Garmin Instinct Solar Review - Unlimited Battery Life! Can It Compete With Fenix 6?
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Garmin Instinct Solar
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Original Garmin Instinct
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Fenix 6 Pro Solar
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Coros Apex Pro
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Quick Fit Bands for Instinct Solar
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Video Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:20 - Overview
01:18 - Design and Build Quality
02:25 - Display and Backlight
03:50 - Button Layout
04:10 - Heart Rate Sensor
04:30 - Silicone Band, Quick Fit Compatible
04:50 - User Interface Walkthrough
07:38 - Smartwatch Functions
08:00 - Activities and Customization
08:33 - Navigation and CPU Power
10:08 - Battery Life
12:00 - Solar Testing
13:00 - GPS Accuracy
14:12 - Altimeter Accuracy
14:40 - Heart Rate Accuracy
16:00 - Instinct Solar vs Fenix 6
18:19 - Conclusion - Who's it for?
![Garmin Instinct GPS Explained [GPS/Glonass/Galileo/UltraTrac]](/img/n.gif)
I'm still watching reviews of the instinct solar even though I'm already wearing one. I purchased it without a thought after coming across it randomly. So far no regret. Great review
Hah I often do that. It's a solid watch!
Is it worth getting??
Good to hear, mine arrives tomorrow...
How has your Instinct Solar held up so far?
@@7324edwin it's basically the same as it was when i first opened. Maybe a few scratches but the watch is durable. Could withstand lots of force. My battery is still holding up. I only charge once a month. I usually only use it for the time, weather, notifications and tracking steps. If you are looking for something smart with heaps of functions, you could look at the newer garmin models
This is the ultimate backcountry watch for intermittent gps use marking important locations for reference later and have it to get you out of trouble if you were to get spun around. This is like a survivalist or preppers dream watch. In battery saver mode you get date time steps floors climbed and can still use the ABC functions all with unlimited battery and you can easily turn on gps here or there if you need it and the watch can charge itself
It's pretty cool for the right person! Thanks for watching!
Is this working in practice?
CHK 6 yes absolutely for situations where you don’t care so much about tracking you trip but you just want to me able to mark occasional important places you can put it in power saver and just turn on gps as needed to mark them and or to get you pointed in the right direction. The battery will last indefinitely as long as you get 3 hours of sunlight per day (in the battery saver mode )which should be no problem in those type of situations. Even with zero sun exposure the battery saver mode last like 2 months approximately.even not in power save mode with all features on connected to my phone etc... if I sit in the sun for like 3 or 4 hours I gain one day of battery in that time. The gps is the biggest power drain so for training and tracking you will still need to plug it in every 10-14 days or so if you are out running cycling etc a hour or so a few times a week. Which is still ridiculous compared to an Apple Watch which need to be charged daily without even using the gps. The garmin is an amazing device and if you wanna load it up with waypoints before you head out into the great outdoors or simply mark your car before starting a hike you can do that and be sure you can get back without getting lost in case of emergency. I might make a video on it demonstrating it survival or preparedness capabilities as I have not seen it talked about much as most people are just focusing on smart notifications and using the watch to track a run or hike with all bells and whistles turned on.
@@chrismiscellaneous thanks for all the details man, you own one I presume?
@@isthi000ify yes I owned the original instinct and now I have owned the updated solar version since it has been released. Love this watch
Thanks for the thorough and great review. I picked up an instinct solar today from Amazon on Prime day for $249!! Can’t wait to get it..
Dang! That's a great price!
Me too!! Hope get comfortable with it and ditch the Apple Watch ⌚️
Dude same
Got mine on prime day for 249 also. Great price. I like it so far.
I did the same! Loving it so far 👍
Thank you so much for reviewing this great watch! I used to use a Suunto Core watch and a Fitbit Charge 2 until the latter died last year. I wanted to wear less on my wrists so I didn't replace it. Having lots of time on my hands during the lockdown, I came across this review, and as an outdoorsman and cyclist, I knew this was exactly what I needed! Six months on, I'm super happy with my Instinct Solar! It combines all the functionality of the Suunto and the Fitbit, and a lot more besides, in one rugged watch.
