Customer reviews from Garmin
Garmin - Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch 45 mm Fiber-reinforced Polymer - Whitestone with whitestone/bolt blue silicone band - (2025)
Average customer rating
4.4
(95 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 95 reviews
5 Stars
64
4 Stars
19
3 Stars
5
2 Stars
4
1 Star
3
Customer Reviews for Garmin - Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch 45 mm Fiber-reinforced Polymer - Whitestone with whitestone/bolt blue silicone band - (2025)
Customer Rating
5
great device. much better than Apple watch
on November 27, 2025
Posted by: RachidB
great device. much better than Apple watch.
Thank you
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
By Far the Best Smartwatch
on November 27, 2025
Posted by: Ross 36
I received this as an early Christmas present. It has become an everyday essential, just like the cell phone. It tracks everything you can imagine, and the battery life is great. The function is much different from an apple watch, which I like better. Wearing gloves or having fat fingers does not impede its use, as it functions like a standard watch. The complications are great for having a glance at several data fields without having to open different apps. 10 out of 10, highly recommend!
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Nice upgrade
on December 6, 2025
Posted by: Dl3po
I replaced an original instinct that was 6 years old. It's nice not having to charge it daily. So far I haven't seen much benefit from the solar feature but we are in the dead of winter here in Colorado. My only regret is not getting the 50 milometer version.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Great watch!
on December 8, 2025
Posted by: Danny94
Just picked up the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar, and after some real-world use, here’s my honest take.
This watch is built for people who actually get outside and move. The solar-assisted battery life is the standout feature by far — I’m seeing days and days of use without even thinking about charging. That alone makes it worth it. The MIP display isn’t flashy, but it stays crystal-clear in direct sunlight, which is exactly what you want in a watch meant for the outdoors.
The comfort surprised me. It looks rugged, but it feels great on the wrist — light, well-balanced, and easy to forget it’s even there. For all-day wear, workouts, yard work, or hiking, it never feels in the way.
Feature-wise, it covers the essentials: GPS, activity tracking, notifications, alarms, and a tough build that feels ready for anything. You’re not getting AMOLED visuals or fancy animations, so if that’s your priority, look elsewhere. But if you want a watch that lasts forever and feels good every minute you’re wearing it, this thing nails it.
Overall, the Instinct 3 Solar is a practical, dependable, comfort-focused watch with incredible battery life. Exactly what I wanted.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
4
Rough learning curve. Good otherwise.
on December 8, 2025
Posted by: pcurtain
Switched to this from my Apple Watch. HUGE improvement in usage life (battery life). Getting weeks versus hours between charges.
LOTs of areas of UX Behavior that I still stumble and struggle with. Starting and stopping activities is a big challenge.
LOTs of areas of UX Behavior that I still stumble and struggle with. Starting and stopping activities is a big challenge.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Best watch I owned
on December 10, 2025
Posted by: AR57
I bought this about a month ago and so far exceeded my expectations. First reason for buying it was the long battery life. It shows 27 days of battery life when fully charged but it changes as you activate the GPS function. The few hour long activities haven’t put a big dent in battery life, and I am sure I can get about 2 weeks on one charge with a normal use.
Second reason for buying it: buttons only operation. Not having touch screen is a major advantage when you exercise and have sweat dripping off you hands.
Morning report is another advantage over my old Vivoactive 3. Lots of statistics regarding your sleep and training readiness.
Under cons, I’d mention the screen which is hard to see with my strained eyes in low light conditions. I guess is what I had to trade over when I opted for the long battery life and gave up the AMOLED screen other devices have.
As far as the menus they tend to be non-intuitive and I found myself pushing buttons randomly as I had to guess what message is displayed on the screen under low light conditions. Sometime the message is played in young headset which is a big help during the workout.
Second reason for buying it: buttons only operation. Not having touch screen is a major advantage when you exercise and have sweat dripping off you hands.
Morning report is another advantage over my old Vivoactive 3. Lots of statistics regarding your sleep and training readiness.
Under cons, I’d mention the screen which is hard to see with my strained eyes in low light conditions. I guess is what I had to trade over when I opted for the long battery life and gave up the AMOLED screen other devices have.
As far as the menus they tend to be non-intuitive and I found myself pushing buttons randomly as I had to guess what message is displayed on the screen under low light conditions. Sometime the message is played in young headset which is a big help during the workout.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
4
Takes a while to get used to all the features.
on December 12, 2025
Posted by: Hardie21
How can I make the watch face have color???????????
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Great
on December 18, 2025
Posted by: jureste99
I bought it few weeks ago, I loved it, extended battery for 28 battery. It's amazing solar watch.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin