With the new Garmin Instinct 3 I had to climb a wall – in the best way possible
I have a confession to make: I have never climbed a rock wall and honestly had no plans to do so. However, when Garmin invited me to take a quick break from the CES 2025 grind to try out some of its latest rugged smartwatches, I agreed, if only for the chance to try one out. try, the Solar Instinct 3 with a battery life that lasts forever.
The rugged Garmin Instinct 3 watches have a bold, even aggressive look and seem more than up to the task of surviving a fall from a rock climbing wall (Editor’s note: no one fell).
There’s the new solar-powered one with a touchless monochrome display, surrounded by a metal band that further protects the watch and screen, most of which is covered by a transparent solar panel. There are plenty of black areas around the digital display that are more efficient at capturing sunlight.
The other Inspire 3 watch has a beautiful and colorful AMOLED screen. While the Solar Instinct 3 will run indefinitely with enough sunlight, the AMOLED is no slouch, lasting up to 24 days on a charge.
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There are a few buttons on the right side and a trio of buttons on the left side of each watch. Navigating the rich interfaces is a little tricky at first, especially if you’re used to touchscreens, but I think you’ll get used to it quickly.
I like that the readouts on both watches are quite clear. And I found them easy to read, even as I climbed and looked at my wrist.
Oh yes, I did climb. It was a V0 difficulty wall and I was able to follow that exact climb with the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar on one wrist and the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED on the other.
Both watches have a variety of activity tracking options, and you can add more if you don’t see your favorite workout.
I wore the larger 50mm watches (there are also 45mm options) but despite their rugged appearance I didn’t find them uncomfortable. The virtually unlimited battery life may tempt you to wear them to bed. After all, sleep tracking is a core part of health tracking features. You’ll get a daily battery level score that will help you decide if you need to increase your wellness or fitness activities.
The watches offer all the traditional notifications you’d expect from a smart wearable, but you won’t receive calls. There are no microphones or speakers on either Instinct 3.
With a starting price of $399.99 for the Solar line (AMOLED starts at $449.99), this is considered Garmin’s more affordable, rugged watch. One of the things you lose with a lower price is the detailed, active topo-active maps, but you still get GPS and all the navigation features that come with it.
I didn’t have much time with either watch, mostly just my few gentle climbs, but one cool feature I did try is the built-in flashlight.
On both the solar and AMOLED models, the light is located between the lugs at the top of the watch. A double press of one button turns it on, and then pressing either of the two buttons below increases or decreases the brightness. You can keep pressing and then the light will turn red, which may be a pleasant surprise for those who hate bright white flashlights.
Overall, I liked what I saw in these Garmin Instinct 3 rugged smartwatches. They’re comfortable and nice looking, have great screens and incredible battery life. The prices are reasonable for these almost ultra-class smartwatches and could be a great alternative for someone who doesn’t want to invest in an expensive Apple Ultra.