Garmin - Instinct 2 Solar (45mm)

Garmins might do better for you then. They are great at tracking and have smart features but also get a week or more on a charge. I love my instict 2 for how simple and non intrusive it is.

Yep, I just use the 'cardio' option and it tracks these workouts fine.

Just to add (I have the I2 solar), in summer, I don't need to charge - the top up from the sum nets out the drain with regular use. GPS uses more than can be gained though, depends on the amount of GPS you use though. I don't use a whole lot and am set to go chargerless.

The first and arguably best choice id recommend for anyone is the Garmin Instinct 2 (or the larger Instinct 2X), that's about it, check it out and see what you think Yes it has smart notifications but you can fully turn off Bluetooth at the system level, and when you do, those notifications are completely gone just like many other models in the market, they're not as intrusive as you think If you want something even simpler, check on the Suunto Core and if you want to go for something a bit more on the high end side, check on the Coros Vertix 2 which is a premium option but has an insane battery life, dual-band GPS and amazing performance over smart features. Funnily enough, I got both the Instinct 2 and the Coros Vertix which I alternate between but the Coros hits differ with the premium feel idk. You can try [9 Best Smartwatches Worth Investing in 2025: Hiking and Running](https://alaskanarrows.com/best-smartwatches-in-2025-for-hiking-and-running/) for others though Cheers, hope this helps!

[9 Best Hiking Watches (2025) with GPS Worth Investing In](https://alaskanarrows.com/best-hiking-watches-with-gps-2025/) But if I'm gonna sum up my advice after all the research I've done on smartwatches and owning many (got the Fenix 7 and Instinct 2)...the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is overall the best value for money watch you can get. If you want more advanced navigation and features then the Garmin Forerunner 955 and if you're drawn to something a bit different with strong battery and maps then check out the Coros Apex 2 Pro

I'm no expert on these but I'm very happy with my instinct 2 where I wanted something basic with long battery life. It has all the basic tracking mechanisms with no fancy unneeded frills. Also is half the cost of the instinct 3. I only need to charge it like once every 10 days.

If you really just want time and distance for lap swimming, I've used the previous model of this $62 watch, and it worked fine: https://a.co/d/7ChjCyh I eventually upgraded to a Garmin Instinct 2 because I wanted GPS for other activities and the ability to export more of the data. I'm very happy with my upgrade for the other features, but I don't think it's really any better for time/distance measurement.

I have the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar. I like it and I think it checks your boxes depending on your price point. I got mine for $300, and since the 3 just came out you may find better deals. It has a few fancy metrics if you want to use them but its overall theme is to do the simple things right: no frills display, accurate GPS, long battery life.

Just buy last gen's Fenix. I bought an Epix Pro earlier this month for $549, same price as the Venu 4. There have been sales for the Fenix 7X/Pro as low as $450 this year. The Instinct 2 Solar is my daily, I forget that I'm even wearing it with the light weight and not needing to charge. It feels like a normal watch and I always know the time because of the always-on MIP screen which is more readable than a G Shock and doesn't require a gesture to wake. The Epix is for hikes due to the maps.

My requirements list was almost identical to yours. I got an Instinct 2 a couple of months back (when they were on special due to imminent release of Instinct 3) I was a bit concerned about not having AMOLED. But that was lack of familiarity . I'm really happy with the MIP.

I have a Garmin Instinct 2 Solar. When hiking with my Garmin InReach Mini, I rarely use the GPS/activity tracking features on the watch. I do use the watch to monitor my heartrate. My brother is a multi-time Ironman finisher and he taught me that the heartrate is a good indicator of fuel burn. If my heartrate is above a certain number for an extended period of time I slow down to minimize the fuel burn and the daily calorie deficit that comes with long term hikes.

My Garmin Instinct 2 Solar was nice to have on the PCT. Especially if you're hiking in very sunny places, the solar helped to slow down the discharge. If I turned off all the sensors, it would actually stay at ♾️ battery life.

Yes. Also, I no longer carry a physical compass as I can use the compass on my watch.

I get about 3-4 weeks out of my instinct 2. There isn't a damn thing in the world you can do with an apple watch to make it get anywhere near that without throwing it away and buying something else.

I love my instinct 2's MIP display while biking. So easy to glance at my stats while riding. It looks like gshock (a pro and a con).

