Customer Ratings & Reviews

I purchased the AMOLED 45 mm Black/Black version of this watch **1. Design & Build Quality:** Overall, this smartwatch has a minimalist design that resembles a standard digital watch from a distance. Up close, it maintains its simple and understated appearance. After nearly a month of use, I cannot fully speak to its long-term durability, but on the occasions it has been accidentally bumped against hard surfaces, it has shown no significant scratches or damage. To further protect this investment, I also purchased a tempered glass screen protector. At the time of purchase, the watch was available in two styles: black and a vibrant tropical theme. It is comfortable to wear, and the band’s design is straightforward yet functional. With previous experience using an Apple Watch, where band quality degraded after 5–6 months of wear (requiring replacements), I have been cautious. However, this band seems promising—it is soft, flexible, and lightly stretchy, giving it a premium and durable feel. The watch is remarkably lightweight, yet it carries a quality heft that doesn’t feel cheap. My work as both a paramedic and an ICU nurse exposes the watch to frequent impacts, varied environmental conditions, and pathogens during hands-on tasks. Thankfully, it holds up well to this demanding usage. Cleaning the watch is simple, and I appreciate that it does not require logging in every time I put it back on, unlike my experience with the Apple Watch. **2. Display & Interface:** The interface of the watch is straightforward, but following the instructions is essential to grasp the basics. Since it lacks a touchscreen, navigation is done through a combination of five circumferential buttons, each with dual purposes. This might take some getting used to, but it’s intuitive once you learn the system. The screen on my model measures 45 mm and offers various brightness settings, including a night mode. The night mode transitions the display into a monochromatic scheme with customizable colors such as red, green, blue, and orange. The screen quality is excellent, with sharp visuals and smooth performance. While official specifications for pixel count and refresh rate are not provided, I believe the value it delivers compares favorably to high-end smartphones when considering the cost per pixel. The interface is highly customizable, and the Garmin Connect App enhances the experience by offering a wide range of watch faces to suit personal preferences. This level of personalization adds to the watch's overall appeal. **3. Features:** With this watch, you can fully customize the data displayed on the main screen, as well as the specific ‘apps’ or metrics you wish to access. On my main screen, I’ve configured it to show steps, current weather and temperature (including daily highs and lows), altitude, heart rate, battery life, the month, date, and day of the week, sunrise and sunset times, and, of course, the time. The watch features five circumferential buttons, each with dual functionalities depending on whether they are long-pressed or short-pressed. This button-based interface provides access to various menus and features, all of which are customizable. Selecting specific features often opens further submenus for additional detail. For example, pressing the menu button gives me access to current weather, sunset times, my health stats, and notifications (texts, emails, voicemail) from my phone. Exploring these options provides even deeper insights and functionality. From the main screen, you can access a range of physical activity apps (covering over 40 sports), as well as clock tools like a timer and stopwatch, GPS positioning, a technical menu, and a digital compass with barometric and altimeter values. This watch also excels in health monitoring. It tracks sleep duration, quality, and oxygen levels. Beyond sports and fitness metrics, it provides data on heart rates, calories burned, oxygen saturation, ‘body battery,’ historical trends, floors climbed, health snapshots, naps, and performance metrics. The technical menu, which I frequently use in my line of work, offers unique features such as night mode, also referred to as ‘red/green/blue/orange shift.’ This enables a monochromatic display for improved visibility in low-light environments. Additional technical options include display on/off, sleep mode, device lock, a strobe light (ideal for walking, running, or emergency signaling), and a torch (a functional flashlight rather than a simple white screen like the Apple Watch). Other notable features include Garmin Tap Pay (similar to Apple and Google Pay), music controls, battery saver mode, do-not-disturb mode, a ‘find my phone’ option, and standard power controls. The watch’s thoughtful design and range of functions make it a highly versatile tool for both everyday use and specialized needs. **4. Performance:** Performance-wise, this watch meets expectations. It has not frozen or required a restart, and I have not experienced any lag during usage. Unlike the Apple Watch interface, this device operates on a one-app-at-a-time basis, which simplifies its use and ensures the processor runs efficiently without being bogged down by a log of active apps. The watch connects to phones via Bluetooth. I use it with an iPhone, and it works seamlessly with iOS systems. It is also Android-friendly, although I cannot speak to its compatibility with other operating systems. My only notable complaint is with the Garmin Connect app. Changes made within the app—such as adjusting sleep mode times—do not always sync properly with the watch. As a result, I sometimes find the watch going into sleep mode during my work shift, requiring me to manually wake it up. Additionally, while the compass, barometric, and altimeter values function well, the GPS connection occasionally fails, even in broad daylight while outdoors. I suspect there may be a technical explanation for this, but I haven’t had the time to investigate further—one of the reasons this watch’s straightforward functionality was a good fit for me. **5. Battery Life:** Per Garmin’s website, this watch has the following capabilities: - Smartwatch Mode: Up to 18 days with wrist gesture enabled, or up to 7 days with the always-on display. - Battery Saver Mode: Up to 24 days. - GPS Mode: Up to 32 hours with GPS only, or up to 23 hours with all satellite systems and multi-band mode. - Expedition GPS Mode: Up to 16 days. I picked up this watch on February 12th, and as I write this review on March 12th, it has been nearly 30 days since I started using it. Remarkably, I have only charged the watch once for its initial use. As of now, it still has 4 days of battery life remaining. I primarily use the watch in normal mode, with wrist gesture enabled (activates the screen when aligned with your face), an active Bluetooth connection, vibrant display settings, and notifications turned on. I wear it for approximately 16 hours a day and turn it off while I sleep for about 7 hours. For a smartwatch with all these features, the battery life is nothing short of impressive. I estimate that I’ll get about 34 to 36 days on a single charge, accounting for around 8 hours of downtime daily. Battery life, of course, varies depending on usage. Using the battery saver mode could potentially extend it even further. Compared to the Apple Watch, which often drops to 10% battery at the end of a 16- to 20-hour day, this watch’s longevity is extraordinary. **6. Compatibility & Setup:** As mentioned previously, this watch is compatible with both iOS (15.0 and higher) and Android (7.0 and higher) operating systems. The Garmin Connect app offers a wealth of customization options, allowing you to personalize the watch’s apps, metrics, displays, and settings. Setup is straightforward, and once I learned the basic functions of the buttons (up, down, select, back, screen off, menu open), using the watch became effortless. The user interface is simple and intuitive, though it can feel slightly overwhelming at first due to the extensive list of preloaded apps, including running, hiking, heart rate, swimming, and more. However, once you take the time to organize and tailor the watch to your preferences, operating and navigating it becomes seamless. **7. Value for Money:** This watch, no doubt, is expensive. Garmin has many watches with many functionalities and levels of durability depending on individual’s preferences. Dollar for dollar in comparison to competitors, it is a good value. Garmin is a trusted name that’s been around for 35 years and has developed products known for their rugged builds that do the job irregardless of the elements. This watch is made of high quality materials with substantial monitoring and metric capabilities with excellent battery life. Other Garmin watches are even more expensive with even more options for back country settings or search and rescue or military operations. These of course cost more, but they hold their value. For the price, and maybe this is just because I’ve been with apple too long, I would at least liked to be able to make or answer a phone call. Touch screen texting drains battery, there is no question, but some degree of being able to communicate with the watch would be nice. In addition, the watch being waterproof to 10 atmospheres is a bonus. Thought I do not plan on diving with this as it doesn’t show depth or temperature or pressure, not having to take it off if I’m swimming or using my hands in the water is a plus. I would have liked to see more than a one year warranty for the watch but it is what it is. This watch also comes in a solar version which in theory, could run unlimited battery life if using outdoors. I considered this but my use of this watch varies between indoors and outdoors and the AMOLED screen is just beautiful to look at and worth having to recharge. **Pros:** - Beautiful display with options to customize the watch face with data that suit

