I have the Instinct 2 Solar, I love it, but I think the solar charging feature is not nearly as effective enough to justify the price increase. For average users, going in and out of doors, full and dappled sun exposure, it's just not enough. I bought this when I worked outdoors and whatever I gained through solar, I lost with the first workout. Personally, I would strongly encourage folks interested to go with the non solar model and save money.

I've had this watch almost a year and love it- use it as my primary watch. As long as you don't need to make phone calls and texts on a watch, it's great.

Honestly the level of detail you put in your videos are unmatched. Whether its a garmin watch or your gopro enduro batteries, I am so thankful that I stumbled upon your channel.

Great work! Very thorough review! I would be happy to see a little update later (if it's possible) in regards to: 1) software updates (whether they dealt with existing bugs and whether removed restrictions for uploading your own corses, 50 points for a good hike/bike ride is a joke, it's 2022 for God's sake!) Garmin positions Instinct as a good outdoors watch, but instinct 1 solar sucks at dealing with uploaded routes (you either lose half the amount of the points you so carefully planted on the map or get nothing at all) 2) whether their claims for unlimited battery with solar live up to their claims or is it another marketing BS. In terms of new colours I am very disappointed with Garmin's policy to lock specific colours for specific sizes/specifications. For example I want to buy Electric lime + 45mm + solar, but it's only available as non solar option. Annoying!

As always: thanks for that much data. I still rock the original instinct and battery life is still good for charging every 2 weeks. Only feature that might push me would be Garmin pay, as the instinct is my daily and I usually have my phone to pay with me. Rocking the 645M for sports

I was mainly interested in the surf features. But the first instinct was absolutely awful for surfing and I’ve realized I just want to surf without worrying about any stupid gadgets or wave count or speed or anything. Nifty, but doesn’t seem worth the upgrade if you already have an instinct. But for a new watch, this is a badass little setup.

Thank you Ray, your publishing tons of content these last weeks! I’m looking forward the inReach 2 review 😊

An easily missed feature you didn't mention on the tactical, Its a military feature but also a great safety feature. The tactical can display current location in UTM and also grid reference system. If i needed help id love to give an 8-10 figure grid reference to mountain rescue.

As a soldier I appreciate the fact that you can get it in tan colour too and one of the main reasons I chose it over others.

My family and I just got this for my dad's 50th this Monday, hoping he likes it! He's had the Garmin forerunner for like 6 years now and his strap recently broke.

I appreciate your content. It has helped me pick 3 different wearable. Instinct a while back, a 5x plus about 4 years ago, and I just got this one after this video. Been watching for a LONG time.

If they also reset the encryption key after the delete it should be safe enough (I guess the data is encrypted so it would be quite difficult to break a good encryption key in a life time, and this way you'll need to guess it first too). Awesome content by the way, I recently ordered the instinct 2x solar after a while of researching the Garmin watches and your videos helped.

Hah - I knew you and Des would have reviews popping up. Really appreciate your guys dedication! I love my Garmin Instinct but I was really curious how this one stacked up.

I love love love the blooper in the middle - well done. And incredibly great review and summary all around

Great review! I got the OG instinct for black Friday 2021. As someone who enjoys the ruggedness, adequate HR monitor, body battery, and basic activity tracking, it doesn't seem like I need to upgrade. But those extra features look awesome!

07:29 I feel this lol. Great work Ray! Nailed all of the points!

I literally just bought the 1 on Monday... of course a new version dropped :( Update: thanks to this in-depth I made the plunge to turn in the original version for the 2 solar. Thank you!

Finally, they bring running dynamics to the instinct!! That was the only reason I never bought them.

I’m so glad I found this video. I had no idea there was a S version. I have smaller wrists and the full size was a bit too big.

Can’t have asked for a better review. Great work. Thank you!

Thanks for the overview Ray! Great info. I just got my updated Instinct 2 Tactical Solar and love it!

Bro, I just got the Instinct for Christmas... Oh well, I couldn't be happier. The only new feature that seems interesting is the wireless payment option. The better solar charging sounds nice in theory, but I have no complaints about the battery life on the current Instinct.

Today I just bought my Garmin Instinct 2 solar. Super happy with it! I returned a Suunto 9 Peak and I'm glad I did.

I literally just bought one online... Really good deal $100 off for the standard if purchased on Wal-Mart's site. All I want is the compass, and the ability to do heart rate training.

Damn I feel I need a new watch now!!! This is like my dream watch with everything I need! Thanks so much for this video. Very helpful!

i actually like the Casio-esque design of the Instinct... when the Epix 2 rumours started, i actually thought they'd come out in the Casio rectangle form factor 😂

Would you recommend this watch to someone that lift weights and does interval sprints majority of the time?

Just stumbled upon your page DC, thanks what a great review! And WOW, you are a high energy guy!!

thanks for this review, i just bought the garmin instinct 2 surf solar edition. this video was very helpful.

