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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Garmin Fenix 3 Review}}
The Garmin Fenix 3 is was at the high end of [[Best Running Watch| Garmin's GPS watch line]] until it was replaced by the [[Garmin Fenix 5X]]. 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 Like many recent Garmin watches, the Fenix 3 includes [[Connect IQ]] that allows it run applications, much like a smartphone, which I love. There are a number of and apps with 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.The price of the Fenix 3 has gone down with the release of the [[Garmin Fenix 5X]], which makes Fenix 3 a more affordable option. The Fenix 3 has the combination of good functionality, Connect IQ support, great [[Stryd]] support for accurate distance/pace, and for ultrarunners it supports [[Charge On The Run]] nicely. {{BuyAmazon|AZID=B00RY1YWSO|AZN=Garmin Fenix 3}}
=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]]. However, with the advent of the [[Stryd]] Footpod, [[GPS Accuracy]] is much less of an issue. The Stryd Footpod is so accurate that no calibration is needed, 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. ThankfullyAgain, we can be thankful that the Fenix 3 has 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.
** '''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.
=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 downsides are remarkably small if you combine the Fenix 3 with a [[Stryd]] Footpod.
* 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 Runfor Ultramarathons=
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 [[Charge On The Run| 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.
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=A Brief Guide to Garmin Epix, Fenix 3, and 920XT=
The trio of [[Garmin Epix| Epix]], Fenix 3, and the [[Garmin 920XT| 920XT]] are more alike than they are different, and the differences are not obvious. Here's my simple cheat sheet to help you understand the important differences
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! Epix