Garmin Instinct 2 Solar GPS Watch - Tactical Edition
This product is not available.
Built tough, the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar GPS Tactical Edition is a GPS watch with solar charging for unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode—so you can take on life's unlimited possibilities.
Shop similar products- Tactical Edition is built to U.S. military standard (MIL-STD-810) for thermal, shock and water resistance
- Dedicated tactical features, such as night vision goggle compatibility, Jumpmaster activity, waypoint projection and dual-position GPS format, keep you mission-ready
- Stealth mode lets you go dark by disabling wireless communication and data sharing
- Go longer than ever with solar charging that gives you unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode (assuming all-day wear with 3 hrs. per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions)
- Do more of what you love with preloaded activity profiles for running, biking, swimming, strength training and more; plus, VO2 Max and other training features
- When paired with a compatible smartphone, this watch lets you stay connected to what matters to you with smart notifications and Connect IQ™ compatibility
- Understand your body better with all-day monitoring for heart rate, energy levels, stress, sleep, respiration, Pulse Ox (Pulse Ox is not available in all countries) and more
- Pulse Ox is intended to give an estimation of your activity and metrics, but it is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose or monitor any medical condition
- Rugged GPS smartwatch is water-rated to 100 meters and thermal- and shock-resistant with a fiber-reinforced polymer case and scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® glass
- Track your adventures with the built-in 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter, plus multiple global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo)
- Extend your battery life and your time doing what you love using the power manager to see how settings and sensors impact your watch's battery life and make changes on the fly
- Battery life on smartwatch mode: up to 28 days (unlimited with solar*); battery saver watch mode: up to 65 days (unlimited with solar*)
- Battery life on GPS mode: up to 30 hrs. (or 48 hrs. with solar*); max battery GPS: up to 70 hrs. (370 hrs. with solar*); expedition GPS: up to 32 days (unlimited with solar*)
- *Solar use assumes all-day wear with 3 hrs. per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions
Imported.
View the Garmin Instinct Product LineView all Garmin GPS Sports Watches| Best Use | Multisport |
|---|---|
| Average Battery Life | Smartwatch: Up to 28 days (unlimited with solar); GPS mode: up to 30 hrs. (48 hrs. with solar) |
| Battery Type | Lithium Ion |
| Solar-Powered | Yes |
| Display Size | 1.2 inches |
| Illumination | Backlight |
| Altimeter | Pressure-based |
| Compass | Yes |
| GPS/Satellite Detectable | Yes |
| HRM Included/Integrated | Yes |
| Heart Rate Sensor Type | Wrist-based |
| Average Heart Rate | Yes |
| Pulse Oximeter | Yes |
| Heart Rate Target Zone(s) | Yes |
| VO2 Max Estimate | Yes |
| Recovery Advising | Yes |
| Tracks Steps | Yes |
| Pedometer Type | Digital 3-axis Accelerometer |
| Pace Alert | Yes |
| Interval Training | Yes |
| Tracks Calories Burned | Yes |
| Water-Resistant Depth | 100 meters |
| Pool Lap Recognition | Yes |
| Stroke Recognition | Yes |
| Sleep Tracking | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes |
| Time Display | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes |
| Visual Map Display | Yes |
| Basemap | Yes |
| Preloaded Map | None |
| Programmable Routes | Yes |
| Number of Routes | 30 |
| Number of Waypoints | 1,000 |
| Customization | Watch Faces Apps Data Fields |
| Smart Device Notifications | Yes |
| Data Exchange | ANT+ Bluetooth |
| Compatible Fitness Accessories | Heart Rate Monitor |
| Gender | Unisex |
Review this Product
Adding a review will require a valid email for verification
Customer Images
Worthwhile upgrade from the 1st generation
This watch was definitely worth waiting for and purchasing! The bulk of the upgrades have been on the software side which then included some of the originally out of reach tech data that was previously exclusive to the higher end lines like the FENIX. Definitely worth it for anyone looking for a reliable and yet affordable smart watch that is both rugged and advanced!
