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REI drops prices on Suunto, Fitbit, and Garmin Fenix smartwatches

When it comes to smartwatches, the first brand that usually comes to mind is Apple. However, the Apple Watch isn’t the only option on the market right now — and it’s certainly not the best outdoor smartwatch available. If you’re looking for a rugged outdoor companion to add to your wrist, whether for exercise or adventures, REI has you covered with some great deals. Garmin, Fitbit, and Suunto smartwatches have all been discounted for a limited time during the REI Winter clearance sale.

It may be difficult to pass up discounts of up to 50-percent on fitness smartwatches, but this REI sale is also offering great savings on top outdoor clothing brands. Everything from Nike to The North Face has been discounted during this February Blowout sale. But if all you care about are the smartwatch deals going on now, here are some of the best ones we’ve found:

Garmin Vivoactive 3 GPS Smartwatch — $30 off

Lee Crane/Digital Trends

If you’re looking for a decent fitness smartwatch that isn’t the Apple Watch or Fitbit Versa, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 is a solid option. It can track steps, heart rate, calories burned, and sleep via your wrist. It also comes with built-in GPS, which allows for more accurate activity tracking. With more than 15 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, the Vivoactive 3 is a great companion to have for yoga, running, snowboarding, swimming, strength training, and golf. Water resistance up to 50 meters and 8 days of battery life provide the peace of mind of knowing that you can take it just about anywhere without having to recharge or avoid getting wet.

Normally priced at $270, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 is on sale for $240 at REI for a limited time.

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Suunto Ambit 3 Vertical GPS Watch — $265 off

Suunto Ambit3
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Though this Suunto watch comes with a wide variety of features, it was designed with trail runners in mind. The Ambit 3 tracks steps, calories burned, heart rate, and offers water resistance up to 100 meters. With a built-in altimeter, you can follow the altitude profile of your route while hiking or running up mountains. It also includes route navigation, allowing you to mark waypoints along whatever path you take so you can trace your way back. As a fitness watch, you can also track speed, distance, and pace to keep tabs on your progress.

Normally priced at $519, the Suunto Abit 3 GPS Watch is down to just $254 at REI after a 51-percent discount.

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Garmin Fenix 5 Performer Bundle — $143 off

Though this smartwatch bundle is a bit more expensive than the other options on our list, what you get makes it worth it. We actually gave the Garmin Fenix 5X a perfect 10 out of 10, and though the Fenix 5 doesn’t come with all of the same features, it’s still a really great outdoor watch. This bundle combines a state-of-the-art multisport GPS heart rate monitor with an HRM-Tri heart rate chest strap to bring very accurate fitness tracking. The built-in GPS, altimeter, and overall rugged design make it a great outdoor adventure companion.

Normally priced at $570, this smartwatch bundle is available for just $427 at REI during its winter clearance sale.

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Fitbit Charge 3 — $20 off

Fitbit Charge 3 Review
Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

Though many of the watches on sale at REI have more of an outdoor focus, there is one fitness tracker that stands out — the Fitbit Charge 3. The latest watch in the Fitbit Charge line, the Charge 3 offers upgraded activity tracking, water resistance up to 50 meters, and all of the great fitness metrics you’d expect from a Fitbit. It’s also one of the most affordable smartwatch options on our list, coming in at just $130.

Normally priced at $150, the Fitbit Charge 3 is available for just $130 right now.

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More Smartwatch Deals

We featured some of the best smartwatch deals going on during the REI winter sale above, but those aren’t the only deals available. If you’re looking for something a little bit more affordable, or just didn’t like the options we provided, we’ve gathered all of the rest of the smartwatch deals into one convenient list. Though you can always check out the entire sale for yourself if you have time.

Looking for more tech deals? Find smartwatch deals, Apple Watch deals, Fitbit alternatives, and more from our curated deals page.

Jacob Kienlen
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jacob Kienlen is a culture writer for The Manual and Amusement Muse and an SEO Strategist for Digital Trends. Born and raised…
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Garmin has several products in store for its customers this year. Recently, it was revealed via a tipster that the Garmin Instinct 2 smartwatch series will be released next month. Now, the latest leak confirms that the Garmin Forerunner 955 smartwatch will be ready for official listing sooner than expected.The Forerunner 955 will most likely be the successor to the Forerunner 945. A notable tech website -- NoteBookCheck -- revealed via a screenshot that the Forerunner 955 was accidentally listed on Garmin's Australia website. This was also confirmed by discussions that took place on the Garmin subreddit, as well as on Garmin forums. However, the listing was later deleted by the company.
Since the Fenix 7 series was announced this year, the Garmin Forerunner 955 should also be announced soon.
Although the features have not yet been revealed, it seems like the product will have aO2 Max tracking, just as the upcoming Instinct 2 and 2S series, along with plenty of regular features such as heart rate and SpO2 assessment. The Forerunner 955, which will likely offer GPS and LTE connectivity, will be bundled with other accessories.
The Forerunner 945 was one of the top-rated smartwatches of 2019. The watch, which was equipped with a thermometer as well as a compass, had a variety of features such as 24/7 heart rate monitoring and a pulse oximeter used for altitude acclimation for high-elevation training. It was also extremely efficient for stress and sleep tracking, with advanced sleep analysis. It was an upgrade over the really good Forerunner 935 , and we expect the upcoming version to similarly eclipse the 945 version of the smartwatch series.
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