Garmin Instinct 2X Solar Tactical Edition 50mm Rugged GPS Smartwatch, Black

2024-06-24T20:00:00

I am coming from an old Casio G-shock.. This feels pretty close to taking the spirit of the G-shock and putting brains in it. I love the solar - I'm going on a full month of usage and finally need to plug it in. If I spent more time outside, I could see it going for 6 weeks or more on a single wall charge. The watch is great for running/hiking. It is decent at strength training, but you can tell the algorithms don't work as well for it. I can do a 40 min strenuous leg exercise and it thinks I'm fully ready to go the next day without any rest needed. But a 40 min run needs 30+ hours of recovery. Hopefully that is something that can be tweaked in the future.

tombo

Originally posted at

2024-06-22T20:00:00

bigger battery ,faster satellite acquisition,improved battery life/solar charging , do miss the old step/ calorie widget a little bigger on the wrist, you will get used to it!

Busch

Originally posted at

2024-06-18T20:00:00

I've had this watch for about 2 weeks. Have not needed to charge it yet. Has tons of features that are extremely useful for the outdoors!

SKIP804

Originally posted at

2024-06-17T20:00:00

I have about two weeks on the watch, and have used it daily for activity tracking and as a smart watch. The battery life has been great, and the heart rate tracking seems to be working great on the watch, this was a complaint that I had with a previous version that I owned a few years ago but all those kinks seem to be worked out and this watch does great from a wrist heart rate standpoint. I am about to move towards more outdoor activities and start using the gps function to track distances so I will be curious how battery performance does with that added use. All in all very happy with the watch and looking forward to putting it to more use!

Matt21418

Originally posted at

2024-06-17T20:00:00

I had the watch for three weeks and loving it , I haven 't had to charge it yet.

AB76

Originally posted at

2024-06-16T20:00:00

I bought an original instinct when they came out and just replaced it after many years. I was mostly interested in the solar feature of the 2x Solar, and had to have the Flame Red after wearing it in the original for so many years. HRM seems much more accurate, solar is great, GPS is noticeably faster. I find myself using the light more than I thought I would. Super happy so far and look forward to many years of service.

cwood83

Originally posted at

2024-06-16T20:00:00

So far the watch is everything you said it was. It the battery last a long time, the text and email are easy to read.this is a great looking watch. I would recommend it to anyone who looking for a great sport watch.

Dallasboy

Originally posted at

2024-06-16T20:00:00

Lets just say it - the biggest con to this watch is the price point. But as a good friend of mine says - buy once, cry once. I have had the watch for almost a month now and I cannot find one complaint with it. Fairly intuitive to navigate. Standard setup is straight forward and showcases many of the features. You can customize the face, trackers, exercises etc. Tactical is a perfect branding for this edition. From ballistics, GPS and jumping out of a plane there is no shortage of features if you suddenly find yourself in a James Bond movie. This watch is worth every single penny and more - you won't regret the tears!

Eternal527

Originally posted at

2024-06-15T20:00:00

I made the decision to upgrade from my Garmin Instinct Solar Surf to the Garmin Instinct Solar 2X Tactical. It did not disappoint! The battery life is incredible as advertised and the the additional features i.e. being able to change settings thru the "Garmin Connect App" is a big plus as well. I am a canoe trekker camper. So my primary usage is navigation and also biking and hiking for exercise.The watch's performance is incredible. What can I say, they are both great watches, which is why I have yet been able to get rid of the Solar Surf. I would strongly recommend any of the Garmin Instinct Series, especially for those outdoor enthusiasts life myself. The watches do it all and do it at a top level in my opinion. I have been a long time Garmin product fan. i.e. InReach, handhelds, street navigations, etc. The question is why ...well the answer is easy....Garmin is the best of the best!!! And I found the most reliable. Go Garmin!!

Jim48

Originally posted at

2024-06-15T20:00:00

Great watch simple feel but lots of features. Love the unlimited battery.

Mouse

Originally posted at

2024-06-15T20:00:00

I had solar instinct previously, but this solar instinct 2x battery has amazing capacity. I'm glad I bought this.

Ps64

Originally posted at

2024-06-14T20:00:00

Bought the Instinct 2x Solar to replace my Apple Watch. Got tired of charging the Apple Watch every night- it was a pain and made tracking sleep a challenge. Also, just never really used all of the functionality of the Apple Watch with texting on the watch, etc. The Instinct 2x Solar does all the things I wanted from the Apple Watch (steps, HR, workouts, etc.) and I'll maybe have to charge it a few times this year. It also has some amazing tracking features for outdoor activities. I live in Florida so on days I'm outside, I lose virtually no charge, due to the lux hours so get from the solar charging capability!