As an aside, I recently tracked a short hike through a gorge using the Instinct and a handheld (eTrex 20x) and the watch actually showed a more accurate track than the handheld!.
Thanks for sharing! The Instinct is a really cool watch!
I’ve been rocking the tactical version. The solar is a lifesaver for deployment and field ops.
Nice!
OPSEC for military? Anyone know if I’ll get chewed out for having this on deployment ?
@@salinascgs probably depends on ur. Platoons or company sops
@@salinascgs commanders discretion
An informative, easy to follow review with a very helpful comparison to another of Garmin’s quality products. Nicely done! That 20-minute review flew by!
Thank you so much!
You do an awesome job of giving balanced reviews! Thank you for thinking through multiple perspectives and plowing through all the video editing. Keep up the good work! It made a difference for my decision. I'm a hiker/mountain runner and this watch just seems to fit me. Thank you!
Caleb Braun thanks so much! Glad it was helpful!
Despite of them watches, can we all stop here and appreciate this man for doing his thing. Well done buddy. very objective material, quality review that is!
Glad it was helpful!
Got mine about 2 days ago! 😃
Black Tactical and solar😃. Still learning all of it's features.
Nice!
@12:21, just received an update August 20th on my Instinct Solar... it shows battery percentage now.
Whaaa?! I gotta update mine. Thanks for the tip!
@@ChaseTheSummit Welcome :-)
@@ChaseTheSummit hello greetings from Brazil. If you press Menu , the watch Will show on the ‘little ball’ the days left, and then shows also the percentage.
That's an additional wow!
thanks for your review i ordered the surf edition and you replied to every tiny comments here, great job love your work.
Awesome! Enjoy it!
did you try it out in the water? does it do the job?
Excellent review , as a hiking guy I'd probably go for the instinct, no frills . Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪👌
This was a great review. I am really thinking of getting the solar now. I want to charge rarely and be able to use this for long backpacking trips without needing to recharge it. Love it
Glad it was helpful!
Great review! I purchased the Instinct Solar and really appreciate your explanation of the features. Nice video! I am really liking the watch, but still have to play around with it more to learn the all features. It makes sense for me not to spend more money on a Fenix 6 or 7, as I don't need all those extra features. Thank you!
Thanks man! Your reviews are just great and extremely useful!
Glad you like them!
I have had a Garmin Instinct than I switched to a Fenix 6x pro and to a Venu 2 but I am back Again to instinct Solar. Best Watch so far for my needs
Nice!
I bought one and instead of reading the manual I just came here ;) great review
Haha thanks!
Hell there could you tell me... does it tell you how many calories you’re burning.👍?
@@topcat2166 Yes, during the activity it gives you active burning calories, example this morning I went to crossfit and used the profile Cardio and it gives you active calories burned
@@myveryownchannel thanks.😇
As a keen hiker, I was curious about this watch. I did not want something too expensive, from your video the watch seems very practical for me. Thank you for the review, it was very helpful.
Buy Garmin instinct solar, you will have no regrets. It performs any technical, health and lifestyle support. 5⭐
Nice one mate, best review ive found. Definitely getting the instinct solar for mountaineering use, should be awesome!. Thanks again. Mike
Glad it was helpful!
Had mine over a year. Love it. Pretty darn accurate and two weeks worth of battery life without having to go into battery saver mode.
I need something like the Instinct. To track steps. I looked at tons of smartwatches. The hole charging factor was the issue. This is massive. I'll leave it in power saving mode and call it a day. thanks for the great review you earned my sub!!!
In Battery Saver mode the watch lasts soooo long it's crazy. Thanks for watching.
I just ordered one after seeing Joseph Garbaccio use one for his training sessions. Ver clear and useful review ! Can't wait to rock mine ! Thank you for this video !
Enjoy it!
Great review thanks! Just purchased one. I'm a mountain biker and trail runner and wanted something simple. That ticks all the boxes!
Sounds perfect! Enjoy!
that was everything a review should be. I did find the background music distracting though, it sounded like an alarm going off on a device. Your content and delivery is strong enough without it, maybe even stronger. I am going to buy this watch right now, based on your review.
Thanks! Yup, I’ve since removed background music from my videos. This was an older one 😂
Very detailed review. You sold me! Thanks!
