The Garmin Instinct Solar is one of the best running watches out there. It’s incredibly durable and practical, if you don’t mind its no-frills look. Garmin has been worshipping the sun a bit over the past few months, launching a slew of new solar smartwatches, including some updates to existing models. The Garmin Instinct Solar is, as the name suggests, a new version of the 2018 Instinct, with the benefit of incredible battery life thanks to regular solar charging and some other improvements under the hood.
The Instinct Solar may not be the fanciest GPS running watch on the market, but it’s just so useful that you’ll be hard pressed to find a more practical companion for running, biking, and hiking off the beaten path. It’s packed with training and navigation features, and thanks to Garmin’s Power Glass, it has incredible battery life that keeps it going in daylight. Looks aren’t everything, and the Instinct Solar is a real pleasure to use – clearly designed by people who are passionate about sports and the outdoors.
The Garmin Instinct Solar’s case is made of tough, fiber-reinforced polymer and comes standard with a silicone strap. It’s a very practical, rugged design, but it’s unmistakably plastic and perhaps not stylish enough for everyday use away from trails, paths, lakes and the ocean. At 53g, it’s only 1g heavier than the 2018 Instinct, and its case is identical – at 45mm in diameter, it’s not overly wide, but at 15.3mm thick, it’s a bit chunky on the wrist.
Unlike some solar-powered watches that use photovoltaic material in the dial, Garmin’s devices use a technology called Power Glass, which harvests energy without compromising the watch’s appearance. Power Glass isn’t quite as durable as sapphire crystal, and Garmin advises against covering it with a protective film, but it’s still quite sturdy and resistant to bumps and scratches.