I’ve organized all the best sports technology deals below in the tables by category. I’ll be updating them throughout November & December. Keep in mind not all deals last (especially over Black Friday weekend when Amazon themselves will briefly run deals beyond approved manufacturer deals). So if you see something that’s hot, I’d strongly suggest buy now (and return later if need be).
With that, on to the deals! And thanks for supporting the site via the links below. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Enjoy!
My Top Deals:
Here’s what I’d say are currently the “best” deals, with best being a blend of “holy crap it’s never been this low before” combined with “wow, this is a very strong product”. It doesn’t mean it’s the biggest discount, but ones I’d be jumping on if I didn’t already own all these. I’ll probably keep expanding this list as more items check the ‘holy crap’ box.
I’d note that there are a lot of solid Garmin deals here, simply because Garmin seems to be taking the whole “hold my beer” for Black Friday sales more seriously than a lot of other companies. Obviously companies do what they want, as it fits their business models.
1) Wahoo KICKR Move for $999: This is probably my favorite deal. It’s $300 off, and we never see Wahoo have such big discounts. No, there’s nothing new coming anytime soon, this is Wahoo finally deciding to play hardball on sales. This is an excellent trainer, and Wahoo’s top trainer offering.
2) Garmin Epix (Gen2) for $399: This deal is amazing, though, Garmin has flirted with this a bit over the last month in deals. Still, when you remember that the Epix Gen 2 got all the feature updates of the Epix Pro, it’s awesome. This blows away virtually every competitively priced device in that price point. Note, the deal fluctuates between $399 and $469 on a near-hourly basis. So…just keep checking back.
3) Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $619: This is by far the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which normally retails for $799. NOTE: For this deal you need to check the coupon to add the $80 off coupon!!!
4) Garmin Edge 840 for $349:This is my main go-to unit for cycling, and this is the first time we’ve seen it on sale. While the Edge 540 (with all the same features but not a touchscreen display) is for $249, I think the touchscreen is worth it for quicker tappity-tap.
5) GoPro Hero 13 Black Bundle for $349:This just came out, and this deal is $100 off but also includes an extra battery, SD card, floaty handle, and bag.
6) Garmin Forerunner 965 for $499: This is the first time we’ve seen the Forerunner 965 on any meaningful sale. This is an awesome watch that I often use for comparison testing and such.
Oh, as an update on Saturday, Nov 30th, here were the most ordered items from this list (via these links), in order of most units sold (*ALL OF THESE DEALS ARE STILL AVAILABLE*):
And again, everything on the above list is actually still available at these prices.
Watches & Wearables:
This covers anything you can wear that’s watch-like or activity band-like, including sensors. Generally speaking, you’ll mostly find deals here that are on things I’ve written about in the past. So you won’t find a deal on some random non-sports tech watch here, or on socks. Unless the socks have some crazy sensor or something in them.
⚡ Both myself and my wife have been using these since last fall, after years of using the Beats Studio Buds...man, these things rock. Sure, they're good for sports, but frankly, I use them on planes, editing, and such more than anything else.
These aren't the latest anymore, that's the newer 4th gen units. But if budget is in mind, it's hard to beat these. It's still what my wife uses as her daily driver, including tons of time on the indoor trainer/bike.
⚡⚡This matches again the lowest price we've ever seen the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) - a very solid deal, especially with the new WatchOS 11 features around Training Load, Vitals, offline mapping, and more.
⚡ This is by far the lowest price we've seen an Apple Watch Ultra 2, to date. This is an incredibly solid deal, especially with all the new WatchOS11 features that recently arrived. NOTE: YOU NEED TO CHECK THE $80 off coupon next to it (plus the already discounted lower price!).
⚡ This was just announced this summer, and is their first full smartwatch focused on kids activity tracking and gamification. This is the lowest price we've seen to date.
⚡ This is the go-to sale price for the Fitbit Charge 6. It happens often, but it still doesn't take away from the fast that it's argueably the best bang for your buck fitness tracker out there.
This is the activity tracker that both of our oldest daughters use (age 7 & 8), as well as most of their friends now. They/we all like it. Check out my full in-depth review for all my thoughts. The $20 off is about the only sale you'll see.
This is the first time we've seen this on sale, and I suspect this is a transient Amazon sale. The Enduro 3 is basically the 'cheaper' Garmin Fenix 8 with a MIP display (but without the scuba or voice calling features).
