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Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch

Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch

by Garmin
$349.99 - $399.99
$349.99
$349.99 - $399.99
$349.99

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Instinct 3 Solar

Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch

The Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch is a rugged GPS smartwatch with a Power Glass solar charging lens over a two-window monochrome display. On the 50 mm case, GPS-only tracking runs up to 60 hours, or 260 hours with solar charging in 50,000 lux conditions. Sixty hours without sun is enough to record a long weekend of hiking from trailhead to trailhead. The 45 mm version weighs 52 g and the 50 mm version 58 g. Black covers 45 and 50 mm, and limited-edition Twilight versions come in both of those sizes.

The Garmin Instinct 3 Solar is a rugged GPS smartwatch designed for outdoor enthusiasts. Its solar charging provides unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode under sufficient sunlight, assuming all-day wear with 3 hours a day outside in 50,000 lux conditions. Constructed with a metal-reinforced bezel and fiber-reinforced polymer case, it meets military standards for thermal and shock resistance. It is water-rated to 100 meters, built for durability in extreme environments.

The watch includes a built-in LED flashlight with variable intensities, a red light, and strobe mode, for better visibility in low-light conditions. Health and wellness features include heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and Pulse Ox measurements, providing insights into your well-being. With multi-GNSS support, the Instinct 3 Solar offers accurate navigation across various terrains, making it a reliable companion for adventurers.

Smart notifications keep you connected by displaying alerts for calls, texts, and app notifications directly on your wrist, when paired with your compatible smartphone. The watch is available in two sizes, 45mm and 50mm, and comes in various color options, including limited-edition designs. You can choose a style that fits your personal preferences. The Instinct 3 Solar is also equipped with built-in sports apps and training features, supporting a wide range of activities to help you achieve your fitness goals.

DISPLAY
176 x 176
monochrome MIP pixels
WATER RATING
10 ATM
rated to 100 meters
CASE DEPTH
14.9 mm
14.4 mm at the larger size
MEMORY
128 MB
activity storage
Built-in LED flashlight Garmin Pay Garmin Messenger Daily suggested workouts
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar 45 mm, the two-window watch face

Charged by daylight

How it works

Solar charging
Solar charging tops up the battery whenever the watch is out in daylight, in smartwatch mode and in the GPS modes alike.
Multi-band GPS
Multi-band GPS, which receives more than one frequency from each satellite, is backed by SatIQ technology for superior positioning while optimizing battery life.

Day to day

Key features

Daily suggested workouts
A full week ahead that adapts after every run or ride
Recovery time
How long to rest before the next hard effort
VO2 max
Your fitness level, tracked over time
Mindful breathing
A breathwork activity tracking stress and respiration

Wearing the Solar

How to use it

Garmin Instinct 3 Solar 45 mm, the aluminum and polymer bezel
Case

Aluminum and polymer bezel

The bezel combines fiber-reinforced polymer with aluminum, over a fiber-reinforced polymer case. The silicone band runs 224.5 mm long on the 45 mm and 227.2 mm on the 50 mm.

  • 45 mm fits wrists from 137 to 204 mm
  • 50 mm fits wrists from 141 to 213 mm
  • QuickFit 22 mm bands on the 45 mm
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar 45 mm, the sensor that tracks heart rate
Recovery

Sleep and recovery data each morning

Sleep tracking and HRV status, which tracks the variation in time between heartbeats while you sleep, record every night you wear the watch.

Through the day, stress tracking tells you whether it has been calm, balanced or stressful.

  • Nap detection
  • Respiration through the day and night
  • Health snapshot, a 2-minute report

Instinct 3 Solar on the move

Videos

Instinct models side by side

How it compares

Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED, rugged watch in black
Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED GPS Smartwatch
Rugged AMOLED watch with a metal-reinforced bezel, 45 or 50 mm.
Up to 24 days smartwatch (50 mm) LED flashlight 10 ATM
Shop the Instinct 3 AMOLED
You're Here
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar, rugged watch with a solar lens
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar GPS Smartwatch
Rugged watch with a solar charging lens, 45 or 50 mm.
Power Glass solar lens LED flashlight 10 ATM
Currently viewing
Garmin Instinct Crossover AMOLED, analog hands over AMOLED
Garmin Instinct Crossover AMOLED GPS Smartwatch
Analog hands over a 1.2 in. AMOLED display, under a sapphire lens.
Analog hands and AMOLED Up to 14 days smartwatch Sapphire lens
Shop the Instinct Crossover

