GARMIN INSTINCT SOLAR REVIEW // Is the Instinct Solar the best GPS watch for hikers? 

Thank you, the battery life is great.

It’s a cool feature, takes a bit to get used to wearing it in bed. Just remember to set your alerts to Do Not Disturb during those hours. I did not mention it in the video, but your can track Pulse Ox too…like if you had sleep apnea. But that sensor eats up the battery.

Well said! Thanks for watching and the comment.

On the Second hand market, they are starting to go down in price. I have the non solar instinct and it's great, but I will try to get the Solar Version for comparison.

Great present, he will love it. My wife bought me mine for our 20th anniversary.

Thanks so much! You will love your Instinct Solar, it is easy to use and has so many features.

The Fenix is a great watch too. I am happy with my Instinct Solar + Avenza setup. Be sure to check out my Avenza series: ru-vid.com/group/PL0JzmvrJfyESB-V2xwxPUSKjLRoJK70Ll

Those wives really know us, mine was an anniversary gift. As for OnX, you should be able to export the waypoints as GPX files. Then you can import them using the Connect website or Explore App.

Cool, the Sight'n Go feature is a very handy. Be sure to also check out my settings walkthrough video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-77isCtTKgiM.html and course import: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pvoHtbT1JM4.html

Eric, thanks for the thoughtful comment. I am glad you are enjoying the Instinct Solar as much as I am. I have to agree with you about the ease of use with the app and website. I am just getting ready to make a video on how to load GPX files and found some real quick ways to export/import with the apps on iPhone. As I said in the video, their ecosystem is top notch. I actually borrowed a friends Forerunner watch a few years ago. I just realized that it synced his data from back in 2013. And it was still available! Again, thanks for the really great response.

Thank you for the kind words. Thanks for watching!

Glad you are enjoying it! See you outside!

Thank for the kind words. Sto lat!

Great to hear, I love the balance between simple usability in the field and the power to customize to suit your needs.

My pleasure, you will love the Instinct! See you outside!

The Garmin Instinct Solar is a great choice. They have recently come out with the Instinct Solar 2. Both are great watches, you may be able to find v1 on a good discount. Much of the features are the same, with a few enhancements. See you outside.

I currently have an ancient/trusted vivoactive 3 music that is still working and have been looking for a replacement for two years but too lazy to go for that much of an investment because the dear thing is still alive and kicking for 5 plus years 😂 i wonder how many it can go more.soo torn between descent g1 or forerunner 265. Garmins are THE BEST. I have a friend whom i’ve known for 5 years, he replaced 3 fitbits (out of faulty issues) until now

Good point, it will pull weather data from your phone. I also like that it pulls the sunrise and sunset. It also has a barometer and will alert you if there is a sudden drop indicating a storm is coming. I have not had this happen with the Garmin, but my Suunto would alert is the barometer crashed.

When paired to a phone you might as well not have it.

@@phileasfrogg273 I am not sure I follow, I like to get SMS and other important messages on my watch.

My pleasure, see you outside!

The Ambit 3 Peak was a solid watch. I love it, but I hated that Suunto got rid of Movescount. When they did that, you lost the ability to load tracks and change watch screens. I am loving the Garmin Instinct Solar. I like having the HR monitor on the watch. I also really like that you can change the battery management on the fly. Thanks for the comment!

Cool, you will love it! Be sure to check out our walkthrough on some of the customizations I have made: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-77isCtTKgiM.html

Sorry, no SOS features without a Garmin InReach, but they are integrated. Thanks for the nice comment. See you outside!

I do not have much to compare it to, but I would say it works well for my use cases. The instinct solar has an upgraded HR sensor, same as in the Fenix 6. The best place to compare accuracies is at DC Rainmaker, he runs tons of tests, here is the ones for the Instinct Solar: www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/07/garmin-instinct-solar-review-whats-new-different.html

My pleasure, thanks for watching

My pleasure, glad it was helpful. See you outside!

@@OutsideChronicles I am actually getting this exact watch as a gift 🎁 soon and will refer back to this video to help me get used to the functions 👍🏼 you have the best instructional video I e seen. Thanks again 😉

Thank you!

