Why You Can Trust CNET Garmin Instinct 2 promises you'll never charge your smartwatch again
This rugged smartwatch is also much friendlier to your wallet than Garmin's high-end alternatives.
- Webby Award honoree, 2x Gold Telly Award winner
Garmin has added another outdoor smartwatch to its lineup. This one's called the Instinct 2 and it comes in two different sizes with scratch-resistant glass. It has a solar variant that the company says gives unlimited battery life -- as long as it gets enough sunlight each day. Starting at $349 (£300, AU$549) the Inspire 2 is a wallet-friendly alternative to the Fenix 7 and Epix watches the company announced in January.
The Instinct 2 is a 45mm watch face, while the Instinct 2S is 40mm. Both versions have similar health and fitness tracking features to other Garmin watches, including the body battery that gives an indicator of your energy reserves, sleep score and VO2 Max. A new multisport activity type lets you move between different workout types and maintain your overall time and distance.
Key specifications
- Meets military standard 810 for shock and thermal resistance
- Water-resistant to 100 meters
- Monochrome display
- Over 40 activity tracking types including indoor climb, bouldering, golf and backcountry ski
- Garmin Pay for mobile payments
- Up to four weeks' battery life in smartwatch mode
As for the unlimited battery life claim, that's only for the 45mm Inspire 2 Solar version and assumes your watch is outside for 3 hours a day in 50,000-lux conditions. That's equivalent to an overcast day with some sunlight.
The Instinct 2 will also come in three editions, each dedicated to particular activity. The surf edition adds water sport activities (including kiteboarding) and puts ocean conditions right on your wrist. The tactical edition has a stealth mode and it's compatible with night vision goggles, while the camo edition comes in different patterns for blending in with the environment.
Garmin's latest smart watch is available right now to be purchased. Grab one for your wrist and leave behind the days of worrying about battery percentages.
