I’m Testing Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers. Here Are the Prices to Keep an Eye on This Black Friday.
Major retailers are gearing up for the new Black Friday sales season, andwe’ll be keeping an eye on all of these deals . In particular, I’ll be keeping an eye out for discounts on fitness equipment, including fitness trackers and smartwatches, so let me tell you what I expect—and hope—to see.
My predictions are based on past sales data for these models and how Black Friday performed last year for the models that were in fashion at the time. This year, most of the companies on my list have introduced new watches, but they’re also continuing to sell older models. Here are the prices I’ll be using to see if I can find a good deal.
Fitbit Charge 6: $99 or less
We might have an early winner. The Fitbit Charge 6 starts at $159.95, but it’s often on sale for significantly less, sometimes as little as $100. When I checked the current price just now, I saw it was already down to $99.95 . It’s not the best device available, but it fits the bill for a basic, “I don’t want to think about it” tracker. If you just want to track steps without having to worry about choosing a model, this is a great choice. With such a low price so early in November, I’m curious to see if the Black Friday sale will lower the price even further.
Garmin Forerunner 55: $149 or less
The Garmin Forerunner 55 is the most basic running watch out there, and I have mixed feelings about it. It certainly lacks a lot of the features found in other entry-level Garmin Forerunner models, like the 165. But it does its basic job of tracking runs very well, and I’ve always thought that if Garmin could get the price down to $99, I’d be praising it. However, they’ve never gone that low.
The original sticker price was $199.99, and it often hovers around $169 these days, which is what I’m seeing right now . The lowest price I’ve seen is $149.99. This watch isn’t getting any younger, and I think if Garmin is smart, they’ll consider lowering the price even further this Black Friday. We’ll see.
Garmin Forerunner 165: $199 or less
The 165 is Garmin’s modern entry-level watch. No offense to the 55, but it feels like a relic of the past, evidenced by the fact that it’s already four years old and has seen two generations of new Garmin models. However, the 165 doesn’t feel dated yet, and our local marathoner, Meredith Dietz, raved about the 165 Music . Its sister model, the 165 (same model, but without offline music storage), made my list of the best budget running watches .
Since it’s available in two versions, pay attention to the difference. The music version typically costs $50 more. So, if you look at the base version of the Forerunner 165—without music storage—it’s currently priced at $249 . It’s dropped to $199.99 twice recently: once during Prime Day this summer and once during Black Friday last year. I’d keep an eye on it for another drop to $199.99.
Apple Watch Series 11: $329 or less
Last year, the Series 10 watch dropped to $329 on Black Friday. This year, the newest model is the Series 11 (read our tech editor, Michelle Erhardt, for her take here ). The base model is the same price as the Series 10 last year—$399 —so a repeat of this discount seems likely. Apple’s Series 10 watches are available in two sizes and with two connectivity options, so I’ll focus on the smaller, non-cellular model. The larger watch is expected to cost $20 more, while the cellular model is expected to cost $100 more.
So, if all goes well, you can get the Series 11 for around $329 on Black Friday this year. It would be great if the price were lower! It’s harder to say what to expect from the Series 10, since it’s older. But last year, the older model (Series 9) was on sale for $219 on Black Friday, so I’d keep an eye out for similar discounts on the Series 10 this year.
Pixel Watch 4: $329 or less
The latest version of Google’s Pixel Watch is the 4, which I reviewed here . As with the Apple Watch, it’s worth looking at sales of last year’s version. In 2024, the Pixel Watch 3 dropped to $279 for Black Friday from its regular price of $349, so we can expect something similar from the Pixel Watch 4 this year. Currently , the Pixel Watch 4 starts at the same price—$349 and up. As with the Apple Watch, I’m citing the smaller, non-cellular model. The larger model costs $50 more, and the cellular model costs $100 more.
If you’re interested in purchasing the previous model, you’re in luck. At the time of writing, the Pixel Watch 3 is on sale for $199.99 , $100 off its regular price. Based on last year’s Pixel Watch 2 sales, the Pixel Watch 3 could drop to $145.
Garmin Forerunner 970: $699 or less
The Garmin 970 and 570 haven’t been released yet; both were released earlier this year . The 970, with maps and an LED flashlight, retails for $749 . The 570, which lacks those two features but is still a great, higher-end running watch , costs $549 . Will Black Friday bring the first sales of these watches? I think the chances are good, but I don’t expect a huge discount. Last year, the previous models—the 265 and 965—were $100 off, but they were a year and a half old at that point. Rewind two years ago, when they were newer, and the discount was around $50.
If I’m confusing you with all these models, here’s a breakdown to help you figure it out. Either way, the 265 and 965 are still great watches, and I think we can expect discounts of over $100 on both models this year. Look for the 265 for under $349.99, and the 965 for under $499.99.
Coros Pace 3: Everything Under $229
Coros doesn’t usually participate in major sales, but this year the company announced the Pace 4 would be released in mid-November. This suggests a possible price drop on the Pace 3 , perhaps even a permanent one. I really like the Pace 3 —a simple yet powerful running watch. It’s currently on sale for $229 , and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it on sale. We’ll see if that changes.