Daytime visibility of the instinct is second to none. It's basically a Garmin g shock. Had mine for a year and absolutely love it. I put it on battery saver while on my daily 2 hour rides and it keeps it charged so we'll that I can't even remember how often I charge it.
Thanks for the vid, I've recently changed to Enduro, but I've been using Instincts (first base then solar tactical) for 2.5 years now. I loved them, an chose them on purpose. Simplicity is sometimes a bonus :-) I just would like to add to things to the video: 1) training: if you want the watch to be your trainer, yes, Instinct doesn't work. But it can guide structured workouts from Garmin Coach or TP. (I used both). 2) Durability: The Instinct is plastic, but it is made VERY durable. I've seen someone drive a car over it, put it into boiling water, etc. No problem.
I have my bases covered. I have a Garmin Instinct Solar as my "apocalypse" watch and a TicWatch 3 Pro GPS Ultra as my everyday smartwatch. Really a great combo that mitigates battery anxiety and covers a broad spectrum. Both of the watches together are cheaper than a Fenix 6 offering.
@@ChaseTheSummit When I'm at home home I wear the TicWatch because of the Google Assistant and the fact that I have a good few smart home devices which I can now control through the watch. I'll also wear it out to more casual environments. I wear the Garmin to work which is a physical job with a lot of potential for knocks and bumps. I have a screen protector as well as a silicone cover over the Garmin. If I go hiking then the Garmin is also my go to device.
I've never really played with the Instinct. I have seen some really good deals on that watch over the past few months. I might struggle to love that screen but it'd get the job done. Great summary of the differences!
I like that it's not a touch screen... The touch screen gets hit accidentally all the time and in my opinion that doesn't work for me with my line of work.
I'd have got the Fenix but it has no bezel protection of the screen. You fall off your bike or slip and hit a rock, say goodbye to your Fenix screen. Instinct Solar has amazing screen protection and still room to fit a protector too. The instinct HR sensor is amazing (same on both I know) much better than the GW4 which is a joke of a watch! Sleep tracking is poor. I wish the Instinct Solar had better coaching / suggestions like the Fenix that is the only feature I'd really like. If they made a Fenix with a decent bezel I'd look at buying one!
I went for the Garmin Instinct because of battery and as it has still has more functions than most other GPS watches. In summer with running and paddling 3hrs a day the battery life went out to 60 days (winter is about 15 without doing any power saving). You still get a ton of data on Garmin connect and navigation is awesome even with out topo maps.
ive ben offered a brand new instinct solar for GBP 157 whereas a used instinct 2 solar is being sold for north of GBP 240. im not into music or high end fitness features and not sure what IQ Connect has to offer. I am ONLY into offroading, hiking and camping only. which is a better buy? (btw i already have a G shock GW 9400 which is the God of ABC watches).
What would you suggest for someone who cares immensely on heartrate, o2 monitoring, steps and sleep tracking. I work in a refinery so its alot of working and sedintary time. Shift worker so sleep monitoring is my major concern. Currently have a samsung watch 3. Prior Army so the bulking gshocks dont bother me. What would you suggest. Excercise is mostly playing soccer and disc golf. Dont really care much about those metrics. Thanks
Some of the best HR tracking I've seen so far are from the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE / Venu 2 with the Elevate 4.0 sensor and the Apple Watch Series 6/7. Both are pretty impressive. If HR tracking is your top priority I'd look into these.
I've been using the original non-solar Instinct for about 2.5 years. Today I just bought a Fenix 6 Sapphire on sale at REI. I love the Instinct and it's been a fantastic, bomb-proof (it's survived more MTB wrecks than I can count...) watch, but I'm getting more into long distance trail running with an eye toward ultras. I'll pass the Instict to my son.
@@ChaseTheSummit on second thought, I ended up with the 6X Sapphire for $50 more. It's big, but the extra battery life got me! First run tomorrow morning. Thanks for the reviews!