Instinct 3 Solar

Frequently asked questions

The watch in your chosen size with its silicone band, a charging and data cable, and documentation.
In smartwatch mode the 45 mm runs up to 28 days and the 50 mm up to 40 days without sun, and both become unlimited with solar charging, assuming all-day wear with 3 hours a day outside in 50,000 lux conditions.
Yes. It is a memory-in-pixel (MIP) display, which stays readable in direct sunlight. It shows two windows, 0.9 x 0.9 in. on the 45 mm and 1.1 x 1.1 in. on the 50 mm.
Yes. Strength training is one of its built-in sports apps, and step-by-step workouts built from more than 1,600 exercises in the Garmin Connect app send straight to the watch.
An altimeter, a barometer and a 3-axis electronic compass, working with point-to-point navigation, TracBack and back to start.
Yes. The built-in LED flashlight has variable intensities, a red light and a strobe mode.
Yes. Open-water swimming is one of its built-in sports apps, and the watch carries a 10 ATM water rating.
Garmin backs it with a one-year limited warranty from the date of purchase against defects in materials or workmanship, and Garmin repairs or replaces defective components.
  • Unit dimensions (W x H x D): 45 mm: 45 x 45 x 14.9 mm; 50 mm: 50 x 50 x 14.4 mm
  • Lens material: Power Glass
  • Bezel material: Fiber-reinforced polymer/aluminum
  • Case material: Fiber-reinforced polymer
  • Solar charging: Yes
  • Display: 45 mm: 0.9 x 0.9 in. (23 x 23 mm), 176 x 176 pixels, monochrome sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP), custom two-window; 50 mm: 1.1 x 1.1 in. (27 x 27 mm), 176 x 176 pixels, same display type
  • Watch band: Silicone; total length 224.5 mm (45 mm) or 227.2 mm (50 mm)
  • QuickFit watch band compatible: 45 mm: yes (22 mm)
  • Wrist circumference: 45 mm: 137-204 mm; 50 mm: 141-213 mm
  • Weight: 45 mm: 52 g; 50 mm: 58 g
  • Battery life, 45 mm: Smartwatch: up to 28 days / unlimited with solar; battery saver mode: up to 65 days / unlimited with solar; GPS only: up to 40 hours / 130 hours with solar; all satellite systems: up to 28 hours / 50 hours with solar; multi-band GPS: up to 24 hours / 40 hours with solar; max battery GPS: up to 100 hours / unlimited with solar; expedition GPS: up to 36 days / unlimited with solar
  • Battery life, 50 mm: Smartwatch: up to 40 days / unlimited with solar; battery saver mode: up to 100 days / unlimited with solar; GPS only: up to 60 hours / 260 hours with solar; all satellite systems: up to 40 hours / 80 hours with solar; multi-band GPS: up to 34 hours / 60 hours with solar; max battery GPS: up to 150 hours / unlimited with solar; expedition GPS: up to 60 days / unlimited with solar
  • Solar conditions: Day figures assume all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions; hour figures assume use in 50,000 lux conditions; multi-band figures also assume typical use with SatIQ technology
  • Battery type: Rechargeable internal lithium-ion
  • Water rating: 10 ATM (100 meters)
  • Memory: 128 MB
  • Wireless technologies: Bluetooth and ANT+
  • Sensors: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, SatIQ technology, Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate monitor, Pulse Ox, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, thermometer
  • Navigation: Point-to-point navigation, breadcrumb trail, back to start, TracBack, reference point
  • LED flashlight: Yes
  • Garmin Pay: Yes
  • Training readiness: Yes
  • Training status: Yes
  • Tactical: Dual grid coordinates, XERO locations
  • Solar Charging: Get unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode with solar charging (assuming all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions).
  • Rugged Design: Explore confidently with a rugged design, including a metal-reinforced bezel and a Power Glass lens.
  • Built-In Flashlight: See and be seen with a built-in flashlight, featuring variable intensities and an alternate red light.
  • 24/7 Health and Wellness Monitoring: Make bold moves with health monitoring features, including heart rate, sleep monitoring, Pulse Ox and more.
  • Smart Notifications: Receive emails, texts and alerts on your watch when paired with your compatible Apple or Android smartphone.
  • Multi-Band GPS with SatIQ: Navigate confidently with multi-band GPS, featuring SatIQ technology, which delivers superior positioning while optimizing battery life.