TaddDaddy

Originally posted at

2024-06-14T20:00:00

Had the watch for 3 Weeks. Haven't charged it yet since the original charge. Still have 21 days left! I had to charge my apple watch nightly. I live all of the health tracking, morning report and the flashlight! Definitely an upgrade from my apple watch.

Gmoney2014

Originally posted at

2024-06-14T20:00:00

Got this watch as an early Father's Day gift and love it. Went from a Apple Watch to this watch and haven't looked back

TacticalSGT

Originally posted at

2024-06-13T20:00:00

I bought this a little less than a month ago but I love all the different features that the watch has! It's super convenient that there are so many different workout options as well. They have a variety of running options and the gps tracks your run. The app makes it easy to review your workouts as well.

kegrun

Originally posted at

2024-06-12T20:00:00

I'm only 2 weeks into owning this watch, but I have to say that I love it! I'm coming from a Google Pixel Watch, and I like this thing is so much better. There was a lot to love about the Pixel Watch but the disconnect between the Fitbit run tracking on the watch and the numbers showing in the app were hard to swallow. I decided it was time to focus more on the running/tracking features and less on the smartwatch/phone integration. I checked with a buddy who has the Instinct 2X Solar and he had great things to say about it, and all the Garmins he's owned. Mostly I'm a runner but not as hard-core, tweak-every-detail as some. I over-analyzed between the Instinct 2X Solar and the Forerunner 955, and liked a lot of the 955's advanced running features (many of which were over my head). I also liked the 955's color touchscreen. Wifi was less of a concern since the Instinct doesn't seem to have as much of a need for it. It was a tough decision, but with 2 concerns relegated to the I-can-always-return-it list I went with the Instinct 2X Solar. Things I love about my Instinct 2X Solar (some apply to many Garmins, some are 2X-specific): I loved the 2X's look, its ruggedness, and how it doesn't try to do everything. Which sounds a little silly considering how much it can do. It's also lightweight and doesn't LOOK like an expensive watch, which for me is a plus. IYKYK. LiveTrack. Both the 2X and 955 have this (the one where you can let people see your real-time blue dot on a map), but since it uses your phone to update the location I was a little concerned about how much phone battery it uses and was unable to find any feedback online. I haven't tested this much but so far it doesn't seem to drain the phone excessively. As an example, I think about 4-5% during an hour-plus run. Power banks for the phone are also an option on an extremely long run. Group LiveTrack. Same as above, but you can see everyone in your group. Per the Garmin site's comparison, the 2X doesn't have this. Not a big deal to me, but as I was actually setting up the watch I was surprised to find this feature present on the 2X. Live Event Sharing. Garmin's comparison says the 2X doesn't have this, so advantage to the 955. This is the one that texts out periodic updates (like every mile or whatever you set) during a race. To me this seems more respectful of your phone battery on a longer race, and I really wanted this. (Item #1 on the I-can-always-return-it list.) And then I got my 2X and it actually DOES have this? I was way too happy when I discovered that. Note that iPhone users don't have this option since iPhone doesn't let third-party apps send text messages. Blame Steve or Tim, not Garmin. Screen. Given the old-school screen and my old eyes, I had some concerns. My local REI only had some dummy versions available to see and I'm not gonna lie, it was hard to see the smaller lines--especially since the dummy didn't have a backlight. Item #2 on the I-can-always-return-it list. But I liked the 2X, and fortunately that doesn't seem to be an issue in actual usage. I'm also a fan of the second, inset screen to highlight whatever's most relevant at the time. (The little round one in the pictures.) Buttons! Moving from a touchscreen-only watch, I was excited to have actual buttons. It's amazing how much sweat and rain can hamper using a device with a buttonless touchscreen. And having the buttons auto-lock when you start an event? Love that. Being able to start and stop your run as you cross the line, without looking down to see where to touch? Looking forward to that. Actually tracking runs. (1) Seems more accurate than my previous watch, and a lot more accurate than my phone before that. There's really something to the multi-band GPS. (2) Being able to pause/stop an activity without turning the screen back on and then swiping a few times is refreshing. (3) Switching from one activity to another on the fly is incredibly handy when the dog has had enough of the run and is ready to turn the rest of the outing into a walk. A lot faster than ending the run, waiting for the watch to do all its post-activity stuff, and then starting a walk. (4) I've even programmed in a couple of courses in the neighborhood so I can make sure I hit the distance I want and that's worked well. The navigational directions that pop up are noticeable but not obnoxious. I used the map once while plotting a run out of town. It's ok even though it's a little limited. (5) Being able to modify what fields are shown, and having as many pages on your rotation as you want, are very useful. Right now I want to see HR, pace, distance, and time. Maybe down the road I'll