Garmin Instinct 2: Scientific Review!

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

🔴 Affiliate* link: geni.us/Garmin_Epix_2 🟢 Instagram: instagram.com/quantified_scientist/ 🔵 Newsletter: www.robterhorst.com 🟡 Twitter: @QuantifiedRob * Affiliate (paid) links support the channel by earning me a small commission on any sale, and it doesn't cost you any more! My opinions are completely my own, and this content is not sponsored.

[@YewOw]

I really wanted to love this watch. The incredible battery life, heavy duty build, and relatively low price are pretty important. The issue is that the only reason for me to wear a watch is health tracking. The actionable key metrics I've narrowed down that need to be tracked are HRV, and sleep efficiency (which may indicate production of SIRT-1), which are not available, or lackluster on this watch. Think the Polar Grit X performs better in this regard, although it comes up short in the areas i first mentioned. I'm guessing the spikes in the measurements are a result of a lower sampling rate, which probably increases battery life while sacrificing accuracy. Thanks for taking the time to make this info available.

[@williamstevenson2649]

Another great review, and quite important for me. This Instinct 2 could well be suitable for me! I'm not interested in sleep tracking or SpO2, so the good HR, GPS and steps in a watch with long battery life and non-touch screen look like a winning combination

[@necabunilas]

Sometimes, we just need people like you to do this kind of stuff. Thank you.

[@helloguys9136]

Agree sir!!

[@richt3993]

" What do you mean "You people"???" Guess the movie...

[@josejr.8671]

dont trust his stuff , he bases it off his sleep tracker that can also be off. my garmin tracks sleep just as good as my fitbit and apple .

[@josejr.8671]

false reviews. this is based on your experiences with these devices. the whoop is just as inacurate and the readings are off. i have owned almost all these products . and these tests you run are false. giving the consumor a false sense in their product. next time write a disclaimer this was for your sleep experience only. all these devices u mention of have given me similar or the same reading's. or math and logic is off bro

[@chch242]

This new format is the one to go with. Structured blocks bring the people back as people love consistency.

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi Kristián! Thanks for the feedback! I will keep on experimenting, but happy you like this. This hobby of making videos is only satisfying for me if I keep improving my skills in different ways, and editing is for sure one of them

[@r.g.martinez5330]

I bought it due to your technical review. I'm really impressed. HR and GPS accuracy are elite. Battery life is awsome too. Thanks for such an excelent video. Greetings from Panama.

[@LTKing2013]

Thank you. All the other channels cannot compare. Your quantitative analysis is the best.

[@tfa8]

💯

[@tyosha]

Thank you for the detailed review! I'm curious if you've noticed any improvements in the tracking capabilities of Instinct 2 over the past two years, especially with the release of some software updates. Please share your thoughts or observations.

[@ryankassel5691]

Loved the new graphics showing the different sections. Super well done

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Thanks Ryan, really appreciated! I am imitating the style from MrWhoseTheBoss a lot, and will slowly convert it more in my own style. It is a lot of work to figure out how to do these editing things (and I only have my weekends to do it all). Also, shoutout to "Premiere Gal" for her amazing KZbin videos on editing!

[@hoozndooznsnizn8077]

Just ordered my instinct! First watch I’ve gotten like this so went mid tier. You have a great review. Seriously one of the best reviews I have ever seen. Thanks for the knowledge

[@cubiq1]

It would be cool if you could revisit the sleep tracking accuracy of Garmin wearables at some point. They are powered by Firstbeat Analytics under the hood which are constantly being improved.

[@michelleli2970]

ye

[@lividmatter4862]

The deviation on gps agreement depend heavily on how much 'open-sky' you have around you. There are some great videos going into more depth about the way in which satellite tracking works, but it boils down to how much uninterrupted sky angle you have.

[@Nippernator]

Hey Rob, would love to see the same analysis on the Instinct 2x Solar. This is quite a significantly different device and would be nice to see if Garmin has made any improvements on the SP02 and Sleep tracking features.

