Garmin Vivoactive 6 vs Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm
Size, specs & wrist fit compared
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Which one fits you
On wrists narrower than about 47mm, the Garmin Vivoactive 6 is the safer pick — it stays proportionate down to roughly 44mm, where the Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm starts to hang over the edge. Above 47mm both sit cleanly, and the Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm gives you more presence.
The Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm wears larger than the Garmin Vivoactive 6 (45mm vs 42.2mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is the slimmer of the two (10.9mm vs 12.3mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Garmin Vivoactive 6 feels lighter (23g vs 37g, case only).
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is thinner than 84% of the 42mm watches we track and the Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm than 71% of the 45mm ones — so both wear flatter than their widths suggest.
The Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm is 2.8mm wider, 2.8mm longer, 1.4mm thicker and 14g heavier than the Garmin Vivoactive 6. Both are circular.
Garmin
vívoactive 6
Pixel Watch 3 45mm
Switch or add watches
Garmin
vívoactive 6
Pixel Watch 3 45mm
Watch Fit Tool
For sports watches, lug-to-lug (L2L) is what matters most — it decides whether a watch overhangs your wrist. Bulky is fine; overhang is not.
Measure at the point where you wear your watch — typically just below the wrist bone.
Flat width — lay your arm on a table, palm facing up, and measure straight across the top of your wrist with a ruler. Bone to bone; do not follow the curve down the sides.
Around — wrap a tape measure snugly round the wrist. No tape? Wrap a strip of paper, mark the overlap and hold the strip against a ruler.
Width ≠ circumference. They are different numbers — around 170mm is about 64mm across — so set the toggle to whichever one you actually measured before you type it in.
Garmin vívoactive 6
Case 42.2mm · Lug-to-lug 42.2mm · Thickness 10.9mm · 23g
Balanced Fit
42.2mm on a 55mm wrist
Comfortably inside the edges of your wrist, and it seats and sits low enough to wear without thinking about it.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 42.2mm, so you could go bigger.
Measure where you wear it, just below the wrist bone. Either of these works — the tool converts between them.
- 1. Flat width — arm flat on a table, palm up. Measure straight across the top of the wrist, bone to bone, ignoring the curve down the sides.
- 2. Around — a tape, or a strip of paper marked and held against a ruler, snug the whole way round.
Leather: Attaches at the lugs, so the case back rests on your skin. Thins and softens with wear. Typical figures, not this model’s own.
Show the measurementsHide the measurements
- Across the wrist6.4mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist10.9mm off the skin
Normal sports-watch height for a wrist this size. (10.9mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~4.1mm under the rim
Seats well, with the case back following most of the wrist.
- Weight on the wrist23g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.4g per mm of wrist)
Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm
Case 45.0mm · Lug-to-lug 45.0mm · Thickness 12.3mm · 37g
Balanced Fit
45mm on a 55mm wrist
Comfortably inside the edges of your wrist, and it seats and sits low enough to wear without thinking about it.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 45mm, so you could go bigger.
Measure where you wear it, just below the wrist bone. Either of these works — the tool converts between them.
- 1. Flat width — arm flat on a table, palm up. Measure straight across the top of the wrist, bone to bone, ignoring the curve down the sides.
- 2. Around — a tape, or a strip of paper marked and held against a ruler, snug the whole way round.
Leather: Attaches at the lugs, so the case back rests on your skin. Thins and softens with wear. Typical figures, not this model’s own.
Show the measurementsHide the measurements
- Across the wrist5.0mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist12.3mm off the skin
Normal sports-watch height for a wrist this size. (12.3mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~5.2mm under the rim
Seats well, with the case back following most of the wrist.
- Weight on the wrist37g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.7g per mm of wrist)
2D Dimension Schematics
Every case drawn to scale on a shared centre — from above, and in profile against the wrist.
- Garmin vívoactive 642.2mm · 10.9mm thick
- Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm45mm · 12.3mm thick
3D preview
Garmin vívoactive 6 vs Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm on a wrist
Sized to your own wrist, turned any way you like.
Shapes are built from published measurements, not manufacturer 3D models — accurate proportions, generic dial.
Battery life compared
Furthest apart in Smartwatch mode, where the Garmin Vivoactive 6 lasts 11.0× as long as the Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm (11 days against 24 hours).
Garmin Vivoactive 6Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm
Smartwatch
11 days1 dayBattery Saver
—36 hours
Specifications
The short version
6 key specs| Spec | Garminvívoactive 6 | GooglePixel Watch 3 45mm |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 42.2mm | 45mm |
| Thickness | 10.9mm | 12.3mm |
| Weight | 23g | 37g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | OLED/AMOLED |
| Released | 2025 | 2023 |
Every specification
311 specs| Spec | Garmin vívoactive 6 | Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | Garmin | — |
| General | ||
| Weight | 23 g (36 g with included band) | — |
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days (5 days display always-on) Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 21 days GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 21 hours All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours All-Systems GNSS mode with music: Up to 8 hours See details | — |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | — |
| Display Size | 1.2" (30.4 mm) diameter | — |
| Case material | fiber-reinforced polymer | — |
| Color display | Yes | — |
| Lens material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 | — |
| Physical size | 42.2 x 42.2 x 10.9 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 125-190 mm | — |
| Bezel material | anodized aluminum | — |
| Memory/History | 8 GB | — |
| Strap material | silicone | — |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | — |
| Large font option | Yes | — |
| Display resolution | 390 x 390 pixels | — |
| Quick Release bands | yes (20 mm, Industry standard) | — |
| Sensors | ||
| Stocks | Yes | — |
| Calendar | Yes | — |
| Passcode | Yes | — |
| Calculator | Yes | — |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® | — |
| Garmin Share | Yes | — |
| Find My Phone | Yes | — |
| Evening report | Yes | — |
| Morning report | Yes | — |
| Red shift mode | Yes | — |
| Weather forecasts | Yes | — |
| Smart Notifications | Yes | — |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | — |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | — |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | Yes | — |
| Plays and controls watch music | Yes | — |
| Find My Phone during GPS activity | Yes | — |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | Yes | — |
| Find My Garmin (helps locate lost device) | Yes | — |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | Yes | — |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | Yes | — |
| View images from notifications on watch (Android™ only) | Yes | — |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | — |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | Yes | — |
| has GPS | — | Yes |
| has a compass | — | Yes |
| Has a barometer | — | Yes |
| has a gyroscope | — | Yes |
| Has a cadence sensor | — | Yes |
| has an accelerometer | — | Yes |
| Monitors perspiration | — | No |
| Has a heart rate monitor | — | Yes |
| Has a temperature sensor | — | Yes |
| Monitors blood oxygenation levels | — | Yes |
| Variant | ||
| Color | Lunar Gold with Bone Band | — |
| Available Colors | Slate with Black Band; Metallic Pink Dawn with Bone Band; Cream Gold with French Gray Band; Lunar Gold with Bone Band; Metallic Jasper Green with Jasper Green Band; Metallic Pink Dawn with Pink Dawn Band; Slate with Pebble Gray Band | — |
| Clock Features | ||
| Sleep | yes (advanced) | — |
| Hydration | Yes | — |
| Breathwork | Yes | — |
| Meditation | Yes | — |
| Fitness age | Yes | — |
| Sleep coach | Yes | — |
| Health status | Yes | — |
| Nap detection | Yes | — |
| All-day stress | Yes | — |
| Women's health | Yes | — |
| Health snapshot | Yes | — |
| Sleep alignment | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate | Yes | — |
| Lifestyle logging | Yes | — |
| Resting heart rate | Yes | — |
| Breathing variations | Yes | — |
| Relaxation reminders | Yes | — |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | yes (high and low) | — |
| Relaxation breathing timer | Yes | — |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | Yes | — |
| Heart rate (constant, every second) | Yes | — |
| Cycling Features | ||
| Time and distance alerts | Yes | — |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | Yes | — |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | — |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | — |
| Golfing Features | ||
| Sun and moon information | yes (via Connect IQ™) | — |
| Running Features | ||
| PinPointer | Yes | — |
| Tournament legal | Yes | — |
| Digital scorecard | Yes | — |
| Garmin AutoShot™ | Yes | — |
| Round timer/odometer | Yes | — |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | — |
| Hazards and course targets | Yes | — |
| Pairs with Garmin Golf app | Yes | — |
| Green View with manual pin position | Yes | — |
| CT1 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | Yes | — |
| CT10 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | Yes | — |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | Yes | — |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | Yes | — |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | automatic | — |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Timer | Yes | — |
| Stopwatch | Yes | — |
