The Garmin Instinct was launched in 2018 for individuals who wanted a rugged sports watch, and then they introduced the Garmin Instinct 2 with various improvements in 2022.
We’ll dive deep into the comparison of these smartwatches on pricing, design, display, health tracking, and battery life to help you make an informed decision.
Pricing
The Garmin Instinct launched at a lower price compared to other Garmin devices. It can be found cheaper through discounts, but it is currently priced at $299. It has a tactical edition with solar charging, which costs $449.
The Garmin Instinct 2 might also be available at a discount and priced at $349. The 50mm Solar Charging Edition is the largest and costs $449. There are a few extra options — Camo, Tactical, Surf, and Dezl.
In terms of colors, the Instinct comes in Graphite and Moss, while the Instinct 2 comes in 21 colorways, including Coyote Tan, Black, Graphite, Mist Gray, and more.
Comparison
| Device name | Garmin Instinct | Garmin Instinct 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Device type | Smartwatch | Smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | March, 2018 | March, 2022 |
| Versions | Standard edition | Standard edition |
| Body | ||
| Dimension | 45 x 45 x 15.3 mm | 45 x 45 x 14.5 mm |
| Weight | 52 grams | 52 grams |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Case material | Fiber-Reinforced Polymer | Fiber-Reinforced Polymer |
| Strap material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Bezel material | Fiber-Reinforced Polymer | Fiber-Reinforced Polymer |
| Strap size | 22mm | 22mm |
| Screen protection | Chemically Strengthened Glass | Chemically Strengthened Glass |
| Water resistance | 10 ATM | 10 ATM |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Display | ||
| Display size | 0.9” x 0.9” | 0.9” x 0.9” |
| Display type | Transflective Memory-In-Pixel (MIP) | Transflective Memory-In-Pixel (MIP) |
| Display resolution | 128 x 128 pixels | 176 x 176 pixels |
| Pixel density | 201 PPI | 124 PPI |
| Always on | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Connectivity | ||
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth calling | No | No |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | — | — |
| Internal Storage | 16 MB | 32 GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| Cellular Connectivity | ||
| Technology | None | None |
| SIM type | None | None |
| Band | — | — |
| Sensors | ||
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | No | No |
| Ambient light | No | No |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | No | No |
| Gyroscope | No | No |
| HRM | No | No |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | Yes | No |
| Thermometer | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | ||
| Battery type | non-removable Lithium-polymer | non-removable Lithium-polymer |
| Battery capacity | — | — |
| Battery life | 14 days | 28 days |
| Charging type | Plug Charger | Plug Charger |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar charging | No | No |
Design and Build
The Garmin Instinct 2 is a little slimmer, but 1g heavier than the original Garmin Instinct. The 40mm (Instinct 2S Solar) being the lightest weighs 43 grams, while the 50mm (Instinct 2X Solar) being the largest as well as heaviest at 67 grams.
Both the Instinct and Instinct 2 are housed in a fiber-reinforced polymer bezel and case, while the only difference is in screen protection — the Solar version has Power Glass, and the Standard version has chemically strengthened glass.
The Instinct 2 models have a slightly tweaked bezel design, while only the 50mm model has visible screw rugs on the front. So before choosing the model, consider the bezel difference, and above all, choose the right size. You don’t want your watch to be loose or tight, right?
Both come with a quickfit silicone band as standard. While the smallest model has 20mm straps, 22mm for the 45mm model, and 26mm for the largest 50mm model.
Both have 10 ATM water ratings and can be used for deep diving too, within a 100-metre range.
Display
Both the Garmin Instinct and Instinct 2 use the same transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display. In terms of display size, both have the same display for the 45mm model, while the 40mm model has the smallest and the 50mm model has the largest size among all.
But the display resolution is different across these devices. The original Instinct has 128 x 128 pixels, while the Instinct has 176 x 176 pixels for the same 45mm model.
As we said earlier, the only difference is in the glass material. Solar offers Power Glass, and the standard has chemically strengthened glass to survive extreme beatings and conditions.
Health and Fitness Tracking
When it comes to health tracking, these smartwatches do not have the wide array of features that you get from other Garmin devices. But they can get the job done with a few basic features.
Both can track heart rate, resting heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO2), abnormal HR, stress, sleep, hydration, and women’s health. There are a few added features on the Instinct 2 — 24 x 7 respiration rate, breathwork, and health snapshot.
The Instinct 2 also offers a sleep score, which analyses your sleep over four nights and provides a score from 0–100 to help you get a deeper understanding of your sleep. A higher score means good sleep, and a lower score means you need to get enough sleep. Plus, it also features training readiness, which assesses how ready your body is to exercise. It uses your sleep, recovery time, HRV status, acute load, sleep and stress history, and recent training load to calculate a score from 0 to 100. The higher score means your body is ready for a high-intensity workout, and the lower score means you need to take it easier.
Both can track basic features like calories burned, distance travelled, floor climbed, steps, and more.
In terms of fitness tracking, both can track multiple sports modes, including swimming, running, walking, and biking, but the Instinct 2 can track a few additional sports, like triathlon, surfing, windsurfing, tennis, and more.
Additionally, they also have VO2 Max, a virtual partner, and downloadable training plans, but the Instinct 2 offers recovery time, which detects your recovery and provides insights into whether you are ready for your next high intensity activity or not.
Smartwatch Features
When it comes to features, they both offer various features that’s available in other Garmin devices. The Instinct offers 16MB of storage, while the Instinct 2 also offers 32MB for the 45mm model and 64MB for the 50mm model, which means you can store more data.
Both have GPS capabilities, but the Instinct 2 offers multi-band GPS that uses multiple frequencies to provide faster and more accurate readings in challenging situations. It also has Garmin Pay for contactless payments and an LED flashlight.
Battery Life
In terms of battery life, the Garmin Instinct can last for around 24 days in smartwatch mode and 54 days with solar charging, while the Garmin Instinct 2 (50mm) can last for around 40 days, and with solar charging, it can go forever, meaning unlimited battery life.
If we compare it without the solar version, the Instinct can last for around 16 days, while the Instinct 2 can go up to 28 days. In GPS mode, the Instinct can survive for up to 16 hours, while the Instinct 2 can go for 30 hours and 60 hours in max battery GPS mode.
Both come with a Garmin proprietary plug charger, which takes 1.5–2 hours to fully charge the device.
Verdict
There’s no confusion that the Garmin Instinct 2 is the newer model and has more features compared to the Garmin Instinct 2. There are various improvements, like more sizes and colours, health and fitness features, multi-band GPS, battery life, and more.
So, by investing a few extra bucks, you can get a better value, or you can wait for the sale to buy the Garmin Instinct 2 at a cheaper price.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Should I get Instinct 2 or 2S?
It depends on your personal preference because there is not much difference between these devices apart from their sizes. The Instinct 2S comes in 40 mm, appealing to women and individuals with smaller wrists, and the Instinct 2 comes in 45 mm, suitable for men and individuals with bigger wrists.
Can the Garmin Instinct 2 go underwater?
Yes, you can go underwater with the Instinct 2, as it has a water rating of 10 ATM and can be submerged up to 100 metres.
Does the Garmin Instinct 2 have music?
No, the Instinct 2 doesn’t let you stream or store music as it lacks music storage.
Does Instinct 2 have GPS?
Yes, it has GPS capability, but it doesn’t offer multi-band GPS, which is more accurate than regular GPS as it uses more frequencies to provide more accurate readings. So if you are a runner or hiker who wants accurate GPS capability, you can go for the other Garmin smartwatches, such as the Garmin Forerunner 265 ($449) or Forerunner 965 ($599).