Garmin Instinct vs. Instinct 2 vs. Instinct 2S: What are the differences, and Which to choose?

Garmin Instinct Reviews

The Garmin Instinct series has all the trademarks of a reliable adventure watch, from a rugged design to unstoppable battery life and reliable tracking. While there's close parity between the functionality of the Instinct and other watches - like Forerunner - the Instinct plays to a lifestyle angle, a little like the premium Fenix devices.

When comparing the new Garmin Instinct 2/2S vs. Instinct, it can at first seem that there are no noticeable differences between these three Garmin Instinct watches. But the Garmin Instinct 2/2S certainly ramps it up a notch with new features.

And the 2024 Instinct 2/2S series keeps that promise of durability and versitility while bringing upgraded features, battery life, sizes, new sports apps, higher resolution, an infinite power reserve, and mission-specific models to fit your lifestyle. In addition, the watches in the second-generation line are categorized into Standard and Solar models and further divided into Camo, Tactical, Surf, & Dēzl Edition. Depending on what model you choose and for what purpose, you will have to pay from about $350 to $500.

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Garmin Instinct vs. Instinct 2 vs. Instinct 2S: Specs Comparison

Garmin Instinct vs. Instinct 2 vs. Instinct 2S: Price

The Garmin Instinct, Garmin Instinct 2, and Garmin Instinct 2S are available in non-solar, and solar models. Prices for each model are as follows:

Garmin Instinct vs. Instinct 2 vs. Instinct 2S: Watch Models

• Standard - the base device

• Camo - comes with a camo finish

• Tactical - has specific tactical features like night vision compatibility, stealth mode, dual format GPS, kill switch, jumpmaster mode

• Surf - styling changes, tide data, surfing, windsurfing and kiteboarding activities

• Dēzl - designed for truck drivers, with driver-specific functions

• Esports - has a dedicated tracking mode for gaming

There's no version of the Instinct 2 designed for esports. Instead, Garmin has added a new watch called the Instinct 2 Dezl (pronounced 'diesel') Edition, which is specifically for truckers. It can connect to your truck's Garmin navigation system, display your health stats on its high-res screen, and remind you to take regular breaks.

Of course, some will just want to buy a watch the colour they want - in most cases you can get black in any version you want - but if you want a yellow watch, that's the Instinct Solar, if you want olive green, that's the Instinct Tactical.

Garmin Instinct vs. Instinct 2 vs. Instinct 2S: Size

The new Garmin Instinct 2 series of GPS watches now offers a size for smaller wrists, denoted by the "2S" option in the Instinct, Instinct Solar, Instinct Camo, and Instinct Surf and Solar–Surf editions.

Obviouslly, the Garmin Instinct 2 gives you even more options. First of all, you can now choose between 40mm and 45mm case sizes – the smaller of which is well suited to people with slim wrists. Both sizes come in standard and solar versions.

There are also special edition Instinct 2 models. As before, there's a Surf edition, but this is now available in both 40mm and 45mm sizes, and you can choose to have it with or without solar glass.

The Tactical and Camo editions are only available in 45mm. The Tactical model has solar glass, but the Camo doesn't.

Only the Instinct 2 offers two sizes, but beyond that you can stack up size, display and edition to an extent. That means, for example, that you can get a 45mm Solar Tactical, or 40mm Solar Surf. The best thing to do is decide on the size and then the Edition if you want special features.

Garmin Instinct vs. Instinct 2 vs. Instinct 2S: Design

The different versions are the same overall design and build. All Garmin Instinct watches are made of fiber-reinforced polymer and built to the U.S. military standard 810 for thermal, shock, and water resistance (rated to 100 meters).

Instinct solar-charging watches have scratch-resistant Power Glass displays that are high contrast and sunlight readable. Non-charging Instinct lenses are made from chemically strengthened glass.

Two independent removeable keeper loops on a fully vented silicone band keep both Instinct and Instinct 2/2S GPS watches secure and ensure they don’t get snagged up.

The bezel differs slightly between Instinct 2 models, with a tweaked design between the Standard, Camo, Tactical, Surf, and Dēzl editions.

For the original Instinct the design is the same, with only colour differences.

All accept QuickFit straps, with 22mm across the Instinct and Instinct 2, while the Instinct 2S uses the 20mm QuickFit straps.

Garmin Instinct vs. Instinct 2 vs. Instinct 2S: Display

All the Garmin Instinct devices use the same type of display. As we said, they're all the same size for the 45mm devices, with a smaller display on the 40mm Instinct 2S.

All Garmin Instinct watches have monochrome memory-in-pixel (MiP) displays, with a small cut-out at the top right that displays contextual information while you're navigating through menus, and can show a statistic such as current step count, heart rate, or date on the watch's home screen. There's no visible difference between standard and solar glass.