Great video as always ! My two cents in changing bands on Instinct: just a toothpicks or a paperclip is needed as the "horns" got holes where you can reach the springbars. So it is a matter of second. ;-)
I find Garmin watches strange sometimes because if it is not a Forerunner or Fenix you miss out on the best functions that a sports watch can have, the only thing you win is body batter and nothing else, any other watch like a Huawei, Amazfit does the same and maybe a little more but without a body battery which I think is a useful function but no one is going to base their workouts on that.
I suppose it depends on your use case. The Instinct is a rock solid option for a no-frills GPS tracker with pretty solid navigation functions. But as a smartwatch, there's definitely something to be desired.
Just received my Instinct Solar yesterday. Getting off the Polar Grit X as Polar doesn’t please me anymore. So far I love the Instinct, it’s a man’s watch.
Nice review…..waiting for fenix 7, Seem like it will be coming out soon. Garmin is not carrying many fenix 6 online , unless they are having the same production issues others are having.
Broke my Forerunner 645 ( band housing cracked 🤦🏽♂️) just recently and I saw the great deal Garmin had on the Instinct. Love your detail review on it and I purchased one. The simplicity and “get shit done” did it for me being an ultra runner. Keep up the great reviews homie 👊🏽
Awesome content. I just purchased the Garmin Marq Adventure and love it. Everything is so easy to use. Even changing out the bands is quick and easy. Couldn’t be more happier.
Really nice review!! I got my instinct solar last year on double eleven event in China for crazy deal. I love it! This year I got my new Fenix 6 sapphire and its so much nicer to look, definately love it! It fits so much nicer in suits.
I went from the original instinct to the tactix delta. I loved the instinct and never had any issues really. I change the band to a normal quick release and think it looks a lot better overall. the battery seemed to last forever on the instinct. I don’t think you need solar on that one. After running with both and actually measuring the distances I run by my house I found my tactix delta more accurate for a mile distance. The Instinct seemed to have me running just a little further to hit that mile idk why but not off by much. I just did a ten mile run with my delta and it was spot on.
When I bought my fenix 6 last year, I also ordered the tactix delta, having had the tactix bravo. The delta is a fantastic watch, but just a bit too big for me...
the instinct should have all the maps features. It makes no sense to have a hiking watch without maps.......... the reality is that most smart watches are better at being smart watches than anything Garmin offers. The few places where garmin wins against a smart watch really aren't worth the huge difference in price. Garmin needs to partner with a smart phone/watch brand like samsung.
It still has very capable navigation functions and breadcrumb mapping is typically more than enough in most cases. Unfortunately, proper mapping takes more CPU power, storage, and other resources that the Instinct doesn't have. Woof! I'd hate to see Samsung taint the Garmin's! lol. Thanks for watching!
Awesome Review, MANY THANKS !!! Just something small I picked up at the end, you mentioned the Instinct does not have Garmin Connect ... The Instinct does have Garmin Connect, it does not have Garmin ConnectIQ. This review was loaded with awesome information, so thanks again.
I find the active calories to be way too over counted on my solar instinct. I’ve gone through every google and reddit link for a fix but didn’t find any. For eg: One morning, barely doing any activity and pretty much lying on the bed, the instinct reported about 280 active calories burned. Similar routine Apple Watch 3 had reported 20 cals ... I find the Apple Watch reporting calories closer to what a treadmill reports when I do jogging but Instinct reports way more! If only my calories were properly calculated .. I’d rate it as a perfect watch ! I have seen this reported so many times for garmin watches but no fix :(
@@ChaseTheSummit unfortunately I don’t have any other devices except my Apple Watch or the gym treadmill that I regularly run on. I didn’t have a very active day today (barely 3.5k steps, no other exercise) but the active calories reported is 2808 and resting at 2061. I weigh 184 lbs, 5’11 male. I don’t think I burned 2800+ calories. When I go on treadmill, I usually run for 30-45 mins averaging 280-320 calories. I’m sweating in that.. There’s no way I’m burning 10x more by doing negligible amount of workout. Granted the treadmill doesn’t have my bio but it can’t be 10x difference! Maybe I need to do a more systematic test. I’ll report back with a comparison with my Apple Watch
@diglory89 Gotcha! Indeed that seems high. Keep in mind that Garmin does include your basil metabolic rate in these numbers and not just active calories. For someone your size and weight that would probably account for 2,000 of your daily calories. Some other brands like COROS only display active calories and I feel like that's a more obvious way to present it.