⚡ This is the lowest price to date for the Garmin Epix Pro series, likely due to the Fenix 8 coming out a few months back (Epix as a brand was merged into the Fenix 8 branding). Still, if you don't care about diving or voice bits, this is an incredible deal.
⚡ This is the lowest price to date for the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro series, likely due to the Fenix 8 coming out a few months back. Still, if you don't care about diving or voice bits, this is an incredible deal.
This is the first time we've head a meaningful sale on the Forerunner 165, released earlier this year, down to $249 for the Music edition, and $199 for the non-music edition.
This is Garmin's mid-tier running watch, and is a very polished option with good multi-band GPS, and of course, a boatload of running metrics. This model also includes offline music such as Spotify and Amazon Music.
⚡ This is one of Garmin's most popular running watches, and it's down to a very strong price. I often use this in my accuracy testing comparisons when validating other watches, due to it's very strong GPS performance. Note this is the base edition without solar. It'd be hard to find any better deal in sports watches today, from any company (given this has full mapping, tons of new features even this week, etc...). I say '$100ish', because it's usually been on forever sale at $499, so $399 is a strong price, though, it dipped to $319 for Amazon Prime Day.
⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen ever on the Forerunner 965, since it's launch. It's still Garmin's top-end Forerunner watch, and I expect it to stay that way for a while. It's one I often use in comparative testing as a reference device.
A solid little deal for this strap, if you're in the Garmin ecosystem and want a dedicated chest strap. This strap is one of the two straps I use constantly for other HR sensor accuracy comparisons (alongside Polar H10)
⚡The Instinct 2 base is from $199, a very solid deal - especially with all the major software updates it's had over the few years since release. The Solar editions are also on sale.
⚡The Instinct 2 base is from $199, a very solid deal - especially with all the major software updates it's had over the few years since release. The Solar editions are also on sale for $299
This is a solid deal. Garmin Instinct 2X - $100 off!It's best thought of as an Instinct 2.5, as it has almost enough features to really be more of an Instinct 3 (which doesn't exist at this point).
This is the largest discount we've seen to date on the Tactix 7 Pro unit. Note the other Tactix 7 Pro units/variants are also on sale for 20% off too (this link takes you to all of them).
This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Venu 3, which is Garmin's answer to the Apple/Samsung/Google watches. The Venu 3S is simply the smaller edition.
This is a great deal for Garmin's little-sibling to the Venu series. It has almost all the same features as the Venu 3, except the voice calling related bits.
While Oura just released their Gen 4 ring (which I'm currently testing), I'll be frank, there's virutally no real-world difference to Gen 3. About the only notable thing is the battery life difference (which is legit 7 days now, versus real-world 4-5 on Gen3). Otherwise, same-same.
I'd probably go with the Samsung Watch 7, unless you *really* want the physical bezel (which admittedly, is a heck of a lot better than the touch bezel on the Watch 7). Either way, this is a very solid price.
This is the lowest price we've seen on the Suunto Race. That said, keep in mind the Suunto Race S is $349, has the same software and a *MUCH* better optical HR sensor. Though, is a bit smaller and slightly less battery life. Still, great watches.
This brings down the 1-year price to $17/month, which is the lowest it's been (only way to get that is normally a 24-month membership).
Cycling Gear & Trainers:
Got a bike? Then this section is for you. Everything from bike computers to bike lights to trainers, it’s all here. I won’t generally be adding things like brake cables or bike seats here, but if I find a good deal on a cassette to stack on that new direct drive trainer you just bought, I’ll probably list it here.
⚡ This is a strong deal from Favero, who is offering their Favero Assioma Duo pedals for 20% off. You'll pay the current exchange rate. The exact deal will vary based on which country you're shipping to.
This is a good deal, especially since it's gotten virtually all of the Edge 1050 updates, and then a boatload more. That said, it wouldn't surprise me to see this drop further to $449, as it did this past summer.
⚡⚡This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Edge 540 to date, which has gained virtually all of the new Garmin Edge 1050 features as well. This is kinda an insane deal for this unit.
⚡⚡This is the lowest price we've seen on the Garmin Edge 840 to date, which has gained virtually all of the new Garmin Edge 1050 features as well. This is one of my main units I use daily.
⚡ This is the lowest price we've seen on this unit ever. While I have some quibbles with it from an app/etc standpoint, it's still the best offering on the market by far for integrated radar + camera + bike light features.
⚡ This is Garmin's radar without the light, so it's a bit smaller as a result. Same radar tech though, and compatible with Garmin/Stages/Hammerhead/Wahoo bike computers.
