Today Garmin announced the latest version of their flagship NEO smart trainer: the Tacx NEO 3M. Replacing the 4+ year old NEO 2T as Garmin’s top trainer, the 3M brings some notable improvements… and a hefty price tag. Let’s dive into the details!
New Features
The Tacx NEO line has long been considered the “gold standard” of smart trainers, especially in terms of power accuracy. Having evolved over the years, the NEO 2T already has many of the features you’ll find in top-tier trainers: 1% accuracy, auto-calibration, near-silent operation, and max wattage/incline that you’ll never exceed. Heck, it even had a sort of race-mode power broadcasting at 4Hz, before everyone else starting supporting 10Hz!
So what did Garmin upgrade to create the NEO 3M? Here are the biggest changes:
- Built-in motion plates allow for a total of 5cm of fore-aft movement
- WiFi and ethernet connectivity via an add-on accessory
- 11-speed cassette pre-installed
- Built-in handle
- 2 concurrent Bluetooth connections supported
There are lots of “smaller” changes as well. Garmin also beefed up the resistance unit and internal cooling systems, so even though the max wattage/incline specs are the same as the NEO 2T, the 3M can handle heavier loads at lower speeds (like climbing steep hills on Zwift). Additionally, the power adapter “brick” has been moved internally for a cleaner plugin setup, various lights/buttons have been modified, and, according to early reviews, the 3M’s ERG capabilities have been improved substantially, making it perhaps the best ERG trainer on the market today.
Let’s dive a bit deeper into the key new features…
Motion Plates
Garmin has been selling motion plates for the NEO for a few years ($299USD), and the 3M’s plate have precisely the same movement ability. Garmin has added lockout knobs on the 3M in case you want to stop the fore-aft movement, but otherwise you’ll get around 2.5cm of backward movement and 2.5cm of forward movement.
It’s worth noting here in the “motion” section that the NEO has always allowed for a bit of side-to-side movement. Garmin has finally leaned into this a bit with the 3M, changing the unit’s design a bit to ensure that the side-to-side movement is even.
While 5cm of movement is better than nothing, it’s far from a full range of movement. (For comparison, the Wahoo KICKR Move has around 20cm of fore-aft movement.) In terms of side to side movement, both the NEO 3M and KICKR Move offer a bit of it, but again, it’s nothing like the natural full side-to-side movement you’ll get with a good rocker plate.
WiFi/Ethernet
The NEO 3M supports connections via WiFi or wired ethernet, but only if you buy the optional add-on accessory. (This unit isn’t yet listed on Garmin’s site, so we don’t know pricing.)
Like 3M’s motion abilities, Garmin’s implementation of WiFi/ethernet for the 3M are a welcome upgrade… but the implementation falls short. Why not build it into the unit, like Wahoo has done with their top-tier KICKR trainers and smart bike?
Pre-Installed Cassette
Considering the substantial price increase between the NEO 2T and the 3M, it’s a good thing Garmin has opted to start including a pre-installed cassette with this unit. If you’re on an 11-speed bike, this is a welcome addition.
But Zwift has made both Garmin and Wahoo look a bit silly here, since Zwift sells the Hub One with your choice of cassette. A pre-installed 11-speed cassette included on the NEO 3M and Wahoo’s top KICKR trainers is great if you have an 11-speed bike, but if you’re on a newer 12-speed, you’re effectively paying for a cassette you can’t use.
Built-In Handle
This may seem like a small thing, and that’s because it is. So why did it take so long? NEO owners have long hated moving their units because the NEO is heavy and famously awkward to pick up since it has no good handholds. Garmin finally adding a handle is a good move.
Two Concurrent Bluetooth Connections
Bluetooth’s one-to-one pairing has caught many riders out, so premium trainers have been offering the ability to support 2-3 concurrent connections. The NEO 3M is the first NEO model to offer more than one connection – a welcome upgrade.
