Instinct 2 Solar Rugged GPS Smartwatch, Mist Grey

I’m 76, retired and not an athlete. I do however try to stay fit, mostly by walking. I don’t smoke, I drink moderately and I want to stay on top of how my body is performing. I’ve always liked Garmin products having used two or three of their GPS systems, and I didn’t fancy an Apple watch. I wanted something that was robust, accurate, solar charged, kept tabs on my health data and would notify people if I was involved in an accident. I’d have liked a map but that’s a trade-off I was willing to take. I’ve been using the Instinct 2 Solar now for about a month and I’m quite pleased with the results. Here’s what I found: The user handbook is difficult, not informative enough (for me) and lacks diagrams. You Tube has a wealth of instructional movies that should provide all the information you need. The step counting function is inaccurate and counts steps and movements when you’re just bimbling around the house. On a dedicated walk it works well and is pretty accurate but outside of that it’s poor and makes you think you’re doing well. I did a test over a few days wearing a pedometer that doesn’t count unless you’ve done ten steps (they then get added on) so it discounts the bimbling around bit. The result after a few days showed that the watch overcounted by 30%. I’m particularly fond of the basic health data and found that both the Heart Rate and Pulse Oximeter (oxygen saturation) functions are accurate. I tested both these on a recent visit to the doctor and also at home with one of those oximeters that clips on your finger. The readings for both heart rate and oxygen saturation were spot on. The watch kept buzzing and showing a number when I reached certain goals. I didn’t know what half the goals were, I didn’t want to see them and I eventually found a way of turning them off. I like the simple tracking of key (to me) functions – heart rate, respiration etc. I particularly like the sleep tracking system. I never used to wear a watch in bed, and that took some getting used to, but it works well and the display is excellent. I like that if I go for a walk the watch absorbs a wealth of information and shows me a detailed map on the Connect app at the end of it all plus data about my speed, step count and distance. I’ve also tried using it to measure the Bike Indoor function. It’s quite good but I have a simple exercise bike, not something I can hook up to the app, so it tells me time and exertion data only. The Connect app and the web app are also really good and show some relevant data in a decent format. However, I really need to understand all the variables and measures better. So in summary I think it’s a great watch with all the information I need, supported by both the phone and web apps, which are excellent.

Had the original Instinct for the last two years and it was the best smartwatch/sports watch I'd used. Loved it but it was starting to show its limitations. My GF bought me the Instinct 2 Solar for my birthday and I couldn't believe how much it's been improved upon. 1. The screen has better resolution and has far more faces to choose from, including from Connect IQ. That said I used an online face maker to create my own with 13 different data fields. 2. Battery life. A huge improvement over the first one. And that solar panel really does come into its own when you're outdoors. Sat in the sun on holiday watching the football and my battery actually rose. It really does charge the watch. To be used as more of an aid than the only way to charge but it all helps to extend the already amazing battery. 3. A lot more data/health reading with Vo2 Max included. HRV status and respiration added to your daily data. 4. Garmin Pay now included. While there aren't many UK banks that support it, you can open a Curve account for free, add your credit card to it and Garmin will accept the Curve card details. Pay with your watch? How cool is that! I use this watch as a smartwatch firstly and it does all that you'd expect, notifications (and replies with pre-written templates), music control, solar intensity readings weather alerts, alarms, etc. As a sports watch I use it to broadcast HR to my Garmin Edge 130, and collate all health info to Garmin Connect. It's already reading my physical fitness age and is setting fitness goals from my cycling. The build quality is everything you'd expect from Garmin, solid. I'm still only just touching the surface of what this watch can do but so far it's impressing the hell out of me.

Update 2023: My Instinct 2 Solar battery vegan to fail after a little over a year of daily use, after a short correspondence with Garmin support they exchanged it for new. Excellent customer support and still an excellent watch. Original: The Instinct 2 Solar is an excellent fitness watch with smart features. Having gone from an old forerunner to a TicWatch Pro, and now back to a garmin with the Instinct 2 solar I can comfortably say this is my favourite. It's rugged and in style reminiscent of a G Shock which fits perfectly into a range of my active hobbies like climbing, the gym and hiking, but still manages to look appealing with casual clothes or at dinner (assuming you like that style of course!). The display is simple monochrome compared to the TicWatch I upgraded from or even some of Garmin's more advanced offerings, but the simplicity makes it very easy to read in all conditions even underwater in the pool. Despite the old(er) school aesthetic the Instinct is loaded with technology, all of which has so far worked well for me with the only exception being the usual wrist based HR issues experienced on all sensors showing themselves here too. So if HR is essential for you will still want a chest strap to pair with it, especially in a pool. Battery life has been incredible, I've gone from 1.5 days on the TicWatch to about 11 days (with most sensors running, some set to monitor during the night only) and that's with very little opportunity to get some extra solar power! All in all a great fitness watch for more than just the extreme outdoors person, with an old school look and very modern quality of life features.

perfect. very nice and original watch

ممتازه من حيث البطاريه تتبع ضربات القلب التمارين اليوميه تتبع النوم وبعض العادات الصلابه والقوه في من النوع المتين الذي يتحمل اي شئ لكن عيوبها انها تبدو قديمه من حيث الشكل مع شاشه بسيطه قد تبدو غير مناسبه للبعض لكن اذا تبحث عن اداء فهي بلا شك افضل قيمه مقابل سعر

Batterie hält mehr als 30 Tagen. Funktioniert alle Benachrichtigungen. Bestes Uhr für jemanden gerne Sport treiben oder auch nicht treiben

Bought this as a gift for my son and he loves it's looks, durability and function. One of the best gifts I've given him.

Excelente Reloj