⚡ This price is very solid for this unit, especially if you want a smaller bike computer that's very solid in terms of software stability at this point. I believe this is the lowest price ever.
This is one of the most popular indoor trainer fan companies out there, which rivals the Wahoo Headwind fan but cost a fraction of the price. Of course, it lacks ANT+/Bluetooth integration, but realistically if you really want that you can add a smart outlet for $10 to toggle it on/off from your phone if need be. It's one of the ones in my rotation.
This is still a solid bike, and actually one that I use at home (I have the newer Peloton Bike+ at the office). Both my wife and I use these bikes interchangeably, and while the Bike+ has a bigger screen and better accuracy, there's very little difference in the core Peloton experience. I'd still recommend this model to most people. Note Peloton has stated/confirmed there will be no 'bigger discounts' on products during this holiday period.
This is a solid deal for the Bike+, albeit largely the normal sale/deal price. Both my wife and I use both the Peloton Bike+ and the regular Bike (one at home, one at office) on a weekly basis. We like both. The Bike+ is more accurate than the regular bike, and also has a bigger screen and automatic resistance control. That said, the core Peloton experience isn't any different between the two - it's the same platform there.
I mean, I guess. Really, I don't see why anyone would buy this trainer at any price above $299. With the JetBlack Victory at $399 being more accurate, quiter, including WiFi, including Zwift Cog support (or mechanical cassette), including dual-Bluetooth, including Race Mode, and...one could go on and on.
This is the go-to sales price for the NEO 2T, though has become more frequent over the past year. It's still an incredible trainer, and is the top-end non-moving trainer from Garmin/Tacx.
This is another very popular fan that people use for indoor training/cycling, especially due to inclusion of the remote and remote holder to clasp on your handlebars.
This package includes the KICKR CORE with the Zwift V2 Cog, but notably now also includes the Zwift Play controllers. Basically, this saves you about $100 or so, and is the first time we've seen them bundle it.
⚡⚡ This is actually a very solid deal, and the first time we've seen this discounted. In fact, frankly, this is the first time in years it feels like Wahoo is actually doing a legit sale on something. Kudos.
This is lowest we've ever seen the KICKR SNAP priced. While the trend has moved towards wheel-off/direct drive trainers, this is still really solid deal if your budget it tight. That said, if you're in Europe, Decathlon has the D100 on sale for $199 also, and in my testing, I'd go with that almost every time.
Action Cameras & Drones:
Wanna record it? No better way than an action camera. Anything that’s action camera-related or drone-related, you’ll find here. That’s especially true of action camera mounts, which are often found for great deals around the holidays. Same goes with drones and drone accessories. Usually a great time to pick up an extra battery or extra props.
This is a good-ish deal. Yet at the same time, the new DJI Air 3S jsut came out and is significantly better, especially for sports tracking. I'd probably pay the extra for it.
⚡ ⚡ This is an incredible deal. I actually picked up one of these back a few months ago to test, but I've used it in a boatload of review shots since then. Despite me owning all the DJI drones (seriously), this is by far the best value there is. This also has far better quality than the Neo, though, zero tracking capabilities.
The new Hero 13 just came out, which mostly just adds a bunch of new accessory options. If you don't plan to purchase those accessories, then this is a solid deal.
⚡ This is the first time we have seen the newly announced GoPro Hero 13 Black on sale, and now even lower for the non-bundled version to $299! That's crazy!
⚡ This is the first time we have seen the newly announced GoPro Hero 13 Black on sale. Solid deal, this is my daily use action cam! That said, the bundle version listed below this is a better deal, since for $10 more you get a bunch of other things.
This is a great deal for this tiny little thing, which should really be named the Go 4, given how many new features it has (including 4K). It also has all the Insta360 sport integration features with Garmin & Apple, to overlay your Garmin/Apple data automatically on your footage.
I use this card for all of my drones and action cams. Sometimes, also the 512GB version as well.
Other Sports & Fitness:
Anything else that’s sports and fitness related that I think is interesting will be here. It may not be super techy – but it’s stuff that most readers will be using in pursuit of their running/cycling/swimming/hiking/whatever.
⚡ This is my defacto satellite communicator when out of coverage area, and I've used it on a number of major treks over the past two years when well outside of cellular service, both in a 24x7 tracking mode for friends and family, but also there in case of emergency. Would strongly recommend for anyone doing anything in the wilderness.
