Garmin Instinct Solar is an upgrade with more modern features for running tracks on this brand’s smartwatches. Garmin Instinct Solar offers many outdoor activity-tracking features, quite similar to those on their Fenix smartwatches, such as long battery life and multiple activity tracking modes. But at a much more affordable price.
Garmin Instinct Solar, Rugged Outdoor Smartwatch with Solar Charging Capabilities, Built-in Sports Apps and Health Monitoring, Dark Blue
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Features
- Product Dimensions: 0.59 x 1.77 x 1.77 inches
- Item Weight: 1.9 ounces
- ASIN: B089YWDYRH
- Item model number: 010-02293-11
- Batteries: 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included)
- Best Sellers Rank: #94,730 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics) #192 in Handheld GPS Units
- Wireless communication technologies: Bluetooth
- Connectivity technologies: Bluetooth
- GPS: True
- Special features: Health Monitoring, Solar Charging, Water Resistant, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Stress Tracking, Sleep Monitor, Notifications
- Display resolution: 128 x 128
- Other display features: Wireless
- Human Interface Input: Buttons
- Scanner Resolution: 128 x 128
- Color: Dark Blue
- Whats in the box: Instinct Solar; Charging/data cable; Documentation
- Department: unisex-adult
- Manufacturer: Garmin
- Country of Origin: USA
- Date First Available: July 8, 2020
- Weight: 54 Grams
- Standing screen display size: 1.27 Inches
Description
- Solar charging capabilities allow you to extend battery life beyond traditional charging.Supported Application:GPS. Connectivity technology:GPS. Wireless comm standard:Bluetooth
- Rugged GPS Watch is water-rated to 100 meters and constructed to U.S. military standard 810 for...
The solar-powered version of the Fenix 6 adds only a few hours of extra battery life, but the Garmin Instinct Solar has significantly increased battery life, providing users with extremely good battery life. Overall, Garmin has made a comprehensive improvement in Instinct Solar.
I have been using this smartwatch for a while and here are my reviews about it for your reference.
Battery Life
Battery lives are where the Instinct Solar varies strongly from the Fenix 6 Solar. The Garmin Instinct Solar, besides standardizing solar power across the entire collection, also provides control over the battery life with power-saving modes as the Garmin Fenix series does.
Here are some specific Garmin Instinct Solar battery upgrades:
- In smartwatch mode, expect 24 days/54 days battery life with the solar-powered version.
- Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 56 days/Unlimited with Solar powered version
- Up to 30 hours GPS use/ 38 with max battery GPS mode/ 145 with solar-powered version
- Exploratory GPS operation mode maximum: 70 hours/ 28 days on solar-powered version
- Maximum: 145 hour solar-powered version, 70 hours in exploratory GPS operation mode
However, if you get the solar version, in light that is 50,000 lux bright, you will need to stay for 3 hours in sunlight to reach the maximum number above. And, as you know, 50,000 lux is sunlight, which is a pretty strong light, so you’ll actually have to be out longer if it’s cloudy.
Watch Battery Saving Modes
Smartwatch Mode
This mode will usually allow the watch to be used, with notifications and heart rate measured all day long.
Battery Saver Mode
This new model gives precise control over all battery charging features. To get unlimited battery life, you’ll need to turn off activity tracking, heart rate, connect your phone and leave the screen on low power mode, meaning it’s only used to show how long it is.
That gave users about 66 days of use, but its battery life can last indefinitely if you use 3 hours a day in sunlight. That means you can use it forever without ever running out of battery.
Exercises tracked by GPS
If you use this mode continuously, it will be reduced battery life quite quickly. However, you can extend the battery life by 8 hours if you use it in sunlight. I am sure that there is no smartwatch when using the GPS feature that has as good battery life as the Garmin Instinct Solar.
Battery Saving mode when using GPS
It is the new name for UltraTrac mode. When in this mode, the watch will ping satellites much less, but this will affect the accuracy of GPS. That means you’ll have to trade off accuracy in activity tracking for better battery life. Seventy hours of battery life is the base and can go up to 145 hours if you use it in sunlight to charge it.
Operation mode GPS Explorer
This mode will only ping the GPS once an hour, so it will only provide landmarks and locations where you have been but not update your exact location like the rest of the GPS modes. Using this mode, the watch should give you about a couple of months of battery life, with all watch features turned off and the display set to its optimal setting. It is helpful for hikers and possibly travelers of continents.
