Garmin Instinct 2S Solar Rugged GPS Smartwatch, Graphite

Product Information

But as the watch does also have ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity you could also track heart rate via a chest strap. For example, each element in this watch face is customizable, including the one in the little circle as well as the small chart shown in the upper left. Speaking of sensors, the Instinct 2 series has significantly expanded the slate of supported connected sensor types. Although the Instinct 2 keeps its tough and rugged design for practicality, in this incarnation it's no longer just focused on outdoorsy use. The Instinct 2 is also available in a Dezl edition for professional truck drivers, which connects to Garmin’s in-cab navigation systems and can show important health stats and alerts on the bigger screen.

Instinct 2S Solar Smartwatch | Outdoor Life Review: The Garmin Instinct 2S Solar Smartwatch | Outdoor Life

Apple’s latest software developments for its smartwatch are extremely interesting to me as a runner, and the Series 7 is Apple’s hardiest watch yet. All your daily stats are presented in a fully customizable dashboard, with panels to show metrics such as heart rate, Body Battery (your current energy level), sleep score, stress recent workouts, and much more. It looks ready to thrive in any weather condition you throw at it and is made to last, so it is not the kind of watch you’ll find yourself having to replace quickly. These include suggested run workouts (a handy way to ensure you're mixing up your training and not getting stuck in a rut), training load (so you can avoid under- or over-training), and training effect (so you can see whether your last workout was chiefly aerobic or anaerobic). That said, it’s nice to have a backup payment system if I forget my wallet at home or want to grab coffee when my wallet’s zipped into my shirt and buried under three layers of camo.

The Instinct 2S has Garmin Pay available on it – but do check your bank is compatible with this before trying to use this feature. We put the watch to the test for several sweaty indoor cycling sessions, and found that the watch quickly detected changes in heart rate throughout the workout, and once we were done, accurately identified which heart rate zones we were training in. For example, a pool swim or indoor gym workout don’t leverage the GPS, but instead various internal sensors and accelerometers – depending on the sport. I never had to put it in power-save mode, which would’ve extended the battery life by lowering the brightness on the watch face and disconnecting the watch from the paired phone.

Garmin Instinct® 2S Solar | Smaller-Sized Rugged GPS Smartwatch

Which is fine, except then I’d argue – why bother adding all those aforementioned features if that’s not the audience? One of the more notable options in this lineup is the 2S offering, which is a smaller-profile Instinct designed for anyone with a slimmer wrist. If you’re an avid runner or triathlete who loves all things outdoors, with a generous slice of adventure, then the Garmin Instinct 2S will be a match for you. Note on this workout I did *NOT* use a course file, but did have an ANT+ power meter connected as well as optical HR enabled and live tracking enabled. The predecessor only had a resolution of 128 x 128 pixels, whereas this version has 176 x 176 pixels.

The Instinct 2S Solar uses a Power Glass face to convert the sun’s energy (as measured in lux) to battery power. The tracker uses Garmin’s Power Glass to soak up energy from the sun, so it’s pretty hard to fault the battery life on this smartwatch.

Instinct 2/2S/Solar In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker Garmin Instinct 2/2S/Solar In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker

As well as choosing to do the route in reverse, directly on the Instinct 2, you can view the map and the elevation profile. The Instinct 2 also supports Garmin Pay for making contactless purchases and paying for public transport, and you can use it to control the music on your phone without digging through your pockets for your handset.

For those who are more reliant on maps when out running or cycling, a tracker like the Garmin Forerunner offers more advanced mapping services. The watch is great for tracking your heart rate and all its zones as you train and overall the Instinct 2S is a good option for beginners who need guidance with their training.