dig more into power and stuff like that. (6) I've loaded in a workout with intervals manually and it went fine once I figured out how to advance it. Still need to get comfortable with the process, as I've accidentally ended the workout when I thought I was just advancing a manual lap. The manual lap seems to take another button press than I think it does. Wish list: I'd like to set a section, like sprint-run-recover, to repeat until I stop it manually. I think that's an open interval? Anyway, that's available on the 955 but not the 2X from what I can tell. (7) Suggested workouts. I'm actually in training for something right now and so I haven't actually used these. But I'll try them out when I'm done with this race. Flashlight. I've only used it a couple of times, but I can see using it more. It's certainly quicker to double-tap a watch button than to dig my phone out of my pocket and start swiping and tapping for a light. HRM, Pulse Ox, Respirations, Stress, Battery Body, Sleep, Training Readiness and Training Status, Health Snapshot. I follow these regularly. Some are good. Health Snapshot counted about 15 breaths per minute but I counted like 6 so I'm not sure what's up with that. Training details are still getting dialled in but I like what I see. Haven't really looked at the thermometer, which looks like it's for ambient temp and not my temp. I do like the morning report, giving me a summary of where I am first thing in the morning. Battery. I've been throwing it on the charger when I take a shower, and between that short charging cycle and the solar my battery life has hovered between 15-17 days. On a weekend getaway I ended up doing about 4-5 hours GPS tracking and never bothered charging, and it was still a week's life left when I got home. It's just weird not having to stock up on charging cables. Well, maybe one longer one for next to the bed and I'll put the included shorter one in my travel bag. Being able to modify the screens (to some degree) is nice. Like I don't use Garmin Pay, but quick access to the Strobe might come in handy. And having a favorite timer lets me start it within 3 button clicks. My list of glances is getting a little long. I'll have to see which ones can go away and whether there are any others I want handy. I also haven't programmed any hotbuttons, which is definitely a good idea to look into. Maybe for the manual lap advance? Altimeter/Barometer/Compass. Because of course you need them. Custom power modes for in-activity battery settings. I guess this could come in handy, but the battery life is insane so I don't think I'm going to need it any time soon. The Garmin Connect app is the best place to dig into your stats, and it seems to work well. I appreciate the link for more info next to some of the terms and measurements that I'm not familiar with. Graphs look nice, and it's easy to set the time period--so for example what's my weight been this week, the past month, or the past 12 months. I also like that I can import my older activities into Garmin Connect to have a better history. USB-C. My phone, earbuds, and tablet all use this and my battery bank supports it, so it's convenient that my watch cable does too--at least on the wall end. There's also a giant online retailer that has a Garmin adapter tip that fits onto a standard USB-C cable to turn it into a Garmin-compatible cable. So if you have a USB-C cable in your travel bag you can throw in a tip with it, and only have to carry one cable. With all the pluses, there are a few drawbacks: The training plans listed in Garmin Connect are pretty limited, or maybe they're just not expecting me to have an 18-mile trail run 9 weeks from now. That is pretty specific, I guess. You have 5 buttons, so there's a learning curve. But I got it pretty much figured out within a day or so, and I LOVE BUTTONS. The Garmin replacement watchbands are pricey. I'm glad I found out now rather than when I need to buy one. Music controls (for your phone's music) are clunky to say the least. Probably not worth messing with. I don't mind not having music directly on the watch and didn't use it on my prior watch. No widgets, but then I haven't even downloaded any watch faces yet. [PSA: According to online reviews, some downloaded watch faces add a noticeable lag. If you experience lag, see if a stock face works better.] The Connect IQ store isn't available directly from the watch; you have to go in through the Garmin Connect app. Not a big deal because it's not like you're going to spend a lot of time searching and trying out downloads. Notifications. If one pops up on the watch you can get to it easily if you do it right away. After the display reverts, you have to dig a little further to get to the notifications. Clearing them on the phone generally seems to clear them on the watch but I've seen a couple exceptions. Doesn't have "Improved Intervals". As mentioned above, the main one I'd like is the Open Repeats. Overall, I'm really happy with my 2X. There are very few things that I miss from my "smarter" watch, but the added capabilities of my Garmin more than make up for it.

pksi

Originally posted at

2024-06-12T20:00:00

Love my watch i use the lighting fixture a lot at work

JpUrey

Originally posted at

2024-06-11T20:00:00

I received my instinct 2X Solar on May 19th. I've had it for 24 days, and it shows I've got another 7 days befre I have to recharge it. I started to learn all about it. The learning curve is a bit longer for me, but am adjusting to it very pleased. I recommend this watch highly.

