Are you planning to purchase a smartwatch on Memorial Day, but you’d like to check out alternatives to the Apple Watch deals? Fortunately, there are several brands that can challenge Apple’s wearable, particularly if you’d prefer to buy a fitness-focused device. One of the highly recommended options is Garmin, a fixture in our list of the best smartwatches and best fitness trackers that offers a variety of models that cut across different budget ranges.
This year’s Memorial Day sales won’t officially kick off until a few days from now, but some retailers have already slashed their prices so you can start your shopping early. For Best Buy, that includes Garmin watch deals, through which you can enjoy discounts of up to $200 on the brand’s bestselling devices. We’ve rounded up some of the best offers that you can take advantage of right now, to help you find the perfect Garmin smartwatch for you. These prices will likely stay the same through the holiday, so you shouldn’t hold back if you’re hoping for even bigger discounts. You should actually finalize your purchases as soon as possible to bypass the risk of stocks running out.
Garmin Watch Memorial Day Sale: Today’s best deals
- Garmin Forerunner 45 — <strong>$131,</strong> was $200
- Garmin Venu Sq — <strong>$150</strong>, was $200
- Garmin Forerunner 245 — <strong>$225</strong>, was $300
- Garmin Venu 2S — <strong>$350</strong>, was $400
- Garmin Forerunner 945 — <strong>$400</strong>, was $600
Garmin Forerunner 45 — $131, was $200
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Why Buy:
- Entry-level price
- Lasts up to 13 hours on a single charge
- Provides security with incident detection
- Optimizes your running with Garmin Coach 2.0
The Garmin Forerunner 45 is an entry-level option for the brand’s wearable devices, featuring a 26mm screen and a battery that can last up to 13 hours on a single charge. When comparing the Forerunner 45 and Forerunner 35, the refreshed version goes for a circular watch face instead of a boxy design, in addition to an always-on, sunlight-readable color display. The smartwatch doesn’t sacrifice fitness features for its low price, as it’s capable of monitoring daily steps, distance, burned calories, and sleep metrics, and it also includes incident detection and assistance for your safety. It also comes with Garmin Coach 2.0, your personal running coach that provides a training plan and step-by-step guidance, and Body Battery energy monitoring that gauges your energy to help you optimize your schedule for activity and rest.
Garmin Venu Sq — $150, was $200
Why Buy:
- Sleeker design compared to Garmin Forerunner 45
- Reliable fitness tracker
- Lasts up to six days on a single charge
- Compatible with Garmin Pay for contactless payments
The Garmin Venu Sq is another entry-level smartwatch, but compared to the rugged looks of the Garmin Forerunner 45, this wearable device features a sleeker design similar to the Apple Watch. It’s still a reliable fitness tracker with the capability to monitor your heart rate, sleep, and stress, as well as your Body Battery energy levels, all of which are easy to read on the device’s always-on, 33mm liquid crystal display. The smartwatch comes with preloaded workouts, including cardio, yoga, and strength, in addition to Garmin Coach and incident detection. It can last up to six days on a single charge in smartwatch mode and up to 14 hours with GPS activated, and it also enables contactless payments through Garmin Pay so you don’t have to take out your smartphone, and you can leave your cash and cards at home if you’re out for a run.
Garmin Forerunner 245 — $225, was $300
Kelly Hodgkins/Digital Trends
Why Buy:
- Advanced performance monitoring
- Prevents overtraining
- Improved GPS tracking
- Sends your real-time location to contacts in case of emergency
Track your fitness progression with the Garmin Forerunner 245, which comes with advanced performance monitoring features such as VO2 max and recovery time, Garmin Coach that provides adaptive workout plans, and a training status indicator that issues a warning for overtraining. Between the Forerunner 245 and Forerunner 235, the upgraded model comes with a slightly smaller size, a more polished appearance, a band that’s soft on the inside and textured on the outside, a new heart rate monitor, and improved GPS tracking with support for the Galileo satellite system. All the data that that smartwatch collects is easy to read on its 30mm display, and it can also send your real-time location to your emergency contacts if it detects that you got into an accident. You can squeeze up to seven days of battery life on a single charge from the Forerunner 245.
Garmin Venu 2S — $350, was $400
Why Buy:
- Minimalist design with AMOLED display
- Health Snapshot records key metrics
- Lasts up to 11 days on a single charge
- Rapid recharging feature
The Garmin Venu 2S stands out with its minimalist design, with a slightly smaller 1.1-inch AMOLED display compared to the Venu 2’s 1.3-inch screen, and a comfortable fit as it’s lightweight with a band that’s notched with around 20 slots. The smartwatch’s advanced health monitoring and fitness features include Body Battery energy monitoring to track your energy levels throughout the day, a Pulse Ox sensor to check your blood energy saturation, and stress tracking that suggests a short breathing activity when your stress levels are elevated. You can also do a Health Snapshot that logs a 2-minute session to record key metrics, and then generates a report that you can access through the Garmin Connect app. The wearable device’s battery lasts for up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, up to 22 hours in GPS mode, and up to 8 hours in GPS mode with music, with a rapid recharging feature that replenishes one day in smartwatch mode after just 10 minutes of charging.
Garmin Forerunner 945 — $400, was $600
Kelly Hodgkins/Digital Trends
Why Buy:
- Tracks important training metrics
- Supports Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer
- Full-color mapping ensures that you don’t get lost
- Battery lasts up to two weeks
The Garmin Forerunner 945 is in Digital Trends’ best Garmin watches as the best option for runners, as well as hardcore athletes in any sport or training mode. The smartwatch is capable of tracking a wide variety of training metrics, including Vo2 Max and training status, recovery time, altitude and heat acclimatization, and aerobic and anaerobic training thresholds. It’s preloaded with 30 indoor and outdoor sports, which you can easily navigate through the 30mm screen. The Forerunner 945 will also be able to provide music to inspire you during your training, as it supports Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer, and it will help you stay on course with full-color mapping. The wearable device’s battery can last up to two weeks in smartwatch mode, and it also grants access to Garmin Pay.