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I've been playing with a fenix 7 solar and an epix gen 2, graphics on the Gen 2 are really good especially the maps
I’ve been playing with a fenix 7 solar and an epix gen 2, graphics on the Gen 2 are really good especially the maps
I'm sure they are nice, but you could buy a bike/car for the price of them! 🤣
Are any of these watches particularly user friendly
I suspect that's a bit subjective, I took delivery of a Polar watch yesterday and am already a fully fledged fanboy. Never had that with Garmin.
Are any of these watches particularly user friendly
I've got a Fenix 5, pretty sure it's basically the same menu as the more recent top-end Garmins (and most of the cheaper sports models, too) - and I've never had any issues using it. That said, I'm a computer programmer and used to menus and submenus and keep going, tortoises and menus all the way down, so I'm perhaps not the best person to comment on what is and isn't "user friendly" 🙂
I'm a bit of a geek and find my 935 reasonably intuitive. I wouldn't describe myself as a power user but if you can operate a modern phone I wouldn't say a Garmin will really outwit you.
The basic functions are pretty easy to use but if you want to do something a little tricky (eg load a gpx and follow it) then you steps you have to follow aren't that logical. It's not that hard to get the measure of it but I wouldn't necessarily describe it as user friendly. I suppose it goes with having a tiny screen and a handful of buttons
Yeah, posted above 😉
Never realised the instinct 1 didn't have VO2 max/training metrics etc.
The solar price is basically the same as a fenix 6 solar, that's a hard choice.
The instinct 2 would replace my forerunner 245 as a 24/7 watch but I'm not sure I'd want to wear a fenix all day and overnight.
Sorry, posting on a phone after receiving an alert from a watch shop, I missed it.
Well, looks good and feature packed for the price but likely not worth for me personally buying one vs my Instinct 1, which is basically a bike watch becuase I use and HR strap and bike computer… …on a practical basis. If I had a spare £389 though I’d probably buy it.
Have they sorted out the reliability on their barometric altimeter yet?
Instinct 2 looks good. Think I'll wait a few months until the price drops to under 100 tho.
I already found a place offering 10% discount.
not sure I’d want to wear a fenix all day and overnight.
Don't think I've ever worn a watch overnight unless I've been too cut to take it off.
Don’t think I’ve ever worn a watch overnight unless I’ve been too cut to take it off.
I wear my forerunner 245 at night, partly for sleep tracking, mainly for alarms. I wear it almost 24/7.
I'd do the same with any replacement. Need to get an Edge model but might wait until the edge 540 (possibly even solar) which is probably coming this year. Tempted by a Fenix 6 solar, or an Instinct 2 solar. Or a Fenix 7 solar sapphire... 😬
This is the first watch I've worn overnight, didnt think I'd be able to put up with it but I've stopped noticing I'm wearing it after a couple of nights and I wanted a measure of how well I'm sleeping, which I knew to be poor, but this sticks some numbers to.improve upon I to the mix.
The instinct Solar is £225 at H Samuel. If it goes below £200 I may buy one.
Interested in one that doesn’t need charging all that often. I’m sat in my coffee shop with my Bluetooth headphones, phone and iPad…..be good not to have another device that needs to also be charged overnight. Especially as I forgot to charge my earbuds and they’ve just died on me.
Well er, i forgot my morals and ordered a discounted Instinct 2 solar yesterday on the basis it captures all the data i could ever need. It arrived today half charged showing 18 days battery or 42 in power saving mode. Its thinner and the display is clearer, ill be connecting all my sensors tomorrow before a short zwift session.
Lots of functions and extra content (eg simply scroll from.front screen to read whole texts) to play with, and with the extra data will be used more than my I1, now for sale of course...
Feels like a proper rugged device rather than a limted function budget data tracker vs the I1.
I wear normal watches on a daily basis and this only during workouts and rides, so not having the amoled and fancy Fenix display stuff isnt an issue for me.
Where did you find the instinct solar 2 discounted? I bought a I1 on a recent deal but found it a bit too chunky so returned it, I like the look of the I2s though but am not sure I can justify £200 more than the I1 cost me!
