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REI slashes prices on Fitbit Versa and Garmin Fenix 5 smartwatches

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Many people are still understandably skeptical about smartwatches, but this wearable technology has some pretty great uses. Chief among these is fitness: Modern activity trackers come packed with an array of features for just about any sport or workout imaginable, and there’s a plethora of name brands – from dedicated fitness companies like Fitbit to tech titans like Samsung – making these things today. Even the iconic Apple Watch, the world’s best-selling smartwatch, comes loaded with a bevy of health-focused functions.

A lot of the best fitness trackers and smartwatches are naturally pretty pricey, so deals on these wearables are always welcome. Premium devices from makers like Fitbit and Garmin are chief examples, but there’s no denying that these two companies make some of the top trackers on the market, and REI has a handful of them on sale right now which we’ve rounded up below. These deals let you save as much as $150 on high-end smartwatches like the Garmin Fenix 5, among others:

Fitbit Charge 3

fitbit charge 3 face
Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

Most basic fitness trackers are little more than Bluetooth-connected “smart” pedometers, but if you don’t want a full-fledged smartwatch (and the price tag that comes with it), the Fitbit Charge 3 is a nice middle-of-the-road option that packs a lot of features. It’s light, sleek, and water-resistant, and it features a 24/7 heart rate monitor. It comes pre-loaded with more than 15 exercise programs and can automatically detect certain activities so it starts tracking when you’re running, swimming, biking, and performing other activities.

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REI has the Fitbit Charge 3 fitness tracker with heart rate monitor on sale right now for $120, saving you as much as 50 bucks depending on color choice.

Fitbit Versa

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

Fitness trackers are becoming more and more like full-featured smartwatches, with wearables like the Fitbit Versa offering color displays and more traditional-looking designs. In fact, it’s probably more accurate to call the Versa a fitness smartwatch rather than an activity tracker. The watch offers a full set of tracking functions as well as a heart rate monitor, and can provide on-screen coaching and real-time activity readouts.

This wearable also delivers smartphone messages and notifications to your wrist (Android users can even reply right on the watch), and you can stream music with Pandora or store up to 300 songs for jamming when you don’t have your phone on hand. The Fitbit Versa fitness smartwatch is on sale for as low as $180 after a $20 discount.

Garmin Fenix 5

Garmin REI sale - Fenix 5

When it comes to Garmin’s fitness trackers, the Fenix 5 is the leader of the pack. At first glance, it looks like a normal smartwatch with its round stainless steel case and classic styling. Its full-color display sets it apart from regular watches, though, and you can cycle through apps and other functions with the super-handy rotating bezel. The Garmin Fenix 5 boasts a wide suite of fitness-focused features as well, including a heart rate monitor, pre-loaded activity profiles, and a GPS tracker with a three-axis compass (which are nice to have even when you’re not working out).

The Garmin Fenix 5 is just as suitable for just about any exercise or outdoor activity as it is for daily wear as your go-to wristwatch, and a big $150 discount means you can snag this fantastic wearable for just $350 right now.

Garmin Fenix 5X Sapphire

Garmin fenix 5X review front angle
Lee Crane/Digital Trends

The Fenix 5 is great, but for serious techies and fitness enthusiasts, the Garmin Fenix 5X Sapphire is even better. It has all of the great build quality and fitness-tracking functions of the Fenix 5, but with a few additional enhancements: Most notably, its display (complete with sapphire crystal) features full color mapping for use with the built-in GPS and three-axis compass, delivering an accurate real-time readout of your surroundings complete with up-to-date landmarks and other points of interest.

The Garmin Fenix 5X also offers stellar and incredibly detailed tracking for a huge array of activities, making it arguably the best fitness smartwatch on the market – which is why it scored a perfect 10 out of 10 in our hands-on review. This is the most premium fitness tracker on our list, and a $150 discount knocks it down to $450. You can also score the all-metal model with stainless steel band for $600.

Looking for more great stuff? We’ve found smartwatch deals, Apple Watch deals, and Fitbit alternatives.

