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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Garmin Fenix 3 Review}}
The Garmin Fenix 3 is at the high end of [[Best Running Watch| Garmin's GPS watch line]]. The Fenix 3 fits in a little above [[Garmin 920XT]], but a little below the [[Garmin Epix]], though reality is not quite that simple (see the table further down for clearer understanding of their positioning.) The biggest advantage the Fenix 3 has over the 920XT and the Epix, as well as most other running watches is that it's an attractive watch. It looks like as a large chronometer style watch and is made of high quality materials. It makes most other running watches look cheap, and all of them rather dorky. The Epix includes [[Connect IQ]] that allows it run applications, much like a smartphone, which I love. There are a number of and real value, and I hope other manufacturers follow suit. Its styling, real buttons, and rich functionality make it a nice running watch, but it's let down by poor [[GPS Accuracy]] and its bulk. I've received more emails from runners complaining about the GPS accuracy of the Fenix 3 than any other watch. I suspect these complaints are disproportionately common because the buyers of this watch have higher expectations, maybe because of the high -quality materials.
=Summary=
Different runners look for many different things in a running watch, but I believe that the four questions below represent the core functionality that most runners are looking for.
* '''How far did I run?''' This is the most basic question, and sadly, the Fenix 3 does badly here. The Fenix 3 is not as bad as its predecessor, and it's comparable with the Epix/920XT, but it's a long, long way behind the [[Polar V800]] or the [[Suunto Ambit3]]. How big a problem this is for you will depend on However, with the type advent of terrain you're running inthe [[Stryd]] Footpod, but if this [[GPS Accuracy]] is much less of an issue. The Stryd Footpod is so accurate that no calibration is important to youneeded, look for a and it's far more accurate than any GPS watch. And thankfully, the Fenix 3 has excellent Stryd support. * '''How fast am I running?''' Knowing how fast you're running can be a nice to know, or it can be vital for your training or race performance. Because of the nature of GPS, watches that rely on GPS signal alone tend to have serious problems with current pace. Thankfully, the Fenix 3 is one of the few devices that will display current [[Pace From A Footpod]] while getting all other data from GPShas excellent Stryd support. * '''Where am I? '''The Fenix 3 has some basic navigation functions. It's not as good as the [[Garmin Fenix 5X]], [[Garmin Epix]] or the [[Leikr]] with their full color maps, but it's at least as good as any other watch.
** '''Track Outline'''. There is a display of where you've run, rather like a breadcrumb trail. There are no maps, so this is just the outline on its own without any context. However, you can use it to backtrack along your path.
** '''Course Outline'''. This is an outline of a route that can be downloaded. I've found this useful during ultras or in unfamiliar cities where I've needed to know where to go.
** '''GPS "Compass"'''. There's no magnetic compass so you have to be moving for the GPS to give you a sense of direction.
* '''What's my cadence? '''[[Cadence]]''' '''is one of the most critical and often overlooked aspects of running. If you get your Cadence right, many other things naturally fall into place. Not only does the Fenix 3 get [[Cadence]] from a [[Footpod]], it will also get it from the Garmin Run Heart Rate monitor. There is also support for Cadence from the internal accelerometer, though I find that's not as accurate. The Cadence alerts are especially useful for keeping you on track.
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=Garmin Fenix 3 Options=
The Fenix 3 is available in a nice array of options. You can have it with sapphire glass, which is far tougher and might be worthwhile if you expect to abuse your watch in a way that's likely to scratch it. You can also get it with various colored straps and faces; I went for the silver bezel with the red strap, which I rather like, though the Rose Gold bezel and White Band is attractive to my eyes.
* The Fenix 3 is styled as a large "chronometer" watch and I think it's the nicest looking running watch. The materials are high quality and on par with the [[Polar V800]], but with more traditional watch styling. You can get the Fenix 3 in various materials, and while the leather strap isn't very practical for running, it looks great. Of course, like other chronometer style watches, it's large and heavy, so it feels awkward on my tiny wrists. At least the Fenix 3 is not partly integrated into the band, so it wraps around my wrist far better than the [[Polar V800]] which I have to wear over a sweatband.
* The color display is the largest of the current running watches with the exception of the huge [[Leikr]] that's nearly twice as big. The display quality is similar to the [[Garmin Epix]] or the [[Garmin 920XT]], though I think the backlight is a little brighter. The Fenix 3 will activate the backlight when you turn your wrist, and the display looks much better with the backlight even in daylight. This will burn through the battery faster, but for most people it's probably a reasonable compromise. The color display has much richer colors than some of Garmin's earlier watches which always seem rather washed out.
* The thing that somewhat offsets the crappy [[GPS Accuracy]] outstanding street is the ability to display your current [[Pace From A Footpod]]. I think this support is a critical feature that I wish other manufacturers would implementkey benefit to the Fenix 3. (If anyone has a contact at Suunto, please ask them See below for this!details.) You can also configure it to get both pace and distance from the Footpod, while still recording the track of where you've been from GPS.
* The Fenix supports Garmin's [[Connect IQ]], which allows for the creation of apps in much the same way you can run apps on Android or iOS. I've found these apps to really enhance my use of Garmin watches, and knowing I can code up extensions is wonderful.
* Like the [[Garmin 620]], [[Garmin Fenix 2]], and the [[Garmin 920XT]], the Fenix 3 supports [[Running Dynamics]] which can show and record [[Cadence]], Vertical Oscillation (VO) and Ground Contact Time (GCT) when paired with the Garmin HRM-Run chest strap.
* While the Fenix 3 does not have much in the way of graphs out of the box, Connect IQ is being used to add graphs for things like heart rate.
=Garmin Fenix 3 Cons=
* You need to have the new HRM for the some of the features. The Fenix 3 will display Heart Rate and calculate [[Firstbeat| Training Effect]] with the older Garmin HRM, but not [[Running Dynamics]]. There is a version of the Fenix 3 with an [[Optical Heart Rate Monitoring| optical HRM]], but it's the same technology as found in the [[Garmin 235]] which I found to be rather useless.
=Charge On The Run=
The Fenix 3's 20-hour battery life is not enough for longer ultramarathons; most runners in a 100-mile race will need a little longer at least. One option is to reduce the GPS polling interval, which bumps the battery life up to 50-hours, but you could also consider charging the Fenix 3 during your run. The Fenix 3 has about a 350 mAh (milliamp-hour) battery based on my measurements (others put it at nearer 300 mAh), so it doesn't take much to recharge it. In fact, the problem is generally finding a battery pack that's small enough, as batteries tend to be heavy. My two preferred options are below, the Anker and the PulsePak.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Charge On The Run - Batteries (1).jpg|none|thumb|200px|The Anker and the PulsePak.]]
|[[File:Charge On The Run - Batteries (2).jpg|none|thumb|200px|The inside of the PulsePak]]
|[[File:Charge On The Run - Batteries (3).jpg|none|thumb|200px|A close up of the PulsePak battery.]]
|}
The Anker is much bigger (3.75"/9.5cm) and heavier (2.9oz/82g), though it's shape makes it easy to carry in your hand and it will slip into the pockets of Race Ready shorts. It holds 3,350 mAh, which is way more than you need, recharging the Fenix 3 over ten times. It's reasonably priced at <jfs id="B005X1Y7I2" noreferb="true"/>. The PulsePak is far smaller (2"/5cm), lighter (0.5oz/15g), and cheaper at <jfs id=" B00WBIK25C" noreferb="true"/>. It only holds 500 mAh, but that's enough for a full charge, and it's small enough to carry a couple. The obvious approach is to use the charging dock and cable that came with the Fenix 3, holding a charger in your hand, which is shown below. I'm not a fan of this approach as the battery occupies your hand and the cable is rather long. You can tuck the battery in a pocket, but then the cable really annoys me. (Putting the watch and battery in a pack or pocket seems to defeat the object of having a watch if you can't see it.)
[[File:Charge On The Run - Fenix3 (1).jpg|center|thumb|300px|The Anker and the Garmin cable.]]
You can use an adapter to use the PulsePak with the Garmin charger which requires a full size USB plug, which makes the batter lighter, but still isn't ideal.
[[File:Charge On The Run - MicroAdapter.jpg|center|thumb|300px|]]
Inspired by [https://dejswa.wordpress.com/2016/03/21/garmin-fenix-3-on-the-go-charger/ David Jackson's blog]], I decided a better approach is to use an aftermarket dock. The advantage of the aftermarket dock is that it has a microUSB socket rather than a cable, which is <jfs id=" B017SDY9BM" noreferb="true"/>. While the quality of the aftermarket dock is not quite as good as the Garmin original, it's surprisingly close. Because the dock sits under the watch, it naturally stays in place.
[[File:Charge On The Run 7.jpg|center|thumb|300px|Original Garmin dock and an aftermarket alternative.]]
Here you can see the microUSB socket with the dock worn under the watch. The underside of the dock does not cause me any problems, such as skin irritation or pressure points.
[[File:Charge On The Run - Fenix3 (4).jpg|center|thumb|300px|]]
Here's the PulsePak plugged into the dock while being worn. I've not had a problem with the battery sticking out. You could use a micro-USB extension cable and tuck the battery into the wristband of the watch, but I preferred this simpler approach.