Cool, glad you like it. I wear mine everyday, no more G-shock. See you outside!

Glad you love it as much as I do. I still have the Instinct 1 Solar and wear it everyday for every activity. Thanks for the comment, see you outside!

Thanks for the confirmation. The charging is OK for me, but I did have to buy some additional cables. I do like the way the Apple Watch charges.

@@OutsideChronicles - Wireless charging would be awesome, but even better would be to be able to charge solely by solar power from indoor and outdoor lights like a g-shock

I heard that too, not sure when it is being released. The e-ink and HR sensor will only solidify my stance on the watch. The battery life will only get better. I would be good getting a great deal on the current Instinct Solar when the new one comes out. But the jump from the Instinct to Instinct Solar was worth the extra $$, I suspect the jump from v1 to v2 will also be worth it.

I do not have one to compare against, but I have not had an issue reading it in various levels of sun and shade. The monochrome display really helps with readability compared to some full color watches. I cannot say if they are the same glass or not, Garmin really does not call it out on any of the models. When I was holding it at angles of the camera, it is a bit deceiving. I would buy the solar versions without hesitation.

Thanks, I really appreciate your comment. See you outside!

My pleasure, yes Garmin Connect can sync with Strava, see support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216918057-Garmin-and-Strava The barometer and altitude are very accurate and gets updated based on GPS. They say it is +/- 50ft which I would agree with. As for temp, it is very accurate however, it is not as accurate when it is on your wrist and gets skewed by your body heat. If you take the watch off for a bit, the temp is spot on.

Thank you!

Thanks for resurrecting my review Outside Chronicles! I meant to add one more thing. The Instinct also has the best vibration alert of any watch/fitness tracker out there. You definitely know when something new came across the Instinct. Michael

@@michaeljorcutt3142 No problem, I have had that happen a few times where I will get the e-mail of the comment and then it is gone. I guess it is a bug somewhere in RU-vid. I feel bad because the commenter probably thinks I am ignoring them. I will re-post those from now on. Glad you stopped back for a follow up. And I agree, I really like the vibration alerts (except when I am recording RU-vid videos).

Sapphire glass is generally super-reflective (especially in bright lighting conditions), so Instinct is clear winner regarding the legibility

@@flowtalks2548 I have no issue reading the Instinct Solar in bright sunlight. I have come to prefer the simple monochrome displays.

I could not agree more, the Instinct 2 has some nice features, but none that would make me run out and upgrade. I am uncovering new things on this model all the time.

how much was it?

@@MrLuffy9131 it was less than $200. I think I paid $149 for it

Great to hear!

Yes, the Instinct has activities for all that you want to track. Each activity has out of the box data screen…of course you can always customize.

I do not know many of the details of the Instinct 2. I rely on DC Rainmaker for much of the technical comparisons. He just posted a video on it a few hours ago: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YFik67SnAFY.html

I have not had an issue with the compass. I would recalibrate it manually, see pg 20 www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-A298EB1C-21D9-430F-8D06-A2CC74E5D5E9/EN-US/Instinct_Solar_OM_EN-US.pdf

My pleasure

On my model, the Tactical version, the is what is called stealth mode that is turned on via the menu that pops up when you hold the ctrl button. It turns off all radios. I believe turning on the power saver mode also disables many of the radios too. Also in that menu.

There is a quick icon to turn off phone connection. It's on the icon wheel accesed by long push on the top left button. I leave it on because the find my phone function has become handy too many tines.

You will love it. It is like a mini Fenix 6. It has many of the same features. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment.

I would say the Instinct 1 Solar is a good fit. i love mine and do not feel the need to upgrade. I am sure there are some great deals, but definitely go with the solar version.

No issues here, I wear the watch everyday and track HR.

Thank you! Yes, both sides of my family are Polish. My grandparents immigrated to the US when they were teens. Do zobaczenia na zewnątrz

Yes, you can disable them in the Garmin Connect app.Click More (bottom right) -> Garmin Devices -> Instinct -> Sounds & Alert -> Smart Notifications -> General Use, Turn off Allow Notifications.

That’s great! Glad it’s here.

There is no additional monthly subscription needed with these watches. It is just the initial cost of the watch.

You would need to go with the Fenix for full maps.

