Garmin Instinct 2 vs 3 Solar: What’s the Difference?

Garmin recently released the new Instinct 3. If you’re in the market for a new watch, you’re probably wondering what the difference is when you compare the Garmin Instinct 2 vs Instinct 3 Solar.

At their core, the watches are very similar. The Instinct 2 Solar still gets the job done for most runners. But the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar does offer a few significant hardware upgrades over its predecessors.

I’m focusing here on the Instinct 3 Solar, which is most similar to the previous Instinct watches. The Instinct 3 AMOLED goes in a different direction with its AMOLED screen and reduced battery life.

Note that I’m also not looking at the Instinct 2X Solar in this post. I’ll tackle that separately, because there are fewer differences between the 2X Solar and the 50mm version of the 3 Solar.

Ultimately, you’ll have to decide for yourself whether you want to save some money by sticking with the older watch or splurging on the new one. But here are the key differences to help you make that decision.

Instinct 2S Solar
Instinct 2 Solar
Instinct 3 Solar (45mm)
Garmin Instinct 2S Solar, Smaller-Sized GPS Outdoor Watch, Solar Charging Capabilities, Multi-GNSS Support, Tracback Routing, Graphite, 40 MM
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar, GPS Outdoor Watch, Solar Charging Capabilities, Multi-GNSS Support, Tracbak Routing, Graphite
Garmin Instinct® 3 45mm, Solar Charged Display, Rugged Outdoor GPS Smartwatch, Metal-Reinforced Bezel, Built-in Flashlight, Black
$237.95
$248.95
$399.99
Multi-band GPS
LED Flashlight
GPS Only Battery
22 hours
30 hours
40 hours
GPS Only Battery – Solar
28 hours
48 hours
130 hours
Wrist Based Running Dynamics
Instinct 2S Solar
Garmin Instinct 2S Solar, Smaller-Sized GPS Outdoor Watch, Solar Charging Capabilities, Multi-GNSS Support, Tracback Routing, Graphite, 40 MM
$237.95
Multi-band GPS
LED Flashlight
GPS Only Battery
22 hours
GPS Only Battery – Solar
28 hours
Wrist Based Running Dynamics
Instinct 2 Solar
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar, GPS Outdoor Watch, Solar Charging Capabilities, Multi-GNSS Support, Tracbak Routing, Graphite
$248.95
Multi-band GPS
LED Flashlight
GPS Only Battery
30 hours
GPS Only Battery – Solar
48 hours
Wrist Based Running Dynamics
Instinct 3 Solar (45mm)
Garmin Instinct® 3 45mm, Solar Charged Display, Rugged Outdoor GPS Smartwatch, Metal-Reinforced Bezel, Built-in Flashlight, Black
$399.99
Multi-band GPS
LED Flashlight
GPS Only Battery
40 hours
GPS Only Battery – Solar
130 hours
Wrist Based Running Dynamics

What Are the Price Differences Between the Watches?

Ultimately, this will heavily influence your decision.

On paper, all three watches go for the same MSRP – $399.99. If they were truly the same price, then it would be a no brainer. Buy the newer watch.

But now that the Instinct 3 is for sale, the price on the older versions is dropping.

Currently, you can get an Instinct 2S Solar or an Instinct 2 Solar for less than $300. The actually prices may vary day to day, but I’ve seem them as low as $250-275.

Meanwhile, the Instinct 3 Solar is brand new. You’re probably not going to find that discounted anywhere for some time.

So the difference in price is about $100 to $150. While the older Instinct isn’t cheap, it’s more accessible for someone with an entry level budget. The question is – what’s the difference between the watches, and is it worth the extra money?

Garmin Instinct 2 vs 3 Solar: Hardware Differences

The biggest differences between the two watches is in the hardware.

The Instinct 3 introduces three main hardware improvements: a) multi-band GPS, b) the LED flashlight, and c) improved solar charging.

The newer watch also has more onboard memory – 128mb vs 32mb. Since the Instinct doesn’t store maps or music, this isn’t that big of a deal. But it’s worth noting as an improvement.

Improved GPS

A couple of years ago, Garmin began to introduce multi-band GPS on most of its new watches. The Instinct 2 was one of the last lines released before that switch.

In some cases, this doesn’t matter. The previous generation of GPS on Garmin watches was pretty good. But you will tend to have issues in dense environments, like cities full of tall buildings or densely wooded trails.

Multi-band GPS helps improve accuracy in these environments. According to Garmin, multi-band is accurate to within +/- 2 meters, while the older GPS was accurate to within +/- 3 meters. This creates a tighter GPS track and less error throughout your run.

