Garmin's Black Friday sale makes its 2025 watches cost what they SHOULD have originally

Deals
By published

The Forerunner 570, Venu 4, and Instinct 3 are more reasonable to buy at these deal prices.

The Garmin Venu X1 (left) and Garmin Forerunner 970 (right), both on one wrist, showing near-identical stats for a hike activity's distance, time, elevation gain, and compass direction.
(Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)

Garmin has released an excellent lineup of fitness watches this year. The downside is that Garmin has raised its prices across most lineups, making 2025 the most expensive year yet to get the best features. And given Garmin's current stock struggles, I wouldn't be surprised if prices keep climbing next year to appease stockholders.

We gave the 2025 Garmin watches — the Vivoactive 6, Instinct 3, Forerunner 570, Forerunner 970, Venu 4, Venu X1, Fenix 8 Pro, and Bounce 2 — generally glowing reviews. But my fellow reviewers and I had to acknowledge how expensive they all were, with mid-range models priced like flagship watches and the most expensive ones costing as much as a great smartphone.

Garmin Forerunner 570
Save $100
Garmin Forerunner 570: was $549.99 now $449.99 at Best Buy

The Garmin Forerunner 570 is a fantastic running and multisport watch. Compared to the excellent Forerunner 265, its AMOLED display is 0.1 inches larger and twice as bright, you get a distinct aluminum bezel instead of plastic, and its next-gen HR sensors are more accurate with skin temp included.

It only weighs 3g more than before despite adding a mic & speaker for calling, and you get new software perks like a Triathlon coach and evening report. For most Garmin fans, most of the upgrades are nice to have, but not essential, so this Black Friday deal will make the upgrade more tempting.

View Deal

Likewise, it's much easier to recommend the Instinct 3 AMOLED now that its price has fallen to $399 ($100 off). As much as its sporty design and up to 24 days of battery life will appeal to die-hard Garmin fans, its price was a bit too high considering you don't get "unlimited" battery life or offline maps. Now, it matches the Instinct 2 series' original pricing, while giving you new perks.

Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED
Save $100
Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED: was $449.99 now $349.99 at Best Buy

You can choose between a 1.2- or 1.3-inch AMOLED display with excellent battery life or months of battery life with the MIP version, with its upgraded Solar panel that turns time outdoors into extra lifespan. I prefer AMOLED, especially since Black Friday ensures the visual upgrade doesn't cost extra.

Otherwise, upgrading from the Instinct 2 Solar to the Instinct 3 series nets you perks like dual-band GPS accuracy, a built-in LED flashlight, training load focus, running form analysis with a gyroscope, grade-adjusted pace, and the latest Sleep Coach with nap detection and breathing variations.

View Deal

The Garmin Venu X1 (left) and Garmin Forerunner 970 (right) sitting aside each other on a lawn, both showing the same 9-mile hiking course, but the larger, square-shaped X1 display shows much more map info.

The Venu X1 and Fenix 8 are both discounted. (Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)

My last deal highlight is for Garmin's weirdest watch of 2025: the Venu X1. It's my favorite to wear because it's so incredibly comfortable, weighing just 40g with the nylon strap and measuring an absurd 7.9mm thick, while giving you a 2-inch, 2,000-nit display that makes maps and other features look fantastic. It's really hard to recommend at the original $800 price, but at $200 off? I think it's a great value, and a better choice than the $849 Fenix 8.

Garmin Venu X1
Save 25% ($200)
Garmin Venu X1: was $799.99 now $599.99 at Best Buy

The Garmin Venu X1 is a unicorn in the 2025 lineup, with the casual squircle style to appeal to Apple fans but the hardcore fitness hardware you'd normally pay Fenix money to get, like topographic maps, ClimbPro, Endurance/ Hill scores, and running tolerance. Basically, it's designed to blend in more than other bulky Garmin watches, without compromising on training tools.

Its 8-day battery life and all-systems GNSS aren't top-tier by Garmin standards but are still respectable for most athletes, and you get the upside of a design that's much more comfortable for sleep tracking and more readable in everyday life. Again, it's hard to recommend at its original price, but I could make its $200-off price work for my budget.

View Deal

This only scratches the surface of all the Garmin watch deals available for Black Friday, but in terms of 2025 Garmin watches, I'm genuinely surprised at how tempting these deals are.

Michael L Hicks
Michael L Hicks
Senior Editor, Wearables & AR/VR

Michael is Android Central's resident expert on wearables and fitness. Before joining Android Central, he freelanced for years at Techradar, Wareable, Windows Central, and Digital Trends. Channeling his love of running, he established himself as an expert on fitness watches, testing and reviewing models from Garmin, Fitbit, Samsung, Apple, COROS, Polar, Amazfit, Suunto, and more.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.