Pricing and Availability
There’s no arguing that the Tacx NEO 3M is a substantial improvement over the previous model. And it’s been a long time coming!
But here’s the rub: that improvement comes at a price. The Tacx NEO 3M went on sale today for $1999USD, which is a $600 price hike from the MSRP of the previous model NEO 2T ($1399).
If that sounds a bit crazy… it gets crazier. Because the NEO 2T is available from Garmin for just $899 (also available on Amazon and from other retailers for the same price).
So if you’re looking to buy a NEO, you have to ask yourself: are the improvements/features of the 3M worth paying more than twice the price of the NEO 2T? On top of that, if you’re open to other trainer brands, is the NEO 3M a better buy than the Wahoo KICKR ($1299) or Wahoo KICKR Move ($1599)?
We like the NEO 3M as a worthy upgrade to Garmin’s flagship trainer, but we don’t like the price compared to the competition (namely, Wahoo). The hard truth for Garmin is, if they want to be competitive in this space they’ll probably need to reduce NEO 3M pricing to around $1599, with the WiFi/ethernet accessory included.
More Reviews/Announcement Videos
DC Rainmaker’s in-depth review is excellent, as always. Read it here, and watch his video below:
Your Thoughts
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i think Zwift Hub One is no longer available, right? might want to update that section about the cassette….
Hub One is available. Hub Classic is not.
For that price you can almost buy a trainer bike…
Stages has been selling the SB20 for $1300 on and off again!
Wow, what a rip-off! Especially coming from a company who completely ignore their products once released, over 3-Years since they did any firmware updates, which they’re now basically trying to add on for the price of $1100, wow, they’ve got some b*lls on them!
I’ve my Neo one (T2800) now almost for 6 years, still performing perfectly. Was ready for their new Neo and saving up for it.
Now feeling underwelmed. I might not have the knowledge on the subject, but adding Wifi and 10 Hz race mode seems like an easy step up for me.
I respect Tacx still because (looking at DCRainmaker) they upgraded the hardware side of things to a next level. They went for even better accuracy, and may set new standards in that area. And is seems like they put most of their research money into that. This is only not what I needed in the next gen trainer.
Oh and small add on: €2.000 is not a pricepoint where I can look myself in the mirror for. For €1.600 I may be stupid enough to wanna go for the next best thing. Luckely my Neo One still works wonderfully.
just a small note no neo auto calibrates; that makes it sound like its doing something on the fly; it is calibrated at the factory and once done stays like that. it does not need nor can it be calibrated.
I often carry my Neo 2T around, and think to myself “If only I could pay $2k for a handle on this”
Although given how many 2Ts I had to return under warranty when the flimsy internal cooling fans broke, maybe it’s worth it
For me, the lack of built-in WiFi and no 12 speed option is a non-starter in a trainer in this price range.
BOTH Ethernet and Wi-Fi as an add-on. Sheesh!
The thing is, the cost of adding WiFi and Ethernet would have been insignificant and should have been included in the price of the trainer. Instead of putting the power brick inside the trainer, I would have preferred if they had used that space for built-in WiFi. And even though I do not anticipate using 12 speeds, it would have been nice to have that option. I am deeply vested in the Garmin ecosystem, so this is not an anti-Garmin rant. My bike’s head-unit, sensors, front light and rear light-radar-camera are all made by Garmin and they all work great. But this new trainer falls short of the mark.
I have a gen 1 Neo and simply carry it underneath with the legs not folded in. I also have a KickR 5 and find it harder to carry around as I naturally want to grab it by the handle and a leg. This twists it and the disc brake adapter stuff falls out.
Well I hope this new version is better than the NEO 2T. I’ve had 2 replacements in 2 year’s and I’m just waiting for it to go again. Wouldn’t be so bad if Tacx/Garmin actually gave you a new one rather than a refurbished one. When you’re paying £1200 for a trainer that’s clearly got some issues I would a brand new replacement.