Some users also report that multi-band GPS locks faster when you start an activity.

So if you often run in a location that causes GPS issues, you’ll want the upgraded hardware.

The LED Flashlight

This seems like a silly addition, but it is actually an invaluable little hardware feature. When I upgraded to a Fenix 7S Pro, I got the LED flashlight, and I love it.

If you tap the backlight button twice, it activates an LED flashlight that shoots out the front of the watch bezel. You can adjust the brightness of the flashlight, and you can also switch it to red light mode.

This can be useful for running, if you’re out in the dark. But more importantly, I’ve found that I use it at least a half dozen times throughout the day in my daily life. Looking through my dresser drawer in the morning, walking the dog, looking in dark areas behind or under furniture.

Think about how often you might pull out your phone and activate the backlight or the flashlight. This is so much more convenient, because it’s on your wrist 24/7 and you don’t need to hold it.

Personally, I would not switch to another watch that did not have a similar flashlight.

Improved Solar Capabilities

The third hardware improvement in the Instinct 3 Solar is the improved solar capabilities.

The Instinct already has great battery life, and the core battery specs in smartwatch mode are unchanged – 28 days and “unlimited” with solar.

But when you’re actively using the GPS, you drain the battery much faster. The old Instinct 2 Solar was rated for 30 hours of use in GPS mode, compared to 40 hours for the Instinct 3 Solar.

The big difference is when you account for the potential of solar charging. The Instinct 2 was rated at 48 hours in solar – an improvement of a little over 50%. The Instinct 3 is rated for 130 hours – and increase of over 200%.

Now I tend to be skeptical of solar charging on these watches. You’ll rarely get the full benefit described in the specs, because most people don’t have enough solar exposure. But the difference here is so large – as with the Enduro 3 – that you’re likely going to reap some real benefits.

If you’re happy with the battery life on your Instinct 2, then this isn’t really an issue. But this could be really useful for people that track a lot of activities – especially if you’re running multi-day races.

Feature Differences Between the Instinct 3 and 2 Solar

Although those hardware differences are the primary changes that come with the Instinct 3, there are also some feature differences.

Notably, it has wrist based running dynamics, improved intervals and training features, and advanced sleep tracking.

What Are Wrist Based Running Dynamics?

Running dynamics are a group of stats that describe your running form – things like vertical oscillation and ground contact time. You can read more about running dynamics here.

With the Instinct 2, you can see your cadence and stride length. But you can’t track other running dynamics without a foot pod.

The latest generation of Instinct watches can track these things based on the sensors within the watch – without the use of a foot pod. If you’re particularly worried about your form, this can be useful to diagnose issues and address them.

Personally, I don’t find this data all that useful and I wouldn’t miss it if I didn’t have access to it. But you might feel differently.

Notably, the Instinct 2 can already estimate your running power – another thing that used to require a foot pod. So there’s no difference here between the 2 and the 3.

What’s New With the Training Features?

With the Instinct 3, you’ll get access to some improved features when you track an interval workout from your watch. This doesn’t matter if you’re building the workout on Garmin Connect and porting it over, but you may find that you have a better experience if you’re just doing an unstructured interval workout.

There are also a couple new training metrics. This includes load ratio and training load focus, to help you understand whether your training is well balanced. It also includes workout benefit, which is a more nuanced version of the training effect summary after a workout.

These are all kind of minor things, and I have access to them now that I’ve upgraded my Forerunner 245 to a Fenix 7S Pro. But I wouldn’t say I find them all that important.

The other feature, though, is the race glance.

In Garmin Connect, you can add a race to your calendar. This race will show up in a glance on your watch, with a countdown to the event, personalized predictions, and weather information. It’s a nice touch that keeps your goal race front of mind (just in case you forgot about it).

If you rely on your watch for training advice, this is also important because your suggested workouts will be tailored towards the event. You can also set up a PacePro strategy to pace the event, which can be really useful if it’s a challenging course with lots of elevation.

So this feature is potentially more useful. For me, it’s essentially a countdown widget – which I like, but which isn’t all that important – but for other people, it can be a really useful training tool.

Advanced Sleep Tracking

Finally, the Instinct 3 has advanced sleep tracking features.

The sleeping tracking itself is improved compared to the older models. Plus, your watch can detect when you take a nap during the day. And it has a sleep coach to give you feedback on your sleep habits and advice on how much sleep you need.

If you’re interested in overall wellness and you want sleep tracking, you’ll probably want the improved capabilities here. If you’re more interested in using the watch for activity tracking and training data, this may be besides the point.

Cosmetic Differences Between the Instinct 2 vs 3 Solar

One final area of distinction is in the way the watches look and your own preferences.

