Hurry! The Garmin Epix 2 is $500 off right now — there won't be a better Garmin deal this Black Friday

I've been testing Garmin watches for the better part of a decade and the Garmin Epix 2 is one of my favorites to date because of its attractive design and excellent sports tracking. With Black Friday deals upon us, the Epix 2 is the watch I’ve been looking out for most, because I expected a big discount would be available since the Epix is now an older model in Garmin’s range.

I expected a big discount, but not this big. Right now the Garmin Epix 2 is just $399 at Walmart. I’ve been tracking Garmin prices in Black Friday sales for years and I don't recall a better deal than this.

Garmin Epix 2: was $899 now $399 at Walmart

I’ve been hoping to see the Garmin Epix 2 drop to under $400 this Black Friday and Walmart has obliged, undercutting the $449 price it’s been selling for at Amazon in recent weeks. This deal is on the titanium sapphire version of the watch, which is a durable and attractive AMOLED sports watch packed with Garmin’s top-tier sports tracking and training analysis features.

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The new Garmin Fenix 8 is the best Garmin watch you can get, but after this discount it's more than twice the price of the older Garmin Epix 2, and given the array of features available on the Epix 2, it’s certainly the better value pick.

Along with the attractive design and bright AMOLED display, the Epix 2 included in this deal has a titanium bezel and a sapphire crystal display, making it a more durable and lightweight option than the base steel model. It's comfortable to have on 24/7, which isn’t always the case for big sports watches.

I used the Epix 2 to train for and run four marathons, and its sports tracking is both accurate and very detailed. The training analysis on the watch is useful and insightful too, and on both counts the Epix 2 has been kept up to date with software updates, so it offers a very similar experience to newer devices like the Garmin Epix Pro and Fenix 8.

Naturally, by opting for an older watch you don’t get everything available on newer ones. The Epix Pro and Fenix 8 both come in three sizes and have a built-in flashlight and an improved optical heart rate monitor. The Fenix 8 also has a mic and speaker and a diveproof design, along with a refreshed user interface.

Whether these upgrades are worth the hundreds of dollars you’ll have to pay to get them is up to you. Having used the Epix 2, Epix Pro and Fenix 8 extensively over the past few years, I’d opt for the Epix 2 at this price, though I would miss the flashlight.

For more discounts check out our Walmart Black Friday deals live blog to save big on TVs, laptops and more.