[@legros731]

Lol they are the same one is solar and got Garmin pay all other fonction ate the same

[@Nippernator]

@@legros731 Bigger screen, different internals and has an inbuilt torch.

[@istvanfodor8704]

@@Nippernatormain point here is the hardware and software related to the hrm sleep etc Not battery life and torch, etc

[@richyh1860]

Buying this watch as my first watch to assist my with my fitness goals. Thank you

[@mekawi]

Congratulations on your 100k🔥 totally well deserved! A quick question, oura ring or whoop or apple watch if you could only choose one for overall health & fitness ?

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi Mekawi! Thanks for the compliment! Seems like you crossed that threshold a long time ago already, congrats! I am not sure there is one answer, but I would choose either of these: (1) Oura Ring for health tracking + ECG chest strap for sports tracking (2) Whoop strap for health + sports (if I don't vare about weight lifting) (3) Apple Watch for sports tracking (but not so much general health). If you care about health tracking, I would see if I could find a second hand Oura Ring Gen.2 to add to it

[@Tty85]

@@TheQuantifiedScientistHi, I would love to see a heart rate test on the Garmin Instinct 2 solar. I’m interested more in sleep continuous heart rate monitoring. Which device / garmin do you recommend for accurate heart rate sleep monitoring continuously?

[@mishkattasdid]

Thank you brother 💝. Your video is truly a gift for me. It's the kind of review that people need rather than what's the color and what's design videos like other KZbinrs.

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Thanks so much for the compliment Mishkat ! I really appreciate it🙏🏽

[@SnowRoobs]

I had the first one and I decided to buy the new one ! It was definitely the good choice... The update is amazing.

[@danielb1877]

Excellent review, thank you. As a fellow scientist--I appreciate the correlation plots with coefficients of determination given. I was on the fence about the watch, but now I am not. I need it!

[@joetjoepalot]

Hoi Rob, thanks for all your work researching all of these devices and sharing your findings with us. I'm looking both for a new fitness band as well as very good sleep tracking. I've watched a lot of your videos, but I find it hard to find the right device or devices for those goals. To zoom in on the sleep tracking, I checked percentage agreement chart you show in a couple of your videos. What confused me a bit was how some scores seem to move in that chart. Take for instance the charge5. In the charge5 video it scores about 62% (worst) and 78% (correct). In this video though it shows as 54% (worst) and 74% (correct). Can you elaborate a bit on this? What also would be very helpful would be to have something like a market roundup every quarter for instance in which you would just go over the sleep detection agreement chart and something similar for the other core health/fitness features each band has. So for instance if I was looking for a device with very good sleep detection features as well as a good heart rate monitor, I would be able to look at the two charts in that video and see which device would score in the upper right quadrant. At that point in time of course as sometimes scores seem to change. Maybe because of retests of updates or something, not sure.. Thank you!

[@vladmirputin7139]

I'm in the same boat. I don't care about the GPS features or any of that. I want HR monitoring, pulse ox, and sleep monitoring. I can't find anything that fits what I want. I have the fitbit charge 5, but the amount of data they actually give you access to is laughable.

[@RealMTBAddict]

My Instinct 2 Solar lasts for 2 weeks before going below 70%. I work outdoors in construction getting plenty of sunlight throughout the day. It could go for 30 days but draining a lithium ion battery empty isn't good for it.

[@OriginsOfSymmetry010]

Awesome using the chest strap sensor as a control against the instinct 2 sensor.

[@500mattia]

Congratulations, great review. I am a PhD student in exercise physiology, and typically also we test the smartwatch or sportwatch (garmin and polar) in the our laboratory, HR with polar H10, or with the portable metabolimeter cosmed k5 to compare the estimate of vo2max that watches make, as well as steps and gps signal with pace in min/km, or for the comparisons of ventilatory thresholds. I think for the same price, there are better alternatives to the instinct garmin 2 (garmin forrunner 745 or polar vantage m2 or garmin venu 2). In addition, huawei made a very goo smartwatchs, similarly with polar or gamin. I saw that the huawei gt runner came out I think I will buy it and test it in lab, are you going to try it?