The Garmin Instinct 2 comes in both a small – 40mm – size and a regular – 45mm – size. The Instinct 3 does not come in the smaller 40mm size.

With the new Instinct, you can only get a smaller watch if you go with the Instinct E – which is an inferior watch in a lot of ways.

So if your preference is for a smaller watch, you’ll want to stick with the Instinct 2.

The Instinct 3 also has some limited edition colors and watch bands. None of this is important in the big scheme of things. But if you’re going to rock this watch on the daily, you should get something you like to look at.

So take a look at the color options and see if you want one of the colorful options – or if you want to stick with the straight black.

What’s the Same Between These Watches?

Pretty much everything else.

The size and weight are similar, as well as the quality of the bezel, are similar. They all track your basic steps and activities the same. They have multisport activities as well as golf features.

They all have the same Elevate 4 heart rate sensor – so you’re not getting the newer sensor with ECG capabilities if you choose the newer watch.

And they all have the same basic navigation features – a breadcrumb trail without full maps.

Both the Instinct 2 and the Instinct 3 are capable GPS running and adventure watches, and they have a lot in common.

The Bottom Line: Garmin Instinct 3 vs 2 Solar

At the end of the day, which watch you should choose is a personal decision. The right watch is going to depend on your particular use case.

Multiband GPS is a legitimate hardware improvement, and if you’ve experienced GPS issues in the past its probably worth the upgrade. Combined with the flashlight, I’d say it’s worth the extra $100.

The solar charging capabilities are a bit more nuanced. While they’re great on paper, I always read those specs with a grain of salt. And really, most people would be perfectly fine with the Instinct 2 Solar – which has great battery life – unless you’re regularly doing multi-day events. And if it’s really a concern, you’d probably be better off with an Enduro 3.

The software upgrades are nice, but none of them seem like a huge deal to me. Unless you’re particularly interested in sleep tracking, I’d say you could take them or leave them.

The biggest question is probably what your budget is. If you’re trying to get a watch for under $300, then you might as well stick with the older Garmin Instinct 2 Solar. It’s still a very capable watch, and now that you can get it for more than $100 off MSRP, it’s a great deal.

But if you can afford the extra $100, it’s a splurge that’s worth it. You’ll get access to a lot of the premium hardware and features that you’ll find on the more expensive watches, and you’re still only spending $400. Given the price of other Garmins lately, that’s not that bad.

One other minor difference worth pointing out is that the Instinct 2 Solar Tactical has a few features that are not available at all on the Instinct 3. These are stealth mode, night vision mode, and the kill switch. These are niche features, but if they’re important to you … then don’t upgrade to the Instinct 3.

Which watch did you end up choosing? What was the tipping point for you? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Instinct 2S Solar
Instinct 2 Solar
Instinct 3 Solar (45mm)
Garmin Instinct 2S Solar, Smaller-Sized GPS Outdoor Watch, Solar Charging Capabilities, Multi-GNSS Support, Tracback Routing, Graphite, 40 MM
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar, GPS Outdoor Watch, Solar Charging Capabilities, Multi-GNSS Support, Tracbak Routing, Graphite
Garmin Instinct® 3 45mm, Solar Charged Display, Rugged Outdoor GPS Smartwatch, Metal-Reinforced Bezel, Built-in Flashlight, Black
$237.95
$248.95
$399.99
Multi-band GPS
LED Flashlight
GPS Only Battery
22 hours
30 hours
40 hours
GPS Only Battery – Solar
28 hours
48 hours
130 hours
Wrist Based Running Dynamics
Instinct 2S Solar
Garmin Instinct 2S Solar, Smaller-Sized GPS Outdoor Watch, Solar Charging Capabilities, Multi-GNSS Support, Tracback Routing, Graphite, 40 MM
$237.95
Multi-band GPS
LED Flashlight
GPS Only Battery
22 hours
GPS Only Battery – Solar
28 hours
Wrist Based Running Dynamics
Instinct 2 Solar
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar, GPS Outdoor Watch, Solar Charging Capabilities, Multi-GNSS Support, Tracbak Routing, Graphite
$248.95
Multi-band GPS
LED Flashlight
GPS Only Battery
30 hours
GPS Only Battery – Solar
48 hours
Wrist Based Running Dynamics
Instinct 3 Solar (45mm)
Garmin Instinct® 3 45mm, Solar Charged Display, Rugged Outdoor GPS Smartwatch, Metal-Reinforced Bezel, Built-in Flashlight, Black
$399.99
Multi-band GPS
LED Flashlight
GPS Only Battery
40 hours
GPS Only Battery – Solar
130 hours
Wrist Based Running Dynamics

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