Sturdy, functional, fully featured
Rating: 5
I switched from a Fenix 5 Plus... mainly for these reasons: - Solar-Charging - Underwater Heartrate - Pulse-Ox - Monochrome Display I could have upgraded to the newer fenix 6 pro solar to get most of these features above, but the Instinct Solar has, in my opinion a few advantages: - price... lets face it, technology evolves and in two years you probably want the newer model ... the fenix for that is a tad too expensive. - Monochrome Display... the thing offers a far better readability in adverse light conditions in comparison to the colour model in my opinion - larger 100% Solar panel ... You loose the VO2Max... which I truly don't understand why (garmin, if you're listening, SW-Update please - please add VO2max to the Instinct) You loose the full maps... the maps on the fenix are cool - but I don't use them that much, so this wasn't a huge deal. The menus structure and overall interface design on the Instinct is excellent... I think if you're looking for an affordable, rugged, well designed and extremely versatile sports/smart-watch and like the "G-shock" styling - the Instinct is hard to pass on.
by D-G1 on 2020-08-24T17:00:00

Great watch overall!
Rating: 5
Very happy I went with the instinct solar! Battery life is amazing. Coming from the Apple Watch I was concerned but it does all I need it to do plus I don't need to charge daily. Personally for work outs, and hiking/running the Garmin Connect app is amazing.
by Deke23 on 2020-08-10T17:00:00

Great watch!
Rating: 5
Love this watch. Only had it for a short amount of time but so far getting a really positive first impression. Very comfortable and intuitive to use. Setup was easy and it paired with my inreach mini. The connect app is fun to look at on my iPhone to review the data from each day. Looking forward to taking this watch on adventures!
by Cojacks on 2020-08-13T17:00:00

Insane battery
Rating: 5
I have tried a lot of smartwatches and was using wearOS watch to track activities for a while. I hated that the daily routine of charging the watch. Getting instinct solar was a game-changer. I charge my watch about once in two weeks with about 30 mins of GPS usage daily. I have been following Garmin Coach 10k plan which is super fun. I rarely take the watch off. It's super light so it is not annoying to sleep with. Love this watch.
by sem.udit on 2020-08-09T17:00:00

Lots of information
Rating: 5
Had it for about 2 weeks now and it makes accessing health data easy. I'm not yet saying it will replace a cycling computer, but not far off. Battery life is better than most competitors from what I can tell. The ergonomics of its buttons takes some getting used to, but that's also due to its broad capabilities.
by lesdunham on 2020-08-10T17:00:00

I Am Very Pleased with my New Instinct Solar
Rating: 5
I have had two different FitBit watches and the Galaxy Watch and the Galaxy 2 Watch. The Instinct Solar is my favorite. I like that it is easy to read in all conditions. I am particularly pleased that with the accuracy and consistency of the heartrate monitor, which is quite important to me. I also like that I can turn off the things I have no interest in using like text notifications and phone calls. I just use the watch as a watch and a fitness tracker that is it. That is all I want. The battery life is terrific. I don't know what the maximum life is, but it is way over a week. It has been over a week since I charged it last and it is reading that I have 11 days left.
by aktrout on 2020-08-09T17:00:00

Great battery life
Rating: 4
I love the watch. Had it for one week and still cannot believe the things it can do. The apps that go with it a really good as well. I would give it a 5 str rating except for the manual which does not appear to be up to date with the watch. Some things I just cannot figure out how to get them operating properly. I recommend this watch.
by Orangie on 2020-09-14T17:00:00

Mostly Perfect, Except For One Flaw
Rating: 4
I love many things about the Instinct Solar, but my 51 year old eyes HATE the small and, for me, useless round window on the face. I wish Garmin would ditch it in lieu of something more customize-able. There is simply no data field I can put in there that I can use. That said, I basically LOVE everything else about it. The battery life is awesome, and navigation is easy. It's nearly perfect, but I'm simply not going to run with readers on so that I can see the tiny data field.
by krusty505 on 2020-08-21T17:00:00

Wonder watch!
Rating: 4
I wore another watch (Timex) for many years. In the last year the need arose for a watch to also measure heart rate and steps. I looked at an Apple Watch but it is only partially waterproof, and only has a short time between battery recharging. My new Garmin Instinct Solar can hold a charge for up to 27 days. It was a no brain decision.
by Will80 on 2020-08-10T17:00:00

HR Monitor Died In Less Than A Month
Rating: 1
I've faithfully used an old school Garmin since 2011 and was excited to take my training to the next level with the ability to customize workouts, and monitor my heart rate. Worked well for about 3 weeks, and then I started noticing inconsistent readings during my past couple of runs. I was aware that wrist HRM can be accurate for an entire run, but take time to adjust during quick fluctuations of running intensity. Was just about to order a chest HRM to get that level of accuracy with my interval training when I noticed the wrist HRM just stopped working altogether. I checked the manual, double-checked my settings, recharged the watch, and even reset the system. Sorry to have to return this, but if the HRM doesn't work then defeats the main purpose of having this watch.
by Noe777 on 2020-09-13T17:00:00