Back to Garmin Instinct Solar Smart Watch, Tidal Blue

Customer reviews

4.05 out of 5stars
(20 reviews)

Most helpful positive review

5.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
01/18/2022
Best motivation to improve my running yet
I love this watch. Seeing my pace in real time, having the training plan to go with it and telling me when to really go, when to pull back has been awesome. I've only had it since Christmas but I can already tell a difference in my speed. I also love the overnight oxygen saturation and sleep tracking. I had a different watch that tracked sleep in the past but this is better. The interface took a little bit to get used to, but I definitely like it now that I found everything I need. The only thing I want is an android widget so I don't have to open the app to add water consumption. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to track what they are doing and improve their running.
kdalby

Most helpful negative review

1.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
04/02/2023
Completely disappointed
I dreamed for years of buying the garmin solar, but I didn't have the money. exactly 1 year and four months ago my wife gave me this garmin as a gift. I cried with joy when I received my garmin. after 6 months of use, the problems started. every time i get some notification like email or text message the garmin shuts down. I turn it back on and it goes back off every 30 minutes or every time I get another notification, and many times I can't turn it back on. garmin for me is nothing but a expensive disappointment.
Denia
14 reviews
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  • 1.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/12/2023
    Complaint
    I bought this about a year ago worked great , now it turns itself off have hard reset etc but still turns off especially when connecting to my phone not happy at all
    Unknown
  • 2.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    04/22/2023
    Lasted about a year and a half.
    I bought this 1.5 years ago and it was fantastic, two months ago it started shutting down even though it was fully charged, it's annoying because this has happened during a MTB ride and a run. I bought a G-Shock to compensate but it's rubbish compared to my Garmin (when it works), The only reason I'm writing this is as a last resort I reset my Instinct to factory settings.
    Nick the Skip
  • 1.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    04/02/2023
    Completely disappointed
    I dreamed for years of buying the garmin solar, but I didn't have the money. exactly 1 year and four months ago my wife gave me this garmin as a gift. I cried with joy when I received my garmin. after 6 months of use, the problems started. every time i get some notification like email or text message the garmin shuts down. I turn it back on and it goes back off every 30 minutes or every time I get another notification, and many times I can't turn it back on. garmin for me is nothing but a expensive disappointment.
    Denia
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/27/2023
    Long Charge, GPS features, phone finding
    I've had this watch over a year and it's great. It connects with Alexa letting me know what's happening with telling and about my alarms and doorbell. I keep my phone on silent, and the watch lets me know about calls and texts.
    Wilk
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/11/2023
    Game Changer
    Love the versatility of the watch. Super cool app as well. Only issue is that the battery hasn't held up to its standards so far, but I may be using it more than the average person. Getting about 10-15 days on smartwatch mode, however I do get a lot of notifications on the watch so I assume this has a negative affect on the battery. Overall, love the watch!
    CG2006
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    02/08/2023
    Great features and awesome design
    I'm very happy with this watch. I'm still getting used to it. The solar feature I have not used yet because the past few days have been crappy. I love the way it saves and sync up my daily activities. I'm glad I bought this watch and plan on using it for many years :) :) z00m z00m
    Grandmaster 69
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    01/11/2023
    Great features and great for snowboarding
    I bought this about a month ago and so far the basic features are good, battery lasts several weeks, and for snowboarding i can actually monitor my speed. I would give it 5 stars if it was easier to use for activating the GPS, half the time i do not know if its on or off. Also when i get a call, cannot do anything, even though the watch says answer, i chose it and nothing happens. Also the alert features have gone quiet so i don't know why it doesn't alert me i got a message any more. Its very random that it gives me an alert for my notifcations. I also didn't give it a 5 stars because it randomly activates the GPS when i am doing sports, the button seems to be in a location where it can easily be pressed. Causing my watch battery to drain a lot since i didn't notice it was on.
    JPnes
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    01/10/2023
    More Watch than I thought!
    I had this watch on my wish list for Christmas and my Bride gave it to me as a gift. I have messed around with Garmin GPS systems for over 25 years. This watch did not disappoint. I had this on my list to use as a link to a Garmin Alpha 200. In retirement which is 2 1/2 months away, I am training a gun dog to hunt with me. Reviews about the dog tracking led me to putting it on my wish list. BUT, what is SURPRISING is the way the watch motivates me to add to my walking, stairs, and health activities. I like the GPS features and expected I would liked them, but I am really enjoying the “smart” watch features to such as alerts, texts etc. Great watch! Intuitive, with lots of features.
    GoodtobeTony
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    12/29/2022
    Excellent features
    My wife bought me this Garmin instinct solar watch for my birthday. She saw this watch on the YouTube channel TOGR with Luke he does reviews on camping stuff and he is very honest and agenda free we trust what he says he has a Garmin instinct solar watch and he really likes its features and gave it great reviews. I'm pleased with it but still getting used to its features. I wish they explained better so I can take full advantage of all its features is my only concern. The watch is eye caching and it looks great.
