Happy Saturday, dear readers! In case you haven’t heard, Amazon’s spring sales event is in full effect through March 25th, letting you save on wireless earbuds, Bluetooth trackers, smartwatches, and all manner of tech. Truth be told, the deals are a bit better than we had anticipated, especially when it comes to Qi2 chargers and portable battery packs. Right now, for example, you can snag Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro power bank at Amazon and B&H Photo for $79.99 ($20 off), an all-time low.
When my colleague Victoria Song waxed poetic about the BoostCharge Pro last year, it wasn’t without good reason. Good, travel-friendly offerings that let you fast-charge Apple’s latest Apple smartwatches — specifically the Series 7, 8, 9, and both Ultra models — are hard to come by, and the typical charging method requires a USB-C Apple Watch charger and a power brick capable of delivering more than 5W of power. That said, Belkin’s 10,000mAh power bank sports a little divot that can juice an Apple Watch up to 80 percent in as little as 45 minutes, while allowing you to simultaneously supply your phone, a pair of earbuds, or any other USB-C device with up to 20W of power. The power bank’s handsome, soft-touch finish and the fact it comes with a USB-C cable are just an added kicker.
Many people set New Year’s resolutions to get fit, but, in my opinion, it’s typically the warmer weather spring brings that truly motivates people to get off the couch and pound the pavement. Thankfully, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is a good chance to save on midrange running watches like the Garmin Forerunner 255S, which is currently on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Garmin for $249.99 ($100 off).
Spec-wise, the last-gen 255S has a lot in common with the newer Forerunner 265S — save for an always-on OLED display. It’s an attractive multisport watch, even if it’s equipped with a memory-in-pixel screen, and it packs an estimated 12 days of battery life, an NFC chip for payments, and a barometric altimeter and compass. More importantly, it can track a staggering number of metrics and offers dual-frequency GPS, which is a nifty feature that provides better accuracy in cities, dense forests, and other tricky environments where a single satellite system won’t always cut it. The latter perk is typically reserved for more premium fitness watches, making Garmin’s comfortable Forerunner 255S a feature-rich running watch that punches above its weight in more ways than one.