Amazfit Active 3 Premium vs Gabb Watch 3e: which should you buy?

Our pick

Active 3 Premium for a running watch of your own with no subscription
Gabb Watch 3e for a cellular watch a parent manages

Amazfit Active 3 Premium

$169.99

Get it if

You want a watch with no subscription.
You prefer turn-by-turn directions on your wrist.

Buy at Amazfit$169.99

Checked Nov 15, 2026 · We may earn a commission.

Gabb Watch 3e

$209.99

Get it if

You want calls and texts with no phone nearby.
You prefer a watch a parent manages from MyGabb.
You prefer Safe Zone alerts sent to a parent.

Buy at Gabb$209.99

Checked Nov 15, 2026 · We may earn a commission.

Get the Active 3 Premium if you want a watch of your own with turn-by-turn navigation and no subscription. Get the Gabb Watch 3e if you want a watch a parent manages, with calls and texts and no phone nearby.

What's different

Your own watch, or a child’s first phone
The Active 3 Premium pairs with your phone over Bluetooth and has no cellular radio, and it needs no subscription. The Gabb Watch 3e works independently from any cell phone, with unlimited talk and text, and Gabb says you must select a phone plan to activate it.
Rated in days, or in hours
Amazfit rates the Active 3 Premium at up to 12 days in typical use. Gabb expects 14 to 18 hours from the Gabb Watch 3e in normal use, and says the watch needs at least three bars of cell service to reach that.
Software
Active 3 PremiumZepp App
Gabb Watch 3eMyGabb, on a parent's phone
The Active 3 Premium is set up in the Zepp App. Contacts on the Gabb Watch 3e are managed by a parent in the MyGabb app, so the parent decides who the child can call, and its SOS button contacts a designated parent or guardian only, not 911.
Follow a route, or follow a child
The Active 3 Premium has turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps, so you can plan a route and run without your phone. The Gabb Watch 3e sends parents a Safe Zone alert within 15 minutes when their child enters or leaves a designated area.
Weight (without strap)
Active 3 Premium38 g (1.34 oz)
Gabb Watch 3e35.5 g (1.25 oz)
The Gabb Watch 3e is slightly lighter without a strap: 35.5 g (1.25 oz) to 38 g (1.34 oz) for the Active 3 Premium. The Active 3 Premium has a 1.32 in round screen in a 45 x 45 x 11 mm case; the Gabb has a 1.41 in screen in a 46 x 40 x 14.5 mm case. The Active 3 Premium is rated 5 ATM, suitable for swimming; Gabb gives the Gabb Watch 3e an IP68 rating, and Gabb calls it water resistant, not waterproof, and does not recommend submerging it.

What's the same

Built-in GPS
A touchscreen display
Bluetooth

Tale of the Tape

Active 3 Premium

Gabb Watch 3e

Active 3 Premium: Up to 12 days Rated battery: typical use (Amazfit), normal use (Gabb)Gabb Watch 3e: 14 to 18 hrs
Active 3 Premium: 38 g (1.34 oz) Weight (without strap)Gabb Watch 3e: 35.5 g (1.25 oz)
Active 3 Premium: No CellularGabb Watch 3e: Yes, with a Gabb phone plan
Active 3 Premium: No ✓ Subscription required for full featuresGabb Watch 3e: Yes, a Gabb phone plan
Active 3 Premium: Zepp App SoftwareGabb Watch 3e: MyGabb, on a parent's phone
Active 3 Premium: Turn-by-turn directions Navigation and location toolsGabb Watch 3e: Safe Zone alerts to parents
Active 3 Premium: 1.32 in Display sizeGabb Watch 3e: 1.41 in
Active 3 Premium: 45 x 45 x 11 mm Case sizeGabb Watch 3e: 46 x 40 x 14.5 mm
Active 3 Premium: 5 ATM Water ratingGabb Watch 3e: IP68

FAQs

Which should you buy, the Active 3 Premium or the Gabb Watch 3e?

The Active 3 Premium for a watch of your own with turn-by-turn navigation and no subscription; the Gabb Watch 3e for a cellular watch a parent manages for a child.

Which lasts longer on a charge, the Active 3 Premium or the Gabb Watch 3e?

The Active 3 Premium, on rated battery life: Amazfit rates it at up to 12 days in typical use, and Gabb expects 14 to 18 hours of normal use from the Gabb Watch 3e.

Which is lighter, the Active 3 Premium or the Gabb Watch 3e?

The Gabb Watch 3e, slightly: 35.5 g (1.25 oz) to 38 g (1.34 oz) for the Active 3 Premium, both without a strap.

Which works without a phone nearby, the Active 3 Premium or the Gabb Watch 3e?

The Gabb Watch 3e, for calls and texts: it works independently from any cell phone on a Gabb phone plan. The Active 3 Premium pairs with your phone over Bluetooth and has no cellular radio, though its offline maps let you run phone-free.