    Romulan79
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    12/19/2022
    Name a better multi-use watch.
    I'm an avid hiker and needed a watch to accurately track my miles. This watch has done an outstanding job. With lots of activity tracking features, I can track my weight lighting exercises, walks, runs, etc. The battery life is amazing. I am still learning about features on my watch and I've had it about a month.
    MHNH
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    02/03/2022
    2nd Instinct
    I do MANY activities including running, walking, kayaking, hiking, SUP, yoga, cardio (rollerblading), ice skating, cycling, etc. and this watch tracks it all and more. I'm a female who lives life on the go and this watch goes above and beyond. Thanks Garmin!
    Lauren32
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    01/18/2022
    Versatility I Needed
    I had a Forerunner 10 for years, but when I found my running and hiking outlasted my watch's battery, I knew what to tell my daughter I would like for Christmas. The Instinct Solar intimidated me at first; but after a month, I love it, even sleep with it. Can't remember last time I charged it!
    Whatcable?
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    01/18/2022
    Best motivation to improve my running yet
    I love this watch. Seeing my pace in real time, having the training plan to go with it and telling me when to really go, when to pull back has been awesome. I've only had it since Christmas but I can already tell a difference in my speed. I also love the overnight oxygen saturation and sleep tracking. I had a different watch that tracked sleep in the past but this is better. The interface took a little bit to get used to, but I definitely like it now that I found everything I need. The only thing I want is an android widget so I don't have to open the app to add water consumption. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to track what they are doing and improve their running.
    kdalby
  • 1.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    01/17/2022
    Disappointed
    Many issues with the Garmin Instinct Solar: I have had to reset the watch every day (going on more than 4 weeks now) in order for Body Battery to work. Body Battery will drain down to 5 and after a soft reset it will read 28. After doing another soft reset Body Battery will read 68. This is all within 10 minutes! It appears when I am sleeping, Body Battery discharges, although there's been a few times where it works correctly and will charge my Body Battery. When I am working it will charge my Body Battery; opposite of what is happening to my body. The Stress widget also does not work and maybe that is why Body Battery doesn't work correctly. I can be at rest with a heart rate of 55 and Stress will be High! I've gone through all the suggested updates, steps to restart, etc. to no avail. There's also an issue with the correct time. After doing a soft reset, the time will be off anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes. Once I run GPS location twice, the time will be correct, or after I connect to Garmin Connect the time will update correctly. Cannot understand why this watch would be off 4 to 10 minutes! I'll be contacting Garmin directly for warranty service.
    Case Man
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    01/16/2022
    Very happy with the watch.
    I chose this watch as a personal Christmas gift/reward for achieving a personal goal that I had long put off around my health. I could not have picked a better product, in my opinion. Though a bit overwhelming at first, as I have become more familiar with it's programs and capabilities, the more I am confident that I won't be in the market for another smart watch anytime soon.
    RJTmn55
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    01/16/2022
    Complex user interface
    This watch has all of the features that I wanted but after a month I'm still frustrated by a complex user interface. Both the watch and the various websites that it interacts with seem much more complex than necessary. I don't find any of the connection or processes intuitive. When I get it to do what I want, it works great.
    Bob S.
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    01/15/2022
    More accurate than previous watch and looks great
    Got as a Christmas present after asking for it for months. Very happy. I feel it tracks better than my Venu. Works with all my bike sensors for indoor and outdoor rides. Compared to my 1030 and got exactly the same results. Too bad it doesn't do respiration and would like more watch face options. But minor stuff. Did I mention the battery life! Incredible. Looking forward to some sunny days to see how the solar helps. And the yellow color is very bold and sporty looking.
    KH1746
  • 4.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    01/01/2022
    Not what I thought
    I bought this about 3 weeks ago and it doesn't do what I thought it would. You can't answer messages or calls. The battery is amazing though! The solar charges the watch while you're out in the sunlight! All in all it's a good product but a little pricy for what it does.
    KevHen5
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    12/28/2021
    Nice tracker for running and doing weights
    So happy to have his watch replacing my old Garmin phoenix four I am really happy about the body battery status display the built-in heart rate monitor and the ease of use even better is the battery life I haven't tested it for what I really really needed which is my yearly 24 hour challenge in August for the past three years I am not being able to record the whole event on my watch the a short battery life. I also have an Apple Watch but it is very difficult to control the functions with sweaty fingers so the push button controls on the Garmin keep me from losing my focus on My fueling and rehydrating.
    Lem617
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    12/21/2021
    Nice watch
    I've had my Instinct Solar for three weeks. Had a Fitbit Versa two before. I really like the rugged look of the Instinct and love the features haven't used them all yet. There are some big differences in the two the instinct only counts intensity levels if you are in a activity., the versa when bmp got over a certain number. But not that big a deal just had to adhjust some things I like it works like it's supposed to and doesn't look like a small computer on your arm. I recommend it.
    Bad Brad