to celebrate the start of the spring season, Garmin is holding a sale on various gadgets and accessories—including a few WIRED-approved smartwatches. Whether you’re a novice runner or a seasoned hiker, we’re confident that at least one of the discounted smartwatches below will make the perfect companion for your next outdoor adventure.
These deals aren’t just at Garmin either—we’ve also linked to other retailers like Amazon and Target. Don’t see anything you like here? Check out our buying guides, like the Best Fitness Trackers, the Best Sleep Trackers, or the Best Camping Tents.
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Garmin Smartwatch Deals
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar Smartwatch
Photograph: Garmin
WIRED senior associate reviews editor Adrienne So says this is currently her favorite smartwatch. The second-generation version (9/10, WIRED Recommends) comes with a high-resolution display, improved solar charging, and an insanely impressive 21-day battery life (even when tracking multiple activities per day), all packed into a compact 40-mm case. (You can also choose a 45-mm or 50-mm size.) It’s a great option for tracking outdoor workouts or activities like camping, trail running, and more. The price has dipped as low as $300 back in November, but this is still a great deal.
Forerunner 255
Photograph: Garmin
The Forerunner 255 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) holds the title of Best Running Watch in our Best Fitness Trackers guide. It packs a ton of great features, including multiband GPS support, a compass, a barometric altimeter, Bluetooth compatibility with a variety of heart rate monitors, and improved sleep tracking. It has excellent battery life, too—WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson says he got about 30 hours of continuous use. You’ll also have access to useful features like Morning Report (which includes a daily greeting, weather, and more) and Body Battery (which measures your energy throughout the day, based on other metrics like activity, sleep, and VO2 Max). It dipped slightly lower to $239 earlier this month, but it’s still a good deal.
Garmin Venu SQ
Photograph: Garmin
The Venu SQ (8/10, WIRED Recommends) was released back in 2020, but Garmin wearables are known for their longevity. This is still a great entry-level fitness tracker. It has an always-on LCD touchscreen that’s both responsive and bright, along with high-end features like energy level monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, and sleep tracking—in addition to tracking basic metrics like step count, calories, workouts, and more. The Venu SQ often dips to this price at Amazon and reached as low as $116 in January, but this is still a solid deal.
