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

i wish it were easier to use, like the watches with a rotating gear and one single button. Also, since i will use only 5% of the features, if that, i would like it to easily hide from me whatever i do not use, so the total would be easier. Too many features, options, choices, needs to spend time learning the manual instead of enjoying the outdoors, do not make a better product last but most important, i wish it had blood pressure monitoring. That is my single most important health challenge. I understand that it cannot be very precise, but should be precise enough to be able to tell me if I should double check with a real instrument or if i am comfortably in a safe zone

“The Garmin Instinct is a good adventure smartwatch at a great price.”

Affordable; Plenty of outdoors features; Rugged design; Comfortable

Low-resolution display; No third-party apps

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

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

The Garmin Instinct Solar is a tangibly improved version of the original, and plenty of people will find the benefits of the $100 premium easy to quantify. The battery life and advanced power modes are superb, the GPX navigation and hiking tracking excellent.

Big battery improvements via solar; More control over battery; Clear screen

So far it's been good. I'm training for a 50 mile ultra marathon, so trail running is what I mainly use it for. I do MTB and road as well, so accurate distance and pace is my main concern. Measuring heart rate is a new thing to me, so getting comfortable with that feature too. Things I don't like about it are: 1. When battery is completely charged, it last 8 days. 2. The oximeter works 1 out of 5 times. Other than that the watch seems to hold, but I wouldn't take it on a month expedition without a power bank. I've had this watch for two weeks. Put 70 miles of running and about 100 miles of biking. Just a Weekend Warrior leaving it on the trail. =)

I bought this watch for its long battery life under the GPS mode supported by solar charging. The watch took a little getting used to based on the ease of use from my Vivoactive 3 with touch screen swiping. I do runs which can go for 30 hours and hope that this watch will keep running throughout. I wish the Vivoactive 3 had a solar power feature to extend the battery life longer. I don't think the instructions are clear enough on how to use all the features of the watch particularly when starting, stopping, saving and getting back to the time of day. As I said it takes a little time to work with the watch to get used to it.

For the outdoor adventurer, the Garmin Instinct is indispensable: built to military standards, it offers useful course tracking and rugged construction at an affordable price point. A vivid array of colors, a 100-meter water resistance, and a vented silicone band add to its back-to-basics appeal.

Rugged Build Quality; Lightweight; Magnetic Compass

Text responses only available for Android users; Lacks HRM when swimming

The Garmin Instinct Solar might not be the most attractive multi-sports watch around. but it just might be the most practical, with incredible battery life thanks to its Power Glass lens, which keeps it topped up in daylight. It's not just a re-release of the 2018 Instinct either, with a new blood oxygen sensor and customizable power modes added to an already very impressive specs sheet.

Exceptional battery life; Well designed interface; Great range of activities, including triathlon;

Plastic case looks a little cheap; Black and white display