Fitness Trackers / Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) vs Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022)
Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) vs Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022)
Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)
Nothing paywalled and the best data export in the category — but the GPS is your phone's.
Wins overall by 0.3 points
Quick Verdict
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) wins by 0.3 points, which is not enough to settle it. Ten-day battery and a real screen for $99.95 — but the GPS is your phone's. Pick on the specs that matter to you, not the overall score.
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) and Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) are both current-generation fitness Tracker models, and the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) is $50 cheaper than the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) ($99.95 vs $149.99). On Subscription Freedom, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads (9.5 vs 6.0/10) — the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying.. On Battery Life, the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) leads (8.5 vs 6.5/10) — real endurance once continuous heart rate, SpO2 and the always-on display are enabled, not just the headline figure.. On Tracking Accuracy, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads (8.0 vs 7.0/10) — how closely steps, heart rate and sleep match reference devices — and how badly the optical sensor falls apart at high intensity.. Overall, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores 6.9/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.6/10 for the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022), though the gap is close enough that your specific use case should decide it. Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) | Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.99 | $99.95 |
| Release Year | 2022 | 2022 |
| GPS | Connected GPS — the band has no GPS chip and uses the paired phone's location for outdoor distance and route | Connected GPS — borrows the paired phone's GPS. There is no GPS chip in the band, so no phone means no route or pace |
| Display | OLED touchscreen, 66% larger than the vívosmart 4 (Garmin's press release does not state the panel dimensions) | Colour touchscreen with optional always-on display (Google does not publish the panel size on the current store page) |
| Rated Battery Life ( days) | 7 | 10✓ |
| What the Battery Claim Assumes | 'Up to 7 days' in smartwatch mode. Garmin does not publish a separate figure for all-day Pulse Ox enabled, which is the setting that drains it fastest | 'Up to 10 days' with the always-on display off; Google states always-on 'may require more frequent charging'. Continuous HR is on by default |
| Subscription Model | None for anything on the device. Garmin Connect is free; the optional Garmin Connect+ tier adds AI summaries but gates nothing the vívosmart 5 measures | Optional — steps, HR, sleep stages and the basic Sleep Score are free. The Stress Management Score breakdown, most mindfulness content, the Wellness Report PDF and the Gemini-powered coaching need Google Health Premium |
| Annual Subscription Cost ($) | 0✓ | 99.99 |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM — Garmin rates it swim- and shower-proof | 5 ATM / 50 m to ISO 22810:2010, shallow water only |
| ECG / AFib & FDA Status | No ECG hardware and no AFib detection on this model — Garmin's ECG app is limited to its Venu/fenix lines | No ECG electrodes. PPG-based irregular-rhythm notifications only |
| SpO2 Sensor | Yes — Pulse Ox, spot-check, all-day or overnight | Yes — overnight SpO2 |
| Phone Compatibility | iOS and Android via Garmin Connect | iOS and Android; a Google account is required for setup |
| Charger | Proprietary 4-pin Garmin clip charger | Proprietary clip-on magnetic charger, not shared with the Charge line |
| Data Export | Garmin Connect exports individual activities as GPX/TCX/CSV, offers a full account data export, and has a documented developer API | Google Takeout export of the Google Health/Fitbit archive (JSON and CSV bundles) |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Black, White, Cool Mint | Midnight Zen / Black, Morning Glow / Black, Lilac Bliss / Black |
Category Scores
Tracking Accuracy
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 7.0 — a 1.0-point margin on how closely steps, heart rate and sleep match reference devices — and how badly the optical sensor falls apart at high intensity.. If that is what you are buying for, the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Subscription Freedom
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 6.0 — a 3.5-point margin on the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying.. If that is what you are buying for, the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Phone Independence
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 3.0 against 2.5 — a 0.5-point margin on how much the device can do with the phone left at home — a real GPS chip and on-wrist readouts score high, connected-GPS screenless bands score low.. If that is what you are buying for, the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Battery Life
The Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 6.5 — a 2.0-point margin on real endurance once continuous heart rate, SpO2 and the always-on display are enabled, not just the headline figure.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Display & Usability
The Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) leads clearly here, 6.5 against 6.0 — a 0.5-point margin on screen size, brightness and how much you can actually read on the wrist mid-workout.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Health Features
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.5 — a 0.5-point margin on depth of the health sensor suite and how much of it is FDA-cleared and enabled in the US.. If that is what you are buying for, the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
App & Data Portability
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.0 — a 1.0-point margin on quality of the companion app and whether you can get your own data out in a documented format.. If that is what you are buying for, the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 6.5 — a 1.0-point margin on what the first year genuinely costs — purchase price plus any subscription needed for the advertised features.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) if…
- • Subscription Freedom matters most to you — the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores 9.5/10 here (the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying.).