My EDC is the Garmin Fenix 6X Pro Solar (Silver Bezel with Silver Vented Bracelet).. Love it and totally reliable! Looking forward to Garmin releasing the Fenix 7 (hopefully in 2022).. Great Review.. 🇺🇸
I would actually like to see a comparison of 2 closer together in the line, the forerunner 745 and the instinct solar. Walking, Running ( just starting again, not in races or games, just tostay fit) and swimming at the pools bottom, 3atm or 9ft are my things. I also have small kids so bumping my watch is expected. On my now broken vivosmart hr I had all notifications turned off, not that into being disturb on my watch. Therefore I lean towards the instinct solar. Nevertheless the onboard music (leasing my phone at home) and nicer display plus training tools of the fr745 do appeal to me, but will the 745 hold up deeper swimming and playing with kids? They should have a instinctiverunner745solar. What would you recommend?
The 745 and Instinct are designed for different purposes despite them being kind of close in price. Instinct is designed as an outdoor/adventure/hiking watch while the 745 is more of a triathlon/running training tool. Both can do the same job just with various features missing. InstinctiveRunner is an awesome name lol. Thanks for watching!
Hey, thanks for the video, very informative. I'm currently doubting between fenix 6 and instinct. I was wondering if all the trainingmetrics are also aplicable if I'm not really a runner, more a multisporter (cycling, indoor rowing, fitness, weights)? Thanks!
With the Instinct 1 there's virtually no training metrics. However, with the updated Instinct 2 it brings everything from the Fenix line over to the Instinct but it's a bit more expensive.
Great video! I'm looking to buy a Garmin GPS watch, mainly for Mountainbiking and occasional hiking. I've seen people prefer the Instinct Solar over the 245 for this, but some reviews are kind of conflicting. What would you recommend?
Both will do the job. I think the 245 is actually a more useful tool for cycling because there are training tools on board like training load, VO2Max estimate, etc... while the Instinct lacks these features. The Instinct might be a little more durable but the 245 is no slouch. They're both plastic after all. I don't think you'd be disappointed either way.
ive ben offered a brand new instinct solar for GBP 157 whereas a used instinct 2 solar is being sold for north of GBP 240. im not into music or high end fitness features and not sure what IQ Connect has to offer. I am ONLY into offroading, hiking and camping only. which is a better buy? (btw i already have a G shock GW 9400 which is the God of ABC watches).
Instinct 2 has a few advantages like better GPS accuracy, and Heart Rate sensor (if you care about that). The Instinct 1 is a great bare bones hiking watch though if that's all you need!
I suppose it depends how long the event is. You can squeeze 20-25 hours of GPS use out of the Fenix 6s. But you're right! No tri-mode on the instinct. I should have mentioned that.
Thoughts on the Instinct without solar? It's only $169 on Amzn right now and it's tempting while on a budget. Is it the same watch just without the solar extra battery life? This would be to go with my Apple Watch that's way better at being a smart watch but not nearly as good as Garmin when it comes to fitness tracking/features.
The original instinct is a great watch! I think at todays pricing the Solar is a better value though. Not just for the Solar feature but because it has a better HR sensor, GPS chipset, and longer battery life in general along with a few other features.
Great review!! I have a Suunto 9 Baro, but wanted more sleep data analysis, so I did a Google search for other watches. I came across DC Rainmaker reviewing GPS watches, including the Instinct. ANOTHER Google search brought up the Instinct for $169 (Black Friday 2021), so I had to get it! Makes the Fenix 6 at $600 a little harder to stomach.
