Not the Fenix — I test Garmins and this is the watch I’d buy in the Black Friday sales

If you’ve been waiting for the Black Friday sales to pick up a new sports watch, then right now you might be feeling overwhelmed with options.

That’s because the Garmin Black Friday deals include pretty much every watch in the brand’s line-up this year, with most of them dropping to their lowest ever price.

I’ve been testing Garmins for a decade and have tried pretty much all of the watches in the current line-up, from the budget-friendly Garmin Forerunner 55 to the budget-busting Garmin Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED.

Armed with that experience, I’ve looked over all the deals available right now, and the one that stands out to me is the Garmin Forerunner 265 being $299 at Amazon. That’s easily the lowest price the Forerunner 265 has ever been, and unbelievable value for such an impressive AMOLED sports watch.

Garmin Forerunner 265: was $449 now $299 at Amazon

Both sizes and all colors of the Forerunner 265 are reduced by $150 at Amazon right now, which is the cheapest the watch has ever been. Although an older watch, the Forerunner 265 has all the features runners and triathletes need packed into an attractive, lightweight design with a bright AMOLED display.

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I did expect Garmin to reduce the Forerunner 265 in the sales because the newer Garmin Forerunner 570 launched earlier this year, but I thought it would only be discounted by $100, so this $150 saving is a pleasant surprise.

It might well be a response to the impressive affordable sports watches being released by other brands over the past year, like the Coros Pace 4 and Suunto Run. The Forerunner 265 being available for $299 might make people keen on those watches reconsider.

The Forerunner 265 misses out on some features you get on pricier Garmins, like offline maps and the full line-up of training analysis features on watches like the Forerunner 970, but it’s still an accurate and useful watch for runners and triathletes.

Having tested the newer Forerunner 570, I’d also say that you’re not missing out on much by opting for the Forerunner 265 instead. The Forerunner 570 has a brighter screen, an improved heart rate sensor, and a mic and speaker, but most of its core sports features are the same as on the Forerunner 265, and it’s $250 more right now.

If you do want maps in particular, the Garmin Forerunner 965 is $449 in the Amazon sale and that’s a great price for another impressive older Garmin watch, but the Forerunner 265 gets my vote.

Shop today's best early Black Friday deals

• Amazon: 50% off Ring, Ninja, Under Armour and more
• Walmart Plus: 50% off @ Walmart
• REI: half-off Arc'teryx, Patagonia and more
• Dell: monitors from $69, laptops from $299
• Nectar: 50% off mattresses + 66% off bundles
• Best Buy: laptops from $149
• Lenovo: doorbuster laptop deals from $319
• Wayfair: up to 80% off home decor
• Nike: apparel/sneakers from $7
• Lululemon: top picks from $9
• Newegg: Doorbuster deals from $6
• Walmart: holiday gifts from $15
• Birkenstock: deals from $20 @ Nordstrom
• Saatva: luxury mattresses from $1,099

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