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The Garmin Instinct 2 has a battery that never runs out. Even though many of the best Garmin watches can go for days or even weeks without needing to be charged, the Instinct 2 is the first from the brand that uses solar power to last forever. Talk about stamina. There are a few things to keep in mind, like which features work with solar power and which versions of the Garmin Instinct 2 have a solar panel, as well as how many hours a day the watch needs to be in the sun.
But other than that, Garmin Instinct 2 is better in almost every way than the first Garmin Instinct. It still has a rugged, adventurous look, and it borrows some features from Garmin’s best GPS watches that cost more than $500. The Instinct starts at just $349, and a new 40mm size is available for people with smaller wrists. In this Garmin Instinct 2 review, you’ll see how much we liked how much smaller it was. The Instinct 2 is a great thing to bring on your next trip, whether you like to play sports outside or want to climb El Capitan.
Garmin Instinct 2 review: Design and Display

With its perforated straps and fun color options, the Instinct 2 still kind of looks like a Casio G-Shock, which I think is part of the lineup’s appeal. It gives you a sense of adventure and makes you feel like you can depend on it, in case a Military Standard 810 rating against harsh environments and temperatures isn’t enough to convince you.
It can also be submerged in water up to 328 feet without danger (10 ATM). Even though Garmin increased the display resolution from 126 x 126 pixels on the first Instinct to 156 x 156 pixels on the Instinct 2S and 176 x 176 pixels on the Instinct 2, there is no touchscreen like there is on the Garmin Fenix 7.
Instead, five buttons are used to move through the menus and workout screens. It takes a little while to get used to controls that are only buttons, but this is a good way to avoid making mistakes while you’re moving around. It also lets you have a secondary display that works in the top right corner.
This display zooms in on icons and tells you how to move around. Brightness is one of the best things about the whole screen. The Instinct’s display is still one of the easiest to read in direct sunlight, much brighter than my Apple Watch 7 next to it. See how our comparison compares the Apple Watch 7 and the Garmin Instinct 2. You can buy this smartwatch from its official website.
Garmin Instinct 2 review: Comfort
Despite the size of the watch, we didn’t find it to be uncomfortable at all. It has dimensions of 45 by 45 by 14.50 millimeters, meaning that it is somewhat elevated from the wrist and quite similar in appearance to other G-Shock items manufactured by Casio. It’s also a little on the heavy side for a smartwatch, coming in at 53 grams, but we prefer bold and chunky watches, so the weight didn’t bother me at all.
Fitness & sports tracking

The watch is marketed more as a hiking watch than as a runner’s watch, but it can be used to track all kinds of activities, including running. I used it to record many runs, and the built-in GPS tracking was very accurate and made it easy to keep track of pace and cadence. In these areas, Garmin is known for being reliable.
We also used it to track my walking routes in the UK and while I was on vacation. It has a useful breadcrumb trail feature that drops waypoints as you go, so you can follow it back if you lose phone signal or can’t call up any maps. In addition to GPS, the watch can also pick up signals from the GLONASS and Galileo positioning systems, so you’ll always know where you are.
Garmin Instinct 2 review: Performance
If you want to get the most out of the navigation tools, you really need a high-resolution color display that can show streets, paths, and landmarks. That feature works best with watches like the Fenix 7 or the Epix (Gen 2); to get the most out of the navigation tools, you really need a high-resolution color display that can show streets, paths, and landmarks. As we mentioned earlier, you can also use Garmin Connect to plan routes and transfer them to your running watch.
The app will, however, tell you a lot about yourself, and if you take the time to delve into the various options in the Training, Health Stats, and Performance Stats menus, it will show you the impact that your efforts are having on your health and encourage you to adjust your routinely scheduled workouts accordingly.
Garmin Instinct 2 review: Battery life

The battery life of the Instinct wasn’t bad, and when Garmin released the Solar edition, the battery life got a big boost. Things get even better with the Instinct 2. Garmin says that the Instinct 2 can be used as a smartwatch for 28 days and that it can be used as a GPS for 30 hours. The original Instinct could be used as a smartwatch for up to 14 days and as a GPS for up to 16 hours. So just looking at those numbers gives you an idea of how much has changed.
Garmin also has Expedition GPS, Max Battery GPS, and battery-saver modes, which, according to Garmin, can give you unlimited battery life if you use solar. This means that you have to wear the Instinct 2 all day and spend three hours outside in conditions of 50000 lux. Now, the UK doesn’t exactly have a lot of sun or nice weather, so it was hard to really test that “unlimited” claim.
We got regular notifications and used the GPS tracking three or four times a week, so I could see how it works. The battery could last for more than two weeks. The battery dropped by 10% after a three-hour run outside. That would be the 30 hours that Garmin says the Instinct 2 can last.
Price and availability
The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar was released on February 9th, with a price tag of $450, and can be purchased from a variety of big shops such as Amazon, Best Buy, REI, and Garmin itself. There is also the Garmin Instinct 2S Solar, which has the same price but a smaller case (45mm as opposed to 40mm) with a notably reduced battery life (48 hours vs. 28 hours of GPS tracking).
It makes it possible for individuals with smaller wrists to experience the toughness of the design without the design being as big. The battery life of the Garmin Instinct 2 without a Solar Panel is comparable to that of the Garmin Instinct 2S Solar, but it does not support Garmin Pay, which may be a deal breaker for some people. The base model of the Garmin Instinct 2 costs $350.
Garmin Instinct 2 review: Conclusion
We like the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar a lot. This GPS watch is tough and has all the features you need for adventures and expeditions. Even though it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the most expensive models, it has everything you need and nothing you don’t. If this watch fits your style.
We think it’s a great option and the price is right. The basic battery could be a little better, but the solar option means you could use it for as long as you want. If you need a GPS watch when you’re not near a power source, this is a good choice. And if you like the way it looks but don’t need solar power, you can get the Instinct 2 without solar power.
Garmin Instinct 2 Ratings