Customer reviews from Garmin
Garmin - Instinct 2 Solar 45 mm Smartwatch Fiber-reinforced Polymer - Mist Gray - (2022)
Average customer rating
4.5
(481 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 481 reviews
5 Stars
334
4 Stars
83
3 Stars
35
2 Stars
9
1 Star
20
Customer Reviews for Garmin - Instinct 2 Solar 45 mm Smartwatch Fiber-reinforced Polymer - Mist Gray - (2022)
Customer Rating
1
Very difficult to learn how to use.
on December 16, 2022
Posted by: MattM
I bought this watch to use for outdoor activity, working out, etc. I will say that I'm very accustomed to using the Apple Watch and the ease of use that comes with that. But with this Instinct watch, it was extremely difficult to figure out all the features. I felt like there were so many button pushes and combination of buttons to push just to get to a feature that I wanted to use. It was not user friendly at all. And, I felt like the resources out there to learn how to use it were lacking, so I returned the watch.
Response from GarminBy Garmin, Outdoor, January 5, 2023
Thank you for your review and experience with the Instinct 2 Solar. We would like to discuss this further over email. If you would please email us at product.support@garmin.com.
Thanks Jenny
Thanks Jenny
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Incredible battery life and the Garmin features yo
on December 13, 2022
Posted by: Mwri
Great watch with many of the high end Garmin features runners and bikers want on a fitness watch. The solar works well and has helped keep my usual charging to once every 3-3.5 weeks. Great watch!
Response from GarminBy Garmin, Outdoor, December 28, 2022
Thank you for your review. Jenny
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Garmin 2 Solar
on December 12, 2022
Posted by: HER42
Bought Garmin 2 Solar three weeks ago and have noticed significant improvements from Instinct 1. Battery lasts longer by at least 60%, Swim analytics are much more comprehensive/helpful, Cycling analytics also more comprehensive. watch face is lit better , much easier to view during and after activity.
Response from GarminBy Garmin, Outdoor, December 28, 2022
Thank you for your review. Jenny
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Great upgrade!
on December 10, 2022
Posted by: Djhiker91
I bought my Instinct 2 solar last month and it was an amazing upgrade from what I had before. I had an Apple Watch and while it was good, I didn’t need a second smart phone that needed recharged daily.
I’m a hiker out here in the Rocky Mountains and needed a watch that would be better suited for that adventure. This watch accurately records my location, has easy to use ABC, and an amazing battery life(with the way my settings are set up I have 30 days worth of battery life). And of course the solar charging is a great feature.
The watch is rugged and durable so I’m not worried about damaging it. The sensors are very accurate and have never failed me yet; I have actually been able to accurately and reliably track my health stats and have been able to make some healthier lifestyle changes thanks to it.
Great product. Reliable. Great features. And a simpler watch that feels like a regular watch instead of a mini smartphone.
I’m a hiker out here in the Rocky Mountains and needed a watch that would be better suited for that adventure. This watch accurately records my location, has easy to use ABC, and an amazing battery life(with the way my settings are set up I have 30 days worth of battery life). And of course the solar charging is a great feature.
The watch is rugged and durable so I’m not worried about damaging it. The sensors are very accurate and have never failed me yet; I have actually been able to accurately and reliably track my health stats and have been able to make some healthier lifestyle changes thanks to it.
Great product. Reliable. Great features. And a simpler watch that feels like a regular watch instead of a mini smartphone.
Response from GarminBy Garmin, Outdoor, December 28, 2022
Thank you for your review. Jenny
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
2
Lots of features but.........
on December 9, 2022
Posted by: Daves16
I bought the Instinct Solar 2 as an upgrade for my older Instinct Solar. It has lots of features, more than I normally use, but the info/graphics was read to read. The font is very small and has 3 lines of info per ‘page’. Too tough for my eyes to read easily. I also had a problem with it not being able to keep or hold my heart rate, it seemed to blank out. I have no problem with my old Instinct. The solar feature worked great and with only a few short periods I the sun it was able to maintain the battery at almost full for several days. Battery good, graphics/info don't BAD and heart rate monitor bad. I sent it back after 3 days use
Response from GarminBy Garmin, Outdoor, December 28, 2022
Thank you for your review and experience with the Instinct 2 Solar. We would like to discuss this further over email. If you would please email us at product.support@garmin.com.
Thanks Jenny
Thanks Jenny
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
3
Disappointment compared to the great Instinct (1)
on December 9, 2022
Posted by: Garmin_User_227
I had the Instinct 1 which I just loved because of features, user experience and ability for customization. Unfortuntately it had to be replaced. So I bought the newer model. I was disappointed firts emotionally, then technically. The new high-Res display does not add utility, it looked dimmer to me in low light condition. The new way of displaying graphs is annoying, they added an extra step. If you want to see stress level over the past few hours you have to push down on the left side and then GPS. The normal view when scrolling through the sensor data is annoying because it cuts letters in the left upper and lower corners. Then there are some strange decisions regarding design of the bezel (with many tiny holes destined to collect dust and dirt) and a gap between bezel and glass. The usability to me was so diminished I returned the Instinct 2 solar and bought another Instinct (1).
Good things with the Instinct (2) solar
- IQ connect, can load watch faces and mini-Apps
- PayFunction (but needs phone anyway)
- Better coach functions
- IQ connect, can load watch faces and mini-Apps
- PayFunction (but needs phone anyway)
- Better coach functions
Response from GarminBy Garmin, Outdoor, December 28, 2022
Thank you for your review and experience with the Instinct 2 Solar. We would like to discuss this further over email. If you would please email us at product.support@garmin.com.
Thanks Jenny
Thanks Jenny
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Sleep review
on December 7, 2022
Posted by: Crazypete
I bought the garmin to replace a Fitbit. The sleep feature is excellent and I have a sleep study scheduled!
Response from GarminBy Garmin, Outdoor, December 28, 2022
Thank you for your review. Jenny
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Only watch I will ever use
on December 7, 2022
Posted by: Austin B
I was looking for a smart watch that I could just receive texts, calls, track activities etc. Nothing super fancy, didn't need to text with it, call, have a walkie talkie, all that and I needed the battery to last, I don't enjoy having to charge my watch every night, and definitely needed it to be waterproof.
This watch is perfect the person who wants a quality active watch and doesent want to have all the bells and whistles of an apple or samsung watch. The battery lasts on average for me, without any power saving an average of 2 to 2 and a half weeks. It does everything I want (look at the product description to see what it does and does not have), and is a quality built, good looking, comfortable watch.
Highly recommended.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin