The new Garmin Instinct 3 had me climbing a wall in the best way possible

Date:
Tue, 07 Jan 2025 07:05:22 +0000

Description:
Good looking, fun to wear, and insane battery life

FULL STORY ======================================================================

I have a confession to make: Ive never climbed a rock wall and honestly had
no plans to do so. However, when Garmin invited me to take a short break from the CES 2025 grind to try out a pair of its newest rugged smartwatches, I agreed, if only for the chance to try out one, the Solar Instinct 3 with battery life that will last forever.

The Garmin Instinct 3 rugged watches have bold, even aggressive looks and
seem more than up to the task of surviving a rock climbing wall fall
(Editor's note: Nobody fell) . Image 1 of 6 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Image 2 of 6 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Image 3 of 6 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Image 4 of 6 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Image 5 of 6 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Image 6 of 6 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Theres the new solar-powered one featuring a non-touch monochrome display surrounded by a metal band that further protects the watch and its screen, most of which is covered by a transparent solar panel. There are ample black areas surrounding the digital display that are more efficient at capturing
the sunlight.

The other Inspire 3 watch features a brilliant and colorful AMOLED screen. While the Solar Instinct 3 will, with enough sunlight, run indefinitely, the AMOLED is no slouch, running up to 24 days on a charge. CES 2025 TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES , and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI. And dont forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest
from the CES show floor!

There are a pair of buttons on the right and a trio of them on the left side of each watch. Navigating the rich interfaces is a bit tricky at first, especially if youre used to touch screens but Id reckon youd get used to it quickly.

I do like that the readouts on both watches are quite clear. And I found them easy to read even as I climbed and glanced at my wrist.

Oh, yes, I did climb. It was a V0 difficulty wall, and I was able to track that exact climb with the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar on one wrist and the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED on the other. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Both watches have a deep well of activity-tracking options, and you can add more if you dont see your preferred workout.

I wore the larger 50mm watches (there are also a 45mm options) but despite their rugged appearance I didnt find them uncomfortable. The nearly unlimited battery life might encourage you to wear them to bed. Sleep tracking, after all, is a core part of the health tracking features. You get a daily battery level score that helps you decide if you need to fit more in your wellness or fitness activities. Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Image 2 of 3 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Image 3 of 3 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The watches will provide all the traditional notifications youd expect from a smart wearable, but you wont be receiving calls. There are no microphones or speakers on either Instinct 3.

At $399.99 to start 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 have GPS and all the navigation features that come with that.

I didnt have a lot of time with both watches, mostly just my pair of uneventful climbs, but one cool feature that I did get to try is the built-in flashlight.

On both the solar and AMOLED models, the little lamp sits between the lugs on the top side of the watch. A double press on one button turns it on, then pressing one of the two buttons below raises and lowers the brightness. You can keep pressing, and then the light turns red, which might be a pleasant surprise for those who hate bright white flashlight lights.

Generally, I liked what I saw in these Garmin Instinct 3 rugged smartwatches. They're comfortable and fun-looking, have great screens, and have incredible battery life. The prices are decent for this near-ultra class of smartwatches and may be a great alternative for someone who doesnt want to invest in a pricey Apple Ultra . You might also like I ran an entire marathon with a Garmin, an Apple Watch, and Strava here are all the differences I tracked 10,000 steps with Samsung, Apple, Garmin, and Polar here are all the differences I tested the cheapest fitness tracker to see if it could match a top Garmin watch



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/the-new-garmin-instinct-3-had-me-clim bing-a-wall-in-the-best-way-possible


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