You don’t need the latest Garmin watches — these 5 older models are reduced by as much as $500 and offer better value
Older Garmins are still packed with features and cost a lot less than new models
If you watched the London Marathon very closely this year you might have noticed that the winners of both the men’s and women’s races wore old Garmin watches. Sabastian Sawe broke the two-hour barrier using a Garmin Forerunner 55, while Tigist Assefa set a women-only marathon record while wearing the Forerunner 255.
Now elite athletes don’t necessarily need the latest and greatest tech because they have coaches and other support staff helping to keep their training on track, but if some of the best runners in history can get by with a last-gen watch, most of us can too.
If some of the best runners in history can get by with a last-gen watch, most of us can too.
The major benefit of buying an older Garmin instead of the latest model is the huge savings you can make. Last-gen Garmin watches are almost always in sales, and even if they’re missing some of the latest features, they’re still reliable trackers with durable designs.
I’ve been testing Garmin watches for a decade and have tried almost every model launched in that time, and I’ve picked out five last-gen Garmins that are currently going for a song in the sales.
Quick Links
- Garmin Forerunner 55: was $199 now $167 @ Amazon
- Garmin Forerunner 165 Music: was $299 now £249 @ Amazon
- Garmin Forerunner 265: was $449 now $349 @ Amazon
- Garmin Forerunner 965: was $599 now $499 @ Amazon
- Garmin Epix Pro: was $999 now $499 @ Amazon
Best Garmin deals on last-gen models
The cheapest Garmin you can buy right now, the Forerunner 55 is an entry-level running watch that offers accurate tracking and extras like suggested workouts. It’s now been superseded by the Forerunner 70, which has an AMOLED screen among other upgrades, but the Forerunner 55 is currently over $80 cheaper thanks to this deal.
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Garmin just launched the Forerunner 170 as a successor to the Forerunner 165, but the older model is $100 cheaper right now owing to this deal. The new watch has more training analysis features and an upgraded user interface, but the Forerunner 165 is just as accurate and packs in all the essentials runners need for a lot less.
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The Forerunner 265 is on sale for the same price as the new Forerunner 170 Music, and it’s $100 cheaper than its successor the Forerunner 570. It’s a lightweight running and triathlon watch with a bright AMOLED display and dual-band GPS — something you don’t get on the Forerunner 170.
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The Garmin Forerunner 970 is the best sports watch I’ve ever tested, but the older Forerunner 965 is not far off as good and it’s $150 cheaper than the new model in the sales. The Forerunner 965 has a light, attractive design and is packed with sports and navigation features, including offline maps.
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The biggest saving you can get on a Garmin right now is this $500 discount on the Epix Pro, which is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the newer Fenix 8 and Fenix 8 Pro as a result. The Epix Pro is a rugged AMOLED watch with great battery life and sports and navigation features, and has everything you need to train for your event or embark on epic adventures in the wilderness.
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Nick Harris-Fry is an experienced health and fitness journalist, writing professionally since 2012. He spent nine years working on the Coach magazine and website before moving to the fitness team at Tom’s Guide in 2024. Nick is a keen runner and also the founder of YouTube channel The Run Testers, which specialises in reviewing running shoes, watches, headphones and other gear.
Nick ran his first marathon in 2016 and became obsessed with the sport. He now has PBs of 2hr 25min for the marathon and 15min 30sec for 5K. Nick is also a qualified Run Leader in the UK.
Nick is an established expert in the fitness area and along with writing for many publications, including Live Science, Expert Reviews, Wareable, Coach and Get Sweat Go, he has been quoted on The Guardian and The Independent.
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