Black Friday, the notorious sale holiday in the U.S., is only two weeks away. However, retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and more are already offering savings way before the big sale, especially on fitness trackers and smartwatches.
Smartwatches and fitness trackers make great gifts (including a gift for yourself). These devices can count steps, track your heart rate, and, depending on the model you choose, provide detailed health insights and easy app access. They can also provide invaluable information like sleep tracking and blood pressure readings.
Also: The 50+ best Black Friday deals 2024: Early sales live now
We’ve rounded up the best deals on smartwatches and fitness trackers to help you find the best deals possible based on both our device testing and deal-hunting expertise. This list will be updated regularly from now through Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Our favorite smartwatch and fitness tracker deals for Black Friday 2024
Apple Watch Series 9 Midnight Save $106 Jason Hiner/ZDNET Current price: $294
Original price: $400 The Apple Watch Series 9 in Midnight Aluminum is a great watch for those who are not quite ready to pay for a Series 10, but want the full Apple suite of fitness tracking capabilities and connectivity to your iPhone. Until the Series 10 came out this year, it was our top pick for the best Apple Watch you can buy, and it’s still a great option — especially when on sale. Review: Apple Watch Series 9 View now at Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Save $157 Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET Current price: $494
Original price: $650 The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is a premium smartwatch option for those that use Samsung devices. ZDNET contributor Matthew Miller called it perfectly sized and one of his favorite new smartwatches. It has a host of capabilities like specific running insights and sleep tracking. Review: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra View now at Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Save $130 June Wan/ZDNET Current price: $170
Original price: $300 Apple is not for everybody, as a lot of people may need compatibility with a Samsung smartphone. We’ve got you covered with this deal. The Galaxy Watch 6 is just a model behind the latest Galaxy 7 and has many features like sleep tracking, a heart monitor, and more personal health insights. Also: 3 surprising features that sold me on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic View now at Best Buy
Best Black Friday Apple Watch deals
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
Best Black Friday Samsung Watch deals
Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET
Best Black Friday Fitbit deals
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
Best Black Friday Garmin deals
Matthew Miller/ZDNET
FAQs
What is the best fitness tracker?
The best fitness tracker is one that suits your needs the most. Brands like Fitbit and Garmin specifically cater to athletes and fitness tracking, while Apple and Samsung watches cater more to a brand and compatibility with smartphones, but still offer great health insight options. For example, if you are a runner, the best fitness tracker for you may be the Garmin Forerunner. If you are a more casual athlete but want more productivity functions on your watch, maybe an Apple or Samsung watch may be for you.
What fitness tracker is the most accurate?
Other publications usually cite Garmin as the most accurate fitness tracker, but at this point, just about all of the trackers on this list provide thorough and accurate information.
Do doctors recommend fitness trackers?
They can. Fitness trackers can be handy in the case of certain medical conditions. They could help you monitor your heart rate, sleep, and blood pressure. However, do not become too paranoid about it and/or begin to diagnose yourself — always consult a doctor.
Are Apple Watches good fitness trackers?
Yes. Not only do they track performance, but they encourage exercise. However, if you are a more serious and dedicated athlete, I would check out a Garmin model.
Is Fitbit still a good buy?
Yes, absolutely. Fitbit makes some of the best fitness trackers in the market. It is ranked number one on this list for a reason! Fitbits are reliable and are tailored to track fitness, therefore acting as perfect devices for casual athletes or workout fanatics.
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the US, which is Nov. 29.
When is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday takes place the Monday after US Thanksgiving, which this year falls on Dec. 2.
Are smartwatch and fitness tracker deals really better on Black Friday?
Often, yes. Like most sale days across the calendar year, these wearables may dip in price more than usual. Brands often put their devices on sale for 10-40%, with some even up to 50%. However, that doesn’t mean a product you’ve been eyeing will get a price cut. Brands tend to lower the price of older models to eliminate stock and make way for newer versions of the product. However, you may be surprised to find how much things get marked down. There are other occasions within the year, like Amazon Prime Day, where similar price cuts take place. However, Black Friday traditionally holds the best deals.
What’s the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
Nothing, really. Before most sales moved online, Black Friday was the biggest shopping occasion of the year, conveniently before the gift-giving season. With the rise of online commerce, holiday sales now take place throughout an entire week, where retailers mark down certain products. Therefore, the only real difference is that Black Friday technically exists in stores, while Cyber Monday is strictly online.
How did we choose these Black Friday deals?
At ZDNET, we only write about and note sales that we would buy ourselves. We carefully dive into the deepest parts of online retailers to find the best deals on products we have tested and recommended- or know is a good buy. We aim to find the deals that save the most money while still offering a great user experience. We also do extensive research if a product is not within our current knowledge. We do the work for you—finding the best deal so you can give the best gifts this holiday season.
Where can you shop the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals?
Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and more offer the best deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Sales will be in-store and in-person, but there will also be lots more online.
What are the best Black Friday 2024 deals?
ZDNET’s experts have been searching through Black Friday sales live now to find the best discounts by category. These are the best Black Friday deals so far, by category:
You can also find the best Black Friday deals by price:
And the best Black Friday deals by retailer:
The 20+ best Black Friday smartwatch and fitness tracker deals 2024: Early sales live now