Peloton keeps trying to get rid of these - and $45 is hilariously cheap (it started in a bundle for $495, and has slowly worked it's way down from there).
This is my main treadmill at home, and I really like it. I've got no complaints about it, and am happy I went with the smaller Peloton Tread versus the bigger unit.
My wife uses the Theragun Elite, which is a bit larger than this Mini model, and also includes more tips. But, as noted - people seem happy with all these models.
I have not yet tried the Zoleo unit, though, many of you have and it's super popular.
DCR Random Gadget List:
This is basically the mostly totally unrelated gadgets and things I think are cool deals that I’ve likely bought one or five of (you can never have too many, right)? Some of it’s probably photography stuff. Some of it’s random stuff like chargers and battery packs that I use daily, fun camera gear I use to make videos like sliders and turntables, and well…just random things you’ll find around the DCR Cave. It’s all random…but it’s all awesome randomness!
⚡ Let's be honest: This place runs on Nespresso (or, well, the knock-off pods we buy). But, the machine is Nespresso. Without it, reviews most definitely would not get done (and certainly not on time). This is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me!
10th Gen Apple 10.2" iPad (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - $90 off!
⚡ This is an awesome deal. I use my iPad primarily for TrainerRoad as well as Zwift when not with a larger display. I also occasionally use it for other apps, namely Indievelo, Kinomap, Rouvy, and Peloton. But I pretty much test every smart trainer app on it. For all these cycling apps, the graphics capabilities is really pretty irrelevant, so having the absolute top-end/latest model won't make any difference. I prefer the budget options.
Despite being a tech-focused dude, our kids don't actually get much tech in their lives. However, we got these last Christmas for them in their rooms, to play music. They do lots of other things, but our kids mostly just use it to play music (from Spotify and Apple Music too), and occasionally they ask it questions. It has all the parental controls I want, so it locks it down from bedtime/etc...For $27? Solid deal (The coolest 'nice touch' feature is that if you whisper to it, it'll whisper back...in the owl kids voice it has.)
⚡I've been using this on my hikes/treks/daily life since lst winter, and have been super happy with it. I can charge drones from it on treks, as well as just a crapton of other devices (wathces/action cams/etc), but it's not too terrible on weight. For day to day life, I use it on planes and such as a laptop battery bank (supports 100w charging). Super happy with it.
Anker PowerCore III 10K Wireless Portable Charger with18W USB-C - 48% off
I've been using this unit for a long time as a quick grab and go charger. Best as a day-use thing, especially with the wireless charging when my phone gets wet at the beach/pool/etc and needs wireless charging till the charging port dries out.
⚡I make no secret how much I utilize AirTags, mainly, cause they've saved my butt numerous times already. We have them in every suitcase, and every backpack, and every bike bag. They're also hidden in most of our bikes (sometimes two of them). We were able to get our cargo bike back when it disappeared, as well as figure out when all our suitcases went missing during an annual family vacation where they were (for 5 days!), and plan appropriately. Seriously, just get them.
This is the singular piece of apparel that's lasted the longest in my collection - some 15-16 years of buying the same socks. Heck, some of them are probably half that old. EIther way, this be the ones I use. Love them (well, except for hiking and trail running, then I use other stuff that goes higher).
Chipolo Card Spot (Apple Find My Network) - 20% off!
This is virtually identical to an Apple AirTag, and shows up in the exact same spot as your other AirTags within the Apple Find My app. The only difference is that it's the size of a credit card and fits in your wallet. Been using it since it came out a few years back - love it!
I've been using the Google Nest WiFi packs for years. And this deal is strong enough that I clicked purchase on this deal to upgrade to the WiFi Pro after a few trusted reviewer friends upgraded as well. The 2x pack is also on sale for 34% off as well, if you don't need three pods.
This is something I use frequently when shooting out and about and I need to re-charge a crapton of drone batteries, action cameras, or just cameras and such. I also use it on trips to Eurobike and elsewhere to keep equipment charged. I've even bought a solar panel to hook up to it (surprisingly effective). Heck, I've even powered a KICKR trainer ride from it!
I use Philips Hue stuff all over the DCR Cave/Studio for lighting, both obviously colorful stuff in the background of shots, but also just for automation of the lights. Same goes at home. Love it (mainly when it's on sale like now). Starter packs are a good place to begin, and then I love the light strips (such as pictured).