| Time/date | Yes | — |
| Alarm clock | Yes | — |
| Touchscreen | Yes | — |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | — |
| Water rating | Swim, 5 ATM | — |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | — |
| Garmin Pay™ | Yes | — |
| Music storage | Yes | — |
| Wheelchair mode | Yes | — |
| Smart wake alarm | Yes | — |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | yes (spot-check, and optional all-day and in sleep) | — |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | — |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | — |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 11 days (5 days display always-on) | — |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Assistance | Yes | — |
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | — |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | Yes | — |
| Outdoor Recreation | ||
| Back to start | Yes | — |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| HIIT workouts | Yes | — |
| Yoga workouts | Yes | — |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | — |
| Pilates workouts | Yes | — |
| Strength workouts | Yes | — |
| Garmin Running Coach | Yes | — |
| Garmin Coach - Strength | Yes | — |
| Garmin Running Coach Experts | Yes | — |
| On-screen workout animations | Yes | — |
| On-screen workout muscle maps | Yes | — |
| Workouts for wheelchair users | Yes | — |
| Garmin Coach - Prebuilt Cycling Plans | Yes | — |
| Daily suggested workout - Walking (duration based) | Yes | — |
| Mapping & Navigation | ||
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | Yes | — |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | yes (using ANT+ or BLE) | — |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | Yes | — |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | Yes | — |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| % HR max | Yes | — |
| HR zones | Yes | — |
| HR alerts | Yes | — |
| HRV status | Yes | — |
| Manual lap | Yes | — |
| Auto scroll | Yes | — |
| HR calories | Yes | — |
| Voice alerts | Yes | — |
| Physio TrueUp | Yes | — |
| Recovery time | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (Run) | Yes | — |
| Training effect | Yes | — |
| Workout benefit | Yes | — |
| Advanced workouts | Yes | — |
| Interval training | Yes | — |
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | — |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | — |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | — |
| Activity history on watch | Yes | — |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | — |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | Yes | — |
| HRM running pace and distance | Yes | — |
| Customizable activity profiles | Yes | — |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | yoga, breathwork and meditation only | — |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | Yes | — |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | yes (using ANT+ or BLE) | — |
| Improved interval (includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection) | Yes | — |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing, Jump Roping | — |
| Swim | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming | — |
| Cycling | Biking, Road Biking, Gravel Biking, Bike Touring, eBiking, Handcycling, Indoor Handcycling Indoor Biking, Cyclocross | — |
| Wellness | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Indoor Walking, Mobility | — |
| In the ring | Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts | — |
| Team sports | Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Football/Soccer, American Football, Lacrosse, Rugby, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Softball, Baseball | — |
| Motor sports | Motorcycling, Overlanding, Motocrossing, ATVing, Snowmobiling | — |
| On the water | Stand Up Paddleboarding, Kayaking, Rowing, Snorkeling | — |
| Racket sports | Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball | — |
| Indoor running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running | — |
| Outdoor running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Obstacle Running | — |
| Snow and winter | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, XC Skate Skiing, Ice Skating, Snowshoeing | — |
| Outdoor recreation | Hiking, Horseback Riding, Golfing, Mountaineering, Disc Golf, Archery | — |
| Other activity profiles | Inline Skating | — |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| GPS | Yes | — |
| QZSS | Yes | — |
| BeiDou | Yes | — |
| Compass | Yes | — |
| GLONASS | Yes | — |
| Galileo | Yes | — |
| Gyroscope | Yes | — |
| Thermometer | yes (tempe™ sensor required) | — |
| Accelerometer | Yes | — |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | Yes | — |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | — |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | Yes | — |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | — |
| Step counter | Yes | — |
| Calories burned | Yes | — |
| Distance traveled | Yes | — |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | — |
| Weight shift alert | Yes | — |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | — |
| Wheelchair push tracker | Yes | — |
