Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Deals

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Amazon drops killer deals on these Garmin multisport smartwatches

Timothy Taylor
By

For years, Garmin has been killing it in the fitness-focused wearable arena. With its slew of health-centric smartwatches that include many affordable selections that house only the most basic functions, to costlier ones that are jam-packed with features, there’s practically one for everybody. And if there’s one department where Garmin completely one-ups Apple, it’s battery life. You will never be able to use an Apple Watch for more than two days on a single charge. A Garmin smartwatch, on the other hand, can last not only for two days but for two weeks, with examples including the Instinct and Forerunner 935. Right now, Amazon lets you save as much $125 on these terrific GPS multisport smartwatches.

GARMIN INSTINCT – $225

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Garmin Instinct is the perfect multisport smartwatch for adventurers and athletes on a budget. It may not boast a colored touchscreen display (it has a monochromatic watch face that’s controlled by five physical buttons), but if that’s something you don’t mind missing, then go ahead and give this one a go. The Instinct screams outdoors and reminds us of Casio’s hardcore sports watches. Like the rest of the Garmin family, this smartwatch’s durability is exemplary. With a fiber-reinforced polymer casing, a scratch-resistant chemically strengthened glass, and raised bezels, the Instinct appears indestructible and is guaranteed to withstand the toughest environments. It can even survive deep-water dives of up to 100 meters.

Like most Garmin watches, the Instinct has over 25 different activities that you can track. You can use it to track the big three – running, biking, and swimming — as well as less common activities like SUP, rowing and stair-stepping. It also has a built-in heart rate monitor and supports GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. Basically, everything you need to survive the great outdoors is here. It even has a nifty backtracking feature and compass to help you navigate back to your starting point in case you get lost in a hike. Using what it calls a breadcrumb map, you can retrace your steps and find your way back to your original trail.

Related

What the Instinct lacks are onboard topographical maps which are not compatible with the low-resolution, non-color display (remember, this watch has a monochrome dial). It is also more of a GPS watch than a smartwatch. Yes, you can receive notifications for incoming calls, texts, emails, but that’s about it. You cannot respond to any of them. You cannot add music files or add Spotify on this watch either, but at least you get music controls.

The Garmin Instinct usually comes with a $300 price tag but take advantage of Amazon’s $75 deal today and get it for $225. And if you pay via the Amazon Rewards Visa Card and get approval, you can enjoy an additional $50 off instantly, bringing the price down to an even more affordable $175.

GARMIN FORERUNNER 935 – $375

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Garmin Forerunner 935 is smaller and more subdued than the large-and-in-charge Fenix 5X. Although technically a sports watch, its black casing is subtle enough to be worn even when you’re not training. Plus, its silicone band is replaceable if you wish to pair it with a fancier strap. From its size alone, it’s hard to believe that is has a built-in optical heart rate monitor, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, and thermometer. It also connects to smartphones via Bluetooth, external sensors via ANT+, and networks via Wi-Fi. It may not look chunky enough to hold that much tech inside it – but it does!

This watch includes loads of preconfigured apps for tracking a multitude of sports (not just running), including road cycling, mountain biking, walking, hiking, swimming, snowboarding, skiing, stand-up paddling, rowing, and even golf. All your fitness metrics get stored and are presented neatly and comprehensively on the Garmin Connect app, where you can create training programs as well. The Forerunner 935 isn’t just designed for serious athletic training. It also covers lots of daily fitness metrics like steps tracking, calories burned, floors climbed, intensity minutes, distance traveled, sleep time and quality, and 24/7 heart rate monitoring. This watch is also extremely well-rounded in terms of smart features. You can receive notifications for calls, texts, and calendar alerts, real-time weather updates, and music playback control. This watch also allows you to answer a call, locate a lost phone, and remotely control a Garmin Virb action camera.

The watch’s interface is smartly laid out and is very easy to navigate. The Forerunner 935 also includes a Live Tracking feature that lets you share location, speed, and performance metrics with friends and family live via a web page. It’s a great way for loved ones to keep tabs on you while you train.