@@OutsideChronicles Thank you.

There is a reset option. Hold menu button go to Settings->System->Reset. I would also check out this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-77isCtTKgiM.html

I have not heard that. I have not had any issue and I have 4-5 friends that also have this watch and they have not mentioned any issue. You can swap it out. There are several non-garmin, non-plastic options on Amazon.

You do not need any subscription to use GPS in the watch or other devices. Many vendors and apps will require a subscription for premium maps, offline maps, etc. For this watch, it does not have any maps, so there is no subscription necessary.

Do you mean is there a map built into the map? No, you would need to upgrade to the Fenix to get a topo map. The Instinct displays a route, but it is just a line to follow. If you mean can you get MGRS or UTM coordinates of your location or destination, yes.

I am between the Solar Instict 2 and the Fenix 7. I just don't have the extra money to spend on the Fenix 7.

You will love it, and yes you can pause. After you start tracking the activity, hit the GPS button once. You will get a menu to Save, Pause, Resume, etc. I agree it is vague, I usually Google or watch a RU-vid. Maybe I should make mine own HowTo?

@@OutsideChronicles Thanks, yes, an in depth how-to would be pretty awesome!

@@drouleau I will see what I can put together. The weather is turning in WNY, so might be a good time to record a video like that.

@@OutsideChronicles I hope you do make one, I think you would do a wonderful job!

The watch tracks steps, heart rate, flights of steps, sleep and rest automatically. When you start tracking an activity, it becomes more accurate because it samples your HR continuously. It does not automatically detect you are running or riding a bike. The calories burned are based on your heart rate. The optical HR sensor is top notch. Wearing a chest band will always be more accurate than the best optical sensor on your wrist. But in my experience, it is pretty good. As for strength training, yes it records all of the data. You can customize the data screens on the watch to see what you want in real time. When the watch syncs, with the app, you get tons of data, even more than is displayed on the watch's default screens. But you can always customize the screen with just about any data point. Its very flexible.

@@OutsideChronicles That's great, thanks for the detailed reply.

@@dally80 my pleasure, you will like the watch!

Tough one, I think I would go with the newer tech with Instinct 2

It will update the time via GPS. GPS should be atomic time.

Indeed, see you outside!

This is NOT a two way device. To do what you are looking for is the Garmin InReach which is satellite or an Apple device with cell service. This is not the device for your use case. You may want to look at a Gizmo watch for your daughter

@@OutsideChronicles Thanks a lot for the information..

If buying new, I’d say get the newest tech you can afford. But, like you and me, we have already invested in the older tech, and none of the new features are compelling enough for me to upgrade. I would still recommend a clearance sale on the Instinct 1 Solar. And based on my friends experience with his ancient Forerunner, Garmin does not seem to force obsolescence.

@@OutsideChronicles Thank you for your opinion. I forgot to mention that I actually own the solar version. I would add that Garmin connect upgrades the latest software (if needed) every time I charge it so that alone makes it relevant, in my opinion. I found a lot of RU-vidrs agree with us👍🏻

That is a great deal. They just released the Instinct 2, so Instinct 1 prices are going to be reduced. There have been many software revisions. Mine has been very stable.

If you do not start an activity, but are sitting on the Activity start screen that uses GPS for too long, it goes into power save. I have done it accidentally and had power save come on. As for the GPS, hope it is a fluke. Mine locks in quickly unless I have traveled a long way. For example, my GPS will take longer to lock in after a 5 hour drive. My Suunto was like that too.

@@OutsideChronicles I've since found out that my CPE has expired as seen on the Watch. The CPE (also known as EPO) are files used by the watch to predict where the GPS satellites are located in the sky at any given moment. Current EPO or CPE files will allow the device to acquire a signal faster when you are going to record an outdoor activity such as a run or ride. Expired files will result in a much slower time frame before the device determines its current location. I just haven't managed to get my CPE up to date yet ... will keep trying

Sounds like you got a bad one

It does not have a screen protector, but it does have some hardcore corning or gorilla glass AND the bezel protects the screen. It has a military spec toughness. Garmin does not recommend a screen protector b/c it will diminish the solar capability.