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Lucas Coll
Lucas Coll
Deals and News Writer
Lucas Coll has been a freelance writer for almost a decade and has penned articles on tech, video games, travel, cars, and…
Fitbit Luxe gets major updates with SpO2 measurement and always-on display
The Fitbit Luxe tracker has received major updates Credits: Fitbit official.

 The Fitbit Luxe launched in July 2021 and was reviewed by our smart home editor, John Velasco, as a beautifully designed and modestly sized fitness tracker. It has now received two major updates bringing new features to the table. 
Version 1.151.16 has added SpO2 measurements that allow users to track their blood oxygen saturation levels when asleep. SpO2 tracking is currently available in devices such as the Fitbit Charge 4, Charge 5, Fitbit Versa 2, and the Fitbit Versa 3, so it's nice to see it roll out to other devices in Fitbit's lineup.  To use the function, check the SpO2 tile on the watch face or the Health metrics tab on the mobile app. Additionally, Fitbit has published a detailed manual on tracking Sp02 levels with this model.
The second major update enables always-on-display functionality. As the name suggests, users no longer need to wake up their Luxe trackers to check the time or their workout tracking data. To use the feature, it's essential to enable the updated display functionality in Settings. You'll be warned that the feature can increase battery drain, so keep that in mind if runtime is important to you. 
The new Fitbit Luxe Fitbit
Apart from these two updates, there are several smaller ones. A bigger font size has been added to the trackers' screen, along with a series of bug fixes and patches. These updates are being rolled out on an incremental basis and may take some time to reach particular regions. To check if an update is available for the device, you should be able to see a pink banner when you log into the Fitbit App, and you'll be notified of further updates once they're available.
 

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Fitbit Charge 5 adds sweat-based stress sensor, rounded design
Fitbit Charge 5

Following a high-profile leak that spilled most of the beans, Google-owned Fitbit today announced the Charge 5, an upcoming addition to the company's lineup of fitness trackers. On the outside, the Charge 5 borrows heavily from the Fitbit Luxe, with a sleek, rounded, colorful display. Under the hood, though, is where you can find all the goodness.
Vibrant always-on display
The most noticeable change in the Charge 5 is the always-on display that lets you check your health stats instantly and curves to fit the wristband. The always-on feature can be turned off to help you eke more battery life from the device. If you want to wake the display, all you need to do is raise your wrist.

Built-in GPS
Similar to the Charge 4, the new Charge 5 will ship with built-in GPS to track your outdoor activities. Not only will you be able to view your activity on a map, but the Charge 5 will also display your workout intensity along the GPS track. You'll be able to see at a glance where you were pushing yourself to your limit and where you were taking it easy.
New stress-monitoring sensor
The Charge 5 joins the Fitbit Sense as Fitbit's first trackers to feature an EDA sensor, which measures your sweat to monitor your stress levels. The sensor is used to generate a Stress Management Score to help you manage your daily stress levels.
Daily Readiness
Daily Readiness is a new metric added to Fitbit's Premium service. Like Garmin's body battery, the Daily Readiness Score takes heart rate variability, sleep, and activity into account to calculate your overall energy level. This new metric determines whether you are ready for a crushing workout or an extra-long nap. Daily Readiness helps athletes manage their exercise and recovery schedule so they can get the most out of their activities.

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Fitbit Versa 3 vs. Apple Watch SE: Can Fitbit outrun Apple?
Fitbit Versa 3 on a wrist.

The Fitbit Versa 3 is arguably the best fitness-tracking smartwatch out today, particularly if you have less than $300 to spend. At only $230, it's highly comfortable and easy to use, while its tracking features are comprehensive for its price, covering heart rate and blood-oxygen sensors, the ability to monitor skin temperature, and built-in GPS. However, as good as it is, it isn't the only low-cost and high-functioning smartwatch. Another contender is the Apple Watch SE, which, despite being priced at around $300, does pretty much everything the more expensive Apple Watch Series 6 does, even throwing in a timer to ensure you wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.

Both devices have their strengths, but which is the best? We pit them against each other in a head-to-head comparison to find out. By looking at their specs, designs, displays, health and fitness tracking features, batteries, and special features, we also help you decide which is the right one for you.
Specs

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