Heads up! The big Garmin annual spring sale has started, with $200 off the Fenix 8 (first sale to date!), $100 off the Edge 1050, Forerunner 965 at $499, the Forerunner 265, the new Instinct 3, and countless other Garmin products including inReach Mini 2. Plus the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium is on sale, and some Suunto & Wahoo product deals too. Full list & thoughts here!
I’m DC RAINMAKER…
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.
-
Check out my weekly podcast - with DesFit, which is packed with both gadget and non-gadget goodness!
-
5 Easy Steps To The Site
1
In Depth Product Reviews
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.
2
Read My Sports Gadget Recommendations.
Here’s my most recent GPS watch guide here, and cycling GPS computers here. Plus there are smart trainers here, all in these guides cover almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day-to-day? I also just put together my complete ‘Gear I Use’ equipment list, from swim to bike to run and everything in between (plus a few extra things). And to compliment that, here’s The Girl’s (my wife’s) list. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
3
Have some fun in the travel section.
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.
4
My Photography Gear: The Cameras/Drones/Action Cams I Use Daily
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!
5
The Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
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.
Admittedly, I have been holding out for the LTE variant of the Forerunner (which didn’t happen) and now rumors on the next Fenix. With these sales and your comments on not seeing a Fenix for a while, do you think it’s about time to stop waiting (coming from 945LTE) or any chance we see that in near future?
I’ve given up trying to predict Garmin’s future LTE strategy.
Perhaps they’re waiting on the dust to settle on the Apple/EU case around smartwatch connectivity, which would substantially (massively) open up Garmin’s options there (since the key limiter right now for Garmin is really on the iOS side of connectivity and iMessage integration, it’s just a mess otherwise).
That said, I think Garmin can lean very heavily into the safety angle more within these confines (akin to what they do on the FR945LTE & Bounce), but with…well…more. It’s not perfect, but it’s an option.
Wonderful response! Might be what I needed to just upgrade to Fenix 8 with these prices (wanted Enduro 3 with multiple 100 milers coming up but it’s just massive on wrist).
With that said, I got a lot of hope with leaked images of LTE on Fenix this week. You feeling the same, or is that just another internet hype moment that’s not substantial in the Garmin timeline for upcoming watches? Thanks!
I am looking for bike computer. Do you recommend garmin / Wahooo ?
Ray, I know you don’t actually know THE answer to this, but if you were a betting man, would you bet on a 945 LTE successor this year? Maybe a 970 LTE?
I would never bet on Garmin releasing two devices of the same name/model branding in a single calendar year on different dates. e.g. two Forerunner 970 variants, two Edge 1050 variants, etc
I don’t believe that has ever happened, for any Garmin fitness/outdoors product.
Good to know, thanks, Ray. I guess it’s time to embrace my cell phone tethered future.
When will we see the Bolt and Roam v3 reviews?
Soonish. Probably next week.
TLDR there will be:
A) It’s just an ACE in a smaller form factor, minus wind sensor (good or bad)
B) The bell on the ROAM V3 is nice, like it was on Ace.
C) Display is sub-par in shadows on sunny day (or, when blocked by your body), with really poor readability on maps
D) Battery life simply isn’t awesome, and falls far short of their specs unless you turn off backlight
For software stability, there’s just little quirks – just like ACE. It’s getting better, but this was a complete ‘start from fresh’ cycle for them, and thus, it shows.
On the bright side, I like the radar. Though again, priced at $249 when Garmin is at $149 makes that a tough cookie right now. Even despite USB-C.
So I’m aware of the upcharge on the Wahoo Radar in the US (thanks for that post). For Garmin, could their pricing for their Varia still holding the same due to either supply pre-tariffs or that they are affected but are eating the cost? I have been on the fence on the Wahoo or Garmin radar as it’ll be my first radar and mentally I’m thinking, “well, if Garmin eventually raises the cost of their Varia at the same rate, then that puts it just $50 off from the Wahoo”. At that point, it’s only a $50 difference for USB-C among other things. But then again, I feel like just going the Varia and calling it a day would be the optimal approach.
Nah, Garmin likely has enough stock of Varia RTL-515’s in Olathe for probably years. Not kidding, likely at least a year.
Even if they didn’t, the Wahoo radar was made in China, so it was subject to whatever wind whims were blowing that day in terms of the current tariff rate (which was massively higher for a month, than Taiwain’s also inflated tariff rate). Garmin would easily have been able to absorb their tariff on the build components of a many-year old product. Whereas Wahoo couldn’t easily absorb that cost.
Thanks for the TLDR, looking forward to the full read. 🙂
I’m patient, and based on that initial verdict, it looks like I’m eventually going to upgrade from my Bolt v1 to whatever the Garmin Edge 850 is. If it has the bell. And my (42y young) eyes aren’t necessarily getting any better.
