In this post I will be answering some of the most common questions about the Garmin Instinct and the Garmin Instinct 2.
What is the best place to buy the garmin instinct?
It’s a hard question to answer because people from all over the world might ask this question.
However, most people would do a good deal to simply buy it off of amazon. Usually, you can find the best prices there.
For those of you who would indeed like to buy it from amazon, here are the links:
I always suggest to look around a bit on amazon before actually buying a product.
The same product might be sold by multiple suppliers and prices might be different, promotions might apply, etc.
Can Garmin instinct play music?
The garmin instinct and the garmin instinct 2 both have controls to control the music that is being played.
However, both watches cannot store any music.
This means that you would have to carry your smartphone with you in order to actually be able to listen to music.
In my opinion this is the biggest lack of functionality on this watch.
Can garmin instinct connect with garmin IQ?
The Garmin Instinct 1 cannot connect with garmin IQ.
The Garmin Instinct 2 can connect with garmin IQ.
Can garmin instinct send SOS?
Yes, the garmin Instinct does have the option to send SOS through the inReach widget.
More information about how to do that can be found here.
Note that you should only use the SOS functionality in real emergency situations.
For more information you can consult the Official Garmin site.
Is garmin instinct solar waterproof?
You might know that the garmin instinct is waterproof. However, what about the garmin instinct solar?
The garmin instinct solar is waterproof with a 10ATM rating, meaning it is waterproof up until depth of 100 meters .
This rating is the same on the Garmin Instinct 1 and the Garmin Instinct 2.
Needless to say that you do not need to be worrying about water when wearing the Garmin Instinct watch when you are surface swimming.
However, even though garmin claims that the watch is waterproof up until a depth op 100 meters. They also say that the watch is not made for scuba diving, but only for surface swimming. They even warn people that scuba diving will void the warranty. This information is a bit confusing. Basically, Garmin claims that the watch can be used up until a depth of 100 meters, but they will void the warranty if you do so. Anyway, better don’t use it for scuba diving, but it’s perfectly fine to swim with.
Note that the garmin instinct 1 will not record wrist heart rate data when swimming, but the garmin instinct 2 will.
Is garmin instinct compatible with iphone
Yes the garmin instinct is compatble with iphone.
In order to be able to install the Garmin connect app, you will need IOS 13 or higher.
It’s also comptaible with ipod touch.
A warning from Garmin:
If the Garmin Connect app is installed on a device that is running an unsupported OS version, this may result in a loss of functionality. If you uninstall the Garmin Connect app while being on an unsupported OS version you may not be able to locate and install it again from your app store.
For more information about the compatiblity of garmin watches and your smartphone, you can consult the official website.
Is garmin instinct good for swimming
The garmin instinct is a fine watch for surface swimming.
However, if you only intend to use it for swimming there are probably better options out there – like the garmin swim.
If you intend to use the watch for various activities like hiking, running, cycling and swimming, the garmin instinct is a very good choice. Especially if battery life is important for you.
The garmin instinct 2 has access to garmin connect, which gives you a selection of swimming apps that you can use.
Is garmin instinct good for running
The garmin instinct might not be made primarily for running, it does a pretty good job as a running watch.
It does what it has to do, which is tracking your run and analyze it afterwards.
For most runners, this is the most important part of the watch.
There are many additional features that the Garmin phoenix has that might be usefull. However, most people don’t think it’s worth the additional cost.
If you are only focusing on running, there are other garmin options that might be better for you. However, if you like the combination of outdoor activities, the instinct is a good option.
Is garmin instinct good for cycling
The garmin instinct can be used for cycling. However, it does seem to struggle with the speed from time to time. Especially when you tend to do interval training, the tracking isn’t super accurate.
It’s a decent option if you already own the instinct and don’t want to buy an additional tracking device.
However, if you are looking to buy the garming instinct specifically for cycling, I would vote against that. Simply because there are better cycling watches out there.
What garmin watch has the best battery life?
The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar has the best battery life (at the time of writing) of all Garmin watches.
The solar version lasts an unlimited time in smartwatch mode and 48hr in GPS mode.
For reference, the regular (non-solar) instinct 2 lasts 28 days in smartwatch mode and 30hr in GPS mode.
The second-best battery life is for the Garmin Fenix 6 Solar.
For more information about the topic, feel free to take a look at my article: Garmin watches battery life.
What is Garmin Stealth Mode?
Garmin Stealth Mode is a feature that allows you to turn off certain features on your Garmin device. When activated, it will disable all wireless communication on your device, making it invisible to others. This means that your location and activity data will not be shared with others, and you will not receive any notifications or alerts while in Stealth Mode.
I covered this question in a completely separate article, if you want a more in-depth answer take a look at this article: What is garmin stealth mode?