The Garmin Instinct is Garmin's next addition to its lineup of GPS smartwatches. Priced at $299.99, it's a durable, capable contender in the race to consumer's wrists.
With its internal 3-axis compass, barometric altimeter, and support for three global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo), having the Garmin Instinct around ensures you can always find your way, no matter where you're at in the moment. Losing signal on your smartphone when you're in the middle of nowhere can be pretty unsettling, after all. This watch even has a feature called TracBack which can navigate you back to your starting point while on-the-go using the same route you just took. It can last for up to 14 days on a single charge while in smartwatch mode, up to 16 hours in GPS mode, and up to 40 hours in UltraTrac battery saver mode.
The Instinct is built to military standards for thermal, shock and water resistance. That means you can swim with it over 300 feet deep without worrying about damaging it. It features a fully vented silicone band along with a scratch-resistant display which is visible even in direct sunlight. It's also capable of monitoring your estimated heart rate, daily activity, stress levels, sleep, calories, and more. You can even sync it with the Garmin Connect online fitness community which is not just useful for tracking your workouts but for sharing your daily accomplishments with friends as well.
Pairing the Garmin Instinct to your smartphone will enable notifications to be sent directly to your watch, such as texts and emails, so you won't need to pull your phone out to view them. It's also compatible with other Garmin devices such as the inReach Mini and VIRB action cameras.
The Garmin Instinct is now available for purchase via Garmin's website in Graphite, Tundra, and Flame Red models for $299.99 each. You can also find the Flame Red model at Amazon now, though the other variants have yet to be seen for sale there.