[[File:Charge On The Run - Fenix3 (5).jpg|center|thumb|300px|]]
I find it's a little more comfortable worn over a wrist band. The thickness of the wristband combined with the thickness of the dock does make the watch feel a little more cumbersome, but I found I was boosting the battery charge by about 50% in half an hour, so you shouldn't be wearing it for an extended period.
[[File:Charge On The Run - Fenix3 (2).jpg|center|thumb|300px|]]
It's important to note that you have to set the USB mode to "Garmin" to get the Fenix 3 to charge on the run.
[[File:Charge On The Run - Fenix3 (3).jpg|center|thumb|300px|]]
My biggest concern with this approach would be running in the rain. I've not tried charging a watch in the rain, so I'd be interested to learn if anyone has experience with this.
=GPS Accuracy=
The [[GPS Accuracy]] for the Fenix 3 is poor, but not as bad as the complaints I've received led me to expect. That's partly a reflection on how bad many of the other Garmin watches are than on the accuracy of the Fenix 3. As always, determining if it's acceptable for your running will depend on your usage.
* The Fenix 3 can give a reasonable estimate of how far you've run but the errors can add up. The amount of error depends on your route; in straight lines the Fenix 3 is okay, though even then it's worse than most other devices. However, on a twisty course it can be out by more than a mile on a 20-mile run. That's enough to mess up your marathon training in a big way. This also translates to errors on your average pace, so you really do want a footpod.
* GPS watches are not accurate enough to give you a useful display of your current pace. However, the Fenix 3 will display your current [[Pace From A Footpod]] while getting data like distance and overall pace GPS.
* The Fenix supports both GLONASS and WASS, but I have not gathered sufficient data to know if they will help accuracy (initial testing suggests not.)
* On the out-and-back turnaround the Fenix 3 is poor, but no worse than you'd expect from its overall rating.
* Running in a straight line is a fairly easy task for most GPS watches, but while the Fenix 3 does better here than elsewhere, it's still rather poor.
* I not had any issues with the Fenix 3 maintaining the GPS signal, though I have had occasional times when it's struggled to acquire an initial signal (Time To First Fix). I suspect this is mostly an issue with the Wi-Fi synchronization not downloading the satellite cash.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:BridgeFenix 3.jpg|none|thumb|x300px| The Fenix mostly does okay under the bridge, though it has more problems than most. It's pretty appalling through the twisty section, not only cutting the corners but sometimes just wandering off the path completely. It does a little better with the sharp turn seen on the right side of the diagram, though you can see it getting a bit lost on occasion. The blue lap markers are quite widely spaced, another indication of poor accuracy. Of course, compared with the [[Garmin Fenix 2]], it's doing great, but that's "damned with faint praise." (This diagram has tracks color coded with green indicating good accuracy through to read indicating poor accuracy, and the lap markers as blue dots.)]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:AccuracyFenix 3.jpg|none|thumb|x300px| This close up section of a zigzag highlights the problems the Fenix 3 has. There is poor alignment between the tracks and the change in direction of the course, and the lap markers are widely spread out. (This diagram has tracks color coded with green indicating good accuracy through to read indicating poor accuracy, and the lap markers as blue dots.)]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:ZigZagFenix 3.jpg|none|thumb|x300px| Here the Fenix 3 shows the typical GPS behavior of having the tracks that have the green lines shifted slightly down and to the left, blue up and to the right. However, this patent is a little more randomized than some other watches. You can also see that the lap markers are shifted, which might indicate a delay in the way the Fenix 3 processes the data. (This image has the tracks color-coded for direction, with green coming from the right, blue from the left.)]]
|}
If you want better [[GPS Accuracy]] than the Fenix 3, then the [[Polar V800]] is the best I've tested, though I'd suggest the [[Suunto Ambit3]] is probably a better option overall.
=Stryd Support=
''Main article: [[Stryd]]''
As noted above, while the Fenix 3 has poor GPS accuracy, even the best GPS watch is still not good enough for accurate pacing. The answer currently lies with [[Stryd]] and extremely accurate Footpod that can measure distance and pace far better than GPS. The Fenix 3 has the best level of Stryd support, and will allow you to have all the accuracy of Stryd for pace and distance while having GPS active. This allows you to maintain all of the navigation features of the Fenix 3, as well as recording a GPS track for later use. You can even get an estimate of your [[Running Power Meters| Running Power]] from Stryd via a [[Connect IQ]] data field. I'd strongly recommend getting a [[Stryd]] Footpod to go with your Fenix 3. If that's too expensive, I'd argue that you're much better off getting the Stryd and saving money by getting a cheaper watch like the [[Garmin Vivoactive]]. For a walkthrough on adding Stryd, see the section towards the end of this article.
=What's Missing=
While I don't consider these missing features as 'cons', it's worth understanding the features that are missing compared with other watches. You'll notice that the Fenix 3 has a rather short list of missing features.