TL;DR: the hybrid-style Garmin Venu 3S just scored a 36% discount that drops the fitness watch to its lowest price ever recorded at Amazon.

About a year ago, I decided it was finally time to try jogging again. I had hated the activity since I was a kid, but something about the simplicity of hitting the trail with nothing more than some earbuds, good running shoes, and a fitness watch suddenly appealed to me one day.

The problem is that I didn't have a fitness watch at the time, and all of the best Garmin watches seemed too bulky and rugged-looking for my (admittedly) skinny wrists. Fortunately, that's when I came across the Garmin Venu 3S.

This wearable takes the hardware of the excellent Venu 3 and packs it into a sleek, discreet wearable that could easily pass inspection as a traditional Android smartwatch. I paid around $350 for it last year (insert crying face emoji), but now Amazon is slashing a record-smashing 36% off the watch, knocking the price down to just $288.

The Garmin Venu 3S took my fitness regimen to the next level, and now it's selling at a record low price

The Venu 3S comes packed full of the detailed metrics you'd expect in a Garmin watch, such as heart rate monitoring, ECG, and Pulse Ox, plus you get useful features like Body Battery and Sleep Score. And for once, you're getting a fitness watch that's actually comfortable enough to sleep in.

The Garmin Venu 3S also comes with GPS tracking, 8GB of storage for music files, and over 30 pre-installed activity modes, which means I can take it on hikes and bike rides without skipping a beat. Battery life isn't exactly groundbreaking, but the Venu 3S does last a solid week or so before it needs a recharge (with GPS activated).

Is it the best Garmin watch ever built? No, that title probably belongs to the pricey Fenix 9. But is it a reliable fitness watch that's perfect for this (very) casual athlete? Absolutely, and if you've been on the fence about the Venu 3S, this record-smashing 36% discount should encourage you to take the leap like I did.

Garmin smartwatch deals are hardly uncommon nowadays, but any discount on the brand's premium Fenix line is sure to turn heads.

Head to Amazon before its Labor Day deals expire and you can score a straight 25% discount on the Garmin Fenix 8, a classic fitness watch that still impresses with a rugged design and a suite of comprehensive fitness tracking features.

It may not be the newest Garmin Fenix watch around any longer (that honor belongs to the great Fenix 9), but if you don't mind going with a last-gen device, you'll get a lot more bang for your buck with the Fenix 8.

• See the full list of leftover Labor Day deals at Amazon today

Despite its last-gen status, the Fenix 8 continues to impress as one of the best Garmin watches on the market today, thanks to the wearable's sophisticated blend of rugged design and powerful performance. The watch boasts a vibrant AMOLED face with stainless steel and reinforced polymer components, plus you get military-grade durability with 10ATM water resistance (so you can wear it in the pool).

The Fenix 8 also sports a built-in LED flashlight and microphone for voice commands/calls, while under the hood you get 32GB of onboard storage and up to 10 days of battery life on a single charge. The fitness watch also comes with all of the health and fitness tracking tools we've come to expect from the brand, including heart rate, SpO2, and ECG monitoring, alongside features like Body Battery and Garmin Coach.

Indeed, the newer Garmin Fenix 9 is the better watch, but these upgrades come at a price. If you want the flagship Garmin experience without spending an arm and a leg, this Fenix 8 deal presents a convenient alternative. Just don't wait too long to make your move.