Glad I could help!
Same! This review basically made me get my own Instinct Solar. Great, rugged, feature-rich smart watch.
Its a great and detailed review. I liked all your points and the detailed analysis of Pros & Cons of this watch. Thank you for your work.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome review. Really appreciate how categorized and informative it is; definitely ironed out any worries I had about getting an instinct solar!
Thanks! Glad you found it helpful!
Thank you for this video! A real useful and perfect analysis! 🙏
I have a forerunner 45 which I use
for my runs. But the Instinct Solar has features like the compass and SpO2 that I want and it is also a nice looking watch with an excellent battery life !!
Thanks for sharing. The instinct is excellent!
@@ChaseTheSummit Does Instinct have VO2Max? I have that on my FR45 and I find that useful. If it does not have VO2max, then i will miss it in my runs... :(
@@ajitbabu241 it does not have that
What an awesome video Dave. This was very detailed and especially for new user, the button and interface walkthrough was a life saver. Keep making such informative videos
Glad it was helpful!
Forgot to mention, glad you finally got your hands on an Instinct Solar and was able to get a review out. Thx for another awesome review. I had both the Fenix and Instinct... hard time deciding between the two... stuck to the Instinct Solar... battery life is a game changer. I'm a runner (weigh-lifting and biker-road/trail as well) and am more than happy using this watch for running... VO2 max (42... incredibly laughable running a sub 5min mile at 35 years old), time predictors, etc weren't accurate for me anyhow... maybe because my resting heart rate is in the mid-30's; my weight is nearly 200lbs at 5'8 and labels me obese? Regarding the footpod, watch has been very accurate for me on the treadmill (usually within 0.1 miles) running a 5k... Apple Watch, Fitbit, etc never came near that kind of accuracy for me. Great watch and well designed... Tried a Vivosport too in the past... awful fitness tracker with GPS which is why I avoided Garmin for so long... that device was absolute junk other than GPS.
Thanks! I'm glad Garmin released a device like this. Like I said in the video it reminds me of some Coros watches putting an emphasis on GPS performance, battery life and reliability and leaving a lot of the extra fluff to the Fenix and Forerunner watches. It's a cool watch for the right person. No frills, accurate enough, gets the job done. Thanks for watching!
@@ChaseTheSummit I agree with your assessment, right on point. I liked the frills of the Fenix 6, at first, then realized they weren't accurate for me lol. The Instinct Solar covers the basics extremely well/excellent for a fraction of the price ($320 with 20% student discount through studentbeans.com... coupon code for Garmin's site). Take care man, have a good weekend. Lay off those miles, I use to do Ranger Challenge, etc and it will Catch up to those knees and heart... genetics play a huge factor too though... wear and tear is wear and tear.
Thanks for your opinion. I bought it today.
Hope you enjoy it!
Fantastic reviews man! I've watched several of your watch review videos the past couple of days trying to decide whihc watch I want to get. Great quality, no BS info. Just solid quality reviews bro! Thank you, subscribed!
This is a great review. I feel like you went in-depth enough on the features that ultimately matter the most to folks that are buying this watch.
Thanks! Glad you found it helpful!
Thanks so much. Your review is very helpful since I’m considering on buying the Garmin Instinct Solar Surf Edition. Have a great day!
i got mine a couple of weeks ago to replace my Casio Pro trek WSD-F30 smart watch after missing the solar power of my older Casio Pro trek PRG-80, the fact that wear OS kind of sucks for crashes & connectivity problems :( and the built in GPS haveing terrible software. this Garmin Solar Instinct is like my old Casio Pro trek PRG-80 and my old Garmin foretrex 401 GPS had a baby!!!! but then got an adition of smart watch features..... absolutly love it! its the kind of watch iv been dreaming of since a kid! Solar, GPS, Barometer, time....... the other features of the hart rate sensor, and smart watch options are a bonus..... :). i was considering the higher end solar garmin watches, but for me they dident add anything and i would of had the disadvantage of less solar and battery life... so the instinct solar for me is the best around :)
Exactly my feelings too, it's a modern G Shock that Casio should have built instead of these monstrosities that they released recently.