[@MarcoPolo82]

The Huawei GT3 and runner come closer to a Polar or Garmin really?

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi ! I did not test the forerunner or polar vantage M2 yet. The Huawei Watch GT3 did very well indeed. I am testing the Huawei Watch GT runner now, but I am still waiting for the data export to complete, so I cannot say anything about it yet. However, the sensors are the same as the GT3.

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

@Marco Polo : Indeed the Huawei Watch GT3 did extremely well for HR tracking💗

[@500mattia]

So far in our laboratory I have only tried the Huawei gt runner. From the first tests the HRis in line with Garmin Fenix ​​6x pro and Polar OH 10 band. GPS monitoring seems to underestimate the distance from the first tests. On average, over a distance of 10km, the Huawei scores 100m less than the Garmin Fenix ​​6x pro

[@LeMuztaHritari]

Could you tell some reasons, why fr745, or even venu2 is better choise than instinct 2? Instinct 2 have same sensors and much better running metrics than Venu 2 series.

[@jpunieves]

hoping you'd review the instinct 2x solar 😅 especially how 24/7 monitoring of hr/spo2 affects battery life

[@nenadrox]

Thank you Rob! You are truly the polysomnography of smartwatch reviews 😄

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Haha, thanks Nenad! Happy to reach your mind and heart😉

[@cylcy]

Hope there is a comparison between instinct and instinct 2… especially for heart rate accuracy

[@awesomebrotherhood7698]

You are number one in this category and one and only ROB the Great

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

I really appreciate the compliments Awesome Brotherhood!😊

[@rnshorts6497]

You're almost at 100K! Keep it up

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi RN! Thanks so much, almost there😊

[@francobellomo9979]

Hi Rob, excellent review. I ask you a question about the Polar Verity sense, you left me with doubts because you had mentioned that the AW was better than the Verity sense for weightlifting, but I saw many other comparisons against the H10 and they are almost exact with respect to the verity sense. Have you compared it again?

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi Franco! Thanks for the question 👍. I did not analyze it since that time, but I did give it to some athletes to test, so maybe I'll have time to analyze their data and get an even better review out😊

[@williamstevenson2649]

For cycling and walking and jumping-about exercises, I have found that my Verity Sense is great and pretty much exactly reproduces the H10 chest strap. If I was just going to have one of them I would choose the Verity!

[@craigward26]

I am currently torn on this watch , I picked it up cheap second hand and have always had Casio in the past . Something about it I find really appealing and don't want to upgrade. If the sleep tracking is bad then this will affect all other stats including body battery and recovery stats

[@vaguelyspecific9955]

That was a lot of work. Very informative. Different review from any other I've seen. Thanks

[@NazSBG]

I've got the opportunity to buy the instinct 2s solar, boxed, never used for £150. Thing is, I need glasses for reading and so I'm thinking the watch may be no good without glasses and I'm wanting the watch for my running.

[@retusrieben6487]

Very interesting. What about, stress factors and recovery stuff? Is there probably a scientific review you could do? That would interest me a lot😍

[@FRob911]

Thanks for the review. Would you go fenix 6 or instinct 2? They’re about the same price as of now …

[@mishkattasdid]

Congratulations on 100k. I was watching your videos continuously for 3 days and truly I learned a lot. Thanks, buddy. 💝

[@NewTestamentDoc]

I wish all scientists were so thorough ! Awesome !

[@eezeepee]

Loving the new format! Another great objective review!

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Thanks Patrick-Julian! I really appreciate the compliments😄

[@davidezanchi579]

Hi Rob! Thanks again for your video. I cannot find an article in which you do a general classification of the best devices by categories. Can you point it to me if you have it? From your tests, what would you say it is worth to buy if I am looking for something good but middle price range? Maybe you have a top3. Thanks!

[@PatchyAdam]

Still happy with my Garmin instinct 2

[@mlegrand]

Congrats on 100k!!! 👏 🎉 I’ve got this one on order also. Just need to find time to actually make all of these reviews.

