Gear

Gear guides

You never need gear to play a run. But if you're setting up a space for it — or running more this winter — these are the picks we'd choose ourselves.

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Shopping season

Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Deals usually run from mid-November to Cyber Monday (November 30)

The best week of the year to set up a movement corner — screens, speakers and casting sticks drop the most — and usually the lowest price of the year on Garmin running watches.

Mini 1080p projector

HAPPRUN, TMY and similar · $

Throws a run big enough for the back row to read the signs. The best-selling projectors on Amazon right now are small 1080p models like these.

Best for: Classrooms without a smart board, basements, a blank living-room wall.

Watch out: Budget projectors need a dim room — daylight washes the picture out. Check it has an HDMI port for a casting stick.

Check today's price on Amazon (affiliate link, opens in new tab)

Fire TV Stick 4K / 4K Plus

Amazon · $

Plugs into a TV or projector's HDMI port and runs the YouTube app in 4K, so there's no laptop and cable to trip over.

Best for: Older TVs and projectors without built-in apps.

Watch out: Needs Wi-Fi and an Amazon account. School networks sometimes block streaming devices — ask IT first.

Check today's price on Amazon (affiliate link, opens in new tab)

Portable Bluetooth speaker

Anker Soundcore, JBL Flip or Charge · $

TV and projector speakers are thin. A portable speaker puts the beat — and the cue for every move — where the whole room can hear it.

Best for: Classrooms, gyms, and projectors with weak built-in sound.

Watch out: Bluetooth can lag a little behind the picture. If moves feel late, use the cable input.

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Projector screen, 80–100 in

Stand or pull-down · $

A plain white screen gives a sharper, brighter picture than a painted wall, and a stand version packs away after recess.

Best for: Rooms with textured or coloured walls.

Watch out: Measure first: a 100-inch 16:9 screen is about 2.2 m (7.3 ft) wide.

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Folding gymnastics mat, 4 × 8 ft

4-panel folding mat · $$

Takes the sting out of jumps and squats on hard floors, and stands on its end against the wall when you are done.

Best for: Upstairs rooms, hard classroom floors, younger runners.

Watch out: Soft mats are less steady for quick side-steps — keep DODGE moves on the floor around it.

Check today's price on Amazon (affiliate link, opens in new tab)

Garmin Forerunner 165

Garmin · $$

A bright AMOLED running watch with GPS, heart rate and guided workouts — Garmin's entry point that doesn't feel cheap.

Best for: New runners and anyone moving on from a phone app.

Watch out: No maps or multi-band GPS — those are on the 265 and 965.

Check today's price on Amazon (affiliate link, opens in new tab)

Garmin Forerunner 265 / 965

Garmin · $$$

Adds training readiness and multi-band GPS, plus maps on the 965. Black Friday is usually its lowest price of the year.

Best for: Runners training for a race.

Watch out: More watch than you need for indoor runs and casual jogging.

Check today's price on Amazon (affiliate link, opens in new tab)

Full guides

For classrooms & living rooms

Movement corner setup

Everything that turns a wall and a patch of floor into a place to play ImmerDash runs: a big picture, sound you can feel, and a floor that's safe to jump on.

For grown-up runners

Run at home / winter running

Too cold, too dark or too busy to get outside? These are the picks that make running at home — or braving the winter — more fun and more comfortable.

Last checked: November 4, 2026. We don't list prices — they change daily; check the retailer.