Just got the Instinct solar for $250 and love it. I'm a cyclist, but use a Garmin 1030 for training. The Instinct (for me) is primarily for hiking, and for the price, can't really beat it. I was on the fence about the map thing on the more expensive watches, but realistically a map that small is nice in a pinch, but I'm either going to use a paper map or a full size GPS (I always have a paper map on me). A watch isn't going to/shouldn't replace either of those. The "breadcrumbs" feature on the Instinct is more than adequate if you get off-trail and need to find your way back.
Envious of the battery life on the Instinct Solar but couldn't resist getting the Fenix 6 Pro Solar in White/Blue which looks awesome. Been using it for 8 months. While the location tracking is not great in urban conditions even with GPS+Galileo/GLONASS, its other functions are pretty useful.
OMG! There is a huge sale on the Garmin Fenix 6 solar. I was going to wait until Black Friday, but this is too good to be missed. What do you think? Also, do you think the 6 pro-Solar? Is it too big for a normal guy? I am hesitant between it and the 6? Sadly you can't try these watches before buying them 😣
The 6 Pro and 6 Pro Solar are the same size. They look nearly identical. The 6X is the larger version. I'd say if you're in the market now is the time to buy as these sales are quite aggressive.
Hey man!) Just wanna say Thank you!! I spent more than two weeks to figure it out which one is for me! This video was last and very helpfull! Now i happy to have instinct))
This was a amazing vid but I’m still not sure which one I should buy I was wondering your opinion. I’m a windsurfing competitor and I train daily in the sea meaning in need a watch that can survive rough terrain and can track my gps speed and so on. I also bike run dive and mountain climb so i need it to have many functionalities of sport tracking. I also want it to go longer then a few days without charging. I would love your opinion thanks anyway
It's a tough call. Both are quite rugged. The Instinct is probably even more durable than the Fenix despite it being plastic because it won't show scratches as obvious (since plastic is the same color all the way through). Both watches will suit your needs. I'd say fenix if you want mapping, music, and more smartwatch features. I'd say instinct if you like a more simple device and don't need multi-sport or triathlon mode. Hope that helps!
Besides the size difference, battery life and bulky size. Would you recommend the 6 pro or the 6x? I’m in the market for one and the only semi experience I have is with the 5x pro and that was one big/heavy watch.
It's really personal preference. If you don't mind a big watch you get more battery life, and a bigger display on the 6x. If you don't like big watches get a 6 or 6s.
@@ChaseTheSummit how do you strap the 6x on the wrist? Online it says snug but comfortable but when I do that it feels like it’s moving a bit. But if I tighten it one more hole, it feels like a future rash on my wrist.
You didn't include the link to the screen protector you used in the desc for the Instinct, what was it you use? Indeed I did notice it before you said but hardly, it looks very good. With the Instinct it'd only be needed if you fall onto a large rock on the screen as the bezel would protect it really well otherwise but better to be safe than sorry!!
You talk more in 22 minutes than I do in a day. But your videos are very rich in information and a real help in making a purchase decision. Other videos often don't seem competent or are just promotional videos.
Very informative , but 2 whole minutes before we get to the review , leave the waffle until the end please. Got the instinct , but swapping for the Fenix
I just love your Channel, i bought a fenix 6s pro sapphire because of you and I'm really happy with it however the watch has already 2 tiny scratches on the bezel and this drives me crazy. Can you please suggest any kind of bezel to protect it ? Cheers from Portugal
Unfortunately the bezels are easily scratched if you hit them hard enough. I try to look at it as character and worry less about damage but I can see how it would bother you. There are some adhesive bezel protectors out there but it's not something I have experience with.
An important point about the Instinct. If you do a ton of night time or pre sunrise running, the display is legible but not as clear as the Fenix. Also pressing its buttons during running is not quite as seamless. I tend to know how many presses to make without looking. The buttons are more flush to the case on the Instinct. Add in gloves and it's a touch more challenging but not a major deal
What I need is a watch like the Fenix (or the upper end Forerunners, like the 745 or 945) that's plastic. I work with electricity, day in and day out; doesn't take a genius to know why I'd want a plastic watch. In any case, great comparison of these two watches, and another great video, Dave. Keep on keepin' on!
All of the forerunners are plastic, even the 945. I'd also wonder if the titanium version would help in that sense because it's less conductive? Thanks for watching!
@@ChaseTheSummit for some reason I thought the 745 and 945 variants were steel. I stand corrected. As for a titanium watch, the titanium _is_ less conductive, but I'm working with nearly 1000Vdc, regularly, and upwards of 235kVac. The titanium is still plenty conductive, at those voltages, to cause issues. (FTR, I am the managing technician for a 60MWac and a 20MWac solar farm.)
Hi, I am a high school cross country runner, and I really enjoy watching your videos! I recently bought the Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire, and I absolutely love it! One question: I have noticed that sometimes my intensity minutes seem to get messed up in the sense that the graph does not always show the same number as the main display card in Garmin connect. I believe that the graph is correct, but for some reason, the main display card for IM displays about 30 more minutes per day. Any suggestions or ideas as to why this might be happening? Thanks!
Thanks for the great review! Garmin is awesome! I got the Fenix 6 due to your reviews... I kinda wished I had waited since it's now for 350 instead of the 450 I spent, but worth the investment. Also the HRM pro is perfect (more data than I need).
Hi, where do you did we can get the screen protector for the instinct solar. Bought the surf edition and waiting to arrive to me today. Hope no regrets. Could bought the fénix 6 for plus 60€. I think the instinct is more rough for sailing and kayak. Thank you for your review. Keep good work!
Thanks for the another awesome review. When my Coros Apex died, I've switched to Instinct Solar and loved it. However, with the AMZ return policy and the current deals, I've pulled a trigger to upgrade to 6x Pro (60 hours of battery life in GPS mode plus topo maps completely sold me). Thanks again for the reviews that helped me to make a decision.
@@ChaseTheSummit Thanks! Are you planning to make a video about "Fenix 6 hacks"? Maybe review certain settings to preserve battery life, apps and watch faces from ConnectIQ that expand watch capabilities.
@@ChaseTheSummit any experience with the Multisport activity and Strava? It seems to be excellent for track workouts with runmute to the track and back: 1st sport is Run, 2nd is Track, 3rd is Run. I'm just wondering how Strava is going to process it...
Really enjoy the video. Alot of good info. Pondered between these 2 for a bit but recently I have been pondering the 5x plus because of a really good deal but With the new release of the Epix2 and Fenix 7 would purchasing the 5x plus even be worth it at this point? Will the software and everything soon become obsolete?
The good news is that Garmin won't leave old devices out to dry. They'll always be compatible with Garmin Connect to sync with the cloud. I have an original Garmin Fenix 1 that still pairs and sync's with Garmin Connect servers. On the other hand, you shouldn't expect NEW features on the 5x, it will simply work. The 5x is still a great watch though. Just depends what your needs are.
As a wear tester for all these devices, but somebody that probably wants to keep continuity of data, does Garmin connect simply merge the data together regardless of the device you use?
Correct! Garmin actually handles multiple devices really well. Even data like step count, VO2 Max and Training Load are shared across devices. Oddly, one metric that doesn't transfer over on some is Body Battery.
@@ChaseTheSummit If I had to guess, I would say that the aggregate of data points that the body battery puts together with differ to match between what the different devices can accumulate? Or maybe Carmen realize some of the features are less accurate on older devices or something. Who knows.. i’m sure in three or four years all of these devices will do all the same things :-)
Depends, the Instinct 2 has better heart rate sensor and has longer standby battery life. The Fenix 6X Pro has real mapping and navigation, a more robust build, and a full color display. Which features are important to you?
