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Garmin has been at the top of the fitness watch game for some time, making a range of smartwatches for beginners and pro-level athletes alike. Though each line of watches is tailored to a specific event—such as running, golf, flying, or diving—they can essentially do it all for the multisport enthusiasts and endurance athletes out there. Right now, Garmin is running sales on many of its smartwatches. That includes many editions from the Forerunner line, which was the world’s first GPS running watch and is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. These watches are a great way to take your training to the next level, perfect as we head into summer (weather and wildfires permitting).

Garmin Forerunner 945 $399.99 (was $499.99)

Garmin Forerunner 945 running watch

Garmin

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The Garmin Forerunner 945 has come a long way since the original Forerunner 201 was released in 2003. This advanced running watch provides the ability to sync music directly to the watch to keep you entertained on your runs. It offers 10 hours of battery life in GPS mode with music or up to two weeks in smartwatch mode. You’ll also have access to full-color onboard maps, a handful of safety and tracking features, and Garmin’s full suite of performance metrics and training insights. It’s not the latest version of the Forerunner, but it is still well worth purchasing.

Garmin fēnix 7 – Sapphire Solar Edition $699.99 (was $899.99)

Garmin fēnix 7 – Sapphire Solar Edition

Garmin

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Garmin recently announced a Pro version of the adventure-focused fēnix 7, but the fēnix 7 is still a fantastic choice and more than enough watch for most people. This version offers the tougher Sapphire glass, so you won’t have to worry about scratches as much. And it provides solar charging, which promised 22 days of battery life in smartwatch mode when it gets access to enough sun. As with most Garmin watches, it features an accurate heart rate monitor and GPS, along with a long list of data collection and fitness tracking features.

Even more Garmin watches on sale:

More Garmin products on sale:

Garmin software updates

On top of running sales on many of its watches, Garmin has also announced a software update for the Enduro 2, epix (Gen 2), fēnix 7 series, Forerunner series, Instinct 2 series, and MARQ (Gen 2) watches. This update will include the addition of wrist-based running dynamics such as cadence, stride length, ground contact time, and more. These metrics will be measured right from the wrist, so you won’t need to purchase additional accessories if you are interested in that information.

The free software update also provides a Load Ratio to help you stay in shape and acclimation improvements to assist with altitude acclimation. Garmin also added an obstacle racing activity to keep track of your run time, the number of obstacles, heart rate, and more during obstacle course events. It will also record split times between running and obstacle sections during races. Finally, Targeted Adaptive Coaching for Cycling is now available. This will provide a week of daily suggested cycling workouts directly on the watch, which adapt to your performance and upcoming events that you add to your Gamin Connect calendar.

These updates have already started to roll out to compatible devices. You can update your new smartwatch by turning on automatic updates and syncing with Garmin Connect or by using Garmin Express. Don’t let these prices pass you by (but if they do, it’s probably because they have been training with a Garmin watch)!

Abby Ferguson
Abby Ferguson

Abby Ferguson is the Associate Editor for Gear and Reviews at PopPhoto, joining the team in 2022. She has been involved with the photography industry in various capacities since her undergraduate training at the University of Kentucky, with work ranging from client photography to program development and management of the photo department at Evolve, a vacation rental company. Education within the photography sphere has always been a big focus for Abby. She strives to help new and experienced photographers alike better understand the technology and techniques necessary to succeed within the medium. Contact the author here.

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