- • Tracking Accuracy matters most to you — the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores 8.0/10 here (how closely steps, heart rate and sleep match reference devices — and how badly the optical sensor falls apart at high intensity.).
- • App & Data Portability matters most to you — the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores 9.0/10 here (quality of the companion app and whether you can get your own data out in a documented format.).
- • Your main use case is no-subscription.
Choose the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) if…
- • Battery Life matters most to you — the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) scores 8.5/10 here (real endurance once continuous heart rate, SpO2 and the always-on display are enabled, not just the headline figure.).
- • Value matters most to you — the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) scores 7.5/10 here (what the first year genuinely costs — purchase price plus any subscription needed for the advertised features.).
- • You want to spend less — it's $50 cheaper.
Pros & Cons
Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)
Pros
- +Nothing it measures is paywalled — Body Battery, stress, sleep and Pulse Ox are all free, forever
- +Best data portability in the category: per-activity GPX/TCX/CSV plus a documented API
- +Bands are genuinely user-replaceable and come in two wrist sizes
- +Garmin Connect's training and sleep history is deeper than anything Fitbit gives away free
Cons
- −$149.99 for connected GPS only — the $159.95 Fitbit Charge 6 has a real GPS chip for $10 more
- −Four years old with no successor, and the screen is small and dim next to a $52 Xiaomi band
- −Garmin does not publish what all-day Pulse Ox does to the 7-day battery claim
- −No ECG, no AFib detection, no exercise-equipment heart-rate broadcast
- −Yet another proprietary clip charger
Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022)
Pros
- +Ten days between charges beats the Charge 6 by three and the Apple/Samsung watches by a week
- +Both band sizes in the box, and 5 ATM means you can swim in it
- +Cheapest route into the Fitbit/Google Health ecosystem with a real screen
- +Same free sleep-stage data as the Charge 6 for $60 less
Cons
- −Connected GPS only — the phone has to come with you or the run has no distance or route
- −The 10-day claim collapses if you enable the always-on display, by Google's own admission
- −No ECG hardware and no exercise-equipment heart-rate broadcast
- −Yet another proprietary charger, and it is not the Charge 5/6/Luxe cable
- −Now four years old and outflanked by the newer, screenless Fitbit Air at the same price
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) or Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Subscription Freedom, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) or the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022)?+
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores higher on Subscription Freedom (9.5/10 vs 6.0/10) — the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying..
Which is better for Battery Life, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) or the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022)?+
The Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) scores higher on Battery Life (8.5/10 vs 6.5/10) — real endurance once continuous heart rate, SpO2 and the always-on display are enabled, not just the headline figure..
Which is better for Tracking Accuracy, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) or the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022)?+
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores higher on Tracking Accuracy (8.0/10 vs 7.0/10) — how closely steps, heart rate and sleep match reference devices — and how badly the optical sensor falls apart at high intensity..
Which is better for App & Data Portability, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) or the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022)?+
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores higher on App & Data Portability (9.0/10 vs 8.0/10) — quality of the companion app and whether you can get your own data out in a documented format..
Is the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) worth the price difference over the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022)?+
The Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) is the cheaper option at $99.95 versus $149.99. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Subscription Freedom.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) is the better fit if you mainly care about no-subscription. The Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) is the better fit for everyday-steps or sleep-recovery.
What's the warranty on the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) vs the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022)?+
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Xiaomi Smart Band 10 (2025, Global Version) — $51.99
Premium Option
Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) — $159.95
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.