If all of this social distancing and cooped-up quarantine time has you longing for an escape to the great outdoors, you're not alone. When you are able to go out and explore nature again, you're going to want to make sure you bring all of the proper supplies, like good hiking shoes, sunscreen, and a GPS-enabled smartwatch. The one I recommend — the Garmin Instinct — is on sale for as much as $80 with this amazing Black Friday deal.
Explore the great outdoors: Garmin Instinct | $80 off at Best Buy
The Garmin Instinct sports a rugged design reminiscent of Casio G-SHOCK watches, but it adds in many smarts. From fitness tracking to smart notifications to precise GPS controls and two-week battery life, this is the electronic assistant you want with you on the trails.
We love Garmin wearables, and the company makes a wide range of smartwatches and fitness trackers to suit just about every lifestyle or sporting interest. The Garmin app is detailed yet simple to use, and its lineup of sensors are among the most accurate in the field. It's no wonder the brand is one of the most trusted by elite athletes.
I love to hike, and I've had my eye on the Garmin Instinct for months now. At this Black Friday price of just $150, I really have no excuse not to get one for myself. After all, this smartwatch offers up to 14 days of battery life on a single charge, 16 hours while in continuous GPS mode. That's more than enough for a strenuous day hike, even if I wander off the beaten path a bit.
If I were to wander off course, the good news is that the built-in GPS, Glonass, and Galileo satellite tracking will get me back on schedule. And if I were to fall or knock my wrist on a large boulder or tree, I know that the Instinct can take it, as it's constructed to U.S. military 810G standards for thermal, shock, and water resistance.
All of this rugged tech is on top of Garmin's already excellent fitness tracking suite. This watch can monitor heart rate, activity, stress, and sleep, and it does a great job of relaying your smartphone notifications to your wrist.
This deal is for the standard edition Instinct, but Garmin also makes versions of the watch for esports, military, and surfing, as well as solar-powered version.
