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I've Tested Every Modern Garmin Watch — And I'd Recommend These 8 Deals To Get Race-ready Over Winter

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It's October, and while the best of the year's weather is behind us, if you're a keen runner your thoughts might already be turning to next spring. April onwards is marathon season, and if you've entered the New York or Berlin events, London's mammoth two-day event, or one of the many other marathons held in cities around the world, you'll want to start getting race-ready over winter.

Alternatively, you might be getting fit for the first time, or after a long absence, and deciding to do what the kids call a 'winter arc' after a summer of indulgence.

The best Garmin watches are perfect tools for runners of all levels preparing for the next step, and there are tons of deals up for grabs right now at retailers, including Amazon, ahead of its Big Deal Days sales event next week. I've reviewed almost every modern Garmin watch, and tested them all, so I'm well qualified to help you find your perfect watch at a great price.

I'm seeing discounts on loads of Garmin watches, such as the high-end Garmin Fenix 8 (we gave this incredible watch a full five stars in our Garmin Fenix 8 review), the budget Garmin Vivoactive 5, and everything in between. I've picked the eight watches getting the best discounts on Amazon, and I've applied our price-checking tool to them all. If those prices change, or a better deal pops up elsewhere, you'll always see the best deal.

Scroll down to see the best deals on the eight Garmins I recommend to get race-ready for less this winter.

Today's best Garmin watch deals

Garmin
Fenix 8 (47mm)

Pros

  • Advanced GPS
  • New heart rate sensor
  • Garmin’s trademark modularity

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Bulky

Four Garmin watches on a muddy grass background

Garmin
Vivoactive 5

Pros

  • Upgraded AMOLED display
  • On-watch music streaming
  • Powerful health and sports tracking options

Cons

  • Minimal buttons
  • No barometric altimeter
  • No Training Readiness

Four Garmin watches on a muddy grass background

Garmin
Forerunner 170 GPS Watch

Pros

  • Light and smallish-sized
  • Great performance
  • Smart features are useful
  • Music download includes streaming playlists

Cons

  • Highly priced compared with 70
  • No microphone/speaker/voice assistant

Four Garmin watches on a muddy grass background

Garmin
Forerunner 70 GPS Watch

Pros

  • Still a solid performer without Garmin’s latest sensors
  • Lots of new training and smartwatch features added
  • Sharp, vibrant AMOLED display

Cons

  • More expensive than the Forerunner 55
  • Doesn’t get all of Garmin’s latest smartwatch features
  • No open water or triathlon modes

Four Garmin watches on a muddy grass background

Garmin
Forerunner 265s

Pros

  • First small Forerunner with a touchscreen
  • Bright, crisp AMOLED visuals
  • Small and pretty
  • Run button easier to use with gloves

Cons

  • More expensive than 255 & 255S
  • Screen boost means (slightly) worse battery life

Four Garmin watches on a muddy grass background

Garmin
Forerunner 165 (43mm)

Pros

  • Retains many previously-premium training features
  • Good-looking AMOLED touchscreen
  • 13 days of battery life

Cons

  • Not cheap enough to replace the Forerunner 45 or 55
  • Music storage is extra

Four Garmin watches on a muddy grass background

Garmin
Instinct 3 (45mm)

Pros

  • Choice between AMOLED and MIP Solar
  • Built-in flashlight
  • All-new fitness tools

Cons

  • No topo maps
  • Polymer, not metal casing

Four Garmin watches on a muddy grass background

Garmin
Instinct 3 Tactical

Pros

  • Choice between AMOLED and MIP Solar
  • Built-in flashlight
  • All-new fitness tools

Cons

  • No topo maps
  • Polymer, not metal casing