Jurawatches, use code GET10
I would warn than Tidal Blue is a bit more blue than it looks on the web.
not sure I can justify £200 more than the I1 cost me!
I was the same but the extra features, slight gain in useability and post Covid usefulness of Body Battery now able to take into account Power for accuracy (plus a small windfall) helped.
I’m sure they are nice, but you could buy a bike/car for the price of them! 🤣
Very true but they'll be going back to Garmin eventually. They are so nice I don't want to give them back after the review is written!
Thanks PWP and Kryton57
The I1 that I had briefly was tidal blue. I quite like it!
Imagine Fenix users will have seen these before, but this - and a few other bits I can't fit on my phone screen e.g. suggested VO2max and recovery times are what came off the I2 from my brief Zwift session:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kryton1957/51878898933/in/dateposted-public/
Ignore speed, I haven't worked out how to calibrate a turbo for that.
I think when the flame red instinct 2 solar is available I may well upgrade from my current solar 1…
Sport pursuit have the tidal blue instinct solar at £189.99 today.
I’ve been playing with a fenix 7 solar and an epix gen 2, graphics on the Gen 2 are really good especially the maps
I've recently got myself a Fenix 7 - solar sapphire.
Honestly, I'm SOOOO impressed with teh battery life and solar charging.
I think i've only had to propery plug it in to charge 2 or 3 times in the several weeks i've had it!
it currently says 40% charge, 7 days..
I record an actvity pretty much every day and play around with it a lot too. Top stuff garmin.
also, as per kryton, the data you get from it (which in fairness, was v similar to my old fenix 5) is really useful too.
Oh, touchscreen is fab.
Didn't think i'd like touchscreen, but it's good!
DrP
Didn’t think i’d like touchscreen, but it’s good!
whats it like in the wet...
whats it like in the wet…
So the caveat here is that when I do an activity, (or in bed) the touchscreen is set to turn off!
In reality, in the wet it does struggle (like any capacitative(or is it conductive..??!) screen will)... the only real life experience i have is in the shower! i.e after a workout, adn wanting to look at stats..it does get 'overloaded' by droplets and can glitch... but... the beauty is the buttons scroll anyway, so it's a non issue..
DrP
I still haven’t charged my instinct 2 after 5 weeks. I don’t use it as a daily, but it’s been used 7hrs a week recording activities of which 2-3hrs is outdoor gps.
It showed 18d out of the box, I leave it on the windowsill and it’s currently showing 7d.
@kryton did you manage to get you Instinct calibrated with your turbo?
I have similar issues with mine (although even faster/further out than yours!) Mine is a Gen 1 solar mind
Yes with power, but speed is a weirdness, seems to defer to amount 150kmph, vary in the middle, and end up at 150kmph again. Don’t know how to fix it tbh so I’m doing Zwift workouts with hr and power to better advise the body battery.
After Garmin broke my heart at Christmas I bought a Vivoactive 4 instead.
That's now been returned as the HRM and SP02 were amazingly inaccurate. Under exercise the HRM was under-reading, showing about half the expected count. The SP02 was showing as sub 90 at times (I had a chest infection) and I had to verify again with another device that I didn't need to go to hospital.
I did try all the suggestions like shaving arm hair, moving further up arm, but nothing seemed to make a difference.
Oddly I had a similar experience with a Fitbit years ago, wondering if skin tone or vein bulginess might have something to do with it.
Anyone else had similar?
Yes with power, but speed is a weirdness, seems to defer to amount 150kmph, vary in the middle, and end up at 150kmph again. Don’t know how to fix it tbh so I’m doing Zwift workouts with hr and power to better advise the body battery.
When I picked up a smart trainer the first ride apparently I did a max speed of 146MPh covering 47miles in an hour... I had to cross reference a table the trainer manufacturer had on their site for model of trainer and calculation for recording devices by other brands, the calculation for me was wheel circumference divided by 12.1 which then gave me more realistic rides being recorded.
