Garmin Instinct Solar 2 Review - It's fun on the dark side

A review of the Garmin Instinct Solar 2.
More information about features and specifications can be read here:
www.garmin.com...
You can also check if your bank participates with Garmin Pay here:
www.garmin.com...

[@panagiotis00]

great review, agree with point of view

[@jovanstepic9439]

I actually think this particular watch is Amazing! As you already pointed out, it's a Casio G-shock with all the bells and whistles inside. I owned Fenix 6 and 7 and I like this one better. It's just more practical!

[@troppotime9179]

Cheers. When I first heard about the Fenix I was a little tempted, especially when they mentioned Sapphire glass. But when its sold for almost $1000 AUD here it does make you reconsider. I agree in that this watch is amazing, considering what it can do for the price. And a $20 screen protector gives me that added peace of mind.

[@derkatzenfuerst6077]

Thanks for the review, that was just the info I was looking for.

[@troppotime9179]

No worries mate. Glad it was helpful.

[@clevercamera3638]

Again thank you for another brilliant and comprehensive review!! As for the Garmin? Practical? Yes. Functional? Definitely. Possessing character and style? NO!

[@troppotime9179]

Thanks again mate. Yeah that Garmin is anything but pretty, and my Seiko 5 still gets more wrist time, but I'm so stoked I have a (smart) watch with everything but the kitchen sink that I don't have to fret over (too much) and doesn't need charging after 48 hours. I think of it as a G-Shock lite but with more functions and better buttons.

[@DaveT23]

Great review, gave me all the info I was after. As another user in the "melanoma state capital" I was also expecting more efficient charging. Have just found out my bank also doesn't support it. Need to decide whether this is worth it over the regular Instinct 2 (about $50 difference)

[@troppotime9179]

Thanks mate. From my experience the solar charging works more efficiently if you run it in 'bare bones' mode (i.e. no bluetooth, no health tracking, etc.) and you'll see gains there but you've got to give it a healthy dose of sun (which we mostly have up here). In the end, if you don't mind charging the Garmin via cable for about 2 hours every 3-4 weeks (which is what I do anyway) then the non-solar option is very viable.