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The nearly perfect Garmin Fenix 5 GPS smartwatch is now on sale for $100 off

By Lucas Coll Published May 18, 2018

Although they’ve yet to dominate the market like smartphones have, there’s little doubt left that smartwatches are here to stay. People have been slower to jump on the smartwatch bandwagon so far – with many users asking why they even need one – but these smart wearables have come a long way lately, with some fantastic brand-name models being released in recent years.

Garmin is one such name brand that has thrown its hat in the ring, offering some of our favorite smartwatches and activity trackers with its Vivo, Forerunner, and Fenix lineups. One of its latest, the Fenix 5, might just be Garmin’s best one yet, offering bomb-proof build quality along with a great array of smart connectivity features.

The Garmin Fenix 5 is a multisport fitness watch, built from the ground up for use with just about any indoor or outdoor activity you can think of, from swimming to hiking. Its rugged steel case is waterproof at up to 10 ATM (100 meters), making it a solid dive watch, while its built-in GPS, three-axis gyroscopic compass, and barometric altimeter ensure that it’s also right at home in the mountains. It boasts a heart rate monitor, along with a full suite of standard activity-tracking features (collecting metrics like distance, calories burned, etc.), and syncs with Garmin’s companion app for long-term health monitoring.

The Garmin Fenix 5X is one of our highest-rated smartwatches of all time, with the DT review team giving it a perfect 10 out of 10 — the only major complaint being that the 5X’s beefy 51mm case is naturally a bit large on smaller wrists. The standard Fenix 5 measures in at a more modest 47mm, however, cutting back on the bulk a bit while offering all of the same great functionality as its larger sibling.

As part of its ongoing Anniversary Sale, REI is slashing prices on a wide variety of brand-name gear from today through Monday, May 28. Garmin watches will remain on sale through June 16, however, giving you some extra time to score some savings and letting you grab the awesome Fenix 5 for just $450 ($100 off) with free shipping.

Looking for some more savings on brand-name sporting gear? Find outdoor deals and more on our curated deals page.

Deals and News Writer

Lucas Coll has been a freelance writer for almost a decade and has penned articles on tech, video games, travel, cars, and…

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This Garmin watch is a 9 out of 10, and it’s on sale this week

Someone wearing the Garmin Forerunner 265 on their wrist.

One of the best smartwatch deals today is also on one of my personal favorite devices and one that has greatly encouraged me to run more throughout the last few months. Today, you can buy the Garmin Forerunner 265 smartwatch for $100 off at Best Buy -- for $350 instead of $450. It’s effectively like having a personal trainer on your wrist, so it’s worth every cent. If you’re looking to enhance your runs and general performance, this is the watch for you. The deal is on until September 22, so let’s take a little look at what it has to offer.

Why you should buy the Garmin Forerunner 265
When we reviewed the Garmin Forerunner 265, we called it “a new standard for fitness watches.” That is definitely how I felt when I spent time with it. One huge highlight is its great looking AMOLED panel, which offers deep blacks and vibrant colors. Having tried cheaper Garmin watches, it’s that screen that instantly makes the Garmin Forerunner 265 much classier to use.

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The Garmin Fenix 8 is almost out, so the 7X has a huge price cut

The Garmin Fenix 7X smartwatch with stats on the screen.

If you want to track your runs and workouts more effectively, and you don’t mind going for potentially older tech, Best Buy has the offer for you. Right now you can buy the Garmin Fenix 7X smartwatch with a $250 discount, so it’s down to $650 from $900. This is likely happening because the Garmin Fenix 8 is rumored to launch later this month, but if you don’t mind being a step behind, you’ll still be delighted with this one. You’ll need to be quick to grab one of the best smartwatch deals as it’s only available for today and tomorrow, ending September 7. Here’s what it has to offer.

Why you should buy the Garmin Fenix 7X
If you’re serious about achieving your running, hiking, or even swimming goals, you need one of the best Garmin watches. While the Garmin Fenix 7X isn’t on that list, it’s still highly respected. In the past, we’ve reviewed the Garmin Fenix 6S Pro and the Garmin Fenix 5X Plus and the response is the same every time -- Garmin Fenix watches are great.

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The Garmin vívoactive 5 smartwatch is still at its Prime Day price

Stress monitoring on the Garmin Vivoactive 5.

Having the ability to track your health and wellness on a day to day basis can be quite the invigorating and inspiring experience. Keeping tabs on steps, heart rate, oxygen levels, sleep, and other fitness-oriented criteria can help you make informed decisions about medical care. It’s also a great way to know you’re keeping up with the goals you’ve set for yourself.

One of the best ways to stay on top of all these metrics is with a wearable. Made by numerous companies, many traditional smartwatches (and we have an entire list of smartwatch deals to peruse) can double as fitness trackers, but it’s the dedicated health-monitoring devices that usually deliver the best results. You’ve probably heard of brands like Garmin and Fitbit. Well, today we’ll be focusing on the former.