:
That being said, Ionic does have a bright, sharp, and terrifically looking screen, Fitbit Pay works right now and works well (while Garmin Pay still remains just a promise), there's a handy Starbucks QR code app, the weather app is gorgeous and accurate, and I like Fitbit's sleep and weight tracking much better.
So, I think there's a lot of potential for Ionic, assuming they fix the issues outlined above. But unless offline music or contactless pay or gorgeous screen are your requirements, right now you get a better value proposition with Vivoactive. Way better fitness, much more reliable synchronization and better functionality.
11-13-2017 14:38
11-13-2017 14:38
I had the vivoactive 3 and it was ok, but I preferred the Ionic.
vivoactive 3 felt cheaper, and a big deal breaker for me was the vibration motor. It was so weak that you only felt it if you where sitting there waiting for it. I had 2 of them and they both had the same extremely weak vibration.
If you put your hand on the face of the device you could feel it fine though. I guess they put it on the wrong side of the device.
Another deal breaker was the battery life. I was getting no where near what they advertised (2 or 3 days at best).
The Ionic feels well built and the vibration motor works good. And the battery life is actually a little better than they advertise (4 to 5 days).
I know the Ionic has its start up issues, but I am confident that they will work that out.
I would say go with the Ionic.
11-13-2017 20:07
11-13-2017 20:07
Makes sense to wait a bit as they are both new and see how they smooth out.
I have had garmin devices since the first little yellow etrex came out. in 2000, so after several handhelds, car GPS, and dog trackers I believe they build quality devices and they have been into fitness devices for a number of years. and their devices last for years which is uncommon to say about electronics.. My old first generation foretrex still 'works'. as do our old team 60Cx handhelds. Only device I have had an issue with was an Astro 220 which was set to communicate on frequencies near the Emergency management bands and got fried by VHF radios. They did replace our handheld though, even after it was out of warranty. and later models were designed to avoid that interference.
Garmin has never had brilliantly intuitive interfaces but packs a lot of function in what they do make. A lot of the complaints i see are battery life. fair enough. with GPS on it will eat battery life.
I have been pleased with my fitbit charge HR though not so much with the Dashboard once they changed it - so I guess for a month or two I will keep superglueing the strap back together until more info surfaces about the two devices. I do like some of the features of the vivoactive more but want to see how they both play out.
11-14-2017 03:16
11-14-2017 03:16
I'm picking up a Vivoactive cheap for black Friday to try it out..... I've had multiple Fitbits and would like to check out the competition 😉
11-14-2017 04:38
11-14-2017 04:38
Ditto. Just ditched my fourth charge HR after the band peeled away yet again for a Garmin vivosport - wish i'd made the change sooner.
11-14-2017 04:52
11-14-2017 04:52
I have both the Garmin Fenix 3 and the Fitbit Ionic. I use the Fitbit as a 24/7 activity tracker with some limited smartwatch capabilities and for researching the SDK as a developer. Also, casual workouts such as my daily bike commute are tracked on the Ionic. Whenever I head out for more serious workouts, such as running or longer (non-commuting) bike rides, I use the Garmin as it's way more accurate. I use the HRM-RUN chest strap with the Garmin which is the most accurate for HR monitoring. Especially when doing intervals because it's much faster with picking up varying heart rates than optical sensors.
Now, your question was wether you should pick the Ionic or the Vivoactive 3. I'd say, it depends; if you want a fancy watch and aren't too serious about your workouts, go with the Ionic; it's perfectly fine. However, if you want to have the most accurate results and the most stats, then the Garmin might be your pick. Also, you'll have the option to add even more sensors later on; The Ionic doesn't track cadence, ground contact time, L/R balance, etc unlike Garmin.
Good luck deciding!
11-14-2017 05:05 - edited 11-14-2017 05:10
11-14-2017 05:05 - edited 11-14-2017 05:10
Have a look at the Garmin website, the range of products is huge.. sports, automotive, marine, even aviation navigation and flight computing. They even make dog activity trackers ffs.
Fitbit is for people who want to casually monitor their activity, with basic stats.
Garmin is for people who are more serious about their fitness and want to monitor in more detail, Fitbit aren't even in the same league, to be quite honest, imo.
The Forerunner range are probably what you're after or perhaps the vivoactive 3.
No, I don't work for Garmin or Fitbit, not even the same industries.
11-14-2017 05:08 - edited 11-14-2017 05:10
11-14-2017 05:08 - edited 11-14-2017 05:10
This x 100 !
'Now, your question was wether you should pick the Ionic or the Vivoactive 3. I'd say, it depends; if you want a fancy watch and aren't too serious about your workouts, go with the Ionic; it's perfectly fine. However, if you want to have the most accurate results and the most stats, then the Garmin might be your pick. Also, you'll have the option to add even more sensors later on; The Ionic doesn't track cadence, ground contact time, L/R balance, etc unlike Garmin.'
11-14-2017 05:15
11-14-2017 05:15
Yeah, cos Amazon reviews are always reliable ! Even some of the poorest quality products get 4 or 5 stars.