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Is the display on these easy to read indoors without having to press anything to turn the backlight on? like in a room with mainly artificial light? I've found some of the Garmin computer screens a bit dim indoors sometimes so just wondered what the watches were like.
In pictures the instinct looks a bit brighter, maybe as it's only black and white but haven't see ln either of them in real life so not sure.
I problem reading my instinct unless it is pitch black.
Instinct is great indoors and outdoors, probably as you say due to the black and white screen. Not sure about the vivoacfive.
I bought the instinct as I wanted a smart watch but not really complicated to use and I can have everything I want to see on the main screen on the instinct. Battery also lasts around 2 weeks which is amazing!
I’d highly recommend one of you are looking for a smart watch.
My Missus VA3 seems to be set to turn on backlight when tilted in low light conditions, otherwise it seems pretty readable in daylight (IMO).
Yes, Instinct is fine for me.
You can set it to turn on the backlight with a gesture, ie flick your wrist. Maybe easier than pressing the button.
I think its a bit clearer than my Forerunner 245, which has a fancy colour screen. That is less readable, without backlight.
Venu (Vivoactive 4 cousin) has same internals but an OLED?? screen. Brighter inside, less so outside. Battery life suffers slightly as a result. As a result the screen times out to help battery but more 'complex' watch faces don't spring into life when you raise your wrist.
I have a Vivoactive 3 that I used as a day-to-day watch - I changed my watch face to white characters on black to make it easier to read
Had a Vivoactive 3 for a month now. Not noticed any issues reading it indoors. Possibly because it turns the backlight on if dark and i tilt my watch.
Vivoactive 3, bought because it had music which I like for running, and has replaced my other watch completely.
No issue reading the face, which I have as old fashioned hands over a couple of widgets.
Venu here, never had any issues, but as above, can take a second or two to wake up, which can be irritating.
Vivoactive 3 here. No issues reading the watch face indoors or out. The image below was just taken in a gloomy room. Brightness currently set to 30% to save battery life.
Another Instinct user - no problems reading the screen.
Not as clever as some of the other watches but it does everything I need and want it too.
Instinct here too. V good visibility.
Instinct users presumably your having no problem get routes onto the watch. I assume I'll buy one when my suunto to dies
You can set it to turn on the backlight with a gesture, ie flick your wrist. Maybe easier than pressing the button.
Can you? Can someone please tell me how?
Pretty much what everyone else said about the instinct - simple, easy and legible.
Vivoactive 3,4 and 4s in this house, all turned down to 20% screen brightness, no worries.
There's an option on all 3 of them called gesture, backlight comes on with the movement you make with your wrist to look at it. Don't use it either.
Instinct has a young offender tag look to it.
Just checked my Vivoactive 4 and it automatically lit when I turned my wrist so all good.
Not using it for routes tbh. Just tracking and keeping me honest!
I've got both an Instinct and a VA4
Instinct very legible....I have backlight set to button push after sunset and gesture/buttons during activity after sunset.
VA4 slightly less so, no sunset setting but I've backlight on button press and screen touch, gesture/screen and button during activity.
Both great watches. Instinct tougher and VA4 smarter plus music and Garmin pay, both (music and pay) have had lots of use recently.
VA4. I've never thought about screen brightness so it's still set at 50%. And it has the Gesture facility switched on. I didn't even know there was a way of getting a back-light because I've never needed it.
Mikertroid - how much bigger is the instinct compared to a VA4, and do you have massive wrists?! I'm looking at both of these but cant decide, I like the longer battery life of the instinct but it looks quite big in photos I've seen
VA3, turned off gesture as it would sometimes turn on in bed at night, but since you can adjust brightness and colour and watchface it's easy enough to find something easy to read.
Daily used VA3 also no issues in daylight or slightly dark indoor,one tap of screen to lightup for 5 secs if too dark.Watch and screen bullet proof btw, mine has a very hard life for 2 years and is still scratch free.
In comparison with the likes of the Apple watch then the Garmin screens can look dim, but the payback is with the longer battery life. I used a Vivoactive 3 for quite a while and don't recall ever having any issues reading it indoor or out as the screen brightness was fine. It's still working fine now it's been passed onto my son as I've replaced it with a Fenix (which is also perfectly readable indoors and out).
The instinct isn't much bigger than the VA4 TBH.... I used to have a Fenix 3 and that was a big unit. My arms aren't tiny, but not big enough for 51mm!
A mate dropped a bike off the other day wearing an F3 and I'd forgotten how big it is.
I suspect I'll get an F6 Pro (47mm) before too long (combines the best of both my existing watches) and I'll move the VA4 and Instinct on. I'll steer clear of the 6x as it's too big....