Man I had the solar instinct. Problems with charging in the first year itself. Year 2, watch started randomly dying while tracking activities. I assumed updates might fix it but never did. Customer service wasn't helpful at all. Asking me to pay for a refurb and other nonsense.

It absolutely will. Keep doing research for it there are plenty of blogs and reddit posts on this watch and how to save battery life. I use many of the features for hiking several times a week and still only need to charge it once every 10 days. There are a ton of settings that will eat battery if you have them on all the time

No. Get the instinct 2, should be available in good prices as 3 is already available. One of my best cost benefit purchases ever

No watch has exceptionally accurate sleep sensing as you don't have leads attached to you when sleeping with a watch. I find that the elevate 5 HR sensor is likely a bit better, but between owning Instinct 2 and Fenix 7 Pro SS, they both will track my heartrate within 1 BPM to the gym machines I use that can measure HR such as the stair stepper, treadmill, bike, etc.

Get the instinct 2, it will do everything you need at a good price and with 10ATM waterproof rating

Yep. I wish it had some more bells and whistles in terms of health metric tracking, but I can live without that if it means I almost never have to worry about the battery. I genuinely wish I had gotten the solar one because it would become a complete non-issue, but even the regular model is bonkers compared to the competition

I picked up an Instinct 2 from a Versa 2. Miss the touch screen some but love the triple or more battery life. Garmin still has great battery life even with screen on all the time vs having to baby and always shut off the Versa screen - noting my Versa 2 is about 5 years old and was better when it was new. Much better activity tracking on the Garmin for activities that are not walking or running. Buttons and interface is good on the Instinct 2 and didn't take too long to figure out where everything was.

Forerunner 955 as my main watch. Refurbished Instinct 2 as a backup and for pool swimming (chlorine destroys everything, so I wanted something cheaper than the 955 to use as a semi-sacrificial watch).

man fuck Garmin on the ass. my very first fitness watch instinct solar was a pita since the first year. worked great a few months and then charging issues and after a few weeks, randomly dying while tracking workouts. oh also it bloody changed hr depending on the workout chosen??? I asked customer support about these issues and they're like meh . this single watch haa completely put me off from fitness watches so ty Garmin:)

I use Garmin Instinct Solar and pretty happy about it :)

I have solar, but it's not worth it on the 2 in my opinion. I don't get a lot of charge very often, and sometimes the charging breaks altogether until I restart the watch. It works fine for running - no issues with the GPS where I run - but Garmin Coach workouts do not sync to the watch (only Daily Suggested Workouts), and it's not compatible with PacePro or ClimbPro. I use the Runna app with a subscription, and those workouts do make it to the watch. Overall, I would say my use case is similar to yours (I do hikes and a little backpacking as well), and I would rate it as a bit limited but "fine." I did consider splurging on an Instinct 3 Solar or possibly Forerunner 955, but I spent the money on a Runna subscription instead and don't regret it. Edit: Another limitation of the Instinct 2 is that it does not support wrist-based running dynamics. You have to use a separate Running Dynamics Pod or HRM Pro chest strap to get those stats on an Instinct 2.

I use the Instinct 2. I do a little running, but it's mostly walking and lifting. I work in a gym and do a lot of housework so I need it to be relatively sturdy, and I'm also not interested in the many and various features more complicated ones offer. In the store, ask to try one on. The Instinct 2 is fairly chunky, so you may or may not feel comfortable with it if you've a small wrist - or hey, you might feel like you're wearing a Pip Boy (there's even a free app for a Pip Boy watchface, though I do wish the little figure would slump when your training readiness is low, that'd be cool). I'd note too that it's not a touchscreen, so they make the five buttons do a lot of work, there's a bit of a learning period in futzing about with it to get the info you want displayed. Takes a couple of weeks to figure out. It requires only weekly charging, though that might come sooner if you do tracked long hikes, since the watch itself has the GPS rather than relying on the connected phone.

I got mine about 2 months ago. I've gone from a Pixel watch, to an Instinct 2 to the X1. When I got it I was looking at the Fenix, Epix range, but just came away feeling that they were simply too bulky. Then I went back to a local streo for another look and by chance saw a couple of boxed X1s in the Garmin display cabinet, they weren't on display and the staff didn't want to open one up for me to take a look. I hung around a bit and read the DC Rainmaker review in the store and just bought it on the spur of the moment. So light! I use the LED torch much more than I though I would. The battery life is fine, I plug it in when I shower and that's it. Sure, it does't look like I've got half a kg of apocalypse-proof steel strapped to my wrist - and some might think it looks like a $50 Apple knockoff from Temu - but in my opinion, it's still one the best tech purchases I've made. I love it.