Here's the link if your trainer is Elite
@kryton57 I dont wear mine on the turbo but the body battery drops when I sync it all to Garmin Connect so I think it still takes it into account without wearing it during the actual activity (assuming you sync the activity with Garmin through zwift or strava)?
@oikeith thank you! I have a Direto so that’s now set to 173 instead of 2093 - works and looks sensible on the watch I’ll see tonight if it matches with zwift!
Robbo - I have a vivosmart and yes this works the same as you mention without the instinct. Having paid £300 for a trinket though I may as well max out its use….
Where do you make those changes? I can't seem to find it on mine.....I've got a Drivo
From the watch screen, Settings (hold down middle left button), Sensors…, Add Sensor (you’ll need your drivo on), speed and cadence, Find, and when it locates it select it to add it, it then asks for wheel circumference.
Ah cheers Kryton, will have a go in a bit if I don't cry off tonight's session!
Interesting. I've synced my Edge530 with my Elite Zumo and not had to set anything like that. Speeds are comparable to real life (even to the extent of "riding" a course I've done IRL)
Well that worked thanks, I now have speed.
However, the Instinct asked me - for the first time - to connect a Smart Trainer shortly after. I said no as I already have power, speed and cadence separately yet despite that my watch now talks to me through my BT headphones every 5km to tell me my stats.
How on earth do I turn that off? I can't even see where my headphones are connected to it.
I'm sure that I stumbled on the 5k option thing earlier when looking for the speed settings. I think that it is in one of the 'bike indoor' settings submenus?
the Instinct asked me – for the first time – to connect a Smart Trainer shortly after. I said no as I already have power, speed and cadence separately
Aha!. That might be the difference. My Zumo is connected as a Smart Trainer. I guess it therefore has all the calibration data it needs I'll try to remember that wheelsize "hack" should I ever decide to connect it as separate devices though. Thanks
Whilst it's not quite £99, the Fenix 6 Pro Solar is currently £399 on SportsPursuit. £100 less than anywhere else by the looks of it. Finally found a replacement to the Instinct that didn't turn up.
If anyone has Blue Light Card discount there are good saving to be had on Garmin devices through the Garmin Store (between 20-30% depending on the device). A Garmin Instinct 2 is £225 and a Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is £300 (so 25% of each)
OK, maybe not quite as good as the original PSA, but Garmin Instinct Solar (renewed "works and looks like new") are £100 on Amazon at the moment.
I don't really understand the Amazon model. Is that watch sold by Garmin??
Thanks
Look for the bit that says "sold by amazon" - it's amazon returns I assume.
@frogstomp how did you find that? The link works for me but if I search Amazon for Garmin Instinct Solar it doesn't bring any up at £99
Frogstomps link goes straight to £99.99 'renewed' Instinct for me
@frogstomp how did you find that? The link works for me but if I search Amazon for Garmin Instinct Solar it doesn’t bring any up at £99
It was put up on HUKD.
I've taken a punt as bought renewed before from Amazon and apart from some 'history' in the data on the device everything was as new.
Been billed so will see if this one turns up 😉
nuke
Full Member
Frogstomps link goes straight to £99.99 ‘renewed’ Instinct for mePosted 27 minutes ago
Link works for me too, my question was more about how Amazon search works
Ordered one. Came today, watch looks brand new but missing the charger cable, contacted Amazon via live chat and got £9.99 refunded.
Ordered one. Came today, watch looks brand new but missing the charger cable, contacted Amazon via live chat and got £9.99 refunded.
Get these ordered, much better than the charging cable they come with.
Thanks, I'll have a look.
Mrs has a Garmin watch so I'll use her cable for now.
Thanks @frogstomp. I’ve just ordered one. Been using an old forerunner 225, which mostly won’t connect to my phone, so it’s got to be better than that.
The Amazon "used" deals can be quite good, they're often just a damaged box or missing a superfluous item
Got mine today. Came in a Garmin refurbished box with cable and looks like new. Happy days.
