Garmin instinct line opinions?

[canyonhunter47]

I’m thinking about replacing current Garmin watch (Vivoactive 4) since it’s just about dead after 3 years to the day of almost constant wear. I was thinking about switching to the instinct 2 since it’s on sale this week and was curious about reviews overall and opinions on whether the solar is worth the extra $50-$100 (depending on the variant).

I use my current watch mainly for training metrics like HR and ride/run tracking and not so much for hunting/hiking navigation, but i guess it doesn’t hurt to have it

 

[BadTostada]

I had one for a few years before getting a fenix, gave the instinct away but it still works as far as I know. Great watch for the price.
No issues tracking activities. Battery is good but if you’re tracking all day the solar may be better. For me the instinct was more comfortable and noticeably lighter than the fenix

 

[V2Pnutrition]

The solar is helpful if you’re trying to extend the life of the battery for time/limited features. However, “solar” implies “No need for a cord! This bad boy has unlimited battery life with all watch features…”. Though the battery is quite impressive, there are ALOT of caveats to reading “solar” as “no need to charge..”

Like @BadTostada , I swapped to a Fenix and likely won’t ever look back…

(FWIW: my Fenix is a non-solar version and I use it a ton for tracking hikes and different training metrics. I’ve never worried about the battery draining and still get an impressive 21-30 days between charges.)

 

[canyonhunter47]

Thanks guys. Out of curiosity, what was so much better about the Fenix?

 

[BadTostada]

Thanks guys. Out of curiosity, what was so much better about the Fenix?

Maps, bigger display, more display options when tracking

 

[CMP70306]

Thanks guys. Out of curiosity, what was so much better about the Fenix?

For exact details Garmin has a compare option on their site where you can select multiple watches to compare them side by side to see the differences in features between them. That would give you the most detail to help your choices. That being said as I understand it the Fenix line is the higher end one with a tougher construction, more features, better screen, better tracking, etc.

I had a Fenix 6 for two years and personally went with the Epix this time around. The Epix and the Fenix are the same except for the screen where the Epix has the AMOLED screen and the Fenix has the MIP which isn’t as colorful or bright but uses much less energy.

I predominantly wanted the better screen for better mapping as I can upload satellite maps directly to the watch which will help as I am much better at navigating via satellite maps rather than topo in the areas I frequent. The flashlight is also nice.

 

[sierracharlie338]

I love my instinct. I wear a secondary unit on my kit if I want mapping for after the hunt,hike,track etc. For everyday wear and my mountain biking, walking with the kiddo, backpacking it does everything I want it to do and more.

 

[Elk-fanatic91]

I have had the instinct 2 solar for almost a year now and absolutely love it. If I had to do it over again, I think I would’ve saved the $50. I know others who have the non solar, and they all say the battery last about 3 weeks (give or take). My battery averages 28 days between charges.

 

[bmac1]

Instinct solar for a few years, I like the fact that if I had to charge it via solar on a long trip I could, but like others have said it's got a great battery. I find it to be very rugged as well, not sure if the fenix is as rugged. I purchased it as something i could take on long canoe trips and not worry about how i treat it, the smart watch features were a bonus for me. They tend to show up on Facebook marketplace a lot, so if you want to save some money you might look there.

 

[JF_Idaho]

I'm running an original instinct (no solar). I love it. Battery lasts roughly 2 weeks if I'm not actively tracking. Would more bells and whistles be cool....maybe. I will definitely be interested in the Instinct 3. I usually have my phone with me anyways so I don't need full maps with color, etc. The only thing I would like would being able to talk to text replies and answering the phone through the watch, but not necessary.

 

[TheBootBowhunting]

Ive had a few instinct 1's (tactical and tactical solar), a few instinct 2's (regular solar and tactical solar) and currently have 2x's in solar and tactical solar.

Ultimately if youre looking to save some coin, no I dont think the solar is worth it if you can get a good deal on a non solar version of the 1 or 2. I just didnt notice much difference in the 1 and 2. The 2x is a different animal since it has more solar charging area and better battery life to begin with.

That said 2X is the bees knees. Id pay the added cost for one of those. The screen is bigger and clearer, but not too big. The 2x is about the same size on writst at the regular size fenix watches. Deciding between the regular and tactical is the only question really. Having both, Id go with the tactical, but its close. I use the flashlight on the 2X FAR more than I expected, probably daily. The regular 2x has a red light, tactical green. Both of the regular white is plenty bright enough to be an actual flashlight, not a gimmick. I prefer the green for use getting to my stand, but thats personal preference. Tracking is more accurate since it can use multi frequency positioning - I tracked back to my truck doing day hunts out west without any issues. The tactical has a stealth mode that I use alot in the stand to prevent notifications or buzzing.

They dont make a 2X non solar, but when I fully charge them I get about 31 days on the regular 2x, and 34 on the 2x tactical, and from there solar exposure varies the battery life. They both are at 40% backlight. I must have some setting slightly different between the 2, but I havent changed much from the factory settings. I could get longer life with some things turned off and lower backlight as well.

Ive had a few Fenix, 3HR and 6, and didnt like the weight and feel compared to the Instinct. Also has features in the fenix that is just overkill for me.

 

[Marlin604]

I've had my Garmin Instinct 2X solar since June. Absolutely love it.
I previously had a couple WearOS smart watches by Fossil. They were ok watches, but the batter life was horrible, had to charge every night. The Garmin has only been charged a handful of times in 5 months!

 

[V2Pnutrition]

Thanks guys. Out of curiosity, what was so much better about the Fenix?

I'll just echo what others have said above (@CMP70306 @BadTostada ). One of the biggest things for me was accuracy of the GPS/mapping, placement of the sensors (barometric pressure/altitude/etc.), and battery life with GPS on (I have Fenix 6X Pro), and ability to throw music on the watch and go for a run sans my phone. Bigger screen for maps. Colored maps (not a 'need' per se, but nice feature). Ability for smart training and Garmin to dose/suggest workouts based on your metric (tempo runs, recovery, etc.).

With that said, all of these are luxuries and I loved my Instinct. Had I not found this on mega sale through @S&S ARCHERY , I would have continued to run the Instinct to its death.