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Customer Ratings & Reviews

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Customer reviews

Rating 4.7 out of 5 stars with 1318 reviews

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Rating by feature

  • Battery Life

    Rating 4.8 out of 5 stars

  • Durability

    Rating 4.9 out of 5 stars

  • Comfort

    Rating 4.8 out of 5 stars

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94%would recommend to a friend

Customers are saying

Customers express satisfaction with the Instinct Smartwatch's exceptional battery life and durability. Many appreciate its GPS functionality for outdoor activities and the ability to track various health metrics, including heart rate and sleep. However, some find the lack of a touchscreen and the size of the screen to be drawbacks. A few customers also mentioned that the price point and interface could be improved.

This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.

The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
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Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 35 reviews
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Garmin Watch

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Awesome watch, I love it, the only thing is that the screen is not touch like an I watch but this one is more tactical and the battery last forever I would recommend this one 100%

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from GarminProductExpert
      Posted .

      Thank you for your review. Jenny Garmin

  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Gps, Heart rate
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Awesome no frills GPS sports watch

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This watch is amazing!!!, GPS, HR, Altitude, sunrise and sunset, calories burned, weather, stop wach, date, multi sport tracking, text messages...they though of everything. It’s water proof, shock proof and has lap feature when training. The weight lifting feature is even intuitive enough to count your reps and knows what exercise you are doing. This is the perfect watch for the multi-sport athlete. The battery life is amazing. When using the watch for normal daily features the battery will last up to 2 weeks. With the GPS on, I can get a couple days before having to recharge. Make sure to down load the user manual after purchase to learn how to use all the features. Some of the reviews were inaccurate about the text messages and other apps that I think people just didn’t learn how to use correctly. The only negative comment I would say is the boring color with few options (which I love) and this watch does not have a touch screen. Again learn how to use all the buttons and this is not a problem. In fact, with my last Garmin watch my touch screen cracked and was unusable during my first climb when my wrist hit a rock. After a month with this watch I barely even see a scratch. I would highly recommend this watch to all outdoor sports enthusiasts.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Exceeds my expectations

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    My previous watch was a Fitb*t Surge and I had to be really careful with it to get it to synch, swipe to the next screen, and not get it too wet or it did strange things. Not at ALL a problem with this watch. I've had it for about 2 months now and I don't baby it like I had to do with my surge. A few of the things I love about this watch.. 1) water resistant.. I swim and shower with it, no problems 2) synchs first time, every time. Hated the Fitbit synch problems 3) lots of info packed on the home screen and I get to pick the info displayed 4) Its light weight, it feels lighter than my old Surge 5) NO TOUCH SCREEN. I will never own another touch screen watch.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Durability, Gps
    Cons mentioned:
    Size, Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    GREAT Starter GPS Watch, Unbeatable price

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    PROS: GPS, on-screen options for compass, pace and mileage tracking, Activity Tracking, heart rate, Smartphone features (call and message notifications, weather, music controls), Excellent battery life in smart watch mode, durable, waterproof, great for outdoor use, trail backtrack feature, compatibility with garmin connect and map apps. CONS: Very large face, black and white display I REALLY wish this had a color display, but this was the first GPS watch I was buying, and the price was unbeatable, so I decided to go for it. Aside from that, I love this watch. The controls did take a bit of getting used, as it is not a touch screen like my previous smart watch, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy to use. I love that it has the most important features to me in a smart watch (notifications/calls/music controls/weather/time), but also has awesome GPS and activity tracking features. I use this watch for horseback riding, mileage and pace tracking on trail rides and on competitive rides. I was able to purchase a band in my preferred color from the garmin website. While in smartwatch mode, the battery lasts forever! My previous smartwatch had to be charged every couple of days. I only have to charge once every 10 days or so, except when I'm using the GPS, and understandably, it does need charged much more frequently when GPS is on. If you're looking for a starter GPS watch that's a great price and has great features, and are willing to try a black and white display, I'd definitely recommend this watch!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Gps
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Excellent for Running

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    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Purchased this watch to replace my old Garmin 410. Though the display is not in color it is the perfect running and outdoor watch. It has all the features of the more expensive Garmins, but at half the costs. It also has some really great features for hiking or trail running. Warns you of pending storms, has built in navigation features and much more. Also last a long time compared to both the Galaxy and Apple watches.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Durability
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great watch!

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I’ve been going back and forth about which type of smart watch to get and this is the one I fell in love with. No frills but it does everything you would expect and has excellent battery life. Still had a charge after 15 days which is extremely satisfying. The idea of charging my watch everyday was a little annoying and this thing is more durable than most on the market. If you don’t need a fancy touch screen and want something that will endure whatever you put it though this is the watch for you.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Durability
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Heavy Duty Smart Watch

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I have loved this watch so far. It is well made and think it will work really good for my Obstacle Course races in the mud. The location for the barometer is not at the best place but I haven't had any issues so far with reading my elevation gains. It is very military looking and I think it has everything if you don't need a color display. It also lasts for a long time before I need to charge it. Even working out 5 days.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Gps
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Great watch NOT for swimming

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    If you’re a swim geek, this isn’t your watch. If you like colors, touch screens and customization this isn’t your watch. If you want a basic tracker w GPS and a very long battery - this is your watch. This doesn’t keep heart rate while swimming and only counts freestyle properly. It will not count kick laps at all and freauentky misses breaststroke laps. I wouldn’t use as primary cycle tracker as it’s too tedious to fiddle w on a bike. I use a dedicated edge25 for cycling and it’s far easier. Solid otherwise.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Apple Watch Killer

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    Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I had an Apple Watch for a few months until it broke - and there is no fixing. You have to get a new one. As a recent active sports convert, I was skeptical about another watch. I have the Garmin computer on my bike already, why do I need a watch? And Garmin doesn’t make things easy, they have like 50 different watch options... which one to get? A friend has the instinct and likes it, they went on sale after the Garmin hack, I had BestBuy points, so I decided to give it a shot. I’m pretty happy with it. Battery lasts a very long time, it has a ton of functionality, and tracking your activities is very easy. I mostly ride mountain bikes and this works great. It doesn’t have a touch screen (which is a plus for me) but it pairs with your phone for messages, syncing activities with Garmin Connect and controlling your music. The menus are a bit different to navigate but once you get the hang of it they are pretty consistent. I have an Android/WearOS watch and some other high end ones, mechanical and quartz, I don’t wear them anymore.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Durability, Gps, Heart rate
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    A great all purpose fitness and sport watch.