Glad it's the right fit for you! I've never been able to justify the size of those Casio watches. Hopefully the Instinct Solar will light a fire at Casio that makes them develop something a bit sleeker. Thanks for watching.
eye my old casio PRG-80 iv had since i was a kid, came in rely handy for my old wild camping trips with the barometer, so i think i forced myself to accept the size. :) was definitly built like a tank tho!, lost it outside once and when i found it a few days later it was stuck in a frozen puddle. still works to this day XD. moveing from the casio pro trek range to the Garmin Solar Instinct was a rely strange feeling tho with it being so much smaller and lighter.... so much more comfortable. and i agree with keinPiez, the latest casio G Shock watches with GPS and even the latest pro trek watches are a joke :( its a real shame..... this garmin instinct solar kind of feels more like how casio should of done there newer watches, hell if it dident say garmin on the watch, and there was a bit more metal too it id think it was a casio watch XD lol.
and thank you for makeing this video :). garmin definitly deserves more of a look in after this line of solar watches.... they could of spent all there RND in beautifying there original instinct, but instead they just made it more of a useful tool which im all for! :) "she may not be pretty buy she sure is smart"
This is the best garmin review I've watched. Sad it doesn't have the music saving function and it seems to not be geared towards sports.. I really like the solar power function but it seems that Forerunner 945 is better for my needs. Thanks for the great review. It's amazing how you respond to the commenters queries. 😮👏👏
Yep, this is more of an outdoor/hiking watch. 945 is awesome! Thanks for watching!
Great review! I really enjoy the Instinct series; prefer them over "high end" Garmins 👍
It's nice to have options. The Instinct gets the job done. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this video. I just bought this watch and look forward to using as an expedition guide!
Awesome! Seems like a good fit with this watch.
Good stuff, thanks for that video :) I was very curious about the GPS accuracy on the Instinct Solar. And to add some European perspective to the mix. When you talk about Garmins competitors you've missed Suunto which is much bigger out here than in the US I think. I view the Instinct Solar as the next version of Suunto Ambit 3 Peak - a model that will not get its successor from Suunto but actually, it might got one from Garmin :) Cheers!
I never mention Suunto because I don't have any of their devices but that changed last week when they sent over the 9 Baro and 7! Testing is under way! Thanks for watching.
I like how your review is more technical, more details than the product's page itself. Also helped to push me even closer to Instinct Solar.
I'm not an avid hiker or outdoor type but I love the solar-powered which is ideal to where I live (tropic climate which has lots of sun and rain whole year) so less hassle to keep on plug on cable to charge (the worst thing about keep on charging using cable is when you want to use the device ASAP but have to wait thr battery to be charged first).
I also like how the screen design is deeper than the surrounding of the face as I tend to drop stuff so hopefully this will help to prevent major scratches (I had a tracker that fall on concrete ground and terribly scratched as the screen is flat without raised edges to protect it).
What I also agree about your point was the part about a device has so many functions that people complained that they will not use all so I think even though Fenix 6 has more attractive colourful display, I find that I'm more comfortable with the simplier features of Instinct Solar. Plus, some of those features in Fenix 6, I'm more comfortable to use on phone.
Lastly, price comparison also plays major part for me to decide hehe.
P/s: I wish I can help you by using your link to buy products but I'm not from USA 😅.
Haha, thanks! My links should work in your region as well as long as you have Amazon! But don't feel obligated. Thanks for watching!
You're doing a great job, I've been stalking your channel for some time now because of very informative and in-depth reviews. Watched most of them, and I'm not even a runner. Just started cycling daily to lose some weight, and I was thinking of buying a GPS watch to track it. Is Instinct Solar a good choice for a pretty casual cycling/walking or should I look for something else? I've read and watched tons of reviews and still can't decide.
Keep up the great work!
Thanks so much! Appreciate the kind words. I think the instinct would do the job buy maybe a Forerunner would help you train a little smarter since it offers more fitness metrics. Either way works!
Awesome review man. I am really looking into this watch at the moment and found everything you covered here so helpful, thank you and great job! Very cool that you compared it to the fenix 6 as well
Thanks! Glad it was helpful!
I wish all youtube review videos were this professional
Thanks!