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi Matt! Indeed, it takes so much time to make a single video, so choices have to be made. I am a bit tired of Garmin reviews after the last two months, so time to do some other things. Keep it up man! And, not at the 100k yet, it will at least take one more day😊😉

[@mlegrand]

@@TheQuantifiedScientist - Well, I hope you celebrate! 👌

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

@@mlegrand Thanks so much Matt! In addition to videography, I can learn from you on how to celebrate things for sure. But, yes, I will definitely enjoy the moment.👍😄 Though, honestly, with the situation here in Europe currently, it does put things into perspective. So, any real celebrating will have to wait a bit. Let's hope it all ends soon.🙏🏽

[@mlegrand]

@@TheQuantifiedScientist - 💯 agree

[@SF-li9kh]

I am liking the new format of your reviews

[@Chris4]

Rob, your videos are AMAZING - absolute top notch quality. I'm digging through the unbelievably complicated world of fitness/smart watches as I am in the market. I work in IT and like all the techy details, but in a clear/concise presentation. Your videos provide the level of detail I want, in an ultra clear message. The comparisons of sleep tracking across devices is unbelievably incredible as this is a key feature for me. Thank you SO MUCH for doing what you do. You are a brilliant mind and very easy to listen to/follow. Thank you, thank you!

[@dextex22]

Hey Rob. Absolutely love your reviews. I'm very curious about the polar grit x pro. It's got some very interesting health tests like VO2MAX that it does while you're resting and an orthostatic test. It's got an array of leds under it that test in multiple wavelengths so I suspect it's more accurate than most watches out there. I'm really interested to see how it preforms with your tests. Do you think you'll test it in the future at all? Thanks

[@iangrant3615]

I miss the chapter marks/labelling so I can go to the relevant section quickly :)

[@NAW32Nicoisme]

did you ever test the Coros Pace 2?

[@robsilv148]

Wow awesome review! I just subscribed to your channel, so I just ordered the instinct 2 solar tactical Should I keep it of go for the fenix 7?

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi Rob! Thanks so much for the compliment and the sub. I think the Instinct 2 will perform about the same or better in terms of health tracking, so that is all good. It does not have the fancy maps and touchscreen of the Fenix 7 though. (However, it is better priced). I think I would personally go for the Instinct 2

[@arshadarifek7351]

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

[@fabreezethefaintinggoat5484]

I have it and it s a highly complex machine,the more you delvevinto the function tge more you realise that,for example on the weight exercises it detects which body part was exerted

[@kchorwitz3394]

Did your harming freeze when testing????

[@frankysour]

First of all, congrats on the new format, keep going! Always a pleasure watching your video reviews. And still waiting to understand if garmin has something up it's sleeve (just about where they wear their vivomove sport :D ) for my Fenix 6 in the future. But at least they seem to have nailed at least partially the hr monitoring with the new sensor. Waiting for the Huawei gt 3 running - not sure is the full correct name... They are not good at naming, but that one seems interesting!!

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi Franky! Thanks so much for the compliments!😊 Yes, I think it is not needed for many people to upgrade each time that a new watch is released. I am sure the Fenix 6 is still a solid watch! Yes, the Huawei Watch GT Runner is currently on my wrist being tested😊

[@hohomindarkist2741]

Thank you.. Seeing you is like seeing students that perform presentations in front of the lectures..

[@ericmeehan298]

This was really excellent, thank you! You mentioned a number of products in this video, and I noticed you are wearing a device on your arm as well - do you happen to have a video on the data collection devices you use personally?

[@armandofogaca_]

Best review by far! Thank you.

[@binlin1402]

Hi Rob, still waiting for your whoop 4.0 update review, is it coming soon?

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi Bin! I indeed need to ask Whoop for a data export. Unfortunately they do not make this easy, and they this takes weeks usually

[@Bizon-q2u]

To check whether the device indicates saturation well, take 30 deep breaths, and on the last exhale hold your breath for about 1.5 minutes. After 90 seconds, the saturation should drop to about 70% Unfortunately, the watches will not show this

[@DR-fy7qy]

Thanks for the in-depth review based on your exhaustive testing of this Garmin watch. Have you noticed if its overall accuracy greatly improved for monitoring various types of activites, if worn in tandem with a chest strap, such as Garmin HRM Pro-Plus?

