Garmin 010-02293-10 Instinct Solar, Rugged Outdoor Smartwatch with Solar Charging Capabilities, Built-in Sports Apps and Health Monitoring, Graphite

Balance between usefullness, simplicity and features
If you’re looking for a sport smart-watch to listen to music while you run, navigate throughout the city or install apps, then THIS IS NOT YOUR WATCH.To put it simply and give you a better feel for the watch, I’m a rock climber, amateur alpinist and during COVID took up running as part of my training routine. Me choosing this watch came down to the following points (in order of relevance): battery life, cost, and long-term usability.As an alpinist, the need for charging a device can be crippling, particularly GPS-enabled ones. The watchs’ battery lasts for 13 days on the basic setting, meaning it registers your heartbeat, daily activities (steps, floors, etc) and utilizes GPS without connecting for a charge for a long time (with Sleep PulseOx disabled it can last close to double that and in battery saver mode even longer). Of course, activities such as running, skiing, and others (it comes with preloaded activities but you can create your own custom ones) use up more battery, but you can set up different power modes so that the charge lasts longer. Moreover, I’ve had a simple Casio solar for the last 10 years and never changed the battery, so no way was I buying a 1-day-charge watch after that.Regarding cost, I got it during Presidents Day sales for 320-ish, which to me is a steal for this watch. If you are the kind of person who wants all the Instinct Solar has but wants street maps and more customization, then you may need to spend more cash on things like the Enduro or the Phoenix lineup, both of which come at twice the cost or more (do your research on those). The Instinct Solar is a basic watch in terms of looks and visuals (black & white screen, breadcrumb navigation, only a few preloaded watch faces), aimed mostly at giving you many features for outdoor adventures and sports while not wasting resources on useless gimmicks. In my case, running is only part of and not the focus of my training so, while valuable, things like VO2max are not a must-have, whereas wrist-based blood O2 readings can give me an approximate idea on the field (this is NOT a medical device).Regarding long-term usability, it comes down to one simple fact: these things are expensive.The reality is, unless you are made out of money, you cannot buy one of these every year, be it the Instinct or any other smart-watch. In my case, I wanted a device that can function on the mountains without worrying about whether it will make it on a single charge or die midway. I wanted something that has GPS capabilities but doesn’t break the bank or needs a replacement for a while. Solar charging makes it a tough contender for this price range.Overall, if you want a basic do-it-all adventure watch that won’t set you back too much but can be used for more than just extreme terrain, this is an excellent product. If you are looking for a more running-oriented or activity-tracking device, Garmin has other line-ups, more affordable than the Instinct Solar and with specific features for those activities. The only problem with this watch is the learning curve, but there are youtube guides to simplify it.

This is my third Garmin and though the battery on my Forerunner was slowly but surely holding less charge and I was on my irreplaceable replacement strap, I had no plans to upgrade from that trusty watch yet.But that inevitability, a great sales price and a desire for a multi-sport version, with more features, after about 10 years led to the Instinct. It’s a very good, all-around fitness watch, especially for the sales price it was purhased at. App pairs well (no more USB stick), a good heart-rate monitor without an annoying chest strap, different customized face possibilities, and detailed readings of your workout quickly available on cell and through Connect.Lots of reading necessary, many possibilities and am still fine-tuning, but worth it. Watch a good video or two.No touch screen, so fingers stay warmer.Sleep monitor good, but if you don’t move, thinks you’re still asleep if you wake up. Pulse ox pretty good. No VO max. No pre maps – have breadcrumb trails – but get maps after workout of area. Haven’t had much chance to test how well the solar aspect works in a cold winter, but will find out soon. Have heard from friends who have it facing light, lamps, etc. The solar version is probably not needed if you want to pay less, but wanted it. The battery lasts much longer than older Forerunner.Not a super dressy model but don’t care. Works great, not bulky, not heavy. It is a smartwatch and you can receive texts, notifications and calls, but can seemingly only respond with stock presets. Anyone wanting more tech or more precise medical monitors can upgrade to a higher-end Garmin line or another brand – for a higher price, of course. The Instinct 2 has already added a few more items than this one, but everyone has to determine their own price and features point and how long they want to wait for never-ending tech upgrades.

was searching around a sport semi smartwatchvery happy my final pick for this watch

I’m a seasoned runner and have owned about a dozen GPS watches over the years. My frustration is that every single one was overly complicated to use and provided less-than-optimal data. This watch is all the contrary. First of all, it will last at least 20 days without a recharge, and the solar capability is downright awesome. It is so simple to use that I’ve started using it to my content without reading the instructions. Lastly, the companion app is just great, super simple to use and provides valuable, useful, easy-to-understand info. The build quality is great, too. I’m rough with my toys and have been wearing this watch 24/7 for a long time and it has no signs of wear. I do construction and mechanical work often, and don’t even bother taking off my watch, it’s well-enough sturdy to withstand any activity I do. A great buy!