| Move Alert movement options | Yes | — |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | Yes | — |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | Yes | — |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | — |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | ||
| Run workouts | Yes | — |
| Race predictor | Yes | — |
| Foot pod capable | Yes | — |
| Running dynamics | Yes | — |
| Run/Walk/Stand detection | Yes | — |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | Yes | — |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | — |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | — |
| Design | ||
| width | — | 45 |
| height | — | 45 |
| volume | — | 24.91 cm³ |
| weight | — | 37 g |
| thickness | — | 12.3 |
| ATM rating | — | 5 ATM |
| resolution | — | 456 x 456 px |
| screen size | — | 1.4 inches |
| Display type | — | OLED/AMOLED |
| Has a display | — | Yes |
| pixel density | — | 320 ppi |
| water resistance | — | Waterproof |
| Always-On Display | — | Yes |
| has a touch screen | — | Yes |
| Gorilla Glass version | — | Gorilla Glass 5 |
| waterproof depth rating | — | 50 m |
| Watch band is replaceable | — | Yes |
| Has sapphire glass display | — | No |
| Ingress Protection (IP) rating | — | IP68 |
| has branded damage-resistant glass | — | Yes |
| Battery | ||
| charge time | — | 1.25 hours |
| battery life | — | 1 days |
| battery power | — | 420 mAh |
| has wireless charging | — | No |
| has a removable battery | — | No |
| Has a solar power battery | — | No |
| has a rechargeable battery | — | Yes |
| battery life in power save mode | — | 36 hours |
| Features | ||
| RAM | — | 2GB |
| CPU speed | — | 2 x 1.5 GHz |
| release date | — | 2023-10-04 |
| Has a stopwatch | — | Yes |
| Has smart alarm | — | No |
| warranty period | — | 1 years |
| Has call control | — | Yes |
| Has silent alarm | — | Yes |
| has HRV tracking | — | Yes |
| internal storage | — | 32GB |
| measures VO2 max | — | Yes |
| Has notifications | — | Yes |
| Has ECG technology | — | Yes |
| Locates your phone | — | Yes |
| has fall detection | — | Yes |
| has voice commands | — | Yes |
| Acquires GPS faster | — | No |
| Has vibrating alerts | — | Yes |
| shows readiness level | — | Yes |
| Can be used to answer calls | — | Yes |
| measures resting heart rate | — | Yes |
| has irregular heart rate warnings | — | Yes |
| has fast/slow heart rate notifications | — | Yes |
| Has a built-in camera remote control function | — | Yes |
| Connectivity | ||
| has NFC | — | Yes |
| SIM cards | — | 1 eSIM |
| Wi-Fi version | — | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) |
| supports Wi-Fi | — | Yes |
| supports Galileo | — | Yes |
| Bluetooth version | — | 5 |
| has a cellular module | — | Yes |
| Is compatible with iOS | — | No |
| Is compatible with Android | — | Yes |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Has passcode | — | Yes |
| Is compatible with Windows | — | No |
| Is compatible with Mac OS X | — | No |
| has an external memory slot | — | No |
| has a battery level indicator | — | Yes |
| has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack | — | No |
| App & Software | ||
| Ad-free | — | Yes |
| Free app | — | Yes |
| Has coaching | — | Yes |
| Includes maps | — | Yes |
| Supports routes | — | Yes |
| Has achievements | — | Yes |
| Has goal setting | — | Yes |
| Has live tracking | — | Yes |
| Has exercise diary | — | Yes |
| Predicts ovulation | — | Yes |
| Can be personalised | — | Yes |
| Has weight tracking | — | Yes |
| Predicts start date | — | Yes |
| Tracks water intake | — | Yes |
| Has inactivity alerts | — | Yes |
| Has period notifications | — | Yes |
| Has temperature tracking | — | Yes |
| Doesn’t require account | — | No |
| Provides activity reports | — | Yes |
| Displays fertile window notifications | — | Yes |
| Counts how many calories you've burned | — | Yes |
| Activity tracking | ||
| Measures pace | — | Yes |
| Tracks distance | — | Yes |
| Tracks elevation | — | Yes |
| Designed for golf | — | No |
| Tracks your sleep | — | Yes |
| Tracks steps taken | — | Yes |
| Designed for diving | — | No |
| Has a route tracker | — | Yes |
| Has exercise tagging | — | Yes |
| Has multi-sport mode | — | No |
| Tracks calorie intake | — | Yes |
| Provides sleep reports | — | Yes |
| Detects activities automatically | — | Yes |
| Has a stroke counter for swimming | — | No |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Vivoactive 6
Sits best on wrists ~44–60mm wide (≈ 11.7–16.0cm circumference).
Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm
Sits best on wrists ~47–64mm wide (≈ 12.6–17.1cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Vivoactive 6 bigger than the Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm?
The Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm is bigger — 45mm vs 42.2mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Vivoactive 6 or the Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm?
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 suits wrists around 44–60mm wide, and the Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm around 47–64mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Vivoactive 6 and Google Pixel Watch 3 45mm side by side at true scale?
Yes — the schematics and photos above show both watches at matched scale, and our fit tool overlays each on your wrist width.