The Garmin Instinct is one of the more rugged and reliable outdoor GPS watches on the market. It's built for thermal, shock and water resistance to 100 metres, with plenty of features packed into it as well.
The case is made from fibre-reinforced polymer, and the display is scratch-resistant. Fully vented silicone bands include two independent, removable keeper loops which give you a secure fit and prevent you from getting caught on things.
Relying on GPS alone to track in normal conditions is OK, but when things become challenging you need more. Garmin Instinct gives you more including built-in 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter plus multiple global navigation satellite systems such as GPS, GLONASS and Galileo. Meanwhile, the Tracback feature lets you navigate back to the beginning of your track.
The Instinct offers accurate monitoring of things like heart rate and stress, and you can base your training on a host of preloaded activity profiles including biking, running and swimming.
The Garmin Instinct gives you access to the brilliant Garmin Explore website and app, which helps you plan trips in advance. You can create waypoints and routes on the map, sync trip data into a live map so your friends and family can watch your trip in progress, set up contacts, review stats from past trips and more.
If you're in the great outdoors, running a marathon, or somewhere off the beaten track, you need long battery life. That's a given with Garmin Instinct. Expect up to 14 days in smartwatch mode, up to 16 hours in GPS mode, and up to 40 hours in UltraTrac battery saver mode.
Manufacturer: Garmin
The Garmin Instinct Solar stands out for its seemingly endless battery life with solar panels that charge while you're on the go. It has all the basic features of a GPS watch, with integration into the Garmin ecosystem.
Solar rechargeable, good feature set, all functionality is built into the watch without the need for the apps
Buttons are easy to push accidentally, can't use a screen protector, small screen, can't modularize the features like other Garmin products
At $300, the Garmin Instinct hits the sweet spot for both features and price. It offers a suite of practical outdoors and sports features that'll keep outdoors enthusiasts happy with a price tag that won't break the bank.
Affordable; Plenty of outdoors features; Rugged design; Comfortable
Low-resolution display; No third-party apps
Garmin Instinct: Besides a few minor flaws, the Garmin Instinct is an excellent expedition companion
Rugged MIL-STD design; Superb battery life; Reasonable price
No Garmin Connect IQ apps; Breadcrumb navigation only
Everything about the Garmin Instinct promotes necessity over enjoyment, from the simplified design and stripped back UI to the customisable format of the screens. The core focus of the watch is by far the navigation, and there's a steep learning curve to get to grips with it all.
Simple; customisable UI; Small and light; Good battery life; A lot of invaluable information for hikers
The Garmin Instinct Solar is the smaller sibling of the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Solar and it comes equipped with a range of casual and hardcore features that many people who like outdoor life and fitness will find useful.
Extra long battery life; Tough exterior; Plenty of useful outdoor features; Always-on screen (memory-in-pixel); Light
Monochrome screen; Straps are not hinged; All-plastic case doesn’t radiate quality
Besides a few minor flaws, the Garmin Instinct is an excellent expedition companion
Rugged MIL-STD design; Superb battery life; Reasonable price;
No Garmin Connect IQ apps; Breadcrumb navigation only;
While the Instinct might lack some of the richer outdoor features you’ll find on Garmin’s Fenix watches and the bigger battery life on the Instinct Solar, it still has all of the key things you’d want from an outdoor watch that’s kind on your bank balance and delivers where it matters.
Fun, light and comfortable design; Solid sports tracking performance; Navigation support; ;
Lacks full mapping features; No payment support; No Connect IQ app support
Besides a few minor flaws, the Garmin Instinct is an excellent expedition companion
Rugged MIL-STD design; Superb battery life; Reasonable price;
No Garmin Connect IQ apps; Breadcrumb navigation only;
Besides a few minor flaws, the Garmin Instinct is an excellent expedition companion
Rugged MIL-STD design; Superb battery life; Reasonable price;
No Garmin Connect IQ apps; Breadcrumb navigation only;
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