Garmin's Apple Watch-beating Vivoactive 5 is the perfect last-minute gift for runners

Garmin Vivoactive 5
(Image credit: Future)

If you're looking for a gift for an active person in your life, you may want to swerve the temptation of getting an Apple Watch and instead check out other fitness watches. Even though the best Apple Watches, like the Apple Watch SE 2, are the best smartwatches for most people, they're a little short on battery life at only 18 hours. If your recipient is an active person looking to do lots of battery-draining GPS workouts like running, that's a problem.

Fortunately, you can grab the excellent Garmin Vivoactive 5 for just $199.99 at Best Buy in the US or it's only £198 at Amazon in the UK. The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is the perfect gift for runners: a small watch with a lovely bright AMOLED screen and up to 11 days of battery life, notification functionality and music controls.

Check out the deals in full below. Not in the US or the UK? Scroll down for the best deals in your region.

Today's best Garmin Vivoactive 5 deals

Garmin Vivoactive 5
Garmin Vivoactive 5: was $299.99 now $199.99 at Best Buy

Score a Garmin Vivoactive 5 for $100 off: it's a brilliant all-rounder with an AMOLED display and 11 days of battery life, making it a great Apple Watch swap for runners and active users. The excellent Garmin Connect app can help you plan workouts and running routes, while you can follow along with gym-based exercises on the screen.

Garmin Vivoactive 5
Garmin Vivoactive 5: was £249.99 now £198 at Amazon

You can also score one for the price of £198 in the UK in its Navy colorway, with the same great health features and battery life. The other colorways are also available for £200 even, an extra couple of quid.

In our Garmin Vivoactive 5 review, we loved its fitness tracking, battery life, and sleek design. If you're looking for a fitness tracker that's a great alternative to the Apple Watch or a Galaxy Watch from Samsung, this is it. It's one of the best Garmin watches right now, and at under $200 / £200, perhaps the best Garmin you'll be able to get at this price point.

It works with both iPhone and Android and offers Garmin's unparalleled fitness tracking. It's the ideal choice for runners, cyclists, triathletes, and anyone looking to make a dent in their fitness goals for 2025.

Matt Evans
Fitness, Wellness, and 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.