Along with Fitbit and Apple, Garmin ranks high among the small handful of makers that have successfully broken into the crowded market for smartwatches (which, unlike smartphones, have not quite caught on in a big way yet). Garmin, in particular, is one of the biggest names when it comes to fitness-focused smartwatches, and makes some of the best activity trackers on the market today. Which is why these deals on the Fenix 5 and Garmin Vivoactive 3 smartwatches are worth a look.
Fitness smartwatches offer a lot of benefits for health-conscious individuals and outdoor adventurers, and full-featured models like the Garmin Fenix 5 can also do double-duty as both an activity tracker and an everyday smart wearable. And with spring finally here – the March equinox having officially marked the start of the season – now’s a fine time to jump on the fitness smartwatch bandwagon, and REI’s Garmin sale is the perfect chance to grab one and save some cash.
Garmin Fenix 5 Performer Bundle
The beefy and feature-packed Fenix 5 could be considered the flagship of the Garmin smartwatch lineup. The Garmin Fenix 5 has everything you’d want in a modern fitness watch, with the ability to track metrics including distance traveled, calories burned, sleep quality, and heart rate, and has preloaded activity profiles for a wide variety of exercises and sporting activities from swimming to golf. The Fenix 5 also operates as an everyday smartwatch, syncing with your phone to deliver messages and alerts right to your wrist.
This 2-in-1 Performer Bundle also includes the unique HRM-Tri heart rate chest strap. This works with your Garmin Fenix 5 to give you even more detailed health readings such as ground contact time, balance, stress levels, and VO2 max, among others. The watch itself also boasts built-in features like GPS and GLONASS satellite reception, a three-axis compass, and a barometric altimeter for serious outdoor adventuring.
The Garmin Fenix 5 Performer Bundle would normally set you back $570 for the watch and the HRM-Tri chest strap, but a 25-percent discount lets you nab both for just $427 from REI. This saves you $143 and still comes in at $73 cheaper than the price of the awesome Fenix 5, which goes for $500 alone.
Garmin Vivoactive 3 Smartwatch
For a more straightforward and less feature-laden smartwatch than the Fenix 5 (and if you don’t really need or want to bother with the HRM-Tri chest strap), the Garmin Vivoactive 3 is a solid alternatives that’s about half the price of its bigger sibling. The Vivoactive 3 still packs a lot of great features, though: Along with a full suite of activity and health tracking functions, this wearable comes with nice built-in additions like a heart rate monitor and GPS.
The Garmin Vivoactive 3 also syncs with your phone like a normal smartwatch to deliver messages and notifications right to the watch’s color display as well as to upload your data to your Garmin Connect account for long-term fitness tracking and progress monitoring. For entertainment, the Vivoactive 3 Music model comes with the iHeartRadio streaming app plus on-watch music storage so you can listen to your jams on the go without having to use data – perfect for enjoying tunes during workouts and outdoor activities.
The standard Garmin Vivoactive 3 smartwatch is on sale from REI for $230, saving you $20, while the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music is available for $260 after a similar $20 discount.
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Garmin Fenix Chronos Titanium Smartwatch
The Garmin Fenix 5 and Vivoactive 3, while perfectly usable as everyday smartwatches, feature very sporty-looking designs. For something with a more timeless and understated wristwatch aesthetic that still packs the latest, greatest smart features, the Garmin Fenix Chronos Titanium is a great upgrade pick. It’s got a striking and lightweight all-metal construction based on its titanium case and band, while elastomer inner links secure it comfortably to your wrist.
Under the hood, the Garmin Fenix Chronos is all smartwatch, offering a myriad of health tracking features as well as a heart rate monitor, GPS/GLONASS, barometric altimeter, and compass, and it’s even water-resistant at up to 100 meters. Connect it with your smartphone to upload your data to Garmin Connect and to receive calls, emails, text messages, and other notifications on your wrist via the 1.2-inch always-on color display.
The Garmin Fenix Chronos Titanium is a gorgeous high-end smartwatch with a premium price tag to match, but a whopping $300 discount lets you score this beautiful wearable for $1,200 during REI’s Garmin sale.
Looking for more great stuff? We’ve found Apple Watch deals, smartwatch deals, and Fitbit alternatives.