[@HikeRx]

I just subscribed. I appreciate the detailed analysis.

[@dommarilekon1242]

Can you do a review on instinct 2x?

[@Dwoollam]

Could the issues with stages in sleep tracking be in relation to the way you sleep. Is the hr being adversely affected by lying on the wrist or pressure on the watch making the hr hard for the watch to acquire.

[@dominicomucci3014]

Good review I find the garmin to be garbage at sleep tracking. But great for sports. I found the Samsung gear fit to be better for sleep tracking. Garmin had me asleep when I'm watching tv etc. And I get up to upstairs clean my teeth read a boom and it thinks I woke up for 1 minute... Its a mess.

[@Primetime_dads]

Which do you like better this watch or venu 2

[@parmgill8072]

Brilliant, I love the original approach

[@BritishRacingGreen]

I really enjoyed your review. It's in depth, but not boring.

[@sinewaymusic]

Very helpful and it's clear that the sleep tracking is as poor on the new generation watches as it is on the old Foreru 245 & and c:o. Meaning, the measurement is largely meaningless and hopelessly far behind the Fitbit sleep tracking. 🙄

[@yashchawla5273]

Keep up the Hardwork buddy! Subscribed!

[@toddsdevil]

Hi there, great video. Did you wear the watch for over a month? I believe it needs a few weeks for calibration to your body.

[@rileykadis4809]

Are you able to comment on the precision of the oxygen saturation and sleep measurements? To what extent can you expect consistent error and account for it?

[@Intrak]

And this is REAL review. Thank You !

[@krollpeter]

Exactly Not that the watch is actually too bad ... But for 400 bucks, no, I expect a lot better.

[@Scratchen2]

What firmware were you running? I noticed the Fenix has received an update (7.24) which contains this improvement: “Improvements made to on-device sleep detection and sleep staging.”

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi! I mostly used the previous firmware on the Fenix (7.20 I believe). However, in my review of the Epix 2 I also used the new version (7.24) for one night with both devices (epix 2 and fenix 7), and based on that limited data did not notice improvements.

[@eagleye74]

Fantastic video mate! Well done and keep it up! 💯

[@tedportnay4086]

Hi Always enjoy these videos. What is the name of the EEG like device you use for the comparison/gold standard? Is it commercially available? Thanks

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi Ted! The EEG device I used in the video is the Dreem 2 headband. It used to be commercially available, but they switched completely to research. In other videos I've used the Hypnodyne Z-Max, and I am still working on putting a PSG device based on openBCI components together.

[@GentlePianoMusic]

Hi! Is there any reason to believe the 2x would perform differently?

[@mickeyj07]

Great video! Thank you as I was looking at this particularly to combine an outdoor watch with a sleep tracking device as well. I noticed you are wearing the Oura ring. Is this the best wearable tech you've found for sleep tracking?

[@stepheno3422]

has Garmin fixed the problem with random shutdowns of the Instinct watch? I was close to buying one of these until I saw how many complaints online there were about them not working after two years, or so. Possible it was caused by the watch overheating if vibration alerts were consistently used. Any thoughts on this? Thanks.

[@Marfig]

I would have loved this watch if it included storage space for music. I don't want to have to carry my phone. I ended up going with the Fenix when in fact style-wise this watch is so much prettier

[@legros731]

Sorry but wearing 2 watch on eqch arm will change the accuracy Garmin specify where the sensor need to be for optimal results So by having 2 watch on the same wrist is not the best way to compare them

[@ThunderKat]

You could come with a %base accuracy when compare to the high-end hearth tracking... It would be way simpler to understand if you say is 88% accurate at this task, 95% at this other. And yes you can also go beyond 100% if the accuracy is superior to the high-end device.