Overall, this is a smartwatch with impressive battery life. If you are looking for a product to use suitable for your long trips, the Garmin Instinct Solar will, and it is an option that you cannot ignore.
Garmin Instinct Solar Design
In terms of design, almost nothing has changed compared to the original Garmin Instinct on this smartwatch. It is still an oversized, aggressive watch with a 45mm case designed with lots of small details, giving it a more aggressive look. I like this smartwatch because it possesses impressive water resistance up to 10ATM and military-standard durability.
Instinct Solar still possesses the typical large sinewy lines like the previous version, similar to Casio’s G-Shock line, so that it will be very suitable for dynamic and personality young people. I don’t know about you, but I like its design. However, the watch face size up to 45mm combined with the outer case will make those with small wrists look not very nice. Instinct Solar is very light, weighing only 53g, about 30% lighter than Fenix 6, providing quite a comfortable wearing feeling.
This watch does not use a touch screen. Instead, all interior features will be manipulated by hard buttons on the two sides. The left edge will have three hard buttons, including Ctrl, Menu, and ABC, corresponding to the accompanying extra features are Light, Up, and Down, respectively. There will be two more GPS buttons on the right side of the watch, and the second feature is Back.
Garmin Instinct Solar Monitor
Garmin Instinct Solar uses a monochrome screen, so its display quality will not be excellent. Its screen has a size of 0.9″ (23 x 23mm) with a resolution of 128 x 128 pixels displayed in black and white. This is to increase the advantage of the battery thanks to the solar battery system placed around its LCD screen.
The entire screen is protected by a special chemically reinforced tempered glass for better scratch resistance, protecting your smartwatch from external impacts. It has a secondary, circular display on the right side of the watch, a small sub-display, using MIP (memory-in-pixel) display technology, used to add information to what’s on display. You are viewing on the main screen.
Sports Tracking Mode
The Garmin Instinct Solar is a watch focused on outdoor activity tracking. Suitable for tracking hiking, trekking, endurance activities. It also has swimming, MTB, cardio, yoga modes. But these are just general tracking modes, not for in-depth data like Forerunner 245.
In addition, Garmin also integrates a lot of sports for Instinct Solar, such as walking, climbing, jogging, machine. Jogging in the gym, racing in the stadium, cycling, indoor cycling, swimming, skiing, skateboarding, kayaking, SUP rowing, rowing, weightlifting, yoga…
Walking Tracking Mode
As a smartwatch born to track running activities, the Garmin Instinct Solar’s walking ability stands out from others on the market. First, we must mention the UltraTrac mode to save and charge the solar battery very well.
In terms of data, it tracks speed, time, distance, altitude. Of course, both heart rate and calories (if you don’t use the battery saver modes, skip these features). There is no TOPO map that you will find on the Fenix 6, but you can track your walking path, and you can return to where you started if you get lost. There will be a compass system on its secondary screen and its widget to help you locate your location better.
You can track your path on the Garmin Instinct Solar’s screen using the compass, and the built-in display will show you the direction of your upcoming turn. The clock will also count down to let you know about the change of direction. In general, it is pretty similar to the Map application on smartphones, straightforward to use, so you do not have to worry!
Running Tracking
No device tracks the details like the Fenix 6 or the highest-end Forerunners when it comes to track running. But Instinct Solar is not inferior either! You get the usual baseline stats on standard runs, with elevation and heart rate zones. However, it does not have VO2max, does not announce the Training Effect or the Lactate Threshold threshold. This is a limitation of Instinct Solar for professional runners.
Heart Rate Monitoring
No device tracks the details like the Fenix 6 or the highest-end Forerunners when it comes to track running. But Instinct Solar is not inferior either! You get the usual baseline stats on standard runs, with elevation and heart rate zones. However, it does not have VO2max, does not announce the Training Effect or the Lactate Threshold threshold. This is a limitation of Instinct Solar for professional runners.
Pros
- Impressive solar battery.
- Multiple battery-saving modes.
- Very suitable for monitoring outdoor activities.
Cons
- Design is not suitable for everyone.
- The workout data is not detailed.
Final Thoughts
Garmin Instinct Solar is an improved version that is much better than the original version. Battery life and power modes are upgraded extremely well, GPS navigation and hiking tracks are also more accurate. The Instinct Solar is entirely worthy of a smart sports watch for you to own for your outdoor training needs.