I use a literal flotilla of these small SSD's for all my photo/video projects until they get moved off to the NAS system (Synology) for longer term storage. I have T5/T7 units, and are picking up a few of the larger T9 ones given the sale prices. Love them, incredibly fast and reliable.
⚡I use the SanDisk Extreme Pro SD Cards exclusively for all my video/photo shooting on my Panasonic GH5 and Nikon cameras (video and stills), including up to 6K recording with the GH5. I've mostly used 128's, but more and more lately I'm filling up cards faster with higher bitrates, so this sale is gonna have me pickup a bunch of the 256GB ones instead. The 128GB/ 512GB/1TB ones are also on sale too viathe same link. Note that usually I wait till these are about $40-45, so this is a fantastic deal and I'll be filling up.
No love for the Saris H3 at $349? Very solid trainer and I’m still cranking away on my 7 year old Hammer (a H3 predecessor). Only wish it was as quiet as the H3.
I got one when it was available at that price from Amazon (now like $550, though if you get the bundle, you’re basically buying it at $350).
Very solid trainer once I got it set up. Had some issues (turned out to be user error), but Saris support was worse than useless–took them like 10 days to get back to me, and gave me incorrect advice.
I found a guide to open it up and service the moving parts. Conditioning the belt and greasing some key areas made a significant reduction in noise levels.
I was looking to buy the polar M3 but does the polar vantage v3 black friday deal worth it? 20% off. it’s almost the same price as the M3. should I buy the V ou the M?
Your best bet is to read his reviews and comparisons and figure out what aspects are most important for you. Few points:
Forerunner lightest, Epixs option for sapphire glass, Pro has flashlight and newest HR sensor and more size choice
I don’t think he has to read it now. Your TLDR was perfect. I went with Pro for the newest HR sensor, but I use the flashlight all the time for stuff with the kids at night, and surprisingly at movie theaters.
Thanks. I’m leaning to Epix Pro as upgrade from my Fenix 6 Sapphire, thinking I want to try AMOLED. But Enduro 3 at $850 is tempting, since with plastic back the 51 mm size is lighter than other models.
I was checking Garmin watches in Europe and wanted to share my findings (considering shipping to Belgium).
BikeInn, Bike-Discount and Bol.com seem to have the best deals. There’s a Forerunner 965 for €508, an Epix for €496 and an Epix Pro for €675 at BikeInn. The Fenix 8 Solar and Enduro 3 are best at Bike-Discount. The Fenix 8 Amoled at Bol.com and Coolblue.
I’m glad to see Suunto ISN’T included above. They’ve gone and wrecked themselves with their latest app update that doesn’t let you load it w/o keeping location and health data on at all times. This also eliminates future watch updates, firmware, etc. Um, nope. Yes, you could turn it on to update it, then turn it back off, but that’s not the point. Many of us now have dead ‘smart’ watches. App store is filling up with neg comments.
Maybe you can address this in a future post and/or when reviewing their watches in the future. Thanks!
@Asa, I’m not seeing this issue on iOS, and only 1 recent review on the Apple app store raises this issue. There are 5 negative reviews about this on the Android store, so I wonder if this is an Android App issue.
On iOS, I open the app (already logged in), and up comes a screen with a toggle for Health and Location Data required and must be consented to before moving on. If you haven’t updated the app recently, it may not show it (don’t do it, if so, unless you agree to this functionality).
Not sure about it on a Google.
On Apple app store, if you go to all reviews for Suunto app > sort by newest, you’ll see a few comments about it. I’m not the only one.
In either case, for fun, I went into iOS privacy settings and disabled access for both location services and Apple Health. I force-closed the Suunto App and had no issues using it.
Obviously, without access to that, when you go to create routes, it won’t show/use your current location (as a blue dot). You can actually see this after you revoke, the blue dot goes away. And of course, it won’t populate Apple Health with your data anymore, but it sounds like you wanted neither (it was never read access, only write access).
This is on the current iOS version, with current iOS.
Strange. Thanks for checking. I’m on the latest 17 version (haven’t upgraded to 18.1.1 yet).
Ya, I normally turn health and location services (+ a few more) off unless I’m using gps on some hardware, so maybe it’s tied to something else, but I’m not really impressed, and will find something better next year…or back to analog. :)
@Asa & Ray, Likewise I tried I’m on 18.1.1 and v2.391 and I didn’t get any prompt either.
In fairness, I think it is pretty hard for any smart watch brand which is designed to collect personal information in the form of Heart rates and GPS location and conduct some post processing in the form of a training/health recommendation to not collect data.