Spent months debating if I should make the purchase or not. I did and couldn't be happier! The watch does everything I wanted it for and more. I use it at work in a rural EMS system as well as my days off. It's great for workouts and the GPS is great for setting up landing zones for helicopters. I am also a hunter and a weather nerd... This watch is great for hunting, work outs and for keeping an eye on the weather! I'm not the most technically savvy guy but it was easy to set up and the overall functionality is pretty straightforward. I'm was initially concerned about the size, but after wearing it for some time I can't even tell it's there.
solar 2 tactical
love this watch. I wear it constantly. It helps me get better sleep, keep track of my steps, record my workouts....this watch is awesome. Learning how to add the data fields I wanted was a little harder than I would have liked but that's better than not getting to choose them at all. I used Polar HR watches for many years, eventually they just wound up lacking in my view. I train with power on my bicycle. I also hike, run, lift weights, use kettle bells. The long strap allows me to put the watch around my ankle so it's out of the way when I do kettle bell snatches, cleans, get ups, passes. I bought the same watches for both of my sons.
almost five stars
The Instinct 2 is less bulky, that was my first impression, and it's edges seem more refined than it's predecessor. So it looks and feels a little more classy but I'm feeling confident it has retained it's strength and resistance to the elements. The battery level and solar charging have improved, at least so far as I can tell and that was a selling point for me. One thing I noticed is that the screen detail is not visible at some angles, and although not a major issue, I really don't understand why that should be. If you use the watch a lot, as I do, it is a noticeable difference from the first Instinct, at least this particular Solar Tactical is.
Thank you for your review. Jenny
Almost perfect
I’ve had the watch for about a month now with daily use. It’s awesome you can be a very involved user with activities and goals for almost anything you do. Or as minimal as you would like. The solar charging is awesome I’ve only charged it once this month and that was only to get the watch to full charge to start. The one thing from this being the perfect watch is I wish it had an anti reflective face coating. I bought this over the other garmins for the “tactical” features like nv mode jump modes and kill switch. Even with all of that I’m slightly paranoid that my watch could slide out of my sleeve and signal to everyone where I am with a reflection.
Thank you for your review. Jenny
First time user
This is my first watch that monitors my activities and bio-feedback...I've used it for biking, hiking, running, GPS for 4 weeks now to learn it's scope and start to become familiar the features. Generally, had no problem setting up and is pretty intuitive. The Garmin website instructions so far have been helpful with the basics and informative regarding the meaning and scope of the bio-feedback. Noticed the battery depletes very rapidly when using GPS for a two hour (in the rain) bike ride...not sure how effective the solar charging works...seems to give a modest boost when doing a moderate 1 hour run/walk being mindful of exposing the watch to the sun. I am still excited about the potential benefits of this tool.
Fantastic Watch
This watch is great. Performs exactly as you'd expect a Garmin device would. Fitness info is accurate (i.e. pulse-ox compared to a dedicated device, HR count is on point, etc.) Most of the time I forget it's even on b/c it's super comfortable. I think it's a winner.
Mostly good, but could be better
The choice of this watch was based on just wanting something better and more utility than an iwatch, and from a basic functionality it works. There are plenty of things to be slightly annoyed with, mainly the apps are buggier than the north woods in July. 2 separate apps to essentially "manage" what you want to do with them? Really Garmin - you can't just make a singular app for watch faces and customization? The things which make apple's stuff so appealing just aren't in Garmin's toolkit it seems. Be prepared to have to consult the manual repeatedly, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it shows the sometimes lack of inherent intuitiveness apple devices have.
Thank you for your review.
Awesome all around fitness watch
I have been using the Garmin Instinct 2 for about 4 months now. The watch has many features a fitness advocate can utilize and they can tailor the settings to best fit them. That is one aspect I really like about this watch. Although I mostly utilize the watch for hiking, running and trail running I have tested it out with weight training along with swimming as well. YouTube became my best friend in learning the functions of the watch and how to properly set up the settings. That could be one downside, if you are new to Garmin devices the watch can take some time to learn (it did with me). I have compared some of the other features like heart rate monitoring and sleep data with that of an old Fitbit. The data seems to be comparable between the two and being able to utilize the sleep data with O2 inputs along with respirations has been beneficial (if you are into that sort of thing). My biggest disappointment to the watch is the solar capability. I expected the solar aspect to help charge the watch a lot more than it does. I do not really notice the difference in solar charge versus not having a solar charge. Now this is dependent on the settings and I have tried running the watch on vary basic settings and still the solar charge does not meet the standards I was expecting. With that being said I do not mind charging it now and then via the charging port. However if you were hoping for the solar to keep the watch going 24/7 like I was from previous other brand watches you may be a bit disappointed. This watch is still an outstanding watch that can cater to the needs of just about any outdoor enthusiast.
Glad I switched
I'm glad I switched to Garmin watches. I usually stuck to the mainstream smart watches like Samsung or Google but needed something that lasted longer. Now I can always keep my watch on and hardly ever take it off to charge it. The only bad thing is Garmin doesn't support my bank so I can't use Garmin pay which sucks. I paid a lot of times with my other watches but hopefully they will support it eventually. Tracks my runs flawlessly and is way better than the other brands.
Thank you for your review.