Garmin - once a sat nav brand - is now a name synonymous with fitness and health focussed wearables. One of its latest products, the Vivoactive 3, seeks to bring many of the features found in its higher-end watches, and put them in a more affordable package.

Garmin's latest affordably fitness tracker is available from Cotswold Outdoor. Here are ten reasons why you should consider buying the Vivoactive 3.

1. Touchscreen 

While other Garmin models use physical buttons, the Vivoactive is equipped with a touchscreen.. So you can control the entire interface just using natural gestures rather than trying do everything with small, fiddly buttons.

2. Side Swipe

As well as the touchscreen there’s an innovative touch sensitive panel on the side of the case that you can swipe up and down on to scroll through menus.

3.Notifications

The Vivoactive 3’s user interface is equipped with richer notification support. so you can now receive and interact with notifications, and even respond to text messages if you’re using an Android smartphone.

4. Multisport tracking

The Vivoactive is a very versatile multi-sport tracker. So whether you’re running, hiking, cycling or exercising indoors you can set it to track your activity and it’ll measure and show you the most important metrics for that activity.

5. Stress Monitoring

Using your heart-rate data throughout the day and night, the Vivoactive 3 can tell you how much stress your body is under and then displays it in a useful breakdown within the Connect app on your phone.

6. Versatile design

This versatility is matched in its design and customising. When you set it up you can choose whether you want to have it on your left or right arm, and choose which side of the watch face you want the button to be on. It also happens to be relatively small and lightweight so you barely notice you’re wearing it.

7. Waterproof 

In addition to this convenient design, the watch can handle being in water up to depths of 50 meters. That means you can use it to track your indoor or outdoor swimming, as well as rowing, without fear that the water's going to do any damage. 

8. Battery life

Unlike smartwatches, the Vivoactive can last way more than a day on a full charge. In fact, it’s built to go up to 7 days between charges, and can track an activity continuously for up to 13 hours straight.

10. Affordability

Lastly, and perhaps vitally, the biggest reason to buy the Vivoactive 3 is that it won’t leave a large gaping hole in your pocket. Compared to some of its relatives, it’s very affordable and can be purchased for £280 from Cotswold Outdoor.

So there you have it, 10 reasons to buy the Vivoactive 3, one of the most versatile and budget-friendly high end sports watches available to buy right now.