Okay, so, I’ve been rocking this Garmin Instinct Solar for a while now. It’s been my go-to for tracking my hikes, runs, and just general daily activity. I mean, this thing’s a beast – super rugged, battery lasts forever thanks to that solar charging, and it’s got all the basic features I need. But then the Instinct 2 came out, and I started getting that itch, you know? The “new and shiny” syndrome.
So, I started digging around, reading reviews, comparing specs, the whole nine yards. The Instinct 2 Solar seemed like a solid upgrade, but was it really worth the extra cash? I was on the fence for weeks.
My Research Process
- First, I hit up the Garmin website, obviously. Compared the features side-by-side, tried to figure out what the real differences were.
- Then I dove into some forums – Reddit, some outdoor gear sites, you name it. Wanted to see what real people were saying, not just the marketing fluff.
- I even watched a bunch of YouTube reviews. Those are always helpful to actually see the watch in action, how it looks on the wrist, that kind of thing.
Honestly, after all that research, I was still kind of torn. Both watches seemed pretty similar on paper. But there were a few things about the Instinct 2 that caught my eye. They added VO2 Max, some new sleep tracking stuff, and a few other training features that sounded kind of cool.
After hemming and hawing for what felt like forever, I finally decided to take the plunge. I ordered the Instinct 2 Solar from a local sports shop. The unboxing was exciting, as always, and I immediately put it on to charge.
Setting up the new watch was a breeze. I synced it with the Garmin Connect app on my phone, customized a few watch faces, and set up my activity profiles. I was ready to take this bad boy for a spin.
My first test was a long hike in the local mountains. I wore both the Instinct Solar and the Instinct 2 Solar, one on each wrist. Wanted to see how they compared in the real world. Throughout the hike, I was constantly checking both watches. Tracking my heart rate, elevation, distance, all that good stuff.
After a few weeks of using both watches, I finally felt like I had a good grasp on the differences. Battery life on both is insane, honestly, because of the solar thingy. Both are also comfortable to wear, no problem there.
But, I have to admit, the new features on the Instinct 2 are pretty slick. I’m actually a big fan of the VO2 Max and the more detailed sleep tracking. Makes me feel like I’m getting a better handle on my overall fitness.
So, the big question: was it worth the upgrade? For me, yeah, I think it was. I’m a bit of a data geek, and I like having those extra metrics. If you’re perfectly happy with your original Instinct Solar, maybe you don’t need to rush out and get the new one. But if you’re like me and you like having the latest and greatest, then I’d say go for it. You won’t regret it. At least, I sure don’t!