Garmin Instinct 3 (AMOLED) Review: Rugged perfection
Garmin Instinct 3 Intro
If you are looking for a rugged, durable watch with a classic look, but all the modern smarts for your sports and outdoor adventures, the new Garmin Instinct 3 might just be the best option around.
The most popular alternative, the Apple Watch Ultra, is way more expensive, but more importantly, the Apple Watch only has a two-day battery life, while you can get more than a week on the Garmin Instinct 3 (and it comes with the same brilliant OLED display).
The Garmin Instinct series dates back to 2018, but it is this latest Instinct 3 that brings the biggest upgrade in the form of a modern OLED screen.
The Instinct 3 comes in two sizes, it features five physical buttons and it even has a torch light built in, which is a surprisingly useful addition. I have spent more than a week running, swimming, cycling, strength training and just wearing the watch, read on for the full review.
Garmin Instinct 3 Specs
- Two sizes — 45mm and 50mm
- Relatively lightweight for a rugged watch
- 100m water resistance rating
- Has a torch
- Five button navigation
- Has dual-band GPS
- Has barometric altimeter and magnetic compass
- Does NOT support Maps
- Up to 18 days (45mm) / 24 days (50mm) in gesture mode
- Up to 7 days (45mm) / 9 days (50mm) with Always On screen
- Uses Garmin proprietary charger
- Elevate Gen 4 sensor
- Base model costs $450 (for OLED)
Table of Contents:
Garmin Instinct 3 Unboxing
Garmin can definitely do a better job with the unboxing experience for its watches. The packaging is quite basic and all you get in the box is the watch itself, a charging cable (Garmin proprietary connector on one end, USB-C on the other end) and the user manual inside.
Garmin Instinct 3 Design, Size and Bands
Lightweight and comfortable
The Instinct 3 comes in two sizes: 45mm and 50mm.
I have a small wrist with a circumference of around 170mm, so I picked the 45mm version. I was afraid it would look too big on a smaller wrist, but since the watch is very light and there are no sharp corners, I find it not only looks good, but also feels very comfortable to wear.
The 45mm Instinct 3 uses a 22mm silicone band with a plastic buckle, which also feels quite comfortable and has plenty of adjustment. The 50mm version is paired with a wider, 26mm band. There is no QuickFit system on these bands, so swapping a band is a bit more of a hassle. I always go for nylon bands for the watches I use and even though I find the provided silicone band to be quite comfortable, it's not as easy to adjust as a nylon band and I plan on switching to a nylon one for future use.
Here is a quick overview of the physical size of the Garmin Instinct 3.
Garmin watches size and weight comparison:
| Garmin Instinct 3 | Garmin Forerunner 265 | Garmin Forerunner 965 | Garmin Fenix 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sizes: 45 mm — 45 x 45 x 14.9 mm 50 mm — 50 x 50 x 14.4 mm | Sizes: 42 mm — 41.7 x 41.7 x 12.9 mm 46 mm — 46.1 x 46.1 x 12.9 mm | Sizes: 47 mm — 47.2 x 47.2 x 13.2 mm | Sizes: 43 mm — 43 x 43 x 13.8 mm 47 mm — 47 x 47 x 13.8 mm 51 mm — 51 x 51 x 14.7 mm |
| Weight: 45 mm — 53 g 50 mm — 59 g | Weight: 42 mm — 39 g 46 mm — 47 g | Weight: 47 mm — 53 g | Weight: 43 mm — 66 g steel, 60g titanium 47 mm — 80 g steel, 73 g titanium 51 mm — 102 g steel, 92 g titanium |
| Display: 45 mm — 1.2 inch, 390 px 50 mm — 1.3 inch, 416 px | Display: 42 mm — 1.1 inch, 360 px 46 mm — 1.3 inch, 416 px | Display: 47 mm — 1.4 inch, 454 px | Display: 43 mm — 1.3 inch, 416 px 47 mm — 1.4 inch, 454 px 51 mm — 1.4 inch, 454 px |
As you can see, despite looking much bulkier than the Garmin Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 965, the Instinct 3 weighs a similar amount and it is much lighter than the Fenix 8, which I consider to be an important advantage of the Instinct.
The screen size is not quite as big as what you get on the Forerunner 965 or the similarly sized Fenix 8 models, and there is another important distinction — the Instinct 3 does NOT have a touch screen!
That is the first OLED watch we see with no touch screen functionality, so you basically operate it only using the buttons. Some people may dislike it, but the only place this really matters in my experience is in mapping, and the Instinct 3 does not have a map functionality like you have on the Fenix, so I don't consider this a huge miss. Your mileage may vary, though.
This being a rugged watch has the major advantage of the rugged body better protecting the screen from scratches than the Forerunner series.
