Garmin - Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 30, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
184
24
"I am a power lineman, so I needed a rugged watch that could get banged around, be exposed to energized high voltage, and very harsh conditions. The TREX has worked flawlessly through all that."
"it’s super durable. ... The watch clasp has gotten scratched up but the face is still fine after nearly a year of climbing inside with it. ... instinct is very durable"
"tanky ... Only thing you really lose is a touch screen but that's better for it's ruggedness and water resistance."
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"the battery lasts 2 weeks, that's with 5 days worth of tracking runs and day to day use. Incredible."
"16 days battery life on my fenix. ... The other aspect I really appreciate about my fenix is the battery life. 16 days or so. With everything I have to change these days (laptops, mice, keyboards, headphones, watches, phones), I appreciate not having to worry about it too often."
"Oh, and the battery lasts days even when exercising a lot (weeks without excercise)."
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"it has the flashlight, probably the most useful tool I’ve ever had in my life. You’ll use it daily and it’s so helpful in the most random times."
"Flashlight on my Fenix is worth A LOT of money to me. ... Having had it, I could not go back. ... I would happily pay 200 extra for it I use it so much. ... Having a flashlight on your wrist is incredibly handy."
"On my fenix 7, I love the flash light...totally unexpected top 3 feature. :)"
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"People who buy garmins, specifically fenix, forerunners ... are buying them because they want accurate data about their health metrics. ... And in that field, you have no idea what you're talking about if you think any brand comes close to producing accurate data about your health."
"with all the GPS accuracy you can get"
"The forerunner will meet and exceed all your needs except one."
Disliked most:
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47
"I used to find that wrist HR sucked for rowing"
"the hr reading is incorrect. ... 20 dollars band from Samsung does a better job"
"The discrepancy is much higher for HR than running dynamics. ... I think it is straight up irresponsible to rely on wrist-based HR is you’re using HR as a part of training"
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"it's very tedious ... I simply use a notebook for weightlifting."
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"The UI is so bad - I can't believe a massive company such as Garmin has mid-2010's UI on both the watch and Garmin app. The graphs, data presentation and navigation is about 1000 points lower than Apple Health. It is so unappealing it looks like it was created by an accountant. ... I should have focussed more on the UI on the Garmin app - that is mostly my issue. I dont find the Watch UI too clunky but the Garmen App UI seems pretty behind the times."
"But then you don't get the most out of it until you export the data to Strava or similar as the Garmin app is not great."
Had AW 6, 7, 10... Had Garmin Fenix 7 somewhere between AW... Now with Garmin instinct 3. ALl has pros and cons. none is perfect. For me it's great to switch from time to time... I would happily do the same between iphone and android, but the cost of switch in terms of software is crazy...
r/GarminWatches • AW to Garmin - and maybe back?? - be honest ->Instinct 3 amo Getting 10 days with always on display, always connected to phone for weather.
r/Garmin • What’s everyone’s real world battery life looking like? ->What Garmin claims and real world texts are not the same. Real world texts are showing the 3 to have worse battery than the 2x
r/GarminWatches • Best Garmin for Military Purpose ->https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/instinct-3/404601/instinct-2-45mm-solar-vs-instinct-3-45mm-battery-life It is not the only place that has done tests, and found it worse or just the same. The YouTube "reviewers" only state the Garmin spec and don't actually test it. Probably because they want to keep getting watches to review. Perhaps it has been fixed with firmware, but I find it interesting that you can't find anyone showing how much it has improved the battery life. If it really was that much more people would be talking about how it is improved. That has not happened.
r/GarminWatches • Best Garmin for Military Purpose ->Are you active duty? Check with management first if you will be allowed to wear a smartwatch. Pricey but the Tactix 8 Solar/MIPS version has everything that you need in your list. Personally, I would lose the smart notifications and music requirement, and get the Instinct 3 tactical version. While it doesn't have topo maps, it does have a style of navigation similar to what you see in the Foretrex series where you can see waypoints and have a breadcrumb style line showing where you went.
r/GarminWatches • Best Garmin for Military Purpose ->The display aside, both watches are practically the same for me. Same HR sensor, same GPS capability. Both have a flashlight. Both have a killswitch. Both nightvision mode. If you want the best of the best, Tactix 8 has the advantage of: Scuba Diving capabilities (it has a dive computer), a colored screen that you can view Topo maps on and it has Sapphire glass. Personally, I would go Instinct 3 tactical since its way cheaper and I can easily buy another if I break it doing cool guy shit. If battery life is important to you, make sure you get the MIP version instead of OLED. [https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1705221/pn/010-02934-50/#specs](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1705221/pn/010-02934-50/#specs)
r/GarminWatches • Best Garmin for Military Purpose ->Instinct tactical. Got it while in the military in ~2019 and it’s still kicking
r/trailrunning • what fitness watch you all using? ->I3 tactical for field work/deployment, Tactix for leave.
r/Garmin • Which watch is best for military? ->Given that sleep is super important + you hike/backpack often, I’d go with the Garmin Instinct 3 (or equivalent) if your budget allows. It gives you the features you’d use, will hold up on trails and give better data than basic trackers. If you find a deal on the Coros APEX 2 Pro and you’re willing to stretch, it’s a premium move. More watch recommendations - https://alaskanarrows.com/best-smartwatches-in-2025-for-hiking-and-running/ For me personally is battery being a big pain point. The more features they cram in, the more I’m stuck charging every day like it’s a second phone which is one reason I always drift back toward Garmin for hiking and outdoor stuff because at least they last longer and actually track elevation and terrain in a way that makes sense. But even then, the UI can be clunky and the “insights” still feel vague unless you’re already someone who knows what HRV actually means.
r/hikinggear • Recommendations for smart watches??? ->My almost 10 year old Forerunner 735XT lasts longer than that, even if I keep it on during showers and record my commute to work and back every day. Newer, more powerful Garmin watches, like the Enduro 3 or Instinct 3, are even more impressive.
r/Garmin • Apple Watch Ultra 3 after 8 years of Garmin, 24 hours review. ->I looked into this myself the last few weeks. Samsung galaxy eatch(ultra) is allright but not as good as Garmin. At least that's what revieuws of the watches told me. Samsung is more good in the smart part. Not necessary the fitness/sport industry. I've chosen the Garmin instinct 3. Not only for fitness purposes but also for hiking.
r/smartwatch • Good fitness trackers? ->The fenix can do everything you’ve listed and of course more. Mid-range alternatives like instinct would cover everything as well except for the diving part. If you have the budget go for the Fenix. I settled for Instinct 3 myself because of budget. It’s not my first smartwatch but it’s my first Garmin and it’s the best I’ve ever had especially for fitness/outdoor. Yes, it has the fishing app 😀 I would say Garmin is a great choice for a first smartwatch for active people like yourself. However, if budget would have allowed (ie If I didn’t mind a divorce) I would have gone for the Fenix 8.
r/Garmin • Is the Garmin Fenix 8 a Good First Smartwatch? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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