Three Apple Watch-beating Garmin watches under $200 – the perfect gifts for runners

Garmins Forerunner 55, Forerunner 165 and Vivoactive 5
(Image credit: Future)

I've personally tested all three of these Garmins, and I can attest that they're all really good fitness watches. They're great fitness trackers for gym-orientated people, but they're especially good for runners. If you've got someone in your life who's taken up jogging, and they don't yet own a smartwatch, these are a great gift.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 is the oldest and cheapest watch of the bunch. Right now the Garmin Forerunner 55 is available from $149.99 at Amazon (was $199.99), and it's never been cheaper. If you want more advanced running features, its sequel the Garmin Forerunner 165 is available from $199.99 (was $249.99) at Amazon. Meanwhile the similar Garmin Vivoactive 5 is available from $199.99 (was $249.99) at Best Buy.

Today's best cheap Garmin Black Friday deals

Garmin Forerunner 55
Garmin Forerunner 55: was $199.99 now $149.99 at Amazon

Lowest price: The ever-popular Garmin Forerunner 55 just hit its lowest-ever price again on Amazon. It's a good deal on a great beginner's fitness watch, with powerful, personalized guidance that'll take you from your first Couch to 5K programme all the way up to half-marathon distance. Predicted finish times and PacePro technologies keep you on track.

Garmin Forerunner 165
Garmin Forerunner 165: was $249.99 now $199.99 at Amazon

A more up-to-date option than the Forerunner 55, the 165 is a great deal at this price, featuring a touchscreen and lots of advanced running features like race-adaptive training plans. The training plan on your watch will automatically adjust depending on your performance – for example, if you're doing better than expected, it'll recommend longer distances or faster runs. How cool is that?

Garmin Vivoactive 5
Garmin Vivoactive 5: was $249.99 now $199.99 at Best Buy

The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is ideal for joggers, cyclists and gym-goers looking for a cheaper Garmin watch that can also act as an Apple Watch alternative. It's only got two buttons rather than five, relying more on its touchscreen like Apple. It's very light and comfortable to wear, has great fitness tracking features, and is more suitable for slimmer wrists and office-wear than big, chunky adventure watches.

Why get these deals instead of an Apple Watch? Unlike Apple Watches, all of the Garmins last over a week between charges, even when you include multiple workouts. Most Apple Watches last less than 24 hours.

They also work with both Android and iPhone, so if you don't know which device your recipient uses, it doesn't matter! You're not locked into an ecosystem in the same way you are an Apple Watch.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 is a more basic fitness watch, while the Forerunner 165 and Vivoactive 5 are a bit more recent, featuring AMOLED touchscreens and more advanced features such as safety tracking for runners (so your loved ones can follow you online as you run, which is great for races).

As they're all under $200 in the Black Friday deals right now, so there's never been a better time to pick one up.

Not in the US? Here's the best cheap Garmin deal in the UK:

Garmin Vivoactive 5
Garmin Vivoactive 5: was £259.99 now £149 at Amazon

UK deal: Save an outstanding 43% on Garmin's pocket-rocket Vivoactive 5 smartwatch. If the Garmin Venu series is its Apple Watch alternative, the Vivoactive 5 is its Fitbit: a fun fitness tracker with great metrics, battery life and a price that doesn't break the bank, especially at this price.

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales

Matt Evans
Senior Fitness & Wearables Editor

Matt is TechRadar's expert on all things fitness, wellness and wearable tech.

A former staffer at Men's Health, he holds a Master's Degree in journalism from Cardiff and has written for brands like Runner's World, Women's Health, Men's Fitness, LiveScience and Fit&Well on everything fitness tech, exercise, nutrition and mental wellbeing.

Matt's a keen runner, ex-kickboxer, not averse to the odd yoga flow, and insists everyone should stretch every morning. When he’s not training or writing about health and fitness, he can be found reading doorstop-thick fantasy books with lots of fictional maps in them.

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