Is the Instinct Solar better than a Forerunner 235? Or very similar in performance etc?
to breath some new life into this 😉
spotted (non solar) "refurbished" instincts on Ebay for £70, plus a 15% off voucher takign them down to £59.49. No affiliation with the seller, was looking for something else and just came across it. £60 for a decent watch is a steal imo.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114641063008
Cheers! Picked up an orange/red one. Had been thinking about a G Shock and a Forerunner 55 recently but this will fit the bill nicely.
How long do the batteries last on these watches after a few years?
I'm slightly wary of buying a 4 year old device with a rechargable battery in it.
I've had my forerunner 245 for 2.5 years, used pretty much 24/7 for that time and I'm still getting the full 7 days from a charge.
Received the Instinct from the eBay seller above and it's going back. It's really just a second hand watch, grade b suggests it's a new but opened watch and from the retailer or manufacturer whereas this was a well used item. Also stated as refurbished and the thing was fairly dirty, nothing like someone else's skin and grime to put you off a new purchase.
I also picked up a forerunner 735XT from that seller with the 15% off, hadn't seen the link above just pure coincidence, its second hand although condition is pretty good but it won't turn on (been charging for maybe 30 mins) but doesn't look good 🙁
There are factory renewed Garmin devices on Amazon. I bought a Venu for £109 and it is literally as new, came with all the docs and cable and a proper Garmin box, albeit with renewed printed on it. Amazon also over 12 months satisfaction guarantee. The prices and option are in a constant state of flux so you have to check back frequently and not dither! 😉
I ended up going for a Forerunner 55 through my works rewards scheme, about £40 off and from Garmin. I'd had hoped that the eBay one would have been like a proper refurbished item, I've had an edge 520 refurbished and it was as new.
There are factory renewed Garmin devices on Amazon
I picked up a “renewed” Instinct Solar for £100 from Amazon. Been using it for 2 months, with no issues and no problem with battery life. Very happy with it.
ebay seller above is sending out a replacement for my DOA 735XT and said I can keep the original one she sent me for spares....
I picked up a “renewed” Instinct Solar for £100 from Amazon. Been using it for 2 months, with no real clue how it works and how to navigate the various screens. Also a bit peeved that when used biking the buttons frequently get pressed by my wrist/ hand holding the handlebars, and this pauses the Strava recording.
Regarding battery life, was amazed how much power it needs to GPS. Took it off my wrist on one ride, to avoid abovementioned button problem, and stuck it in the rucksack with 27 days battery life showing.
Discovered that it used those 27 days battery in about 3 hours and then shut down mid route.
Have you perhaps googled for the manual? Fenix 3 here, did same when riding when got it - looked at manual and set keylock to 3 seconds, issue resolved. .
So I know of two ways to lock the buttons:
1. Under system settings->Auto-lock (during activity, etc) I have it still set to Off.
2. CTRL->Lock Keys.
Regarding battery life, was amazed how much power it needs to GPS. Took it off my wrist on one ride, to avoid abovementioned button problem, and stuck it in the rucksack with 27 days battery life showing.
Discovered that it used those 27 days battery in about 3 hours and then shut down mid route.
sounds like its a bit knackered. my instinct solar has done a 22 hour ride (fully "on" - no power saving mode) with 3% life left at the end. Granted there was some sun on it in that time, but that won't make the kind of difference you're talking about
Maybe it had to flash harder looking for a heart rate?
I'd expect it to track for way longer than 3 hours.
My experience with the instinct solar so far is that battery life after charging shows 26/27 days. Whatever it shows as days more or less becomes hours if it's using GPS tracking. And if it's had some solar during the previous discharge cycle the battery life shows more than 26 days. I've seen it as high as 32.
Discovered that it used those 27 days battery in about 3 hours and then shut down mid route.
just come back from a three hour ride with 20 days battery left, sounds like you have a dodgy one
Also a bit peeved that when used biking the buttons frequently get pressed by my wrist/ hand holding the handlebars, and this pauses the Strava recording.
On my Fenix I've set a key press shortcut ("hotkeys") to lock & unlock the buttons to avoid this. Have also set some other shortcuts for things I use regularly (e.g. to get to the stopwatch/timer page with one long press of a button). It looks like the same can be done for the instinct.
Garmin Instinct Owners Manual Page