I like your reviews! They are honest and in depth! I wanted to know about this watch to replace my Forerunner!
Thanks! Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for the great and detailed review. Great work!
Thanks for watching!
Still don't know why no Vo2max function on all Garmin Instinct ( Solar & Non-Solar).But Garmin did add Vo2Max to Cheaper model like forerunner FR35 by FW few months ago. Great review as always !!
It's certainly an odd feature to leave out but I get why they did it. This isn't a running or cycling watch. They designed it for the "outdoorsy" types and left out some features to differentiate it from the Fenix. I do wish they'd just make a plastic fenix 6 though! Something super light weight with all of the same features. Thanks for watching!
Your VO2 max is visible in Garmin Connect.
@@philmountain9290 If you're using an Instinct or Instinct Solar there is no V02 Max metric even in the phone app or Garmin Connect. You might have another Garmin watch paired that supports this but It's simply not an included feature of the Instinct or Instinct Solar watches. You can find multiple threads requesting that this be changed in Garmin's Forums. The instinct also lacks other training tools like training load, training focus, performance condition, etc... unfortunately. Hope this helps! Thanks for watching.
Great review, thinking about picking this up for my many backpack/bikepacking adventures I plan on doing. Don't think there is anything else to compete with this watch for my desired use.
Probably a really solid choice for bike packing as well as backpacking. It's essentially designed with Hiking/Trekking/Expeditions in mind! Enjoy!
Thank you! This is the first solar watch from Garmin that charge during my day with everything on ...!
That's awesome!
Thanks for the review i live in hawaii and this is a perfect watch for activities i do daily🤙🏾
Excellent! Jealous of your location!
great review mate, i just order mine Solar and really enjoy watching your video.. keep up the good work, greetings from Croatia.. ✌
Thanks for watching!
This review is extremally thorough, and has influenced my purchase options greatly.
-Thankyou
Thanks for watching!
Had my instinct tactical solar for almost two months already..so far its doing great...
Awesome!
Does the tactical solar worth the extra money to pay vs the solar?
@@cristianocollarin2236 uhm i dont know..maybe or maybe not worth it vs the instinct solar..i guess the only the only difference between the two is the tactical feature where it will calculate everything from heartrate, distance traveled, currrent location, pace.. which i dont usually use becaused it uses a lot of battery..
Thank you. My son bought me one for Christmas. Can I add heart rate to the main screen? Great video.
Yup! Just need to edit your watchface data fields under settings > watchface. Thanks for watching!
Great video! This is top of my short list.. I saw the forerunner 945 on sale for $100 more than this model also on sale.. battery life is a big selling point to me though and I wouldn’t really use some of the features on the 945. I love that it’s military grade tough and more water resistant than other models. Thanks for the review you do a great job with them!
Wonderful review 👍👍
Do we require tempered glass on the screen of this watch??
If you care about scratches a screen protector is a smart choice however Garmin doesn't endorse the use as it might interfere with Solar functionality. Thanks for watching!
I already have a fenix 6 pro titanium and don't need a new one. Still, for some reason I keep watching your reviews. Great stuff your video's. Thanks for that. Please keep them coming...😃 🇱🇺
Glad you like them!
11:25 Exactly what I wanted...
Sometimes a basic watch is the best watch.
For sure! The Instinct reminds me of the old original Garmin Fenix. It got the job done with not too much fluff!
It's not basic by any means, it's a tough hitec GPS ABC Garmin, mono screen is a big power save by itself.
Thanks for visually comparing Fenix 6 with the Instinct! Many people asked for this including me:-).
I prefer the Fenix maps but don't like the Fenix 6 weight. I'm hoping we'll see the 955 next month to have blend of that. No solar probably but you still don't have to charge it often in regular watchmode. And in GPS mode you want to recharge even with solar since it takes forever otherwise.
I was thinking about this the other day actually. If they left the 945's screen small, but turned the thick bezel around it into a solar panel I think it would be pretty cool to see that on the 955? Who knows... Hopefully we see something like that soon. Thanks for watching!
@@ChaseTheSummit That would be great but discovered new product codes in last year's APK showed '955' and '955 LTE' besides '6 Solar'. So most likely no solar since it isn't in the name (of course speculation still). I'm guessing 1.3" with new power modes.