It's decent, not perfect. There are more accurate GPS devices on the market now but I still like the other features of the Fenix and tend to still wear it most days.
what was the screen protector brand you used ? and also do you know if these sensors on theses watches are alot better than the Esports version ? thanks also do you know how you export the saved GPS as well ? Thanks
I forget which brand I used on the instinct but they're all kind of the same in the sub $10 range on amazon. The sensors on the instinct solar and esports are the same... no difference. To export a GPX file you just click the gear icon in Garmin Connect and "export original"
@@ChaseTheSummit ok i know the instinct solar has a blood sensor and the esports dont have that one , i just got a used 6 pro gorilla glass cheap do you think should put screen protector on it ? and if i did would it not mark when take it off if ever needed to ? many got it for music and also the maps so gonna try put amazon music on if the prime one works
@@swiftdetecting oh right. The E-Sports model is based on the original instinct which has an older heart rate sensor. The new Instinct Solar does have the newer Elevate 3.0 sensor with SPO2. The gorilla glass is durable but not scratch proof. If you're using it in an active capacity it might be worth getting a protector. Hope that helps!
I've checked with film protector, it gets about 10-15 percent less energy to charge. Not very precise measurement, but quite enough for me to leave protector on my watch for a while
Really nice detail comparison. I have been using Fenix 6X since Dec20 and I am totally satisfied. We will see whats new once Fenix 7 will be released 🙂
The most accurate and detailed comparison between these 2! I agree with you.. but it's such a shame that the instinct only lasts 30 hours in GPS mode despite being fairly big and having a huge photovoltaic cell, and a tiny low power display! The fenix 6X lasts 60 hours in GPS mode, so I know Garmin can do better. That, and the fact that fenix watches go better with a suit if you replace the rubber band with a leather one convinced me to get a fenix 6X sapphire. You just lose so much by getting the instinct imho.
I think they focused more on the standby time than GPS-on time in which case it's really impressive (and unlimited in power saver mode) 30 hours is more than enough for most people in GPS mode but I agree it would have been cool to see something like 50+ hours!
@@ChaseTheSummit the standby time is impressive for sure, but the full price is 400-450 USD, making it within the range of Grit X/X pro and Apex pro, and not only are those made of better materials, but they last 40-100 hours in GPS mode without having the instinct's huge solar bezel or low power display. I'm not saying it's a bad watch at all, just that when I saw the size and solar bezels not to mention the display type I had much higher expectations for activity battery life, especially knowing Garmin's other products.
@@ChaseTheSummit when I said full price I was expecting it to be discounted for the holiday season but wasn't expecting it to be already discounted😁 maybe I should expect a winning lottery ticket next time🤣
Hey, congrats on your high-quality content! I'm deciding between Fenix 6S Safira and Pro Solar, the same price for me. I've always owned Sapphire watches for their durability. But I would like to try the Solar line. My main doubt for those who have 6S Solar is: how is the screen regarding scratches after a while of use? Also, since the 6S Solar doesn't have DLC coating bezel, I imagine that Solar's bezels are also easier to scratch. Can anyone confirm this? Thinking about resale value, I believe that Solar is better than Sapphira. What do you think? All the best, BC
Thanks! Sadly the Gorilla Glass on the Solar models is pretty easy to scratch. I'd suggest a screen protector if you go that route. I personally still feel like the Sapphire is the way to get because it's much more durable and the Solar function doesn't provide a huge boost in battery life.
@@ChaseTheSummit thanks for your quick reply! Yes, I think I'll keep in the Sapphire line for that 6th Fenix generation. Thank you so much for your kind support.
Ahhhh! I’m watching all your garmin videos! Fenix 6/6s Pro and some forerunners (245/945) are on sale pretty close to instinct 2 standard I like the g shock rugged look but the smaller screen if it doesn’t have solar is a bummer, might have to spring for solar but the Fenix 6/s Pro at this discount is really appealing -older model/ sensor but still lots of good features. I know you can’t spend my money but any further after testing the instinct 2? Everyday use, running and hiking Keep it up!
Hi Dave! Small note. Garmin Instinct comes in the variety of trims, but you always specify which one you're testing - "Solar Instict" in this video. However, when it come to Fenix, you state "Fenix 6" in the videos. Which implies base model without music and maps. But from my understanding you're testing "Fenix 6s Pro".
@@ChaseTheSummit Less than a month left. Lots of leaks are out already. As someone looking to switch to Garmin I am really looking forward for the new models.