@@OutsideChronicles wow that was a quick response Thank you! Im a petite female but I'm rough on watches so I'm getting this one. Thanks, I'll pull the purchase trigger right now, I appreciate your review and response! Hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and wonderful new year. Thanks to you I can retire my garmin vivosmart hr. Garmin makes fantastic health / activity watches, I'll never buy another brand.

@@Anon_E_Muss you will not regret it, it’s a great watch.

The Fenix is far superior to the Instinct. It has full color and Topo maps along with other capabilities. I suggest looking at DC Rainmakers videos on the two watches. He does a great job. See you outside!

What is the use case? Is she using it for tracking or just as a solar watch? It is great at both, but there maybe other options depending on how she plans to use it.

Her major is environmental science. With that said, she will be in restricted areas and going on needed safaris. Her literal hut /building has an internet connection. When she does research in the bushes or whatever they call it, I don't think there is the internet. They are Close to the Tanzania border. I'm thinking of worse-case hiking and the small group getting lost. ( Does that sound like a Mom?) there are no nearby villages. Does a watch have tracking capabilities? Sorry, I can't be more specific, but this is higher than my pay grade.

I agree, I am unsure of how to replace the battery. I have replaced other Garmin batteries, so I am guessing it’s possible. Might not be easy.

That is a tough one. I really like the idea and implementation of the solar. However there is a premium for that in the Instinct 2. I also usually suggest go with the newest technology. So you see the dilemma in your question and probably what is going through your mind. My personal opinion would be to go with the Instinct 2 over the Instinct 1 Solar. The new chips and features in the Instinct 2 will extend the battery life on the non-solar model. I would also check out DC Rainmaker's reviews, here is one of them: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YFik67SnAFY.html

@@OutsideChronicles thanks for the reply! That’s pretty much what I was thinking.

Interesting, thanks for the Feedback. Would the Fenix work better? What Suunto are you using? I loved my Ambit3 but their long term support was very lacking. Garmin supports their products longer with better consistency.

@@OutsideChronicles I also came from Ambit3, now I'm moving to a 9 Baro. Fenix might had been a better choice but I think they are too expenisive. I got a 9 Baro Titanium for under $400 now, and I do not need maps, music, wifi... What I liked about the Suunto was that it worked really well, both HW & SW. Garmin is a bit too much for me and SW has not been as stable. I also never got the compass to work on my Instinct, it needs recalibration before every use and is very nervous. Suunto worked every time here. We'll see how it works with the 9 Baro...

All you need to do is hold down the ABC button and scroll to the coordinates screen.

Thank you. Nobody else seems to understand my question or know the answer. Now I can buy one confident that it does what I need.

@@280zjammer Glad it helped!

That is a tough question because it is based on usage. If you are using it just as a watch, it will be almost indefinitely. If you wear it overnight to track sleep, it will be less. If you use it to track activities daily, it will be less. If you use the GPS, it will be less. Your usage will determine the battery life plus amount of sun. At 4:14 in my video, there is a chart to help you plan. The watch also has great widgets to keep you informed on battery life and usage.

@@OutsideChronicles Battery life isn't as good as you would expect I'm afraid... about 3-4 days average and that's it.

@@mudsplat Battery life is very dependent on usage. I use the watch to track daily workouts (w/o GPS) and several hikes per week with GPS. I may have to charge 1 week. I do not sleep with my watch on a normal basis. If I do no tracking, the battery barely goes down after several days. For example, I did a 9+ hour hike on Tuesday. I had a full charge at the start. I have since done daily workouts and wear the watch daily. I just had to charge it up with 4 days of charge left last night (Tuesday, a week later)

@@OutsideChronicles Fair enough in your case - however I find the battery disappointing - let me explain how I have mine set up; it's been upgraded to the latest firmware - version 16.0 - after which I reset the watch back to factory defaults. I have basically left all the defaults on and during setup opted to get notifications from my iPhone X. So I haven't complicated the setup - the only activity I did was an outdoor hike which had the GPS on for only 2 hours - and that's the only activity I did over the 4 days after which the watch just wanted to go into battery saver mode. I had it on my wrist overnight while sleeping two of those days. I really did expect the battery life to give me at least 2 weeks before it needed charging - sadly this is not the case at all which is a great shame because like this watch otherwise.

