The Apple Watch is undoubtedly one of the best smartwatches to date but it sure comes at a hefty price. Luckily, there are more than a handful of options available and if you’re looking for something that packs a buck load of fitness features, Garmin’s lineup would not disappoint. The Vivoactive 3 and Instinct smartwatches are currently on sale this Cyber Week with savings up to $110 on Amazon. You may even qualify to knock off an additional $60 when you’re approved for an Amazon Rewards Visa card.
Garmin Vivoactive 3 — $170 ($110 off)
Not a lot of people may know but Garmin was originally a manufacturer of handheld GPS receivers for the U.S. military in the early 2000s. That said, it is not surprising how it has successfully integrated an untethered GPS into its smartwatches to boost its activity tracking. The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is one prime example with more than 15 preloaded GPS indoor and outdoor sports apps, including swimming with water resistance to 5ATM. It also employs Elevate wrist-based heart rate technology that monitors how your body reacts to stress according to your heart rate variability and estimates your maximum oxygen uptake as well as your fitness age with VO2 Max. With these daily stress and fitness-tracking features, this GPS smartwatch helps you identify which workout is most effective for you or give you an idea to tailor your own.
Real-time performance metrics can readily be seen on the Vivoactive 3’s 1.2-inch Chroma display and touchscreen while long-term progress tracking is achieved through the Garmin Connect app. Apart from your stats, being automatically uploaded, the app is also a portal to an online fitness community you can engage with as you share milestones or join challenges. Having access to music playback and smart notifications for calls, text, or app alerts can easily be configured once your compatible device is paired via Bluetooth. Contactless payments are just as possible as this is Garmin’s first wearable to feature Garmin Pay.
The Garmin Vivoactive 3 normally lists for $280, but Amazon’s whopping $110 discount plummets its price to a more affordable $170.
Garmin Instinct — $200 ($100 off)
For fans of the flagship Garmin Fenix 5 series, you’ll be thrilled to know that the Instinct takes after some of its best features at a fairly more affordable price point. Though it only has a monochrome display, it remains to be readable in any light and is perfect for anyone who loves the outdoors as it sports an extremely rugged and durable build. It consists of fiber-reinforced polymer casing that resists scratches, a chemically strengthened glass with a raised bezel to protect its screen, and silicone straps for a comfortable and breathable fit. This reliable outdoor watch even passed the U.S. military-grade standard of 810G for thermal, shock, and water resistance to 100 meters.
Similar to the Fenix 5 series, you’ll be able to take the road less traveled with the full suite of outdoor sensors, the Instinct merely steps up with Galileo and a TracBack feature that walks you through the same route you took to reach your destination to go back to where you began. It also has preloaded activity profiles that make it able to churn out more accurate readouts of your workout or outdoor adventure while being able to relay the basics for steps, calories, and sleep. Elevate wrist heart rate technology is still in place along with a stress monitor that helps you to take the edge off with a couple of breathing exercises. And when it detects you’ve been idle for too long, the Move feature reminds you with a gentle vibrate to get up and go for a walk.
Apart from the Garmin Connect app that allows you to review all your stats and keep you motivated by the fitness community, you can also take advantage of the Garmin Explore app to plan trips ahead. Connected features with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are likewise applicable to have access to smart notifications and music playback.
For a watch this heavy on features, its 3.5-star rating in our review is more than justified and neither its mass of 1.76 ounces nor its discounted price of $200 (from $300) on Amazon should weigh you down.
Looking for more savings on wearables? Check out what we have on fitness trackers from Fitbit, Fitbit alternatives, and more on our curated deals page.
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