A great fitness tracker for Kilimanjaro that works without cell service, tracks GPS distance, calories, and lasts 6+ days on one charge is the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar-rugged, reliable, and recharges via solar so you won't need to plug in. All the best as you Climb Kili!🗻🐘🗻

I use the Garmin Instinct 2 and really happy with the tracking and training guidance it provides. Being able to customize the screens I see during my swim is something that I really like. Previously, I used an Apple watch for track my swims, and that was pretty accurate too, but because it was all touch interface I would end up accidentally pausing or ending my workout without intending to. Also, I realise now that Apple's insights don't even come close to the detailed analysis and guidance I get with Garmin.

I love my instinct 2 solar too, I don't need another smart device.

This! I have a Garmin instinct Solar and I can't wear it all the time because it starts rubbing my skin off. lol

Really like my instinct 2 I got during their summer sale for $170ish usd. I got it just for mountain biking

It has the primitivity of a Casio and the complexity of a smartwatch. It's slow navigating and interacting, but lacking function. Casio missed the smartwatch train, but is now trying to get on it. Casio is still so popular, because its users want a forget-about-it experience - years of battery life, daily functions like alarm and stopwatch. They had never made any modern 21st century technologies (now they have an AI pet), the watch was the first thing. I hope they try again as a lot of people would enjoy a simple health oriented Casio. For now, a US Garmin Instinct 2 solar might be the watch if you want simplicity and functionality for ~200€.

While I agree having come from a Garmin instinct solar with incredible battery life. The pixel watch 4 needs to be charged every ~2 days and has fast charging. So take it off, pop it on the charger, have a shower and it's back to 100%. It's seriously impressive.

Here, here. Me too. Went from an AW6 to an Instinct 2 and eventually to a used Enduro. Couldn't be happier. I get weeks on a charge, health tracking is great, and it has all of the smarts I want but is an excellent timepiece and less of a distraction. (Bonus: new Instinct 2 + used Enduro 1 cost less than a new base model Apple Watch.) I also find the Garmin/Apple Health integration to be pretty solid. Rarely have I gone from something from Apple to something from another company and been this happy with the change.

Same. I still rock an original instinct solar. Love having all the basic stuff and the solar is super helpful. If I needed maps I have a forerunner 955 as well.

It's not a very feminine look, but the Instinct 2 has blown me away after moving from a Fitbit Sense 2. Garmin is a little harder to get used to, but is so much better once you do!

If you want max battery life and don't care about smartwatch features other than fitness tracking get the instinct series. There's several options based off of your preferred display and it gets up to 28 days of battery with notifications turned off

Garmin Instinct 2 with the HRM Pro Plus chest strap. Laps are counted perfectly as long as you have a clear push off the wall and extend your arm to glide for a second. If you try checking your watch mid-lap it will think you are gliding after a wall and add a lap. Afterwards you can always adjust the number of laps on an activity. Autolap works for wall touches or flip turns you just need a predictable push off the wall for it to sense the lap. I also set my watch to vibrate every 4 lengths so I can keep track of lengths without reading my watch and also I notice right away if a lap was dropped or added, since the watch will vibrate when I'm swimming away from the starting wall (it buzzes about 4 strokes into your 4th lap). I use manual rest, I don't trust auto-rest. Plus when I'm done my rest I get a 321 countdown to start the next set. The chest strap - if your swimsuit goes over it you'll be set, since as a guy I just wear jammers I can't push off the wall full force otherwise the chest strap moves. The bonus of that though is my 50m pool pace is the same as my 25m pool pace since I'm not gaining anything from the wall push. I also check that the chest strap is connected to the watch before I start the swim activity and then after the swim activity it downloads heart rate data to the watch. During the activity the water gets in the way and you only get heart rate data from the watch, but after it downloads you can check which HR zone you were swimming in at certain paces. If you care about heart rate data this is the best way in my opinion, otherwise water gets between the optical sensor and your skin and throws off the readings completely.