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

Our pick

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

Amazfit Balance 3

$369.99 (Stainless Steel)

Get it if

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

Buy at Amazfit$369.99

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.
You want a lighter watch body.

Buy at Gabb$209.99

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

Get the Balance 3 if you want a watch of your own with route planning, turn-by-turn directions 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 Balance 3 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 Balance 3 at up to 21 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.
Who manages the watch
The Balance 3 is set up in the Zepp App, where you install watch apps. 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 Balance 3 offers turn-by-turn directions, route planning and auto rerouting. 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)
Balance 362 g (2.19 oz)
Gabb Watch 3e (leads)35.5 g (1.25 oz)
The Gabb Watch 3e body is lighter, at 35.5 g (1.25 oz); the Balance 3 is 62 g (2.19 oz) without its strap. The Balance 3 has a 1.5 in screen in a 51.4 x 51.4 x 12.5 mm case, its thickness measured without the heart rate sensor; the Gabb has a 1.41 in screen and measures 46 x 40 x 14.5 mm, a smaller footprint for a child's wrist. The Balance 3 is rated 10 ATM; 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

Balance 3

Gabb Watch 3e

Balance 3: Up to 21 days Rated battery: typical use (Amazfit), normal use (Gabb)Gabb Watch 3e: 14 to 18 hrs
Balance 3: 62 g (2.19 oz) Weight (without strap)Gabb Watch 3e: 35.5 g (1.25 oz) ✓
Balance 3: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth only CellularGabb Watch 3e: Yes, with a Gabb phone plan
Balance 3: No ✓ Subscription required for full featuresGabb Watch 3e: Yes, a Gabb phone plan
Balance 3: Watch apps through Zepp SoftwareGabb Watch 3e: MyGabb, on a parent's phone
Balance 3: Turn-by-turn directions Navigation and location toolsGabb Watch 3e: Safe Zone alerts to parents
Balance 3: 1.5 in Display sizeGabb Watch 3e: 1.41 in
Balance 3: 51.4 x 51.4 x 12.5 mm Case sizeGabb Watch 3e: 46 x 40 x 14.5 mm
Balance 3: 10 ATM Water ratingGabb Watch 3e: IP68

FAQs

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

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

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

The Balance 3, on rated battery life: Amazfit rates it at up to 21 days in typical use, and Gabb expects 14 to 18 hours of normal use from the Gabb Watch 3e.

Which is lighter, the Balance 3 or the Gabb Watch 3e?

The Gabb Watch 3e: 35.5 g (1.25 oz) for the watch body, against 62 g (2.19 oz) for the Balance 3 without its strap.

Which works without a phone nearby, the Balance 3 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 Balance 3 pairs with your phone over Bluetooth and has no cellular radio.