I have been a big fan of the Garmin Instinct for quite some time. However, I have never explained the differences between Garmin instinct vs Tactical. Since more and more people started to ask questions about the differences I thought it would be a good idea to simply write it all down in a brand new post. The Tactical version fo the Garmin Instinct seems to have borrowed some features form his older brother, Garmin Tactix Charlie.
Let’s start with a very quick overview of the differences between the two versions.
The Garmin Instinct Tactical is similar to the Garmin Instinct but it comes with additional tactical-specific features. These features include stealth mode, night vision goggle compatibility, jumpmaster, waypoint projection, dual-position GPS formatting and preloaded tactical activity.
There are no differences in terms of how the watch is built. The Garmin Instinct is known for being rugged and durable, this is still the case for the original and the tactical version, but there are no differences between the two. The only visible change is that the word “Tactical” is visible on the watch, that’s it! This means that the differences between the Garmin instinct vs the Garmin Instinct Tactical are restricted to differences in software. At first glance, the original Instinct is the perfect allround outdoors watch and the Tactical version is more suited for certain military profiles.
Features
Let’s start by simply taking a look at all these tactical-specific features.
Stealth mode
Stealth mode can be used to turn off any form of wireless communication and track logging. The watch can still be used to monitor time, pace, location and elevation, but these values will not be saved on the device when in stealth mode.
The first thing that comes to mind is that this could be a handy feature for military activities. However, there could be other reasons why you would want a stealth mode on your smart watch.
If you have need for a stealth mode on your watch, this is already a pretty good indicator that the Garmin Instinct Tactical might be a good fit for you.
Night vision goggle compatibility
If you have never used night vision goggles, this might have never occurred to you, but night vision and watches are not always a good match. The reason for this is that the screen of a smartwatch is not visible through the night goggles. If you eve need to use your watch when using night goggles, it simply makes sense to buy the Garmin
Jumpmaster
The jumpmaster feature is meant for skydives, mainly those in the military. It’s main purpose is to provide the jumper with information about the speed of descent and altitude. Data will be updated once per second.
You can change settings for every jump, you could for example change the desired impact point and wind setup. There are also 3 presets:
- Static jump,
- High Altitude-High Opening (HAHO)
- High Altitude-Low Opening (HALO)
A very specific feature, only needed for those of you who would actually need this type of information while skydiving. Once again, military activity is the first thing that comes to mind. It becomes clear that the Garmin Instinct Tactical really draws a different audience than the original Garmin Instinct.
Waypoint projection
Waypoint projection is basically a fancy name for saving your location. This feature allows you to save a geo location so you can use this later for navigational purposes.
Not the most mind-blowing feature, but can be very useful nevertheless. For military or non-military activities this may come in very handy. In my opinion it’s a shame that they did not include this in the original Garmin Instinct.
Dual-position GPS formatting
The next feature was one I didn’t really expect: Dual-position GPS formatting.
Basically you can choose various formatting options when displaying a position on a Garmin watch. The most known is without a doubt Latitude and Longitude, but there are various alternatives like Borneo RSO, British grid, The Military Grid Reference System, etc… Take a look at this page for more information about the formatting options.
On the original Garmin Instinct you had the option to choose any formatting. However, it would only be possible to show a single format. On the Garmin Instinct Tactical, it’s possible to show 2 formats instead of one.
For most of us, this won’t be the most useful features, but in certain situations it might be handy.
preloaded tactical activity
The tactical activity is an alternative to sport activity modes. Where most people would use a watch like the Garmin Instinct for outdoor sports, the Tactical version provides the option to just use the Tactical mode.
In this mode you can for example see the dual position GPS formatting.
Price difference
So there are quite a bit of additional features on the Tactical version, but what does this mean when it comes to pricing?
Well, when first released, there was a whopping $150 price difference (!).
However, the price difference has become smaller and smaller over time. Today, some versions are even equally priced (tactical vs original). However, it really depends on what version (solar, surf edition, camo edition, and even what color). Also, it’s often easier to find the Garmin Instinct on discount than the Garmin Instinct Tactical.
So in conclusion it’s pretty hard to put a number on the price difference, sometimes there isn’t even a difference. For good measure, expect to pay an additional $50 if you are going for the Tactical version.
Garmin instinct 2 vs tactical
Even though this article was originally posted with the Garmin Instinct 1 in mind, everything applies for the Instinct 2 as-well.
Whether you are looking for information about the Garmin instinct 1 or the Garmin Instinct 2, the same concepts and features apply.
Where to buy the Garmin Instinct and The Garmin instinct Tactical
After doing some research on where you can get the best price for the Garmin Instinct and the Garmin Instinct Tactical, it’s pretty clear that Amazon currently has the best prices.
If you are interested in buying the Garmin Instinct, both the original and the Tactical can be bought from amazon, simply click on the link/image below!
Conclusion: Garmin Instinct vs Tactical
The garmin instinct is already a great rugged outdoors watch. However, if you really need those additional tactical features, the Garmin Instinct Tactical is the obvious choice. There isn’t really a discussion about which watch is better because the Tactical version simply comes with some additional features.
Ps. if you are simply looking for the best garmin watch for hiking, take a look here: The best garmin watches for hiking.
If you use this watch for hiking or any type of other sport, it doesn’t really makes sense to go for the Garmin Instinct, since there are not many features you might be interested in. Only the Waypoint projection is a feature I can see many hikers or other outdoor enthusiasts use. It’s nice to save locations in places where smartphone GPS doesn’t work anymore.
Would it be worth it to get the tactical version for just this feature? Not really… However, as I mentioned before, sometimes you can get the Tactical version for the same price! Therefore I would always do a quick comparison before actually buying the watch.
Anyway, that basically wraps up this article. If you have any questions, remarks or you would just like to share your experiences, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below!
If you want more information about the Garmin Instinct in general, take a look at this article about cheap hiking watches where I cover it in more detail.