Garmin - Instinct 2S

I've never tried an apple watch, because I steer clear of apple products when I can. My parents bought me a Garmin Instinct 2s for Christmas last year (because I have little wrists, and didn't want anything that would look enormous on lol). They knew I wanted it for swimming, and so they got me a watch that's rated to deeper than I am (for scuba diving). I use it for tracking laps and I've never had an issue. For a while it seemed really off when it was set to pool swimming - then my brother pointed out I needed to set it to the length of the lap pool, which I had not done. Since then it's been perfect. I think I generally get 10-14 days out of the battery. Long enough that I'm never stressed about charging it, anyway.

That’s fair. For me, it was all about battery life when I got the 2X and the upgraded solar. I thought about upgrading to the 3 but there isn’t a white color scheme yet and the upgrade aren’t big enough between the 2X and the 3 to be worth it. Either way, the instinct is a great line and a great choice! I would just avoid the 2S as it is small and light weight, but the battery is smaller.

I love my Instinct 2S. Use it hiking, biking, swimming etc. Picked it because it has a long battery life and a separate option for outdoor swimming as opposed to indoor (pool) swimming.

Non-solar should also make it 24 hours plus on a full charge, especially if you play with some settings on heart rate monitoring. As of December, they were on sale for $200

I would recommend a Garmin Instinct 2 or 2S (the S is just the smaller version but it's the one I prefer). It's simple but powerful. It doesn't have all the high-end features, but it has more than I ever use. But the reason I got it is because it's *not* touch-screen. I had a FitBit Charge 5 before switching to Garmin, and that watch went nuts if any water touched the screen. Whether it was run or sweat, it became almost unusable. Also, I run in sub-freezing temps in the winter, and the last thing I want to do is take my glove off so I can interact with my watch. But since I brought up the Fitbit...my first fitness tracker was a FitBit Charge 4, and that thing was pretty awesome as a beginner piece. I gave it to a trailrunner friend and she still uses it years later. I'd recommend the Charge 4 over the Charge 5 because the Charge 5 lost the altimeter in favor of being super waterproof, and I never really forgave FitBit for that, as a trail runner.

If you're already in the Apple ecosystem then an Apple Watch will be good choice that's pretty straightforward to use. A Garmin Instinct2 is also a good, relatively low cost option, but you'll need to use the free Garmin Connect app on your iPhone to view your exercise data. The Garmin is more complicated to set up.

PS, battery life is 1-2 days on the Apple Watch and up to 28 days on the Garmin

You can’t go wrong with a Garmin. The Instinct series is very rugged and reasonably priced. The fenix series is also super rugged but is at a premium cost

If you don't want to charge your watch everyday, check out the Garmin Instinct series. Amazing battery life, even with activity tracking. It'll track your laps, distance, drill logging, the works.

The instinct series is, in my opinion, by far the best. I believe this mainly due to the screen, which is not the awful LCD/LED stuff that most watches have. It's clear in all conditions, and extremely durable. I think the UI is also quite well done. Any of the instincts will fit the bill, but probably instinct 2 is the best balance of features.

My garmin instinct does a good job. Garmin also makes chest straps that sync with your phone just like their watches do

Garmin ecosystem is chocked full of goodness. Since I run and cycle, it’s great for multi sport. A lot of folks who only run seem to love Coros watches and their environment. I think either of those (with Strava integration) would be an improvement over your Apple Watch.

People have to stop comparing these. These are for two different people. I would never wear an Apple Watch based on battery life alone. I specifically got the Garmin for a wrist based gps and mapping tool to track and orient myself. You buy an Apple Watch to use smart features and be connected to your phone. Garmin has never been in that market. It’s a whole company based on gps systems for outdoor activities . You buy an Apple Watch to have Apple ecosystem. you can’t use half the feature of the fenix on an iPhone bc they only want you to use their watch… Garmin are all specifically made for their audience even down the the model . Apple watches are just to keep you plugged into your phone and have no bearing on actual outdoor activities despite calling it ultra. The Millitary has been orienteering with Garmin wrist based gps systems forever. You’d never catch an Apple Watch on patrol in Afghanistan. 😂