Finally, audio prompts available on this watch, lack of this which I find really useful when running (particularly intervals) made me steer clear. Could never understand why the Venu SQ has music, garmin pay, yet no audio prompts during runs.

Anyone noticed that DcR is hyper & super excited 😆 so many watches to play with. Boys toys. I would be that excited too if I had all of those watches. Another great breakdown and review. Keep it up 👍

Is Ray’s channel going to slowly morph into a world traveling/sports product review channel? I’m stoked about these views! I hit the like but three times already! 👍

You're amazing Mr Rainmaker

We can receive call or massage notifications in this watch?

All I wanted was for it to be smaller, but Garmin did so much more. It like a fenix Jr with better battery life. I'm in love

Ray is the best. Kudos!

What is the watch face ? Looks really fun but can't find it in the settings

Multisport, Power Meter? Wow, never expected this. Gonna have to takes a hard look at this one!

I just bought the 2S! It was hard to decide on the color. Can’t wait to get it

Im not sure id want the 2 over the 1 based on me just being a hiker. I can hike anywhere and not get lost with the 1. That was the main reason i got it👌🏾

Hi, I have bought Instinct 2 Solar 45mm and the watch is great, the only problem I have is the battery. I have have Pulse Ox manual, HR auto, baro/alti auto, backlight 20% on only after sunset general use, 5% during sleep, 4 sec timeout for all. I stopped all notifications and I enable phone connection only to sync 2 times per day, sounds off, vibration on, moveIQ & Move alert off, all alarms off. I also don't do anything at all on the watch just to check the max I can get. This is the most battery saving I can think of and it drains 4-5% (1-2days) per day on track for about 22days after full charge. I already drained the battery once and fully charged. I think that if I use it as an actual smart watch 24/7 phone connected + notifications I will get no more than 18-20days which is nowhere close to 28 garmin claims. Anyone else with the same issue?

Bought the Solar version about a week ago. Worked fine for 5 or 6 days, was loving it. Firmware update yesterday, and my battery suddenly is draining itself from 100% to 0 in about 5 hours. I've tried a soft reset and a hard reset after that, to see if it would fix it, but nothing. Terribly disappointed.

what a deepdive, and good point about the killswitch option. Good that you debunk some functions that sounds good but are actually not that effective.

Wondering if those little issues are fixed by now.

Your reviews are on another level. Thanks bud!

YES MULTI-SPORT MODE FINALLY

Ummm, we better all be watching this before “tomorrow” or we’ve breached the space / time continuum 🤣

thanks for the great in depth review Rainmaker! loved seeing the Amsterdam maps as I live here. How can I throw a beer your way? Cheers!

Great review, I have a question. Do we able upload maps on it(Instinct 2)?

That Was the best review that I have seen online! Thank you :)

10:38 I now see you doing these tests with 5 watches on your arms and all sorts of bands and trackers 😂 Awesome review, very in depth. Still wondering if this is the one for me though xD

What sport mode would be best to track playing soccer?

Great updates to the Instinct but frustrating with lack of reliability continuing. I've had countless problems with general use of the OS and GPS issues requiring many factory resets. My father's had quality control issues with a button straight out of the box - shame as I really like the model at this price point and what it offers.

That's a load of updates! I'd go for the old stock Fenix 5 despite the lack of the lack of the last generation pulse meter. If you manage do buy one it costs like the new Instinct.

Why can't Garmin just build a super tough surfing watch that is thin, (think paddling) has an extra long band (think wetsuit), and has a LARGE time only display (think water in the eyes and sun glare). Once in the water, most surfers just want to know, what time is it?

Great video as usual. Thanks. I am considering buying this, but evaluating it against Forerunner 745. Would you recommend that in 2022?

Looks like 2 huge firmware updates have dropped since the original review. Just curious to see if there would be an updated review as you mentioned it being more unstable than other Garmin watches?

Awesome stuff .. great info as usual … what’s the quick answer for best Garmin watch WITH a wheel sensor for my mtn bike… ??? That’s 99% of what I use it for. Thank you!!

So much fun to watch your videos :)

Great Review! Any idea what happens when the battery goes bad? Thanks!

What type of mapping is there on the watch? Can I load a course onto the device and then follow it ? If yes, what does the interface look like :) Thanks for your reviews. As always 💪👍👍

A very nice and good video, good job Ray!

Great review and I really want to get one instinct 2 solar, but the price is out of my budget. I only can wait and hope that there is a special offer at Amazon's Prime day

Hi DC, really helped with the detailed review.

Great reviews as usual!! I already have the old instinct solar and I don't know if it's worth the upgrade as I don't practice running or cycling. My main activities are Crossfit, skiing and hiking and from what I understand almost all the new features are for running and cycling only and not for other activities. what do you think?

Thank you Ray! Amazing review as always!!!

Does it provide wrist based cadence during running workout?

