Instinct 3 is the rugged 45 mm GPS smartwatch with a 0.9” display, built-in flashlight and unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode with solar charging (assumes all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions). With bolted construction, a metal-reinforced bezel and scratch-resistant lens, it can take on your toughest adventures. It’s engineered to MIL-STD-810 standards for thermal and shock resistance and is also 10 ATM water-rated. To keep you on track, the Instinct 3 smartwatch includes a built-in 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter. Plus, multi-band GPS with SatIQ technology delivers superior positioning while also optimizing battery life. Its 24/7 health and wellness features keep you connected to your body with heart rate tracking, advanced sleep monitoring, Pulse Ox and more (this is not a medical device, and data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked; Pulse Ox not available in all countries). Instinct 3 also includes Garmin Pay contactless payments (with a supported bank).
A: Yes it is. Especially paired with the Garmin App. It gives great details about waves ridden, length and time of wave and speed.
Q: Can I replace the watch strap?
A: undefined
Q: Does it give you avg. heart rate for the activity?
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Q: Does it come with the solar powered lense built in or do you need to buy it separately?
A: It's built into the face.
A: It's not similar at all to Garmin bounce. No you can't track a child same way as bounce. Simply wear watch as intended and snug and it should never fall off. Makes no sense. My daughter has the bounce and she has never broken it once. That being said bounce is one of the cheapest watches in world. Spend more and you get better materials and more robust design. Sapphire. Etc. this watch you posted on is not for kids.
A: A little over 10"

Instinct 3 is the rugged 45 mm GPS smartwatch with a 0.9” display, built-in flashlight and unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode with solar charging (assumes all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions). With bolted construction, a metal-reinforced bezel and scratch-resistant lens, it can take on your toughest adventures. It’s engineered to MIL-STD-810 standards for thermal and shock resistance and is also 10 ATM water-rated. To keep you on track, the Instinct 3 smartwatch includes a built-in 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter. Plus, multi-band GPS with SatIQ technology delivers superior positioning while also optimizing battery life. Its 24/7 health and wellness features keep you connected to your body with heart rate tracking, advanced sleep monitoring, Pulse Ox and more (this is not a medical device, and data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked; Pulse Ox not available in all countries). Instinct 3 also includes Garmin Pay contactless payments (with a supported bank).

Regardless of your fitness goals, the epix premium active smartwatch has what you need to help you get there. Understand your body better with 24/7 health monitoring. Smart notifications keep you connected to what matters. Train your way with built-in sports apps at the wrist. More satellite coverage means more accurate positioning. Navigate confidently with options for TopoActive mapping right on your wrist. Keep the adventure going with up to 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. DESIGNED FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE. The stunning 1.3” always-on AMOLED display brings your watch to life, even under bright sunlight. TOUCHSCREEN AND BUTTONS. Trusted button controls that work in any environment are matched with a responsive new touchscreen interface for quick access to selections and map features. PREMIUM MATERIALS. Fit the watch’s look to your lifestyle with options for a sapphire display, titanium bezel or stainless steel bezel. PULSE OX. For altitude acclimation or sleep monitoring, a Pulse Ox sensor uses light beams at your wrist to estimate how well your body is absorbing oxygen. WRIST-BASED HEART RATE. The watch constantly samples your heart rate3 and will alert you if it stays too high or too low while you’re at rest. It also helps gauge how hard you work during activities - even while swimming. RESPIRATION TRACKING. See how you’re breathing throughout the day, during sleep and during breathwork and yoga activities. STRESS TRACKING. Heart rate variability is used to calculate your stress level score, so you can see if you’re having a calm, balanced or stressful day. BODY BATTERY ENERGY MONITORING. Optimize your body’s energy reserves, using heart rate variability, stress, sleep and other data to gauge when you’re ready to be active or when you may need to rest. HYDRATION TRACKING. Log your daily fluid intake as a reminder to stay hydrated. You can even have an auto goal for hydration that adjusts based on how much you sweat during activities. SPORTS APPS. Use preloaded activity profiles for trail running, swimming, running, biking, hiking, rowing, skiing, golfing, surfing, indoor climbing and more. ANIMATED WORKOUTS. This watch features easy-to-follow, animated cardio, strength, yoga and Pilates workouts you can view on the watch screen. Choose from preloaded animated workouts, or download more from the Garmin Connect™ online community when paired with your compatible device. HIIT WORKOUTS. Use this activity profile with different timers to track your HIIT workouts, including AMRAP, EMOM, Tabata and custom. Set the number of rounds, work/rest intervals and more. GARMIN COACH. These free adaptive training plans feature guidance from expert coaches and adapt to you and your goals. Workouts sync right to your watch from Garmin Connect. VISUAL RACE PREDICTOR. Based on your running history and overall fitness level, this feature provides an estimate of what your pace could be for the distance you want to run. Trend data shows how your training is having an impact over time. PACEPRO™ TECHNOLOGY. A first-of-its-kind PacePro feature helps keep you on pace with grade-adjusted guidance as you run a course. VO2 MAX. Train smarter with VO2 max, an indicator of how you can expect to perform. It adjusts for trail running and accounts for changes in performance that could be caused by heat or altitude. SMART NOTIFICATIONS. Receive emails, texts and alerts right on your watch when paired with your compatible smartphone. MUSIC APPS. Download songs plus playlists from your Spotify, Deezer or Amazon Music accounts (subscription may be required). Use your wireless headphones for phone-free listening. GARMIN PAY CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS. Breeze through checkout lines with Garmin Pay contactless payments through participating providers. SAFETY AND TRACKING FEATURES. When your watch and phone are paired, your live location can be sent to your contacts manually or - during select outdoor activities - automatically with built-in incident detection. CONNECT IQ STORE. Download custom watch faces, add data fields, and get apps and widgets from the Connect IQ Store when paired with your compatible device. POWER MANAGER. View how various settings and sensors impact your watch’s battery life, so you can make battery-extending changes on the fly. BATTERY LIFE. Get up to 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and 42 hours in GPS mode.