[@ΓιωργοςΚελεπουρης-ψ8τ]

Instict 1 shows the altimeter wrong., especially on track run.instict 2 has the sensors to an other place so lets hope the best.instict 1 has the sensors down below back touching the skin

[@kkamshk]

thanks for the test, wonder if it is possible to have the underwater HR testing, it will be very useful for ppl want to wearing the watch to swim like me

[@MrFuelms]

Hi, I have a need for your input. What is your opinion on Garmin Instinct Tactical in comparison to Garmin Instinct 2? Earlier I used to wear Polar AXN 500 which used a chest strap for recording performance but it is now rendered outdated.

[@DemisG.]

Question!....How long the battery lasted to you? I just bought the instinct 2 solar and it lasted 10 days with little gps use. Definitely not unlimited battery life!!

[@ritchieorlando2155]

Hi. Thx for the review. Im curious, Is it easy to read during night time? Auto light during dark? Thank u

[@AhmedERaway]

We need a graph with a compilation of all smart watches tested for the HR and SpO2 measurements just like the graph ranking all the smart watches in the sleep monitoring part! ✌️

[@AhmedERaway]

@@davidc3150 it's in every video at the end of the sleep tracking part. It contains all the reviewed watched with the agreement percentages of the sleep stages.

[@davidc3150]

@@AhmedERaway have you noticed the lack of consistency on those graphs between videos? I have seen some fitbits alternating on the positions between videos. Sometimes the best one is the inspire 2, others the charge 5, others the sense. Why is it not consistent?

[@AhmedERaway]

@@davidc3150 I dunno actually

[@nathaniellecompte55]

I am looking at this watch. Coming from an Apple series 3. I primarily do stationary cardio or strength training. Will this be good for strength training?

[@serhiirudenko6183]

well, this one is really detailed review. Thanks! I'm thinking to get Fenix6 solar and this one kinda in the same price range. Buuut I think I'll get a Fenix anyway since it has maps. Older sensor is okay I think.

[@alioramus]

It's been 2 years. Have you resolved those issues with updates?

[@juskojj]

i've got a garmin instinct 1 and yeah sleep tracking is horrible, the fitbit seems to be better

[@jovecvetanoski4057]

For the same price instinct 2x or forerunner 265 ?

[@SunilGadekar]

According to you which smartwatch is most accurate?

[@BFmeister]

Please test the new Instinct 2X. Thanks.

[@XtremePlanetAdventure]

best garmin review I have ever seen

[@NerdTouchingGrass]

very good review but i keep trying to find out how good/bad the garmin app is for you phone.

[@neilanderson2374]

Just ordered one after owning and returning a Fitbit Sense, which i think is a seriously flawed watch.

[@journeytomercury7843]

Please do another review on the sleep tracking of the instinct 2. Maybe it has improved over the past 2 years..?

[@Dbl661]

Venu 2 and Instinct 2 have the same sensors and software. How can the results be different?

[@stevebiggs1822]

Amazing analysis! Thank you

[@Olivier-iv1mf]

Very nice review as always ! Do you plan to make a garmin epix test 2 about sleep tracking like the fenix 7 ?

[@anujphadke9785]

Hi ...just want to knw does Garmin instinct 1 or 2 track mid day naps also ? Coz many even cheap Chinese watches as well as fitbit watches also track mid day naps ..coz i track those mid day nap .. m planning to shift from fitbit ionic to instict for better battery life.. it's just I love sleep tracking of fitbit .. so expecting good tracking from more expensive watch than my current fitbit

[@markknight2768]

Any chance you are going to be doing a sleep and heart rate study of the new TicWatch GTH Pro?

[@yentwinvn]

Could you consider making a review video on the newly released Garmin 265 (sleep tracking, health tracking)? Thanks for high quality video.

[@johnvisintainer4568]

Hi which watch is that you've tested is the best when it comes to both heart rate and GPS?

[@geltonbeltonwelton]

Have you ever tried the casio gshock gbdh1000. I think it would be a bit big for sleep measurements. Great video

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Hi! No, I never looked at that one, but I would love to get my hand on a newly released Casio when they come out😊