If privacy is a big concern, then a non-connected device may might suit better,
I think I may have figured it out…the watch was completely disconnected from my phone and unpaired so the app thought I was a new user even though I was stilled logged in. Once I flipped the two toggles, it worked like normal, knew who I was, and since I don’t keep ‘location’ on, it should be good to go.
One should be aware that the app does say it tracks location whether the app is running or not (assuming iOS location is active). Thanks Ray/BigA for the assistance!
Overall, to your point BigA, the watch probably isn’t something will benefit me.
“DJI Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo with DJI RC 2” is showing a whopping 5% discount on Amazon UK – £929 instead of £979 How come we don’t get $300 off? :-(
Polar has also a huge Black Friday Sale going on (unitil December 2nd). Dicounts are from -40% (eg Polar Pacer Pro) to -20% (Vantage V3). I think there are some very good deals available.
Favero Assiomas are 25% off starting today. Can get the single sided one for $350! This is the same sale as last year and I was hoping to see the mountain bike pedals on sale but guess it’s too soon.
Epix pro gen 2 down to £399 for the 41mm and 47mm sizes at Garmin UK, possibly only from midnight UK time.
Wasn’t looking at a new watch this year (pretty happy with my Fenix 6 Pro) and not exactly sold on AMOLED for a watch, but finding it hard to resist…
It does _not_ mean the end of updates for the Epix (Gen 2)/Fenix 7. Garmin looks at the new UI as a feature of the new product line (similar to hardware changes like the buttons or the case colors, not as a software update).
Now many people disagree with that philosophy (I had mentioned that previously when discussing the increasing dichotomy between hardware and software developments), but as far as Garmin is concerned they do not consider the new UI a software but rather a change.
I was secretly hoping for the Forerunner 965 to dip to £450 or below in the UK during Black Friday and just spotted Decathlon UK have reduced today to that very figure! 🙏
FYI: ZWIFT has the new ride at 20% off with the CYCLINGRIDE20 coupon added. To that note, would you recommend it over the KICKR SHIFT at $2400? I bought the Wahoo last week and am still within the return time frame. Thanks for all you do.
BikeTiresDirect.com has the Garmin Edge 1040 for $449.99 through December 2. Good company that has excellent gear – but probably only for DCR readers in the USA. Most of the other sale prices look about the same
Was the Mini 3, Fly More w/ DJI RC (with LCD) ever that price?
I’ve only been seeing the Drone w/o Fly More for something like 15% higher than noted here ($429). Bummer as with the nicer controller and Fly More kit the price here seems really solid, maybe I missed it.
Surprised to see comment that the 965 will stay the top end ForeRunner “for a while”. Came out over 2 years ago, so was expecting the next version in spring or so
I swim, bike and run. Then, I come here and write about my adventures. It’s as simple as that. Most of the time. If you’re new around these parts, here’s the long version of my story.
You'll support the site, and get ad-free DCR! Plus, you'll be more awesome. Click above for all the details. Oh, and you can sign-up for the newsletter here!
Here’s how to save!
Wanna save some cash and support the site? These companies help support the site! With Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with either the coupon code DCRAINMAKER for first time users saving 15% on applicable products.
You can also pick-up tons of gear at REI via these links, which is a long-time supporter as well:
Alternatively, for everything else on the planet, simply buy your goods from Amazon via the link below and I get a tiny bit back as an Amazon Associate. No cost to you, easy as pie!
You can use the above link for any Amazon country and it (should) automatically redirect to your local Amazon site.
Want to compare the features of each product, down to the nitty-gritty? No problem, the product comparison data is constantly updated with new products and new features added to old products!
Wanna create comparison chart graphs just like I do for GPS, heart rate, power meters and more? No problem, here's the platform I use - you can too!
Think my written reviews are deep? You should check out my videos. I take things to a whole new level of interactive depth!
Smart Trainers Buyers Guide: Looking at a smart trainer this winter? I cover all the units to buy (and avoid) for indoor training. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Check out
my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
Get all your awesome DC Rainmaker gear here!
FAQ’s
I have built an extensive list of my most frequently asked questions. Below are the most popular.
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds (including drones & action cams!)! It’s a nice break from the day-to-day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2024 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
No love for the Saris H3 at $349? Very solid trainer and I’m still cranking away on my 7 year old Hammer (a H3 predecessor). Only wish it was as quiet as the H3.
