Running Gear Price Tracking: The Tools That Tell You When to Buy

Three tools — CamelCamelCamel, Honey, and a dedicated wishlist at Running Warehouse — cover 90% of running gear price tracking needs and take 15 minutes to set up for any target purchase.

Why price tracking matters more for running gear than most categories

Running gear has predictable but non-obvious discount windows — the same Garmin watch might be $449 in March, $350 in May (REI Anniversary), back to $449 in June, and $360 in November (Black Friday). Without tracking, buying in March means paying $99 more than a May buyer for identical hardware. The discount windows are predictable enough that patience plus price alerts reliably captures savings of 15–25% on major purchases. For context on which gear categories have the most predictable discounts, see our [REI vs Running Warehouse comparison](/rei-vs-running-warehouse-vs-amazon).

Tool 1: CamelCamelCamel (Amazon price history)

CamelCamelCamel.com is free and requires no account for basic use. Paste any Amazon product URL to see its complete price history. The chart shows the historical price range, identifies the current price relative to historical low and high, and shows how frequently the product has been discounted. Setup for price alerts: create a free account, add the product to your wishlist, set a target price (typically 15–20% below current price), and receive an email when Amazon hits or beats that price. Best used for: GPS watches, nutrition and supplements, accessories (foam rollers, resistance bands, headphones). Limitation: Amazon-only — doesn't track Running Warehouse, REI, or specialty running stores.

Tool 2: Honey browser extension (multi-retailer tracking)

Honey (free Chrome/Firefox extension) tracks prices across hundreds of retailers including Running Warehouse, REI, Zappos, Dick's Sporting Goods, and brand direct sites. Add any product page to Honey's Droplist and receive notifications when the price drops. Honey also automatically applies coupon codes at checkout — at Running Warehouse specifically, Honey finds valid discount codes 30–40% of the time. Setup: install extension, navigate to product page, click Honey icon, add to Droplist, set target price. Best used for: running shoes, apparel, gear at specialty running retailers. Limitation: requires browser extension; mobile tracking is limited.

Tool 3: Running Warehouse Wishlist + Email Subscription

Running Warehouse's native wishlist sends automatic price drop notifications when a wishlisted item goes on sale — no third-party tool required. Add target shoes and gear to your wishlist while logged in. Running Warehouse's email newsletter delivers sale announcements 48 hours before site-wide events — subscribe to receive early access during quarterly flash sales. Best used for: current and previous-season running shoes where Running Warehouse has the best selection and competitive pricing.

Tool 4: Google Shopping price tracking

Google Shopping (shopping.google.com) aggregates prices from multiple retailers for any product search. Click 'Track price' on any product to receive email notifications when prices drop across any tracked retailer. Best used for: initial price research across all retailers simultaneously, before setting up targeted alerts in more specific tools. Limitation: less reliable for sale event advance notice — alerts trigger on price drops but don't predict upcoming sale windows.

How do you set up a complete price tracking system in 15 minutes?

Step 1: Install Honey extension (2 minutes). Step 2: Create CamelCamelCamel account (3 minutes). Step 3: Create Running Warehouse account and subscribe to email list (3 minutes). Step 4: Add your three highest-priority gear targets to each tool with target prices set 20% below current MSRP (7 minutes). From this point, buying decisions become reactive rather than active — wait for alerts, verify the discount against historical low, buy if the discount is at or better than historical floor.

Does price tracking work for limited-edition or low-stock running gear?

No. Price tracking assumes stable or increasing inventory — the alert system requires the product to remain in stock at the target price long enough to act on the notification. Limited colorways of popular GPS watches (Garmin special editions) and in-demand trail shoes in narrow size ranges sell out before most price alerts trigger. For these purchases, follow brand social media and email lists for launch announcements and buy immediately at release price.