The Apple Watch Series 5 is the best smartwatch on the market right now, but anyone in need of expansive fitness-centric and activity-tracking functionalities will find themselves better equipped with a Garmin watch on their wrist. The brand’s adventure and sports-oriented smartwatches have become a popular device for a variety of athletes – cyclists, runners, triathletes, and other outdoor sports aficionados – mainly because of their precision and durability.
For runners seeking to track, analyze, and improve their performance, Garmin’s Forerunner series is an excellent pick. Some of the best options in the lineup are the Forerunner 935 and Forerunner 945, and right now, these premium smartwatches are discounted on Amazon for up to $137 off.
Garmin Forerunner 935 – $363, was $500
The Forerunner 935 may now be more than two years old, but it remains a solid device for serious runners and adventurers. This model sports a round face covered in glass and a fiber-reinforced polymer case for water resistance of up to 5 ATMs plus a silicone band for a comfortable fit. For such a compact package, this watch is impressively outfitted with built-in sensors for accurate tracking, including a heart rate monitor, compass gyroscope, thermometer, and accelerometer.
While built for serious athletic training, this Garmin smartwatch is also armed with pre-configured apps for a bunch of outdoor and indoor activities. These include mountain biking, hiking, walking, and swimming. It covers basic all-day tracking capabilities as well, such as steps, calories burned, sleep time, and heart rate. You can easily expand fitness coverage by downloading free apps from the Garmin Connect IQ Store.
When connected to a compatible smartphone, the Forerunner 935 also serves as a faithful, full-featured smartwatch. You’re in store for real-time updates on calls, text messages, app notifications, calendar, and weather, plus full music playback control.
With a comprehensive set of features, ease of use, and convenient smart functionalities, the Garmin Forerunner 935 makes an attractive wearable for people who want to stay connected while tracking their fitness exploits. You can order this model right now on Amazon for only $363, or $137 off the usual selling price.
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Garmin Forerunner 945 – $545, was $600
The Forerunner 945 is one of the running-focused smartwatches Garmin launched last year, and it replaced the old but still gold Forerunner 935 as the leader of the series. Its compact profile features a solid fiber-reinforced polymer casing and a silicone band, which is comfortable to wear even during intense or sweaty workouts. With an interchangeable strap and customizable watch face, this watch’s look can be easily tweaked to your liking.
Garmin managed to cram a lot of sensors inside this watch, including a barometric altimeter, pulse oximeter, thermometer, accelerometer, and optical heart rate monitor. Another major highlight is the full-color map for precise run navigation, a feature that’s perfect for people who enjoy running in unfamiliar or uncharted territories.
In true multisport fashion, the Forerunner 945 checks all the basic fitness metrics and offers support for more than 30 outdoor and indoor sports. You’ll also be able to create custom sports entries and choose the metrics you would like to track. Garmin even kicked things up a notch and tossed in advanced functions like the Training Load Focus which breaks down your workouts into categories and the Climb Pro for steep ascents. Altitude and temperature are also noted when it analyzes your performance.
This smartwatch pairs with both iOS and Android phones, but the experience is significantly smoother for Android users as they can interact with notifications and respond with preset messages directly from the watch. It can also store up to 1,000 songs and sync to your Deezer and Spotify playlist, so you can go on runs and enjoy your music without having to bring your phone with you.
If you’ve got the cash and want to track your activities in gross detail, you can never go wrong with the Garmin Forerunner 945. As a recipient of the elusive Editor’s Choice seal and perfect five-star rating, it remains one of our favorite smartwatches and our top pick for runners. It normally sells for $600, but Amazon makes it less expensive with a $55 discount. Order now while the deal is live.
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