VicR

Originally posted at

2024-06-11T20:00:00

I needed accuracy, durability and satellite connectivity. I got that and more! I'm really looking forward to really testing this watch soon.

Motominister

Originally posted at

2024-06-10T20:00:00

This watch just gets it done! The Torch is a feature that I thought I would never use! Boy was I wrong! Simple to use watch with a ton of actual features you will use!

MrSicEm

Originally posted at

2024-06-10T20:00:00

I love the features and it's comfortable to wear. Only thing I don't like is how easy the screen can get scratch if touched

Ghost718

Originally posted at

2024-06-10T20:00:00

I have had this watch for a few weeks now and love it! It has hardly been off my wrist. Love the size and all the features. It's going to take a while to learn and use all the features this watch has. The battery life is the best! I've had it for about a month and only charged it once and took about 15 minutes is all. If you're looking for a solid fitness, outdoor, smartwatch, this is the one to buy.

Baller

Originally posted at

2024-06-09T20:00:00

I love my Apple Watch and bought the Ultra 2 for battery life, but is just is not very long and too much of a problem for an outdoors person that does not want to always be recharging, or can't. G-Shock are great but lack the smartphone features. So?Instinct is obvious choice, and to my surprise I like the fit and feel better than Apple. Great job Garmin

RBzero9

Originally posted at

2024-06-08T20:00:00

After a full battery charge, the watch indicates 40 days or more. But with a few hours of solar, you can get an infinite time indicator on the watch under everyday use with two daily alarms. Add in that you can add applications, watch faces, and widgets of your choosing, and you have a watch that can give you all you need.

fanish2024

Originally posted at

2024-06-08T20:00:00

The strength function on the workouts just plain sucks it's a lot of work to keep track of needs to be simplified to much stopping and Messi g with the watch each set then you have to hit it again when you start the rep after awhile you just say forget it and just keep working out forget about tracking it

Oppopo23

Originally posted at

2024-06-06T20:00:00

Watch work as expected, but the watch face color are way off from the website picture, I would say that is misleading the buyer

Jricard2

Originally posted at

2024-06-06T20:00:00

I upgraded from the Instict 2s and really enjoy the larger watch face. I have a small wrist and was afraid it might be too big, but I am very happy with it and the ability to read all the data on the larger screen. Love all the features and ability to customize. The only issue is the solar charging and this is not a complaint, just an observation as the battery life is already great - 40 days at full charge! It does charge and in normal operating mode with reasonable outside time it was keeping the watch fully charged. On an average week I track about 13 hours of indoor and outdoor activities (walks, mtb, yoga, elliptical) and that's where the solar charging can't quite keep up, but this is understandable given the fact that it is working harder to track and collect data. At my rate of use, it will still take nearly a month to fully drain the battery which is awesome! I did change out the watch band for a velcro/nylon one though, because I felt the stiffness of the original band didn't allow the watch to sit tightly/flat (maybe because of my small wrist?) and I wanted to make sure the sensors would always be making good contact. Overall great watch!

JBmtbr

Originally posted at

2024-06-05T20:00:00

I bought this a few weeks ago and so far so good great battery life and I love all the features. The only thing I could've used was the topographical maps but that's not really necessary for how much they would be used. I was more concerned with long battery life over anything else, and the instinct 2X solar gives me the long battery life. I would definitely buy again, but hopefully I won't have to.

JScott

Originally posted at

2024-06-04T20:00:00

Couldn't be happier with this watch. Tracks very well love the sleep stats and vo2 stats. Monthly challenges on the app are a blast but watch is tough and good looking! Very happy with the upgrade. It adds a bit of pep to my step knowing I'm tracking everything. Wanting to push and get healthier and better and this is helping with that!

Cody90

Originally posted at

2024-06-04T20:00:00

I bought my Fenix 3HR in 2016 and it is still going strong. But recently I got a Insta360 X4 and there is a ConnectIQ app that provides some control of the camera from the Instinct 2 X Solar, so I upgraded. I love the solar charging. The monochrome screen nice and readable, even in bright sun. It is great that I can display the info I want: TOD, Speed, Miles completed, and Heart Rate, on one screen.

lwilky

Originally posted at