Instinct 3 is the rugged 45 mm GPS smartwatch with a 0.9” display, built-in flashlight and unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode with solar charging (assumes all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions). With bolted construction, a metal-reinforced bezel and scratch-resistant lens, it can take on your toughest adventures. It’s engineered to MIL-STD-810 standards for thermal and shock resistance and is also 10 ATM water-rated. To keep you on track, the Instinct 3 smartwatch includes a built-in 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter. Plus, multi-band GPS with SatIQ technology delivers superior positioning while also optimizing battery life. Its 24/7 health and wellness features keep you connected to your body with heart rate tracking, advanced sleep monitoring, Pulse Ox and more (this is not a medical device, and data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked; Pulse Ox not available in all countries). Instinct 3 also includes Garmin Pay contactless payments (with a supported bank).

Train brilliantly with Forerunner 965, the premium GPS running and triathlon smartwatch with a bright AMOLED touchscreen display and lightweight titanium bezel. Wake up to your morning report with HRV status to see health insights with an overview of sleep, recovery and training outlook (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked). The training readiness feature tells you when you’re primed for a productive session — while daily suggested workouts adapt to performance and recovery alongside the race widget, which provides training tips, course details and completion time predictions. Navigate any route confidently with multi-band GPS and full-color, built-in maps. With traditional buttons and a touchscreen display, it’s easy to tap into your training status and know whether you’re training productively, peaking or strained. If you’re pushing to outshine the competition, the Forerunner 965 is there to light up every run with up to 23 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.
| Pros for Garmin - Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch 45 mm Fiber-reinforced Polymer - Whitestone with whitestone/bolt blue silicone band - (2025) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| There were no pros for this product— | There were no pros for this product— |
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The improved contast is worth it personally. There is almost no difference between the elevate 4 and 5 sensor on my wrist so I do not care its the “old sensor”. All of these instinct watches, and quite frankly all fitness/sports/smartwatches have their issues, quirks and glitches. This one requires proper updating through Garmin Express to get the battery life to display properly. The orange accents do not bother me like I thought they might. They are subtle and gives it some character. I can not use silicone or rubber watch straps. The Ultrafit nylon straps are incredibly comfortable and create a better fit and adjustment. I typically disable all features except for HR and full charge gets 31 days with one or two activites tracked. Solar charging is incredible compared to prior gen.
This review is from Garmin - Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch 45 mm Fiber-reinforced Polymer - Black with Black Band - (2025)
Posted by USMC1108A
Well worth the money! I work outside all day and enjoy the solar charging. It has a ton of exercises to choose from to track. I have only used it at work and a couple bike rides but I haven’t begun to use it to its full capability. The torch light is really convenient when you need both hands to work on something at night. Or just getting a drink of water in the middle of the night. I’ve had a fitbit watches for ten years and this blows them out of the water.
This review is from Garmin - Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch 45 mm Fiber-reinforced Polymer - Black with Black Band - (2025)
Posted by JoshuaF
This is a great watch! Upgraded from the instinct first edition and it was well worth the price. I use the flashlight all the time. Who would have thought it would be so handy? My wife calls it my super power. LOL Battery life is even better than the first series. With pulse oxygen on for monitoring sleep i get 19 days battery life.
This review is from Garmin - Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch 45 mm Fiber-reinforced Polymer - Black with Black Band - (2025)
Posted by David