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    Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This is probably my 5th or 6th Garmin watch and the best. It is very sturdy yet not too big. I love the heart rate monitor and ability to customize for various workout. And I still get to monitor my steps throughout the day. Plus it really can replace my bike computer though I use both for now. A really good value and am glad that it does not have the touch screen. It is also much less prone to breakage than the top smart watch which my wife has had constant trouble keeping protected. Strongly recommend and it works with the Garmin app which I have used for years.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from GarminProductExpert
      Posted .

      Thank you for your review. Jenny Garmin

  • Pros mentioned:
    Heart rate
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Love it but missing key features.

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Let me start by stating that I really like this watch! I like the built in wrist HR monitor, access to weather data, and ability to receive alerts from my phone. What I don't like the most is that it does not include touchscreen capability (as in previous Garmin watches). Although this makes learning the watch a little more time consuming, it is not that bad once you have the hand of the navigation. The other thing I really don't like that needs work is the watch band. It looks and feels like it's made of a different material that precious watches and is not as robust. Given my experiences with other Garmin watches, the durability of this watch band may not be as long as their other models. I hope to be proved wrong though. Overall, the features outweigh the cons and it is a good upgrade for the time being.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Durability, Gps
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 3 out of 5 stars

    Great outdoor watch

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Very durable and rugged. Love the track back gps feature to help find your car in a big lot, without using your phone, or mountain biking track back the trail you took, to find your way back, from your wrist. Fairly expensive for a watch that doesn't have a color screen, but when doing outdoor activities you find you prefer this contrasted visual. Lastly, takes a while to figure out the buttons, not as simple as a Galaxy watch, but not too bad. You eventually are able to navigate this watch without looking.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from GarminProductExpert
      Posted .

      Thank you for your review and your experience with the Instinct. We would like to discuss this further over email. If you would please email us at [email protected].
      Thanks Jenny Garmin

  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great watch for all conditions

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I work in healthcare and I’m a weekend warrior kind of person for swimming and bicycle riding. The watch has done really well in everything that I do. It is NOT touch screen, I knew about it so it is ok but I have seen people that liked my watch trying to use touchscreen. Very accurate for indoor swimming. HR will doing mountain bike is accurate too. Battery life is great, I am charging it every 9 days.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    What smartwatches should be

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    Posted . Owned for 6 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Pros: - Easily readable display in very dark and very bright conditions - buttons instead of a touch screen. - great battery life - simple to use - always on display Cons: - no wireless payment - monochrome screen - limited customization options

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Best watch, especially outdoor work!

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    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Works great!! Boyfriend loves his new watch! Battery lasts a long time. He really likes that he can use it so much, especially to work and not have to worry about the screen breaking like the apple watch.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Durability
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great smartwatch for durability and battery life

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Really like this watch. I got it as a gift for my dad who normally wears a Casio G-Shock. This seemed to be the closest smart watch to that, and he's very happy with it. I must warn though, to set it up takes some time. I'd set aside at least 1/2 an hour to maybe even an hour to set this watch up to work with your phone. Durability is top notch and battery life is several weeks. I'd say the biggest downside is the black and white display.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    I love this watch.

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    Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I think this watch is for a niche person. Me, personally I don't care about the color screen and all the fancy graphics. This watch amazingly accomplishes all that extra stuff with the black & white screen. The cool thing about that is, everything is lighter, and the casing is much more robust. I have found the heart rate tracking to be fairly accurate also, which I love. The only con I can think of is the lack of connectIQ but who cares, it does everything else so well!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life, Durability
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great fitness watch for active people

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    Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This is my second fitness tracker and I have found that it’s much more rugged than the other brand it replaces. I like how you use buttons instead of a touch screen (which makes it hard to use if your sport requires gloves ). Battery life is excellent.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from GarminProductExpert
      Posted .

      Thank you for your review. Garmin

  • Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great watch

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    Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Easier to use than I thought it would be with no touch screen. Was really torn between this and the Fenix. The Fenix sure look better and the color screen is really nice but I don’t think it is worth 3x as much for me. The black and white display works really well. Can be seen in pretty low light because the contrast is so good. Would recommend.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from GarminProductExpert
      Posted .

      Thank you for your review Garmin

  • Pros mentioned:
    Battery life
    Cons mentioned:
    Touch screen

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Amazing battery life

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    Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I own a Samsung watch and love it but i wanted something with a little better battery life. I hate having to charge a watch every 2 days if i want the always on display. This Garmin is amazing! I used it for one day and then fully charged it and 4 days later it still shows 5 bars out of 5 on the battery guage. Obviously the Samsung has a better screen with colors and alot more vibrant, but it takes its toll on the battery. I do give samsung props for working like new after 2 years of being covered on saw dust from my job. I assume the Garmin wont be effected by the sawdust either though. If you want a smartwatch that has amazong battery life and is more about functionalities than looks, this is a good choice.

    I would recommend this to a friend