  • Daily Movements: Keep tabs on your daily steps, calories burned, floors climbed and more from your wrist.
  • HRV Status: Gain a deeper understanding of your overall health through heart rate variability while you sleep.
  • Wrist-Based Heart Rate: Instinct 3 tracks your heart rate, so you can stay in the know all day and night.
  • Stress Tracking: Find out if you're having a calm, balanced or stressful day.
  • Morning Report: Receive an overview of your sleep recovery, daily calendar, HRV status and more as soon as you wake up. You can even customize your report to show what you want to see.
  • Health Snapshot: Log a 2-minute session to record key health stats, then generate a report to share with your health care provider.
  • Pulse Ox Sensor: Track your blood oxygen saturation while you're awake or asleep. This is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition.
  • Mindful Breathing: Start a breathwork activity to track your stress and respiration.
  • Respiration: See how you're breathing throughout the day and night.
  • Hydration: Log your daily fluid intake as a reminder to stay hydrated.
  • Fitness Age: Estimate how fit you are compared to your actual age.
  • Nap Detection: Automatically track or log your naps to see how they benefit your body and the ideal time and duration they should be.
  • Women's Health Tracking: Track your menstrual cycle or pregnancy to get exercise and nutrition education. The menstrual cycle tracking feature should not be used in support of conception, contraception or birth control.
  • Built-In Sports Apps: Track activities, including cycling, open-water swimming, strength training and more.
  • Garmin Coach: Train for an event, achieve a milestone, or improve your fitness with Garmin Coach training plans for runners and cyclists.
  • Workout Creation: Create step-by-step workouts from more than 1,600 exercises in the Garmin Connect app, and send them directly to your watch.
  • Intensity Minutes: Track your moderate and vigorous activity minutes.
  • VO2 Max: See your current fitness level, and track changes over time to set goals, evaluate progress and more.
  • Altitude and Heat Acclimation: See how you're holding up to the current elevation or heat based on your health metrics.
  • HIIT Workouts: Track your HIIT workouts, including AMRAP, EMOM, Tabata or custom workouts.
  • Daily Suggested Workouts: View your entire week of daily suggested workouts, which adapt after every run or ride.
  • Recovery Time: Know how long you should recover before your next high-effort workout based on your latest training.
  • Garmin Connect: See your health and fitness information, connect with friends and more, in this free, zero-subscription app.
  • Garmin Messenger App: Communicate via two-way text messaging on your wrist (requires both the sender and receiver of messages to have the Garmin Messenger app installed on their paired smartphones).
  • Garmin Pay Contactless Payments: Breeze through store lines or transit systems with participating providers.
  • Safety and Tracking Features: If you feel unsafe or if your watch senses that an incident occurred, your watch will send a message with your live location (when paired with your compatible smartphone).
  • Connect IQ Store: Add watch faces, data fields and apps to your paired watch.
  • LiveTrack Feature: Friends and family can follow your real-time location and view preplanned courses (when paired with your compatible smartphone).
  • ABC Sensors: Navigate your next trail with an altimeter, barometer and 3-axis electronic compass.
  • Garmin Share: Use this feature to easily share saved locations, courses and workouts with friends' compatible Garmin devices.
  • Instinct 3 (45 mm or 50 mm, Solar) smartwatch with silicone band
  • Charging/data cable
  • Documentation



Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 5 reviews.

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Review highlights

Reviews

Great watch, great buying experience.

"Great watch, great buying experience."

— Isaac B. (5/5)

Great watch. Prompt and courteous

"Great watch. Prompt and courteous service"

— James G. (5/5)

Good watch

"Good watch"

— Maxim S. (5/5)

We loved it. But my

"We loved it. But my husband wants the Apple Watch. My son has one of these and loves it."

— Madilyn S. (5/5)

Instinct 3 solar, 45mm

"I wear mine everyday! I love the flashlight option and comes in very handy when I least expect it. I"

— Ryan D. (5/5)

Q&A