I’ve had a couple Garmin watches and this one had been my favorite. The amoled screen is very vibrant and visible in all lighting conditions (yes even in sunlight) it’s basically a forerunner 265 in a G-shock style case so it’s great for running, trail running, hiking etc. tough and rugged and the battery life is incredible. My Apple Watch lasts one day. This will go 2 weeks. It’s not even a competition. It does not have a touch screen which is actually great for a sports watch so that rain and sweat doesn’t scroll the screen while running. The screen does adjust to ambient light so you don’t have to worry about it being too bright at night or dim in the day.

I came from apple watches from the series 4 to the garmin instinct 2x solar, my 2x solar was wonderful, i HATED having to charge my apple watches every night! I had a bluetooth issue on my instinct 2x solar and warrantied after troubleshooting it, i upgraded to this instinct 3 amoled, and the AMOLED display outweighs not having solar capabilities! The battery life is actually impressive, and if i ever need to charge it while hunting I will use a battery pack. The screen is gorgeous, and all my health metrics are right in the dot, compared to my medical equipment at work (firefighter,emt) the added features of the flashlight adjustment with the buttons is really nice, and it seems to be a bit brighter than the previous model. I accidentally ordered the 45mm bezel instead of the 50mm, and im happy i did the difference is negligible and is a lot more comfortable when working out, whether its bench pressing, or doing pushups. Only CONS i have noticed is that Apple phone users still cant see photos in messages, android can. And if this thing had a mic and speaker, it would be PERFECT. For the price, this watch packs a punch and fulfills all my needs!

Very good battery life and many apps that are useful. Also a very smooth going from the Apple Watch to this and it is user friendly as well. The health with sleep tracking is my favorite feature besides the battery life lasting me right at 18-20 days on a single charge.

Bought this as a gift for my husband and he loves it! He works in HVAC in AZ and needed a heavy duty watch that can withstand anything.

