There are a lot of great Black Friday Garmin deals available right now, with discounted watches to suit all budgets. However, having tested almost every watch in Garmin’s current range, the deal that stands out the most to me is the $350 saving you can get on the Garmin Epix 2.
That brings the watch down to $449, which is still a lot of money, but considering that the Garmin Epix 2 is one of the best sports watches available and usually $799.99, it’s an excellent price.
With an attractive and durable design, color maps, music storage, a bright AMOLED display and all of Garmin’s top sports tracking and training analysis features, the Epix 2 will satisfy runners and triathletes of all levels. I used the sapphire version of the Epix 2 for most of last year while training for and running four marathons, and it’s a brilliant watch.
The Garmin Epix Pro came out this year but the Epix 2 was updated with all the new software on the Pro. The differences between the Epix Pro and the Epix 2 are that the Pro comes in three sizes, all of which have an upgraded optical heart rate monitor and a built-in flashlight, which you don’t get on the Epix 2.
Having tested both extensively I’d say that unless you plan on using the flashlight regularly or want a smaller or larger watch, the Epix 2 is better value than the Pro, even with the latter reduced to $699.99 in the Black Friday sales.
However, there is one feature that is not on the Garmin Epix 2 available in the sale which I would miss. The deal is on the steel version of the watch, which doesn’t have multi-band GPS, a feature that Garmin limited to the sapphire version of the Epix 2.
I love the extra accuracy you get from multi-band GPS, but it is true to say the all-systems-on GPS tracking you do get on the Epix 2 steel version is still highly accurate. Unless you’re a GPS obsessive like myself you probably won’t notice the difference.
If you must have multi-band GPS, it’s standard on the Epix Pro, and also available on the Forerunner 955, which is down to $399 this Black Friday and also has Garmin’s latest software, in a lighter, plastic case.
It’s hard to say a $449 sports watch is good value, but given the quality of the Epix 2 and the size of the discount you’re getting in Amazon’s sale, this is one of the standout Garmin deals of Black Friday so far for me. The best price I can see on the watch elsewhere is $499 at Best Buy, while Garmin hasn’t included the Epix 2 in its sale at all.