This display is less striking than the AMOLED screens of watches like the Venu 2, but it's easy to read in all lighting conditions and has more contrast than the color MiP display of the Garmin Fenix 7. 

The Instinct is also unique in that it's using a custom two-window design, which is how we have that separate section on the display.

Garmin Instinct vs. Instinct 2 vs. Instinct 2S: Features

When it comes to features there's a lot packed into the Instinct as there is in all Garmin devices. From a hardware standpoint, there's more storage on the Instinct 2 and 2S, expanding to 32MB over 16MB, meaning you can store more data. Certainly,  Garmin Instinct 2 has several new features. Some of the new smart features include Incident Detection which automatically detects when an incident has occurred and sends your name and location to your emergency contacts. Your location is determined using the LiveTrack location feature. 

The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar devices also boast Garmin Pay which allows you to make contactless payments using your watch. You’ll also find the same smart notifications, plus incoming calls and text alerts, music control and Find My Phone feature on the Garmin Instinct 2.

Fitness Features

• The original Garmin Instinct was already a well kitted out fitness tracker with a huge range of tracking modes and preloaded sports profiles. Now, alongside strength, cardio and elliptical training, stair stepping, floor climbing, indoor rowing, yoga, hiking, climbing, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, stand-up paddleboarding, rowing, kayaking, and Jumpmaster, the new Garmin Instinct 2 adds some additional new profiles. These are indoor track running, indoor climbing, bouldering, fishing, hunting, gravel biking, cyclocross, and e-biking. There’s also some new golfing features on the Instinct 2 including a digital scorecard, yardage to layups/doglegs, hazards and course targets, and green view with manual pin position.

• The Garmin Instinct 2 and Instinct 2S watches, solar and non-solar, also introduce a new optical heart rate monitor which guarantees even better accuracy as well as a SpO2 sensor for tracking changes in blood oxygen saturation. There’s also training status, VO2 max and a recovery time feature which provides an estimate on how long it will take for you to fully recover and be ready for your next workout. For overall wellness, the Garmin Instinct 2 introduces sleep score and sleep insights, the Fitness Age app and a Health Snapshot feature.

Of course, some of the data that the Instinct will offer comes down to the version you buy. While all will support things like running, cycling, swimming, step tracking and sleep tracking, those Edition models give you access to different features. For many users, the Instinct 2 models contain a lift in general fitness tracking - but if there's a specific feature you want, like tide times or those tactical features, then you'll need to buy the specific Edition that covers those features. For example:

1. Instinct 2/2 Surf & Solar–Surf Edtions

Record the number of waves surfed, maximum speed and distance by using the surf activity profile; tide data lets you stay up to date on ocean conditions. Windsurfing and kiteboarding activities let you measure your GPS position, speed, distance and heart rate; plus, see elevation for your kiteboarding jumps. Works with Surfline Sessions, which creates a video of every wave you ride in front a Surfline camera, so you can watch them later and see how you did.

2. Instinct 2 Solar–Tactical Edition

Enable stealth mode to stop storing and sharing your GPS position and disable wireless connectivity and communication. Use jumpmaster mode to calculate high-altitude release points according to military guidelines and helps to navigate you to your objective once you’ve jumped. Easily switch between daytime view and nighttime view with a screen that can be read by night vision goggles.

3. Instinct 2 dezl

Pair with the dēzl app on your compatible smartphone for access to workout tutorials that fit within standard break times.

Garmin Instinct vs. Instinct 2 vs. Instinct 2S: Battery Life

• Instinct: Up to 14 days / 54 days with solar

• Instinct 2: Up to 28 days / 65 days with solar

• Instinct 2S: Up to 21 days / 51 days with solar

Garmin Instinct

Garmin Instinct Solar 

Garmin Instinct 2

Garmin Instinct 2 Solar 

Garmin Instinct 2S

Garmin Instinct 2S Solar 

The battery life that you'll get from your device will depend on what you do with it, of course. Generally speaking, there's a good battery life from these devices - with the solar option meaning you can top that up while the sun is shining.

Verdict: Which One Is Best For You?

As of publication, you can get the original Instinct or Instinct Solar at a significant discount, but the base model just isn't worth buying in 2024, and the Solar model doesn't have much going for it aside from the excellent battery life. If you're buying a new rugged watch to last you through years of epic outdoor adventures, you should indulge yourself with the latest Garmin software and a slightly better display.

As for which Garmin Instinct 2 you should buy, the Instinct 2S costs the same despite offering much less battery. If you're looking for a non-Solar option to save some money, the regular 2S doesn't fall too far short and won't be quite as heavy on your wrist. But for a true solar marathoner of a watch, you can't go wrong with the larger Instinct 2 Solar and its "unlimited" battery. It's undoubtedly one of the best Garmin watches available.

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