I’m patient, and the USB-C Varia will be there… I’m sure(???)… when the battery of my RTL515 is dead… in a year or two.
I really lucked out. Until maybe today Performance Bicycle had the wahoo at $200 with free shipping for preorder (now it’s $225, so they split the difference). Strava had a $30 Performance Bicycle coupon which brought it down to $170. I have some spare wahoo adapters that game with a new out front stem mount so can use that in my varia mounts. Looks like it’s shipped as coming in on Wednesday. The gf will get my 515 and I get a longer battery and USB-C.
Any idea where quatix 8 is? Or if it is even coming out at all?
I don’t typically follow the Quatix series much, but typically it’s 6mo or so behind (obviously, we’re beyond that).
Thank you for putting the Suuntos in the lineup. From a value perspective the Vertical is a great value. It has come a long long way with all the updates that have trickled down over the year. It is definitely not a Fenix killer, but it does not have to be at $500. For people who do back country trekking, don’t care about first sense “metrics” and use TrainingPeaks this could be a heck of a watch.
I just picked up the Suunto Run. If some of those features also get transitioned to the older 2.0 OS that could also be a step forward. The Run is true uping daily stats like workouts, steps and other metrics, as well as finally having the ability to have more than one BLE HRM remembered by the device.
Suunto has been pretty clear in their community forum that they are not interested in becoming Garmin, but for those that want a more old school less smart experience Suunto is working super hard.
Do you expect the Garmin battery to last longer than 3 years before needing replacement (and good luck with that horror)? When do you think we might see USB-C?
I have a Fenix 6s and the battery has been very stable for me. I charge it on Mon/Wed/Fri while I work as it is convenient mostly. Getting a million text messages will hurt the battery but otherwise I will record about 5 hours of GPS activities (run/bike) per week all mixed in. Of course the more things you put on your screen or run in the background the faster the battery may drain.
I would not expect Garmin, or any other reputable company, to put USB-C ports in wearables. The main issue is waterproofing. Not so much the water side of it (that’s easy), but rather, gunk getting caught in the port and corroding. e.g. seawater, sweat, sports gels, etc…
Polar tried it a few years back, ended horifically.
Great sale but as Ray noted above, Garmin is costing themselves purchases because of their lack of clarification on features and watches. Even if they just said all watches with this code base will get X that would be good enough.
I’m not going to go buy a brand new Fenix 8 not knowing if it is going to get the triathlon coach feature. The fact that we have to guess at this means Garmin is doing a terrible job of communicating here.
Desc. about FR965: “This unit includes maps and is more or less a plastic Fenix 7 Pro.” – imo 965 a plastic version of Epix2 (without Pro)
Yeah, I guess it’s messy. It lacks the Gen5 sensor (FR965), but did get many (almost all) of the Fenix 8 software features since launch.
I didn’t realize the Fenix 8 had a non-sapphire version (which is currently $799) Is that something new they slipped in recently that I missed?
It’s been around since the begining (a $999 variant).
Any retailers offering these discounts (especially the fenix 8 or the forerunner) in Europe?
They’re honestly already at those prices. Amazon DE for example shows the Fenix 8 at 829EUR, so basically pretty close to the same.
Remember that Europe doesn’t have MAP (Minimum Advertised Price), whereas US does, thus Euro folks generally get discounts near immediately, and then forever. US folks only get it when Garmin (or other big companies), approve it.
What a bargain!
I had been planning to purchase a Forerunner 965 on Black Friday 2025. Do you think it is likely to drop below $500 by then?
It’s already at $499. ;)
It wouldn’t surprise me to see it drop a bit lower for Black Friday. Perhaps something like $449. Really depends on how many units Garmin has on hand.
Historically, Garmin has built years worth of units (even after the next unit launches). But it sounds like that concept is going to change, so we’ll see.
I’m seconds away from biting the bullet and purchasing an Edge 840 on this sale, but I’m worried the 850 might be around the corner…
I’ve been trying to decide between the 965 and the new 570. Biggest worry I guess is feeling like I’m buying ‘old’ technology with the 965, but am I overthinking it? Any thoughts/opinions appreciated, I.e. knowing all you know, what would you buy?
Look at the features you will actually use and choose the cheapest one (unless for some preferences on look etc). A Garmin watch is usable until the hardware fails, so you don’t loose time when you buy an older version (like you do on other brands which update the software although the watch can’t really run it smoothly)..
The biggest difference between the two is maps. If you need maps on device, get the 965. If breadcrumb routing is fine or you never use routes on the watch, get the 265.
Hi Ray,
I hope you’re doing well.
I’m currently looking into a new watch. I’m mainly a runner, but I also cycle occasionally and attend HIIT/HYROX sessions twice a week.
I’m using the Coros Pace 3 at the moment, and while it covers most of my needs, I’ve noticed that the heart rate readings during interval sessions are often inaccurate.
So I’m considering two options:
Getting a chest strap
Upgrading to a watch with a better optical heart rate monitor, as I find chest straps rather uncomfortable.
With this in mind, which watch would you recommend?
Thanks in advance!
Not Ray, but have a Coros Pace Pro myself. Have you considered the arm heart rate monitor from them? Significantly less expensive than an entire new watch, and in my experience much more comfortable than a chest strap (I struggle with them myself too). Their arm HR monitor has been spot on for me, not as perfect as a chest strap perhaps but better than any watch in my experience during intervals.
Am I understanding it right that the AMOLED Fenix are getting a bigger rebate than the Solar ones? That’s an interesting turn, inviting wild appreciation in all directions.
Sort of but not really: The non-sapphire versions are the one that $800 usd and that only comes in an amoled flavor. Comparing like for like the amoled and solar sapphire versions are equal at $900 (47mm) and $1000 (51mm).
Do you believe the same new features from the Forerunner 970 will be made available on the Enduro 3 as well?
Yes, they will be.
Does anyone know how long this sale typically lasts for? i.e. when does it end?
Regarding sale duration, REI is listing the Garmin watch prices as “Sale ends Jun 16”
Great exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
Great deals, unfortunately the import taxes to EU are a no go :(
I am torn between getting a new Edge 540 or wait for the 550/850 – hopefully they announce something soon!
Hi,
Thank you for your detailed reviews.
Do you know if there will be a Garmin Edge Explore 3?
id love to upgrade my garmin with the sales, but i cannot get over the fact that i’d still spend 700-800USD AND i have to pay a sub to get the complete featureset, so unfortunately, I think I’ll skip – its just not very reasonable. Paying that much and having feature updates once or twice a year for 4-5y is very nice. Having to pay extra for that.. I just can’t justify it.
Any word on if the Fenix 8 will get all the 970 features? As a current 955 user (doing Run/Bike/Tri stuff) who also dives, the Fenix 8 seems like a great fit, but just wanted to check to be sure. Thanks!
Yes, it will: link to dcrainmaker.com
I am using a 255 and my main complaint is lack of real mapping, everything else is fine with the feature set.
Between getting a 965 at $499 and a 970 at $750 if the main priority is running and mapping, is it worth the extra 50%? I like the microphone and speaker in the 970, but other than that nothing really catches the eye.
What are the chances that the 970 comes down in price by the holiday season? At some point stock of 965 is going to run out so if the upgrade is not worth it, I may need to act soon to get a 965. Should I just get the 965 if it suits my needs?
I’d be a bit surprised if we see the FR970 on sale for the holidays to be honest. Wouldn’t exactly match Garmin’s existing patterns.
I have had by Garmin 235 for years and it has served me well. I only wear it while running. I would wear an Apple Watch for daily wear but never loved it. So now I’m looking at the Venu 3 or the Garmin 265 and can’t decide between the two (or maybe understand the benefits to each watch). I may have this watch for 5 plus years since I’m not running as much and won’t need as many training features, and I want to be gentle on the wallet. Any additional insight?
Also, your overall recommendations list was published in 2021. Will you be updating that?
Yeah, I’m woefully behind on updating that. Could see that very likely to update here shortly though, now’s a good time to do it!
i wonder if this is a sign that the 1060 edge is coming soon?
I just cracked the screen on my FR965, when weed whacking, a rock must have hit it. I would have thought that the Gorilla® Glass 3 DX should have been able to take a small hit.
Thanks for the recent review on the FR970!
I would definitely not expect an Edge 1060 anytime soon/this year. Garmin tends to hover on a 2-year refresh cycle for Edge units (3 years in some cases), and thus, being only 11 months old, it’s at least another year.
Edge discounting because of new Wahoo range?
When is an Edge 550/850 coming?
Garmin almost always discounts in the spring. They tend to get a bit edgier when their competitors announce, but frankly, given how rough the BOLT3/ROAM3 launches are, Garmin is probably feeling pretty confident.
Thank you Sir!
Thanks for the news letter, it is a nice read.
You got me all exited with the Garmin sale… but it appears to be in just one country.
Yeah, that gets to how sales work in the US. In short, companies heavily control/restrict sale pricing. So in the US, you can’t list things for sale without getting blocked by the manuf. In Europe (and the rest of the world), that’s of course highly illegal.
For example, in Europe, you can pretty easily find the Fenix 8 floating around 830-850EUR most of the time. So not too much different than the US sale price. But in Europe, we get that pricing all the time, versus US, this is the first time.