I have had this watch for about a month now. To replace a Fitbit Charge2 and forerunner 10 Pros: Great for running and Swimming. You can change your data fields to customise it. The screen is always on, really nice to look at in bright sunshine, though quite dim in with less ambient light, but then...

If you've been following the Garmin story, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music should pretty much explain itself. The latest sports watch from the fitness powerhouse takes the Vivoactive 3 we know and love and bestows on it the gift of song, letting you play your tunes from your watch instead of your...

New design looks the part; Music works like a breeze; Packed to the gills with sports modes

Lacking in design options; Only one music service; Basic health stuff behind the competition

In keeping with Garmin's sports tech legacy, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 has a heart rate sensor, GPS tracking and a selection of built-in apps dedicated to keeping tabs on a range of sports activities, from running and indoor cycling to skiing and snowboarding.

Subtle; circular; stylish design; Good GPS and heart rate monitor; Tracks a range of activities

Can't choose which apps get alerts; iOS users can't respond to texts; Base model can't support music playback

The Vivoactive 3 is Garmin's first sports watch to include the company's contactless payment system – Garmin Pay – designed to rival the likes of Apple Pay, Google Pay and Fitbit Pay.

Easy-to-read display; Accurate distance tracking; Good heart rate monitor; Long battery life

Feels a little plasticky; Limited coaching elements; Garmin Pay isn't widely available; No onboard music storage

I needed a true running GPS running watch to track my miles and workout intensities. I was using an Apple Watch (which was good, but not exactly what I wanted) prior. The Vivoactive is exactly what I was looking for! It's a great watch and unbelievably light weight.

I bought it a week and a half ago, and it has been very helpful with my runs, and I can't wait to try it for skiing. The customizable watch faces are really although you can't do much. The battery life seems to be not as good as they say, but I have not worn it till it died.

Bought this to replace a fenix 5s, and for my needs, it's a better watch. The touchscreen makes the device far more usable, also the design makes the small screen look far better (this is the music variant) the steel bezel on the non-music and fenix range make the screen look silly, and although the...

In the end, I think the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music is the kind of device aimed primarily at athletes and then at smartwatch fans. This is exactly the opposite of the Apple Watch, no matter what Apple says.

Finding the features you want in a fitness tracker or smartwatch is essential, but it's equally important that it checks a few other boxes, too: reliability, ruggedness, accuracy, and solid battery life. Rest assured the Garmin Vivoactive 3 delivers on all of those fronts.

Holds up to 500 songs locally; Measures steps, stairs, sleep, continuous heart rate; Includes advanced fitness metrics: VO2 max, fitness age, stress; Contactless payment and smartwatch features

Can only reply to messages from watch when paired with Android; No women's health tracking

The Vivoactive 3 is one of the best fitness-focused smartwatches available, but the Fitbit Ionic has music storage and the Apple Watch Series 3 has more apps.

Always-on watch face; Round design; Advanced workout-tracking

Garmin Pay supports few cards at launch; Inaccurate sleep-tracking; No onboard music storage