Great reviews. How easy and quick is it to pull your location information? Thanks

A crazy good update

While the Instinct gets great battery life for just smartwatch usage, I'm curious why the Instinct 2's listed battery life for GPS usage is only HALF that of the Fenix 7. They're almost the same case size, so what gives there?

Love the battery life on life Instinct series!

Would you pick the instinct over the polar grit X?

Far too often there were bits of text or data that were obscured by that cicular inset or even just off the edge of the screen. I think I'd lose patience with that very quickly. Was that on the standar Garmin built-ins or were these downloaded 3rd party apps?

Ray, thanks for the long-awaited video! A couple of questions if you do not mind 1. Does it have RACE PREDICTOR like Epix? (according to official site it does not though) 2. According to specs I2S has 156 x 156 pixels vs 176 x 176 for I2. Are there visible differences? I mean maybe I2 can handle more visual elements/icons in some scenarios than I2S.

thanks for the great review and detail. its worth noting the combo of monochrome, small size and low pixels on the "S' version means the display is terrible. you cannot run a data screen with 4 fields and expect to be able to see it while running.

Huwaei GT4 prices £199 and Garmin instinct 2 standard for £185 .Among these 2 watches which is compatible for i phone and accurate health monitoring

I just got the Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar today from REI. I'm kind of surprised by how light it feels compared to my Fenix 5 Plus.

Damn, I just got my Venu 2s and this launched. This has power meter support all the training metrics that are absent on the Venu 2

Hope you are enjoing you time on Teneriffa :) Bought version 1 solar because nice price/value ratio. Greets

I had insitnct 1 camo solar, My elevation gain throughout activity is my main problem(very inaccurate). Did some research on google, many people said that the reason behind is the placement of the sensors. Will this intinct2 be better? I really love the instinct series.

okay I'm very happy with all the new features so far

Great video. Subscribed. Anyopinion updates on the overall performance

Awesome work keep on good reviews

TLDR: Can you do a video about the line up of the different series? Like which series is for what sport and some infos about the price. It's not about the details but how they compare. Really intersting to hear about the not so famous models (as far as i know). I recently purchased the venu 2 and looked into some other models.But i got really lost in the whole line up over all series. It's clear that the venu series is the most daily smartwatch and less fitness focused. Forerunner is for running (hence the name of course, but maybe even more). Epix and Fenix seems like the high end all sports watches. Mostly differ in the display type. But is the vivoactive like the MIP version of the venu ? And there are some more unclear series like the instinct, tactix, quatixand descent. it's so confusing. It's like the opposite of Apple. One Phone (maybe 3 different versions). Garmin has like 6 series (without hybrid watches) and each have 3 different versions.

What would you recommend for someone who just wants to swim in a pool for exercise and have the ability to use a timer??

Does this work well easily with Strava ?

Hello DC.. great video as always... I have a question... I have a fenix 5 and I want to change it for a instinct 2 solar... You think is a good change? Or should I keep my fenix 5? Cheers

Thanks for the great videos. So, I got the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar version and have a quick question: Once I fully charge the watch it shows a 28d battery life expectancy. But I see a massive battery drop from day 1 to day 2 of usage. Day 1 shows 28days, day 2 (with not much activity) shows 9 days... and from day 2 on is less one battery life day per day (expected). But the initial 28d to 9d is really unexpected. Did you experience that as well? Thanks for the excellent videos!

At 1:11 there is a typo on the screen. Both the 2 solar (regular) and 2 solar (special editions) are listed as 449. :)

This review has EVERYTHING I was looking for

Great video, awesome information thanks

I do not want to talk bad about a watch from Garmin but there are 3 things I do not like with this watch. 1/ Biggest size is 45mm ( why not a 47mm version). 2/ No garmin Pay on standard version. 3/ No music on a new watch from Garmin 2022 ( how is that even possible). Garmin please fix a 47mm and Garmin Pay for every watch and music as well. This is how I see things. Some of you people out there will agree with me and Some will not I wish you all a good day. ( Carl Eriksson from Sweden )

Hello there! Thanks for the great review. I have the instinct 2s. Should I still get the Running dynamics POD? All that the RD tracks, my watch shows on the app. Thanks in advance!

I've been running with the first Venu and have become accustomed to the touch screen. How different is it to really on buttons?

Great review again, thank you Ray

I'M SO EXCITED AND I JUST CLICKED ON THE VIDEO

Hey! Just checking in to see if those bugs have been taken care of? Any updates? Thanks for any help.

How's the vibration motor, Ray? Thanks

I’m assuming this would be a pretty solid upgrade from a Venu for mountain biking, hiking, and military applications?

Any chance you'll review the descent G1? It's too bad that it's only reviewed by scuba divers when it's basically the same as instinct 2. And therefore a better choice than the instinct 2 for occasional divers. I'll assume that's an instinct 2 with underwater features :)