Actually the battery is pretty dire considering what it's cracked up to be. Annoyingly I may be following the popular bandwagon of getting an Apple Watch instead and here's why; the Garmin Instinct Solar on it's second day of use with pretty much default settings is down to an appalling 9 days! This is based on this Weekend - it was fully charged Saturday morning - I did a walk around my town on a rainy day and clocked the walk as a GPS activity which registered 5km (not exactly a demanding walk). It took half-a-km of my walk at the start to register with the GPS satellite. I wore an Apple Watch on my other wrist which got an instant GPS reading from the get-go. On Sunday (today) I walked a 10km walk with both watches on the wrist - GPS was about 20 seconds before registering and again the Apple watch was instant. The walk had the GPS on for 2 hours - so over all the Weekend had about 3.5 hours GPS use altogether. On Sunday the weather was bright and sunny so I got some Solar assistance according to the Watch. However, as I type this on the second day after a full charge I now have 9 days indicated battery life left. Now I know from experience 9 days certainly is not 9 days - percentage wise it looks like 15%. Granted, I did charge the Apple Watch fully on Sunday morning because I expect an AW to be charged daily - but it's really easy to do so with a magnetic puck. The AW right now is showing 69% battery life (7pm UK time). I only feel confident charging the Garmin once every couple of days based on my experience and that is awful! May as well have all the fancy functions of the AW. I really really wanted the Garmin Instinct Solar to perform better - but it does not! It's just not good enough!

The non-solar version is still a great watch with similar features. Don’t feel bad, technology always does that unless you always fork over $$ for the latest and greatest each year. See you outside!

That stinks. I like the moss on the tactical. The pipline in the surf would be similar if it did not have the extra graphics on the band. You can swap that out with a better color.

I do not set too many. I tried the elevation one, but I got annoying because it kept alerting me the whole time above 4k. I get alerted every mile and every 500 ft of elevation now.

I should have specified, time alarms *

Good video bud. I got mine last week I love it. Plan on using it to record my snowmoblie trips

I'm having problems figuring out how or where to get pdx files for a snowmoblie course tho. I got a file on the garmin explorer with all my local trails on it on my phone but once I hit "create route" on garmin explorer those trails go away any suggestions?

@@johnnycash7803 thanks for the comment. Is PDX a typo, should it be GPX. I import the GPX via the plus on the map screen. These then become courses in the Library. These then automatically show up on my watch. Are you following a similar workflow?

@@OutsideChronicles yes it was a typo that's what I did to import all the snowmobile trails in my area which I had to pay for to get that gpx. Then when I click on create a route the trails disappear.

@@johnnycash7803 ok, I see what you mean. You want to have the GPX course as a layer so you can trace it. I do not see a way you can do it like that in Explore. My suggestion is import your GPX files into Caltopo (web). Then you can add a route and snap to the GPX line. Then export that new GPX and use Explore to transfer to your watch. I have a few caltopo videos on my channel that show this.

I would consider calling Garmin. Mine is extremely accurate with elevation. It is usually within feet of the map elevation for mountain summits. And my floors and steps are very consistent with my activity. You may have a faulty accelerometer. See you outside!

I would contact Garmin. I hike in heavily wooded areas and have never had an issue with the GPS locking in. The tracks are also very spot on. The only time it takes maybe 1-2 mins to lock in is if I travel for like 6 hours to a hike (Buffalo to Adirondacks).

@@OutsideChronicles Thank you, I will contact them. Everything else with the watch works great. I just won't connect where I live (California redwoods) I'm trying to connect in a clearing and not directly under the trees.

I love the size, it is pretty much the same as my Casio G-Shock. I wear the Garmin everyday now.

Maybe a little, but having used the watch for a year, I am still have a very high opinion of the Instinct and still recommend it to everyone. See you outside!

There is a famous business quote "You can't improve what you don't measure" Same is true for fitness. Without the data, you cannot see if you are improving your cardio or times running/biking. The data also comes in handy to understand your pace on a mountain to avoid darkness or a storm. I like it. Sorry you do not feel the same. By tracking my sleep, I found certain habits before bed contributed to good and bad nights sleep.