The smart wearable industry is flooded with a seemingly endless sea of options, leaving consumers with a difficult decision about choosing which brand or type to get. While most people seem to be raving about the Apple Watch especially now that the new Series 5 has been released, fitness and adventure junkies may find themselves better equipped with a Garmin watch on their wrist.
Garmin has been in the outdoor fitness market for years, offering a great lineup of multisport and running watches with an absurd amount of fitness tracking features. These watches can be pricey, though, which is why it’s always worth it to wait for discounts before getting one. Right now, Amazon is holding a sale on two highly rated Garmin GPS watches – the Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire ($201 off) and the Garmin Instinct ($70 off). An additional $50 off can also be deducted instantly when your Amazon Rewards Visa application gets approved.
Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire, Black – $399 ($201 Off)
The Fenix 5 Sapphire is the smaller sibling of the perfect Fenix 5X. As the “sapphire” label indicates, this Garmin GPS watch features a sapphire lens which makes it far less vulnerable to breakage and scratches. It also sports a stainless-steel bezel and reinforced housing for further durability. Outfitted with a bunch of outdoor sensors and water-resistant for up to 100 meters, it’s the ideal companion for a variety of adventures and athletic endeavors.
Specifically built to accurately monitor your form and performance, it’s no surprise that the Fenix 5 comes packed with a sophisticated set of training and fitness metrics. There are the Training Status and Training Effect functions to let you see the benefits and effectiveness of your workouts, advanced running dynamics and physiological metrics to help improve your overall running performance, and special feature sets to track other activities like swimming, skiing, and golf. All-day tracking for heart rate, steps taken, and sleep quality is available as well.
Pairing this Garmin GPS watch with your iPhone or Android phone will enable smart notifications. You can also connect it to Wi-Fi if you want to upload your activity stats to the Garmin Connect app. Using it in smartwatch mode will provide a battery life of up to two weeks while using it in GPS/HR mode will last you up to 24 hours.
The Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire is on the expensive side of the spectrum, but its durability and robust array of features make it a worthwhile investment especially for athletes and adventure-loving individuals. Score the 47mm black variant of the Fenix 5 for only $399 on Amazon instead of the usual $600.
Garmin Instinct, Flame Red – $230 ($70 Off)
Outdoor enthusiasts looking to enjoy some of the features offered by the Fenix series but don’t want to shell out $400 or more will find love with the Garmin Instinct. This Garmin GPS watch carries the best of the Fenix – both looks and features – at a fraction of the cost. Its rugged build consists of a fiber-reinforced polymer casing for resistance against scratching, a chemically strengthened glass with a raised bezel for screen protection, and silicone straps for a snug and breathable fit. It’s also constructed to U.S. military standard 810G for thermal, shock, and water resistance, making it durable enough to withstand the outdoors. Challenging environments are no sweat as well, as its support for GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo allows for quick connection to satellites.
This Garmin GPS watch can track more than 25 different activities, including swimming, biking, running, and rowing. It also covers major health and wellness all-day tracking, such as sleep quality, calories burned, steps taken, and heart rate. And with stress tracking and move alerts available, the Garmin Instinct can provide you with a relaxing breathing session and reminders to get you up and moving. There are accompanying apps as well, like Garmin Connect and Garmin Explore, that make it more convenient for you to engage with the online fitness community and plan your trips ahead of time.
Just like most smartwatches, connecting the Instinct to your smartphone will enable smart notifications and music playback control. Notifications are not actionable but are rich enough to keep you connected even on the go. In terms of battery, Garmin claims it can last for 14 days in smartwatch mode and up to 16 hours in GPS mode.
Originally listing for $300, the Garmin Instinct hits the sweet spot between features and price. Its solid set of practical outdoors and sports-tracking functionalities will definitely keep adventurers as well as their pockets happy. Amazon just makes it more attractive by taking a nice $70 off its price tag. Get the red variant today for only $230.
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