I got one when it was available at that price from Amazon (now like $550, though if you get the bundle, you’re basically buying it at $350).
Very solid trainer once I got it set up. Had some issues (turned out to be user error), but Saris support was worse than useless–took them like 10 days to get back to me, and gave me incorrect advice.
I found a guide to open it up and service the moving parts. Conditioning the belt and greasing some key areas made a significant reduction in noise levels.
I was looking to buy the polar M3 but does the polar vantage v3 black friday deal worth it? 20% off. it’s almost the same price as the M3. should I buy the V ou the M?
I went for V. for 450 Eur it looks to me like good deal. Amazon
I decided to take the V3 for the 50$ difference in price.
At Amason polar vantage V3 for 425 euro.
Ray,
Polar Verity Sense is showing up for me on Amazon at $79.96
I also see Garmin Varia™ RCT715 $100 off on Amazon
Epic Sapphire vs Epic Pro vs FR965 for hiking/running/gym?
Your best bet is to read his reviews and comparisons and figure out what aspects are most important for you. Few points:
Forerunner lightest, Epixs option for sapphire glass, Pro has flashlight and newest HR sensor and more size choice
I don’t think he has to read it now. Your TLDR was perfect. I went with Pro for the newest HR sensor, but I use the flashlight all the time for stuff with the kids at night, and surprisingly at movie theaters.
Thanks. I’m leaning to Epix Pro as upgrade from my Fenix 6 Sapphire, thinking I want to try AMOLED. But Enduro 3 at $850 is tempting, since with plastic back the 51 mm size is lighter than other models.
Finland, verkkokauppa.com. Wahoo Kickr Move 899€. Time to replace my v4 kickr
I was checking Garmin watches in Europe and wanted to share my findings (considering shipping to Belgium).
BikeInn, Bike-Discount and Bol.com seem to have the best deals. There’s a Forerunner 965 for €508, an Epix for €496 and an Epix Pro for €675 at BikeInn. The Fenix 8 Solar and Enduro 3 are best at Bike-Discount. The Fenix 8 Amoled at Bol.com and Coolblue.
I’m glad to see Suunto ISN’T included above. They’ve gone and wrecked themselves with their latest app update that doesn’t let you load it w/o keeping location and health data on at all times. This also eliminates future watch updates, firmware, etc. Um, nope. Yes, you could turn it on to update it, then turn it back off, but that’s not the point. Many of us now have dead ‘smart’ watches. App store is filling up with neg comments.
Maybe you can address this in a future post and/or when reviewing their watches in the future. Thanks!
@Asa, I’m not seeing this issue on iOS, and only 1 recent review on the Apple app store raises this issue. There are 5 negative reviews about this on the Android store, so I wonder if this is an Android App issue.
Yeah, I don’t entirely remember getting that warning to be honest. Not saying I didn’t, just don’t remember it. I’ll find out what’s up.
As Big noted, there’s only a couple people who have mentioned it in the last few months.
On iOS, I open the app (already logged in), and up comes a screen with a toggle for Health and Location Data required and must be consented to before moving on. If you haven’t updated the app recently, it may not show it (don’t do it, if so, unless you agree to this functionality).
Not sure about it on a Google.
On Apple app store, if you go to all reviews for Suunto app > sort by newest, you’ll see a few comments about it. I’m not the only one.
Hmm, I’m not getting the prompt.
In either case, for fun, I went into iOS privacy settings and disabled access for both location services and Apple Health. I force-closed the Suunto App and had no issues using it.
Obviously, without access to that, when you go to create routes, it won’t show/use your current location (as a blue dot). You can actually see this after you revoke, the blue dot goes away. And of course, it won’t populate Apple Health with your data anymore, but it sounds like you wanted neither (it was never read access, only write access).
This is on the current iOS version, with current iOS.
Strange. Thanks for checking. I’m on the latest 17 version (haven’t upgraded to 18.1.1 yet).
Ya, I normally turn health and location services (+ a few more) off unless I’m using gps on some hardware, so maybe it’s tied to something else, but I’m not really impressed, and will find something better next year…or back to analog. :)
@Asa & Ray, Likewise I tried I’m on 18.1.1 and v2.391 and I didn’t get any prompt either.
In fairness, I think it is pretty hard for any smart watch brand which is designed to collect personal information in the form of Heart rates and GPS location and conduct some post processing in the form of a training/health recommendation to not collect data.
If privacy is a big concern, then a non-connected device may might suit better,
Thanks for the replies.
