I love my Instinct 2 Solar (non-tactical). More durable than an Apple Watch + the fitness tracker is great. I wish I had had it in college for tracking runs.
When it comes to your budget, Garmin's premier value offering is the [Forerunner® 165](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1055469/pn/010-02863-20/#specs). It's sleek, well-made, has an AMOLED display, and has solid gym profiles: Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing.
A step up from the FR165 is the [Forerunner® 265. ](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/886785/pn/010-02810-00/)It's right there at the top of your budget, has a more premium construction, but offers minimal additions to gym profiles compared to the FR165.
For a more rugged offering, the [Instinct® 2 Solar ](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/775697/pn/010-02627-10/)is a great choice, and has the same gym profiles as the FR165/FR265. As a step up from the Instinct 2, The [Instinct® 3 ](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1315317/pn/010-02934-00/)does everything the Instinct 2 does, but has a flashlight. And the flashlight is AMAZING. I use mine daily.
For a sleek, lifestyle watch that also provides the same gym capabilities as every other watch, the [Garmin vívoactive® 6 ](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1555457/pn/010-02985-02/)is a great choice.
If the Vivoactive 6 doesn't quite scratch your itch, then the next step up from there at the top of your budget is the [Garmin Venu® 3](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/873008/pn/010-02784-01/#specs). It has a more premium construction than the Vivoactive 6, and it has the same gym/strength profiles as every other watch listed here.
All these watches are under $450. Your considerations would be:
1. Do you want a middle-of-the-road watch with respectable gym capabilities? The Forerunners meet that criteria.
2. Do you want rugged, solar-charging capabilities and a design that looks good on a thick wrist? Check out the Instincts.
3. Do you prefer a premium build that looks great in the gym, at the opera, or on the beach? Go for the Vivoactive 6 or the Venu 3.
Just in case you wanted ALL the data, here's a side-by-side comparison of these watches. You can toggle the "Show only differences" option for a more summarized view: [Garmin | Product Compare](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/compare/?compareProduct=1055469&compareProduct=886785&compareProduct=775697&compareProduct=1555457&compareProduct=873008)
Have fun checking out your options--and early welcome to Garmin!
I have had the Instinct 1 and 2 solar because of the bezel which protects the screen better in crashes. I haven't looked at the Instinct 3.
Just a warning, I had gotten a new Instinct 1 when the 2s came out. There was a software upgrade that seemed to basically kill my newish Instinct 1. I'm going to tinfoil hat based on this experience and suggest Garmin did this intentionally to drive sales to the new model. My point is that if you see a new Instinct 2 for a good price, be wary. Yes, I know this sounds paranoid. It's just based on my experience.
Just buy last gen's Fenix. I bought an Epix Pro earlier this month for $549, same price as the Venu 4. There have been sales for the Fenix 7X/Pro as low as $450 this year.
The Instinct 2 Solar is my daily, I forget that I'm even wearing it with the light weight and not needing to charge. It feels like a normal watch and I always know the time because of the always-on MIP screen which is more readable than a G Shock and doesn't require a gesture to wake. The Epix is for hikes due to the maps.
I think the cheapest Casio with MIP is the GBD200 at around $165. I bought my Instinct 2 Solar around $190 during Black Friday sales and it adds solar on top of the GDB200.
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Garmin
Forerunner 255 Series
86% positive of 466 users
Long battery; but wrist HR tracking is inconsistent.
JustNadine1986