There were couple of patent submissions last month that indicated those 2 models could be announced early September with disclosure date September 9th. I hope we'll hear more soon.
Excellent review and comparison! Thanks dude!
Thanks!
Thanks for the in-depth review of both of these. Superb! Really informative and helped me make a decision for what I need in terms of running since I am not really looking for something for long adventures. Kudos!👍😁
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome review I just picked up the yellow one a week ago and I'm loving it almost more than my 5x I just wish it had onboard music or vo2
They were pretty strategic on what to leave off of the instinct in order to get people to jump up to the Fenix or 945. It's a cool watch though. I like the simplicity.
@@ChaseTheSummit Yeah I hate that strategy, It's too obvious imo (lack of a barometer in forerunners..) O.o. I guess I'm gonna keep my basic forerunner and get square g shock for the outdoors. The fenix is nice but a bit pricey for me to have it only for sport/trip activities (I also love mechanical watches and I don't care how many steps I stepped :D )
My Garmin solar instinct didn't even last a year , and was wrong so often I gave up with and went back to my ancient 205 forerunner . Proving that old stuff can still be best. My 205 is 25 years old and never lets me down .
Great video lad!
And I love the Instinct series (I have the old one) its seems like they added a lot in the new one though.
I have smashed my watch into trees whilst MTB
Ive fallen with it whilst trail running
I took it through gorges in South Africa ive climbed with it.
And NOT. A. SCRATCH.
Absolute unit.
If Garmin did include connect IQ (which i really dont mind) and the sports metric, people would be ditching Fenix for Instinct.
Cheers man!
Again great content
Thanks for watching!
Yeah I believe that! Also I think that maybe this is the reason why Garmin not adding all the running metrics on instinct, because the gap between instinct and fenix line will be even closer.
@@isavv_ True. I even prefer the display, the looks and the weight of Instinct. I just miss the advanced sport metrics. I hope they make Instinct Pro or something with all the sport goodies and I'll gladly pay more for it.
@@burtonBG I don't know about all the metrics other watches have,as instinct solar is my first Garmin watch,but i sync my data to runalize,and I have pretty much everything..from vo2 max,to recover days,training load, etc..
@@isavv_ sounds interestig. I'll check it out. Thanks!
Awesome! Thank you for the info bro. Going for a Fenix 6 sapphire based on my work and all of the info I've gotten from your reviews. Keep up the good work
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome video! I bought one because of it.
Hope you enjoy it!
I was eyeing the Instinct up for about month... the day the Instinct Solar was released, my mind was made instantly and I purchased it straight away. I love it, It reminds me of my G-Shock but with infinitely more functionality. This is a tough watch for tough environments and I use mine for Mountain biking, where the risks are high... I need a watch that can take the abuse. The battery life is phenomenal compared to the competition and nothing comes close. I love my 945 but the Instinct is a “no nonsense” powerful tool for when things get a little lively out there and I think it’s strong point is its design and functionality simplicity... it’s very intuitive to use and there’s no distractions with unnecessary features. If you like things wild, this will serve you well
Totally agree, thanks for watching!
Nice work! Your review helped me decide and Santa did the rest! Early days but pleased so far
Awesome! Enjoy!
Great review. Good pace, just the right detail. Gonna buy an Instinct Solar Surf now. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
The deal breaker is that the face is small and then they waste some of it with that circle in the top right. Why oh why can't that be part of the screen and changeable. I do like this watch Can you think of a similar watch with monochrome always on display? Thank you. Great review.
You can customize the little window but yes, it certainly takes up real estate. I think a similar watch (with less features) is the Casio G-Shock GBD-H1000 but you don’t get a lot of what the Instinct has to offer with that one. You could also look into an older Fenix as they used to be monochrome.
Purchased one in India solely on your detailed review. Thanks keep up the good work 👍🏼
Awesome! Enjoy!
Hey man, awesome review! Buying the tactical version of the instinct solar right now. High five and hurting my bank account!
Ha! RIP Bank Account. Enjoy the watch!
Man I love your video setup and lighting! Also your review helped me with my buying decision, thank you!
Thanks!
