I nearly died twice wearing the Garmin Fenix 6 and it’s never let me down – it’s nearly $700 less than a Fenix 8 with this Prime Big Deals Day offer

I’ve tested the Suunto Vertical and various Corus watches this year, and I’m currently wearing a Garmin Fenix 8. My own watch, however, is the Fenix 6. I just spotted the exact same watch on sale on Amazon in a Big Deals Day promotion for just $349, down from $499, which is a significant discount. If you want to buy it in the UK, the deal gets even better at just £259.95, down from an original retail price of £649.99.

We couldn’t believe it when Garmin 1070 added a digital bicycle bell to its flagship head unit spec sheet and, as journalists, we’ve made no secret that we favour the 1040 for sheer value in that context, but what about the watches?

Garmin’s Fenix smartwatch range remains my absolute favourite, consistently topping the best smartwatch charts for years. New entries such as Coros and stalwarts Suunto definitely nibble at Garmin’s heels, but to say Garmin still dominates the market isn’t an overstatement – deals day or not.

The point I want to highlight is that Garmin’s Fenix 8 is excellent – I’m wearing it right now on test and love it – but it costs a staggering $1,199.99. That’s £850.99 more than this Prime Big Deals Day offer.

The question is, what are you sacrificing if you opt for the older model? The better question is, what aren’t you sacrificing? For the price of the Fenix 8, which adds numerous features many of which you probably will never use, you’re saving £850.99.

There are many things I could do without if it means saving that amount.

However, even when compared to the fancy new models from all the brands I’ve mentioned, the Fenix 6 still offers a 28-day battery life, compared to 29 days in the Fenix 8. You get heat and altitude-adjusted VO2 Max, Pulse Ox sensors, and training load focus. Maps. Excellent navigation. Sleep monitoring. Alerts. It features multi-channel GPS (used by the American military) and one of the most precise heart rate sensors available.

I’d rank the 6 above the Suunto, having tested that extensively this year, for everything except navigation. And although the Coros does edge ahead on features and possibly sensors, on this deal it’s still cheaper than the Coros Apex Pro, which retails around $450.

Yes, you gain many extra features with some of those and certainly the Garmin Fenix 8, but it’s often hidden in menus you may never need. Simply put, the core qualities that make Garmin watches really good are all present in the Fenix 6, and it feels notably more substantial – which, in our weight-obsessed world, is an advantage in an outdoor watch.

It feels way more durable than the newer models, and I’ve worn mine for years inside a busy workshop with dust, hammers, grinders, and fire causing no issues whatsoever.

I’ve dropped it off mountains into trees in deep powder countless times, in all kinds of extreme temperatures, hit the same trees multiple times, crashed it on my MTB, and on two occasions woken up in a CT scanner. The body, strap, all of it, is just genuinely that sturdy. At this price, it’s almost a joke to consider any other option unless you’re made of money.

The Amazon Big Deal Days run from 7-8 October, and if a Fenix 6 isn’t on your Prime Day shopping list, then our Prime Day Cycling deals page has a ton of discounts that we’ll be updating regularly as the offers land.

To take advantage of this and all the Amazon Prime cycling deals, you’ll need to be a signed-up Amazon Prime member. Amazon offers a free trial period for new users, but you can cancel your trial at any time before the first payment is taken.