If there’s one issue that we found with this watch, it’s that its swim tracking is not the most precise. When we did some laps in a 50-meter pool, the watch seemed to get confused and oftentimes leaped ahead a lap or two, tracking hundreds of meters already when in fact we’ve just been swimming for a few minutes. But then again, we’re already nitpicking, as overall this is a superb smartwatch that we wholeheartedly recommend. In fact, it received a rare, perfect 5-out-of-5-stars rating from us back in 2017.

Get the Garmin Forerunner 935 for $375 instead of $500 today on Amazon – that’s a huge $125 worth of savings. And if you order via the Amazon Rewards Visa Card and get approved, you’re entitled to an additional $50 off instantly, reducing the price to an irresistible $325.

Both the Garmin Instinct and Forerunner 935 are handsome, rugged, capable of multisport support, and can last a phenomenal two weeks. If you’re on a budget and don’t mind a monochrome watch face plus fewer features, opt for the Instinct. If you’ve got extra bucks to spare and want a multisport smartwatch that does it all and is practically perfect, snag the Forerunner 935.

For more awesome tech deals visit our curated deals page.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Timothy Taylor
Timothy Taylor
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Timothy is a deals writer for Digital Trends that specializes in finding the best discounts on smartphones, wireless…
Best phone deals: Save on the iPhone, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and more
Galaxy S22 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro cameras seen from the back.

There are a lot of phone deals worth shopping right now. Among the best phones you’ll find top names like Apple, Samsung, Google, and Motorola, and you’ll find them among the best phone deals as well. With so many brands and models out there to choose from, we thought we’d round up the best phone deals to shop right now. Reading onward you’ll find some great ways to save on a new phone, as well as a little information on why each phone may be the right one for you.
Motorola edge 2023 256GB (Unlocked) -- $350, was $600

The Motorola Edge 2023 is (almost) a Google Pixel 8 killer. It features a unique leather back, which feels great, a gorgeous curved display, and solid day-to-day performance. But most of all, it offers excellent battery life and all in an Android package you're gonna love. The current deal price is one of the best we've seen, making it more accessible than ever.

Read more
This Lenovo Legion gaming PC deal just dropped below $1,000
The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 8 gaming PC on a white background.

A decent gaming PC usually costs more than $1,000, but you can get one for less than that today by taking advantage of Lenovo's offer for the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 8. From its original price of $1,500, it's down to a more affordable $994 following a 33% discount. There's no telling how much time is remaining before you miss out on the $506 in savings, so if you're interested in this deal, it's highly recommended that you complete the transaction as fast as you can. Today if possible, because tomorrow may already be too late.

Why you should buy the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 8 gaming PC
If you want to get into PC gaming for a relatively affordable price, the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 8 is an excellent choice. It's not the most powerful machine out there, but it will be enough for you to enjoy the best PC games with its AMD Ryzen 7 7700X processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, plus 16GB of RAM that's the best place to start for a gaming PC, according to our guide on how much RAM do you need. It's also equipped with an air cooling system and meshed front vents to keep it cool even after hours of playing.

Read more
The Dell XPS 13 has dropped to one of its lowest prices
The Dell XPS 13 9315 on a table against a window.

With the arrival of the new Dell XPS 13 that's part of this year's Dell XPS reset, the previous-generation Dell XPS 13 is down to a very affordable $599, which is one of the laptop's lowest-ever prices. We're not sure how long stocks will last as this is a clearance sale, so it's highly recommended that you hurry up in completing your purchase if you want to take advantage of Dell's $200 discount on the device's original price of $799. The offer may be gone as soon as tomorrow, so move fast to make sure you don't miss out on one of the most attractive laptop deals today.

Why you should buy the Dell XPS 13 (2022)
The Dell XPS 13 (2022) used to reign over our list of the best laptops. Two years since its launch, it's still there -- but now as the best budget laptop that you can buy. For its discounted price, you'll get a laptop that looks and feels like a high-end device due to a stunning visual design that includes a 13.4-inch Full HD+ screen with barely any bezels. The laptop is very compact so it's easy to bring with you anywhere, and it features a comfortable keyboard that will help boost your productivity.

Read more