Garmin

Instinct 2X Solar

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Overall

#11 in

Fitness Trackers

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score86% positive
43
3
4

Top Pros

Top Cons

Last updated: Oct 15, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit IconEgleNet
7 months ago

For some reason, the torch only seems to come in the 45-50. I literally have anxiety now when I don’t have my I2X on my wrist, especially at night. The torch may be my most used feature now. 40 isn’t an option for me.

Reddit Icon8lbs6ozBebeJesus
9 months ago

Instinct 2X solar. Picked it for the battery life, solar charging, and flashlight. Don’t love the size but it was the best option with those features that fit the budget.

Reddit IconAdept-Pangolin1302
7 months ago

Instinct 2x solar ticks all these boxes for me except for size. It's a big watch but that suits me fine.

8 months ago

Hiker here. Instinct 2x solar does everything I need and is extremely durable. Price point is great.

Reddit Iconalwaystired_96
8 months ago

Yeah, I wouldn’t consider it an advantage either but it was a selling point so I included it. I had it on my Apple Watch and hated it, never used it, and don’t even like phone call notifications buzzing my wrist. I don’t dive either so there’s no reason for me to buy the 8 for $500+ more than the 7.

8 months ago

I love the flashlight haha. I had an instinct 2X as my last watch and used it all the time. But yeah, I’m super happy with the Fenix 7 pro.

8 months ago

This comment being downvoted is insane lmao. The instinct is literally “a solid daily driver that doesn’t skip on the essential performance metrics.” I recommended the Fenix 7X pro in another comment just because it can be had for a pretty good deal right now but the Instinct 2X or 3 would easily be my next recommendation.

Reddit Iconamitg24
10 months ago

Instinct 2x solar or 3 solar would be the best choice, ruggedness & functionality all in one

Reddit IconAriaGingko
10 months ago

I use a garmin instinct 2x solar. Slightly older model but it does literally everything I want it to. I bought it because I wanted to maximize battery life due to the fact I live kind of out of the way in New Mexico. I think the one negative thing is that you don't really have good topo maps on it. But in exchange for that I have a nice contrast screen, all the usual goodies, and a long battery life (36 days on a full charge, 56 hours if I'm using gps) longer if I get enough sunlight on it to recharge the battery. I don't like the rubber bands they use so I ditched that in favor of a cloth band that's been... cromulent.

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Rankings by Use Case

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