This was amazing and so helpful i just found your channel and subscribed. I could not have asked for a better review.
Glad you found it helpful!
Really nice tutorial. Thanks a lot for doing this video. Seriously considering to buy this particular watch since I do a lot of MTB and hiking.
It's a solid option for those activities! Thanks for watching.
This is my first video Ive watch from your channel, great stuff. I'm going to save for this watch, love the battery save solar feature with all the other GPS goodies.
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
Excellent content mate, answers a lot of questions, just wish I could have had a shot of Havana Club everytime you said Instinct Solar 😇, Seriously though, great job! 👍
Haha, thanks for the feedback.
Glad your comparing it to your Fenix as that's exactly what I'm tossing up
Thanks for the review! I have a Fenix 3 HR and still love it, I was looking at the solar feature of the Instinct but your review convince me to stick with my Fenix 3 HR or getting the Fenix 6 8-)
You covered everything I needed to know in great detail. It is a shame that the Instinct Solar cost almost twice as much here in Australia. ($700 $Aus). Similar to mobile phones and American Cars plus pickups trucks. We get ripped off!!!
Whoa! That's a lot of money! Why is that?
Note the Instinct battery life in days is adaptive. So if you get +9 days after 1 hour of sun exposure, then in reality it assumes you get this exposure daily from now on. So this isn't indicating just the 1 day gain. If you install 9.94 beta or later you get battery % in the main menu (toggles between days and % in circle status). From my testing it's 1% per hour so that means you need about 2 hours in saver mode to run forever.
Also I see same flickery grid look with the backlight in the dark. It's readable but more fuzzy.
Good to know! I'm looking forward to that firmware update. Thanks for watching!
Thanks
Getting one for Xmas, I cannot wait! excellent review thanks
Hope you like it!
Great video! And I received a Chase the Summit window decal on the mail this week I wasn't expecting! Thanks!
You're welcome! Enjoy!
Great review for using this video to decide which watch have a good day
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you. Excellent review. You answered all my questions.
Glad it was helpful!
Brilliant review. Thanks man!
Thanks for watching!
Great review! I am seriously considering upgrading my Vivoactive 3, and this is one of the watch I am looking at. That watch , and a Garmin Montana 750i, we are ready to go anywhere outside ! :-) Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
I replaced my vivoactive 3 with this one, happy with the change so far
Nice review.... I will be buying one for sure.... I already own the original Instinc which I love and a Fenix 6x as well. I can't believe the huge price increase though... at $599 CAD I am hoping for an amazon sale at some point so I can pick one up....
Yeah, that double price jump is a bit steep. But, like I said... it's an entirely new watch! Thanks for watching!
Metal is unlike plastic, not radio transparent, thus it's not a big surprise that the Instinct has good radio signal reception e.g. GPS.
I also don't mind plastic as a case material, I thing good quality plastic has lots of pros: really good for touch-feel, durability, and, although not trivial, also impact resistence as its "plastic" nature dissipates the kinetic impact energy that otherwise would be passed through to the delicate components inside. I like the device, it seems like it's designed for a very specific purpose and everything that doesn't add to its design ethos was cut from the feature list. It's got a lot of base functionality around its GPS and battery life, that is also well implemented. A big let-down though (but I guess it comes with the focus and optimization) is that the functionality cannot be extended through Connect IQ, making it very limited as a "smart" watch.
Great video, thanks for the nice review. Best from Portugal!
That's my theory. Similar for the Forerunner 945. What's odd though is that Garmin uses the bezel of the Fenix 6 as it's antenna. I would have thought that would give it an advantage but it still seems like it's not as accurate as the rest. Thanks for watching!
That was a killer review! I appreciate it and it helped me make my choice.
Glad it helped!
you compare and test it very deep and detail.. definitely subscribe!
PS: and fair!
Thank you!
Great review, really detailed and useful. Just ordered mine.😎
Awesome, thank you!
Wonderful and in depth analysis. I have been using the first Apple watch for last 3-4 years and has stopped working now. I am looking for a change. I think this suits me best after watching..thanks mate.. what about forerunner 745 ??