I think I may have figured it out…the watch was completely disconnected from my phone and unpaired so the app thought I was a new user even though I was stilled logged in. Once I flipped the two toggles, it worked like normal, knew who I was, and since I don’t keep ‘location’ on, it should be good to go.
One should be aware that the app does say it tracks location whether the app is running or not (assuming iOS location is active). Thanks Ray/BigA for the assistance!
Overall, to your point BigA, the watch probably isn’t something will benefit me.
Now, about Strava…;)
Picked up a brand new quantix 7 for $349 on Amazon. Thought that was a pretty good deal for what is essentially a Fenix 7.
“DJI Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo with DJI RC 2” is showing a whopping 5% discount on Amazon UK – £929 instead of £979 How come we don’t get $300 off? :-(
Here in the US I had to click to change from the Flymore Combo to the Flymore Combo Plus to see the discounted price.
Have any recommendation for a good nylon trail loop band for the Forerunner 965? Looking on amazon has my head spinning with bad quality options.
Polar has also a huge Black Friday Sale going on (unitil December 2nd). Dicounts are from -40% (eg Polar Pacer Pro) to -20% (Vantage V3). I think there are some very good deals available.
Favero Assiomas are 25% off starting today. Can get the single sided one for $350! This is the same sale as last year and I was hoping to see the mountain bike pedals on sale but guess it’s too soon.
On a side note: it’s fun to see Lasko fan for $50 at Amazon US and at the same time for €200 at Amazon NL.
Epix pro gen 2 down to £399 for the 41mm and 47mm sizes at Garmin UK, possibly only from midnight UK time.
Wasn’t looking at a new watch this year (pretty happy with my Fenix 6 Pro) and not exactly sold on AMOLED for a watch, but finding it hard to resist…
Crazy if you look at the pricing in EU, Garmin site 649€!! For the same watch. Anybody seen the epix 2 pro anywhere in EU cheaper then the 649€?
Such a great deal I couldn’t resist!
Although the charged me an extra penny – £400! Outrageous!
The Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire 51 mm at $750 seems pointless with the Enduro 3 at $850. Too small a savings to pass up newest model I think.
…some might argue you not only save $100, but you save yourself from the new UI. ;)
Thanks for being a DCR Supporter!
Absolutely 👍. The new UI is really a pain (for me).
Interesting. I thought people liked new UI and also that since Garmin isn’t rolling it back means the end of updates for the Fenix 7 and Epix.
It does _not_ mean the end of updates for the Epix (Gen 2)/Fenix 7. Garmin looks at the new UI as a feature of the new product line (similar to hardware changes like the buttons or the case colors, not as a software update).
Now many people disagree with that philosophy (I had mentioned that previously when discussing the increasing dichotomy between hardware and software developments), but as far as Garmin is concerned they do not consider the new UI a software but rather a change.
The Vivoactive 5 is currently priced at $200, which makes it a great deal as a gift for family.
I was secretly hoping for the Forerunner 965 to dip to £450 or below in the UK during Black Friday and just spotted Decathlon UK have reduced today to that very figure! 🙏
Praying for a deal on a Garmin Descent or MK watch – looking for that diving capability in an all around watch!
Sadly, short of Uncle Amazon going wild and doing something off-script (which it very well could), there aren’t any Garmin Descent planned sales. :(
Nespresso is only $99 and includes free shipping directly on it’s website.
The Echo Dot Kids link is opening the Logi webcam page for me.
FYI: ZWIFT has the new ride at 20% off with the CYCLINGRIDE20 coupon added. To that note, would you recommend it over the KICKR SHIFT at $2400? I bought the Wahoo last week and am still within the return time frame. Thanks for all you do.
Battery pumps?
BikeTiresDirect.com has the Garmin Edge 1040 for $449.99 through December 2. Good company that has excellent gear – but probably only for DCR readers in the USA. Most of the other sale prices look about the same
Was the Mini 3, Fly More w/ DJI RC (with LCD) ever that price?
I’ve only been seeing the Drone w/o Fly More for something like 15% higher than noted here ($429). Bummer as with the nicer controller and Fly More kit the price here seems really solid, maybe I missed it.
These deals are making it so hard not to upgrade my Forerunner yet! I’m trying to wait until next Spring when mine will be 3 years old!
Surprised to see comment that the 965 will stay the top end ForeRunner “for a while”. Came out over 2 years ago, so was expecting the next version in spring or so