Garmin Instinct Solar Heart Rate Monitor for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

4.0
out of 10
0 Positive, 1 Mixed & 0 Negative
from 1 Review
Retail Price:
$399.99
Used Value:
$239.99
Sale Value:
$359.99

To tap into the power of the sun and increase the ruggedness of their wearables line, Garmin introduces the Instinct Solar Heart Rate Monitor with endurance for a daily active lifestyle. The heart of the Instinct is undoubtedly the solar battery, which extends battery life — dependent on sun exposure — a significant, if not an indefinite amount, across all modes. The most telling spec that calls attention to the highly valuable solar charging is the "unlimited" range of operation the Instinct has in battery saver watch mode and a near doubling of operation hours when using most other modes. It begs you to press further into the deep country with the connectivity you need to explore confidently.

Garmin's central design intention is to "break convention" and crafts the Instinct to satisfy the more rugged adventurer instead of the aspirational urban exerciser that finds the Vivoactive line so appealing. Built to military standards of durability, the Garmin establishes the Instinct well for adventure races and outdoor physical fitness challenges where mud, grit, and course abrasions are almost assured. The Instinct withstands heavy impacts, heat, and 100 meters of water depth to provide the data capture you need during intensely strenuous exercises. Garmin intends the Instinct to be an ultimate outdoor recreation companion.

However, this is still a modern Garmin, and being such the Instinct brings standard activity features like heart-rate tracking, body energy monitoring, and exercise specific tracking and guiding. Additionally, the Instinct can pair with partnering devices with Bluetooth and ANT+ like cycling speed and cadence sensors. Also onboard are familiar smartwatch features like texts, emails, and calendar events.

Specifications

Brand:
Alarms:
multiple
Altimeter:
yes
Backlight:
yes
Barometer:
yes
Battery Life:
[smartwatch] 24 days (54 days with solar), [battery save watch mode] 56 days (unlimited with solar), [GPS] 30 hours (38 hours with solar), [max battery GPS mode] 70 hours (145 hours with solar), [expedition GPS activity] 28 days (68 days with solar)
Battery Type:
solar rechargeable
Claimed Weight:
1.87oz
Date Indicator:
yes
Dual Times:
yes
Face Material:
Power Glass
Face Size:
1.78in
Heart Rate Monitor:
yes
Housing Material:
polymer
Includes:
charging/data cable, documentation
Low Battery Indicator:
yes
Manufacturer Warranty:
1 year
Odometer:
yes
Operating System:
Connect IQ
Pedometer:
yes
Recommended Use:
backcountry skiing, backpacking, casual, hiking, road running, ski mountaineering, trail running, ultralight backpacking
Strap Material:
silicone
Submersible:
10ATM
Weekday Indicator:
yes
Wireless:
yes

Full Reviews

4
Solar charging dropped to zero after installing a high-quality tempered glass screen protector on my brand new Garmin Instinct Solar. Unfortunately it can't be safely removed due to the watch bezel and tight fit. And Garmin informed me that I voided the warranty by installing a 3rd party protector (it's considered "alteration or modification" of the product). I can't believe Garmin didn't anticipate this issue -- none of their documentation or marketing info for this product mentions screen protectors, which are even being bundled with the watch on other sites. Very disappointed that I paid an extra $100 for a feature that I can't use and that this could have been prevented if Garmin had communicated clearly. Giving it two stars because it's a decent watch otherwise.
Andra Artemova, backcountry.com
July 30, 2020

Heart Rate Monitors Reviews