Garmin - Instinct 2 Solar (45mm)
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 11, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
10
0
"if you want to keep it cheap ... on sale everywhere for around 200 bucks."
"One of my best cost benefit purchases ever"
"for literally less than the GBD-200"
32
0
"However, it does not have a touchscreen - instead it has a recessed LCD screen and buttons, a bit like the rugged-looking digital watches popular in the 80s. It is not very “fashion” but I don’t have to worry about damaging it by banging it into a hold."
"Snorkel here. I have the Instinct 2 and it is a rock…"
"It's rugged like me and doesn't break on my adventures!"
23
1
"It will last through 3 good days of hiking while using the GPS, if each day is like 7-8h of hiking, and it goes some sun exposure."
"I specifically got the Garmin for a wrist based gps and mapping tool to track and orient myself. ... The Millitary has been orienteering with Garmin wrist based gps systems forever."
"I can go for a week trip with gps and still have charge."
50
3
"the battery lasts 2 weeks, that's with 5 days worth of tracking runs and day to day use. Incredible."
"The solar cell allows you to capture very long rides or activities without having to worry about running out of power"
"recharges via solar so you won't need to plug in"
5
3
"However, it does not have a touchscreen - instead it has a recessed LCD screen and buttons, a bit like the rugged-looking digital watches popular in the 80s. It is not very “fashion” but I don’t have to worry about damaging it by banging it into a hold."
"Buttons instead of touch so it can be used while sweating buckets"
"Also the buttons are tactile and can be pressed even when you’re wearing neoprene gloves."
Disliked most:
2
2
"The Instinct 2 is fairly chunky, so you may or may not feel comfortable with it if you've a small wrist"
"it was too bulky"
0
4
"Main issue is no maps."
"it only has basic mapping and limited storage for bread-crumbing trails."
"it lacks topo maps"
7
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"During the activity the water gets in the way and you only get heart rate data from the watch, but after it downloads you can check which HR zone you were swimming in at certain paces. If you care about heart rate data this is the best way in my opinion, otherwise water gets between the optical sensor and your skin and throws off the readings completely."
"But after my both very dark sleeves were finished 6 months ago the heart rate sensor didn't work."
"the heart rate feature during activities is suspect, especially with wrist position on handlebars."
2
5
"I don’t get a lot of charge very often, and sometimes the charging breaks altogether until I restart the watch."
"For everyday use, I get little to no benefit from solar charging of my instinct 2 solar. ... It’s one of those things that sounds cool, but it mostly a gimmick."
"GPS uses more than can be gained though"
Yep, I just use the 'cardio' option and it tracks these workouts fine.
r/Garmininstinct • Planning to buy instinct 2 solar, need advice of workout tracking ->Just to add (I have the I2 solar), in summer, I don't need to charge - the top up from the sum nets out the drain with regular use. GPS uses more than can be gained though, depends on the amount of GPS you use though. I don't use a whole lot and am set to go chargerless.
r/Garmininstinct • Planning to buy instinct 2 solar, need advice of workout tracking ->I have an instinct 2 solar, I just wanted something functional, I didn't need hi-res screen etc. What I do I capture the workout, then use either the phone app or website to consume all the data. Works a treat!
r/Garmin • Would garmin be a good watch for my purposes? And which one? ->If you want to save yourself some money, the non-solar version is quite a bit cheaper and does everything the same, minus solar charging. For everyday use, I get little to no benefit from solar charging of my instinct 2 solar. It’s one of those things that sounds cool, but it mostly a gimmick. It *may* be useful if you’re off the grid for weeks at a time.
r/hikinggear • Smart watch with GPS recommendations ->The first and arguably best choice id recommend for anyone is the Garmin Instinct 2 (or the larger Instinct 2X), that’s about it, check it out and see what you think Yes it has smart notifications but you can fully turn off Bluetooth at the system level, and when you do, those notifications are completely gone just like many other models in the market, they’re not as intrusive as you think If you want something even simpler, check on the Suunto Core and if you want to go for something a bit more on the high end side, check on the Coros Vertix 2 which is a premium option but has an insane battery life, dual-band GPS and amazing performance over smart features. Funnily enough, I got both the Instinct 2 and the Coros Vertix which I alternate between but the Coros hits differ with the premium feel idk. You can try [9 Best Smartwatches Worth Investing in 2025: Hiking and Running](https://alaskanarrows.com/best-smartwatches-in-2025-for-hiking-and-running/) for others though Cheers, hope this helps!
