Customer reviews from Garmin
Garmin - Instinct Solar Smartwatch 45mm Fiber-Reinforced Polymer - Flame Red
Average customer rating
4.1
(732 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 732 reviews
5 Stars
449
4 Stars
122
3 Stars
50
2 Stars
42
1 Star
69
Customer Reviews for Garmin - Instinct Solar Smartwatch 45mm Fiber-Reinforced Polymer - Flame Red
Customer Rating
5
Perfect for outdoor adventures
on February 8, 2021
Posted by: Jessica K
from Ammon, ID, US
Whether I'm walking the dogs along the river, snowshoeing, hiking, kayaking, backpacking, or on a search and rescue mission, the Instinct Solar is a perfect companion. Keeping track of my steps, heart rate, gps location, my tracks, and so much more, brings me comfort in knowing I have an extra layer of security while out on my outdoor adventures.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
4
Pretty good!
on January 11, 2021
Posted by: Stanford S
The instinct isn't perfect. The settings out of the box are pretty inaccurate for getting accurate distance, but these can be changed (make sure to set to every second tracking) and the heart rate ranges from being dead on, to being off by 15 or even 20 bpm. Battery life is good, and makes for a great companion for particularly long outings, sleep tracking, and as a general fitness tracker.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
4
Functional but bulky
on January 9, 2021
Posted by: Alexandra C
I am enjoying using my Instinct solar which includes GPS tracking... I previously used the Vivoactive 3 which had many similar features but I wanted the solar benefit as the battery would drain quickly on the Vivo. The instinct is attractive but more bulky than the Vivoactive. I have a very small wrist and the Instinct covers most of it. When I am layering in cold weather I take the watch off and put it on over the sleeves. I would recommend this watch as I only have to charge it half the time as I normally would.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Excellent smart watch for Search and Rescue
on October 31, 2020
Posted by: Charles D
I recently used a new to me Garmin Instinct on a Search and Rescue mission here in Alaska. We were dispatched by the Alaska State Troopers to locate and render aid to an overdue ATV rider who had become lost after abandoning her disabled quad about 14 miles from the nearest road. We rode the R-44 helicopter to the search site. Dispatch relayed coordinates of point last seen, cabins along the trail, and other critical features for us to use in our search while we were in flight. This was my first time out with the Instinct. The user interface was simple and intuitive. I was able to save and plot waypoints as we flew so that as soon as we hit the ground, we could navigate to each objective. Pairing the Instinct with my smartphone allowed me to use real time position plotting on high quality, color digital maps. We were well outside of cell coverage and outside of the fixed repeater network for our handheld radios, so communication was line-of-sight radio, or satellite only. The Instinct and the smartphone paired smoothly and allowed accurate tracking of search effort.
The subject was found and treated for hypothermia and other cold related injuries, then flown back to the local hospital with a medic. When the helicopter got back to us, it picked me and my teammate up and flew us back to the mobile command center for debriefing. I was able to easily export the logged track and recorded waypoints via Bluetooth to the planning section where it was added to the overall mission map within minutes of arriving in base.
I highly recommend this product for anyone wanting a rugged navigation tool, especially those needing fast, accurate mapping and communication of field work.
I highly recommend this product for anyone wanting a rugged navigation tool, especially those needing fast, accurate mapping and communication of field work.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
4
Good
on April 22, 2025
Posted by: Mexican
I bought it like 4 months ago and all of a sudden the wacth all ways turns off by it self I did a restart on it and something the only way it stays on is if I have the Bluetooth off other wise it goes off
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
1
problems
on May 31, 2025
Posted by: disappoint
I bought this a few weeks ago to monitor my sleep. I can't figure out if it even has that capability. My son has a fancier garmin but he couldn't find that function on this model
either. Disappointed in the complexity and lack of wanted features,
either. Disappointed in the complexity and lack of wanted features,
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Great watch
on June 6, 2025
Posted by: Bill413
Bought this watch because I love the outdoors. The GPS comes in very handy.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
1
Horrible product
on June 8, 2025
Posted by: Bigman2002
I've had two separate instinct solar. Work as intended but after about 4 months they no longer work. They freeze up or no longer hold a battery.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin