It normally retails for £739.99Joshua Boyles Technology, gaming and entertainment affiliates writer
20:17, 03 Sep 2025
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Save big on a fitness-focused watch at H Samuel.(Image: H Samuel)
For many, smart watches have become part of our everyday lives. Acting as an extension of our smartphones, they allow us to triage our notifications without pulling our phone from a pocket, or control our music from the comfort of our wrists.
However, smart watches also play a huge role when it comes to fitness, with some smart watches custom built for the purpose of training us to be fitter. While an Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch might be ok for tracking workouts, there’s a much better option for those looking for a gadget that comes with a built-in coach that can actively make you fitter – and it’s cheaper than an Apple Watch, too.
The Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) is the smart watch in question, with it featuring a rugged metal design that’s built to withstand anything the outdoors throws at it. It normally retails for £739.99, but H Samuel currently has it down to £369.99 for a limited time – that’s 50% off.
This watch puts social features second and fitness as its number one priority with it capable of tracking a whole bunch of biometrics that help inform a digital coach. A heart rate sensor keeps track of your ticker throughout exercises and during the day, with that data also providing key sleep metrics to let you know exactly how much slumber you’re getting in each stage at night.
The real magic happens when you tell the watch what sort of distance you’d like to train for and how fast you’d like to run or cycle it. The Garmin Epix Pro will then give custom workout suggestions that take into account your current fitness, health, and how well you’ve slept to ensure you’re progressing at a steady pace without injury.
I own the Garmin Forerunner 965, which uses very similar software to this watch and managed to knock 23 minutes off my half-marathon time in nine months, all while using the training features that Garmin offers. The Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) also comes preloaded with maps, and users can load up GPX files to navigate hikes and longer runs entirely from their wrist.
Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2)
£739.99
£369.99
H Samuel
Get the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) for 50% off at H Samuel.
Garmin has also designed this watch to be waterproof. While I wouldn’t recommend it for diving, it’s ideal for pool and open water swimming with a dedicated Triathlon tracking mode for those so inclined.
The Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) is built like a tank with its metal casing, which does mean it sits quite heavy on the wrist. Shoppers looking for a lighter device might prefer the GARMIN FORERUNNER 255, which is much lighter and £85 at Decathlon right now.
Alternatively, Amazon offers the Amazfit Active 2 which has very similar features to the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) but at a much smaller price. It’s 15% off down to £84.99 right now.
The Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 has maps.(Image: H Samuel)
Reviews of the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) are remarkably positive, with one user starting their review with: “What a fantastic piece of kit this is.” They elaborate, saying: “The battery life at six days using it in smartwatch mode is more than enough considering it has an OLED screen. Using it in hike mode to record my activity’s is still around four days which is pretty good compared to the Apple Watch my partner has.”
Another shopper left this write-up: “Swapping my trusty Garmin Instinct for the Epix Pro 2 felt like upgrading from a trusty steed to a sleek, feature-packed rocket ship. The difference is staggering. The OLED display is a kaleidoscope of vibrant info, the interface is smoother than a baby’s bottom, and the battery life? Forget plugging in every night, this thing practically runs on sunshine.”
A third reviewer said: “I had a Fitbit once. It was rubbish compared to this. I don’t even wear my Omega Seamaster anymore. Great personalisation options. Can track loads of different workouts and compare how you’re doing against your previous sessions.”
However, some shoppers have run into issues with their devices, notably with the heart rate sensor. “Have been having issues with the HR for around 6 months. Contacted Garmin as essentially my HR would stay very low even if I am doing fast running, seems to be running mostly but it’s just unusable. Garmin told me it’s a software issue they will solve but nothing, looking online, seems a widespread problem,” one owner writes.
Another shopper found that the connection between the watch and phone can sometimes be temperamental: “Kept dropping contact with my phone, always trying to do updates. Very disappointing to be fair wanted one for ages then this happens.”