If you’re in the market for a smartwatch, hold your horses! Black Friday is here and there are some EPIC deals on some really great smartwatches…
I used to be very uninterested in smartwatches. But then, a few years back I kind of got addicted to running and since then I can’t get enough of smartwatches. I love testing them out, trying new models, and seeing how they all differ and compare.
Mostly, I use Garmin watches. The reason? They’re the best for runners; you get the most data, the most accurate readings, and the most actionable data inside Garmin Connect, the company’s app. If you run, a Garmin Watch is exactly what you want.
If you don’t run, but you want a smartwatch for tracking your activities and screening calls and notifications, that’s cool too. Again, you have loads of options in this regard from Samsung to Apple and FitBit. But seeing as it is Black Friday, I thought I’d put together a list of the best smartwatches to buy this Black Friday.
Best Smartwatch To Buy This Black Friday
- Garmin Fenix 6 Solar – $549 – Save $250
- Garmin Fenix 6 – $449 – Save $200
- FitBit Sense – $119 – Save $60
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 – $199 – Save $50
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 – $179 – Save $220
- Garmin Instinct – $189 – Save $110
Which Smartwatch Should I Buy?
If you’re looking for a smartwatch to track running, cycling, and swimming, as well as golf sessions, go with the Garmin Fenix 6 – it is a monster with respect to tracking, design, and performance. It’s the same as the Fenix 6 Solar with respect to features but the Fenix 6 Solar can be charged up by the sun which is a pretty cool trick, right?
If you cannot stretch to Fenix 6/Fenix 6 Solar money (they’re pricey, even with a Black Friday discount), I’d go for the Garmin Instinct or one of Garmin’s other, cheaper watches. The Instinct isn’t as fancy or as premium looking as the Fenix 6 but it packs in much the same tracking abilities and is a great choice for athletes operating on a tighter budget.
If you’re serious about data, tracking, and improving your running/swimming/cycling, then my advice would be to go with Garmin. It has the most accurate sensors, the best data collection, and it evaluates every aspect of your running – from your cadence to your heart rate and stress levels. Garmin also has loads of coaching programs too, so you can start with a 5K plan, then move to 10k, then a half marathon.
What About Samsung’s Watches?
Both the Galaxy Wear 3 and Galaxy Wear 4 are definitely worth a look too, especially if you’re running a Samsung phone. The Galaxy Wear 4 is the newer of the two, it runs Google and Samsung’s new Wear OS platform, and it has decent enough fitness-tracking abilities. It also looks totally badass, way nicer-looking than a Garmin and/or Apple Watch.
The Galaxy Watch 3 runs Samsung’s Tizen OS, not Wear OS. It has much the same tracking and fitness features as Samsung’s other watches. I really like training with Samsung’s fitness trackers. They’re not quite up to the level of Garmin for running, but for starting out they’re more than enough. And cheaper, for the most part, too.
Wrapping Up…
Here’s how I would break up the above options, based on different types of users:
- Competitive Athlete: Garmin Fenix 6, Fenix 6 Solar
- Casual Training: Garmin Instinct, FitBit Sense, Galaxy Wear 4
- Just Like Watches: Samsung Galaxy Wear 4, Galaxy Wear 3