r/backpacking • GPS watch recommendations for backcountry hiking/climbing withOUT notifications/texts/calls ->[9 Best Hiking Watches (2025) with GPS Worth Investing In](https://alaskanarrows.com/best-hiking-watches-with-gps-2025/) But if I’m gonna sum up my advice after all the research I’ve done on smartwatches and owning many (got the Fenix 7 and Instinct 2)…the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is overall the best value for money watch you can get. If you want more advanced navigation and features then the Garmin Forerunner 955 and if you’re drawn to something a bit different with strong battery and maps then check out the Coros Apex 2 Pro
r/hiking • Smartwatch suggestion for hiking / running / trail running ->I have the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar. I like it and I think it checks your boxes depending on your price point. I got mine for $300, and since the 3 just came out you may find better deals. It has a few fancy metrics if you want to use them but its overall theme is to do the simple things right: no frills display, accurate GPS, long battery life.
r/Ultramarathon • Simple watch - long battery life, pace, and GPS ->I have the Instinct 2, solar version. It will last through 3 good days of hiking while using the GPS, if each day is like 7-8h of hiking, and it goes some sun exposure. The only time it goes down crazy fast if when I do laps in a pool. There’s probably a reason but I don’t know why. I charge it every 14days while working out every day, and using the gps every other day.
r/hikinggear • Looking for fitness watch recommendations for JUST hiking ->The smartwatch stuff can be very distracting. I just turn on DND most of the time on my Garmin or even disconnect the phone. These are sports watches and when I'm exercising I just want to focus on the moment. If I'm hiking then I have my phone on airplane mode since weak signal drains battery like crazy too. Plus there's people who hike/bike/trail run with just breadcrumb maps on their Garmin Instinct. There's people that maybe sync their Instinct with their phone once a week or never at all. If you prefer design and minimalism above bells and whistles then it can be better even.
r/Suunto • Like the look of the Vertical 2 but is the software really that bad ? ->Just buy last gen's Fenix. I bought an Epix Pro earlier this month for $549, same price as the Venu 4. There have been sales for the Fenix 7X/Pro as low as $450 this year. The Instinct 2 Solar is my daily, I forget that I'm even wearing it with the light weight and not needing to charge. It feels like a normal watch and I always know the time because of the always-on MIP screen which is more readable than a G Shock and doesn't require a gesture to wake. The Epix is for hikes due to the maps.
r/GarminWatches • Venu 4 to Fenix 8 - I think it was the right decision ->I love my instinct 2 solar too, I don’t need another smart device.
r/Garmin • Which Garmin has the best battery life in days? I keep notifications off and only use it as an activity tracker (not a smartwatch) ->It has the primitivity of a Casio and the complexity of a smartwatch. It's slow navigating and interacting, but lacking function. Casio missed the smartwatch train, but is now trying to get on it. Casio is still so popular, because its users want a forget-about-it experience - years of battery life, daily functions like alarm and stopwatch. They had never made any modern 21st century technologies (now they have an AI pet), the watch was the first thing. I hope they try again as a lot of people would enjoy a simple health oriented Casio. For now, a US Garmin Instinct 2 solar might be the watch if you want simplicity and functionality for ~200€.
r/BuyFromEU • For the runners' out there, Casio's smartwatches are powered by Polar! ->I have solar, but it’s not worth it on the 2 in my opinion. I don’t get a lot of charge very often, and sometimes the charging breaks altogether until I restart the watch. It works fine for running — no issues with the GPS where I run — but Garmin Coach workouts do not sync to the watch (only Daily Suggested Workouts), and it’s not compatible with PacePro or ClimbPro. I use the Runna app with a subscription, and those workouts do make it to the watch. Overall, I would say my use case is similar to yours (I do hikes and a little backpacking as well), and I would rate it as a bit limited but “fine.” I did consider splurging on an Instinct 3 Solar or possibly Forerunner 955, but I spent the money on a Runna subscription instead and don’t regret it. Edit: Another limitation of the Instinct 2 is that it does not support wrist-based running dynamics. You have to use a separate Running Dynamics Pod or HRM Pro chest strap to get those stats on an Instinct 2.
r/Garmininstinct • Garmin Instinct 2 Suitability for Daily Running, Fitness and Wellness Tracking? ->My Garmin Instinct 2 Solar was nice to have on the PCT. Especially if you're hiking in very sunny places, the solar helped to slow down the discharge. If I turned off all the sensors, it would actually stay at ♾️ battery life.
r/Ultralight • So many new watches. Which watch is best for backpacking? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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