Great watch!! I was a bit hesitant about this watch but I’m glad that I purchased it. I am able to track my training, GPS map of my walks with my wife, my steps and more. Not a touch screen which I’m ok with. Syncs with watch great. Only think I’ve experienced was that it sometimes disconnects when I walk away from my watch. Sometimes I’m only 10 feet away and it disconnects and reconnects immediately after. Might be a glitch? Otherwise, it’s great!

Absolutely would purchase. Came from an Apple Watch SE and the extended battery is a no brainer

I had Garmin Instinct2 that stopped working so I replaced it with Garmin Instinct3. I like smart watches with time that stays on all the time. Battery life is awesome being solar powered!

Love it, had the instinct 1 and of course the 3 is 100x better all differentsensors, even the flashlight that I thought would never use is something i use almost daily.

Best Buy has always been that stable even from a childhood. And it’s good to know they keep providing awesome service inconvenient ways to purchase.

Great watch. They claim 7 days with AOD but I got more. With AOD turned off I've gotten around 21 days without charging it.

Great watch! I’ve always loved garmin and their products!

I was torn between this and an Apple Watch since I already use all Apple stuff, but honestly, I’m super impressed. This thing is awesome—major points for being super rugged and having crazy good battery life (like 14 days!). The fitness tracking is solid, and the sleep tracking is surprisingly accurate. It’s not a touchscreen, which I actually love—no endless scrolling or distractions, plus it works great in water. Only downside: you can answer calls, but you can't actually talk through the watch. If you’re into an active lifestyle, this is definitely worth it.

I got this watch to replace my 8 year old Samsung watch that the battery would no longer take nor hold a charge anymore. Battery life on my last smart watch was always an issue for me, but this watch solved that problem. I charged it in the car on the way home from getting it. That was 18 days ago and as I write this it has 44 percent battery life remaining. To be honest, this watch does so much more than what I actually use it for. I find myself using the built in flash light more than I thought I would. It's really bright. I like the fact this watch does not have a touch screen. I have short/fat fingers and always had trouble controlling features on my last watch. This is all controlled with physical buttons which works much better for me. This watch is much lighter on my arm than my last watch and feels more like a conventional watch in that way. The band is also comfortable and has a lot of closely spaced notches so even when my arm swells a little, I can adjust it to a perfect fit every time. The screen is bright and easy to read, even outside on sunny days. I am getting older and have a hard time reading small print but the app has plenty of free watch faces to choose from and I had no trouble finding one I liked. Downloading and installing the watch face from my phone to the watch was relatively easy. It notifies me of calls and text messages and gives me the option to accept or decline them. I haven't really used the GPS functions enough to comment on them, but the compass mode is so accurate that it's scary. Right down to single digits of degrees. My only complaint (the reason only gave 4 stars) is that it doesn't notify me of the clock alarms from my Android phone. I had to go into the watch itself to set several daily alarms that I use on weekdays at my job. Hopefully a future software update will correct that. Some reviews I read called this watch "pricey" but it was about the same price I paid for my last smart watch 8 years ago. Considering inflation, I'd say it was a pretty good deal. Overall I'm very happy with this watch. If it lasts as long as my last smart watch did, it will be worth every penny.

Pros: Durable, great in water. Great battery life. Tons of activities to track if you want; option to delete if desired. Several screen face options. Cons: Takes a while to figure out the various modes; “messenger” app function is pretty useless.

Pros: Great battery life, very comfortable, AMOLED screen is fantastic, Flashlight is very useful, and you get most of the features from higher-end Garmin options. Cons: Old Heart rate sensor can be inaccurate at times, no endurance or hill scores, no maps. To me the Pros outweigh the cons, definitely recommend for anyone who doesnt want a full metal watch like the fenix

my biggest thing with this watch is the battery since I only use it for time i love that i can grab and go another perk would be all the features and accurate tracking it comes with including sleep monitoring and body battery

When it comes down to this Garmin if you want an instinct, you get the regular non OLED. If you basically want a tougher venue watch then get the OLED. I don't need the super long battery life of the non OLED model. Not that this one's a slouch. I get 7 days of always on display. Certainly if I was not trying to flex 24/7. I do the gesture wake but it's just a preference.

Excellent Watch. The fitness metrics have been great. Love the battery life. Having transitioned from a very old Apple Watch that required charging everyday, twice a day if I wanted to wear it over night, the 18 days of battery life has been incredible. While I do miss the ability to send text messages from my watch or make and receive phone calls on the watch, the other factors have overshadowed those drawbacks.

I used to be Garmin regular user, but switched to Apple watch 10. But realized i dont need so much functionality offered by Apple watch - which also makes its battery life fractional of any Garmin. Now i am back with this Garmin, and boy, its such a delightful experience. It has about 18 days of battery on full charge, I’ve probably charged ot twice since getting it. And the feature set is what I mostly need, in terms of workouts, notifications etc. Will definitely recommend!