The 745 is very different compared to the Instinct Solar. It's more suited for triathlon or marathon training. It has training tools like training load, focus, V02 Max estimate, etc... Where as the Instinct Solar is designed for trail running, hiking, climbing, etc... and is more utilitarian. Both are great watches, just designed for different uses. Hope that helps!
3-4 life span eh... wow. the things we make these days is absolute garbage. Not exactly the multi generational wathches anymore..
I was really disappointed that Garmins business model intentionally excluded tides information/chart from the regular watch so far. In a smartwatch (!), at that price, in those days, it seems a ridiculous joke to me that they intentionally exclude tide information from regular watches. One is also deprived from choosing amongst all the colors - if you want tides infos. Even if its simply for a chilly seaside walk and you would love to know if the sea is coming up or going down at the beach. Ach... Really worth the dollars by excluding this? The watch feels incomplete and amputated. And you think: "Arg, no! Can't possibly be true!!" What for a really evil move from Garmin.
That said, couldn't they create a universal watch with all the features included from standard to surf to tactical etc. Wouldn't THAT sell?
You do a very thorough job! Wonderful to watch your dedication! Very Inspiring. Thank you very much!
You helped me buy my Solar Instinct. And It's amazing that you answer each comment! Thank you again Dave!!! ! Lets Chase the Summit!!! :-) :-) :-)
Garmin tends to do this with a lot of features (running dynamics for example). I think the reasoning behind it is because just like any software it costs money to license/develop the software so they exclude it to certain sku's. Kind of like buying a laptop with Microsoft Office installed vs one without... The one with the extra software costs more money. On the other hand, I don't want to give them too much credit since there are devices like Apple Watch and Wear OS devices that have access to thousands of additional apps (including tides) on the app store.
@@ChaseTheSummit Yes. Especially talking about the tides information... this is only a chart. It's not high-end sophisticated software. It's extremely basic information and has been on basic watches (or the Casio G-Shock) since decades.
Thanks for this honest review. I am looking for a decent watch and not necessarily a watch for running so I might go for this after your review.
Glad I could help!
I'm one of the "COROS nothing fancy get the job done" types. I used to be a Garmin guy but was lured by the Chinese battery life!!! Great videos...well done. Trying hard and succeeding.
I think I might be one of those types too at heart... But man! Technology keeps moving forward. Thanks for watching.
Garmin instinct solar will be perfect for my hiking activites. By having it, i wont have to rely on my phone gaia gps which consumes alot batery power. Not only that, it will be easy to navigate during rainy days and track back my route. I like the simple design and navigation function. Gorgeous!!!
Sounds like the right tool for the job!
I got the original Fenix watch. Liked it but had problems and eventually gave out. I upgraded to the full color map version but sent it back. I had the money and ready to spend it but didn't like the direction the Fenix line was taking so I waited. I've been waiting for something that hunters, fishermen could use without all the fitness features (though I do train and like the limited features it has). Tempted to get the instinct but glad I held out for the solar version. I've had it for over a month now and all works great. Love the solar upgrade and it works great! Price point a little high for B/W but love the watch. If Garmin could do a color version and keep the price point the same, that would be a nice upgrade and value. For outdoorsmen, this is a good watch. I also do a lot of international travel but since covid haven't had a chance to try it in an international setting.
Sounds like you found the right fit! Glad to hear you're enjoying it.
Awesome review I’m looking at getting this for my cycling and gym work seems to be ideal for that…
lol, I love that you took the time to write this comment. You must be a REAL looker. Congrats 😉
@@ChaseTheSummit lol I have ordered one now so hopefully it comes soon
Thanks mate. Just getting mine. Down to $399 AU. Moving from a Samsung that just has too much fluff. I use heart rate for cycling. I like the fact that it seems like a tough watch.
Thanks for sharing! It's certainly tough!
Thanks for this review! Just started shopping around, so no decisions yet, but you definitely gave me a lot to think about. One question, slightly off topic - when you were showing the GPS accuracy, for example, what application was that? I'm looking for something where my Garmin, MyFitnessPal, and a number of other fitness/health tracking type stuff can all sync in one place, and I wondered if that might be the magic bullet I'm looking for. Thanks again!!
I use Quantified IO for comparing GPS tracks. It's not really designed for syncing data. More of a comparison software. Thanks for watching!