Garmin Instinct 3 Software & Features
Suitable for triathlon athletes
As all other Garmin watches, the Instinct 3 runs on the proprietary Garmin OS.
It is technically not a smartwatch, since you cannot install real apps on this OS, but you do have many options you can tweak around and a good amount of third-party watch faces to pick from.
Compared to traditional smartwatches, this is still clunkier to use. Changing a watch face takes a few long clicks and there is no voice assistant to help out.
One advantage of the Instinct 3 is that it supports custom hot keys (cheaper Garmin watches do not). This means that you can set a number of screenshots to individual keys or combination of keys. For example, you can set the Instinct 3 to open the Weather app when you press the GPS and ABC buttons at the same time (or you can set a timer, or do something else).
As for notifications, the Instinct 3 works with both Android and iOS, which is a huge advantage. It maintains a solid Bluetooth connection and in our testing with the iPhone everything was synced well. If you pair it to an Android phone, you get to reply to notifications, while you don't have that option with an iPhone.
Workouts
A huge list of workouts, but Instinct 3 is, strangely, powered by the older Elevate Gen4 HR sensor
Every Garmin sports watch supports a slightly different set of workouts, so let's just take a look at the full list of supported Instinct 3 workouts:
Instinct 3 Supported Workout Types:
Multisport, Walk, Golf, Climb, Bouldering, Fish, Hunt, Disc Golf, Horseback, Archery, Inline Skating, Walk, Run, Treadmill, Trail Run, Hike, Virtual Run, Track Run, Indoor Track, Obstacle Racing, Triathlon, Swimrun, Bike, Bike Indoor, MTB, eBike, eMTB, CycloCross, Gravel Bike, Bike Commute, Bike Tour, Road Bike, BMX, Pool Swim, Openwater Swim, Swimrun, Strength, Cardio, HIIT, Yoga, Pilates, Elliptical, Stair Stepper, Walk Indoor, Row Indoor, Climb Indoor, Floor Climb, Boxing, Mixed Marital Arts, Ski, Snowboard, Backcountry Ski, Backcountry Snowboard, XC Classic Ski, XC Skate Ski, Snowshoe, Ice Skating, Kayak, Row, SUP, Surf, Kiteboarding, Windsurf, Whitewater, Boat, Wakeboard, Wakesurf, Water Ski, Tube, Snorkel, Soccer/Football, American Football, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, Cricket, Lacrosse, Rugby, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Ultimate Disc, Gaming, Tennis, Pickleball, Padel, Racquetball, Squash, Badminton, Table Tennis, Platform Tennis, ATV, Snowmobile, Overland, Motocross, Motorcycle, Horseback, Breathwork, Tactical, Gaming, Expedition, Other This is a similar list to what you get with the Forerunner 965 and just a bit shorter than what you have on a Fenix 8. My guess is that 99% of people will find the workouts they need in the above list. I occasionally go Ice Skating and I was pleasantly surprised to see an ice skating workout type on the Instinct 3.
Heart-rate Sensor and GPS
The Instinct 3 uses the Elevate Gen 4 sensor, not the newer Gen 5 version, which is surprising (Image by PhoneArena)
Garmin's most surprising decision in the Instinct 3 is to use the older Elevate Gen 4 heart-rate sensor rather than the newer Gen 5 sensor that you have on watches like the Venu 3 and Fenix 8.
The Elevate Gen 4 does a perfectly fine job with accurate heart rate measurements and the gains in accuracy with the new Gen 5 sensor are tiny, but... why not use the newer sensor? This older one also does NOT support an ECG reading.
The Instinct 3 also supports dual-band GPS, in case you need that.
Garmin is smart about its GPS usage, so for example when running, the watch will got to the default "Auto Select" GPS mode option, which is able to determine whether you need to use the dual-band GPS function or switch to single-band for efficiency. Most of the times, this is your best option. You can, however, select the "GPS Only" tracking option, which will result in even more battery savings. Then, you also have the "All Systems" mode for increased accuracy and finally the "All + Multi-Band" option for the best accuracy, but highest power drain.
You also have the option to turn off GPS tracking altogether, but this naturally does not make sense for workouts like running or cycling.
In the above running session, GPS accuracy was spot on and the heart-rate measurements were also quite accurate. We don't do detailed comparisons against a chest strap for these reviews, but judging from my previous experience, the accuracy was decent enough.
No sports watch is quite perfect in this regard, so serious runners who need perfect accuracy need to stick with a chest strap anyway.
Training Metrics
Most Garmin watches these days have the Body Battery function, Recovery Hours and Sleep Tracking, but some more advanced metrics are reserved for higher-end models like the Instinct 3.
Here are some metrics you get on the Instinct 3, but don't get on the cheaper Forerunner 165 model:
- Training Readiness — A metric designed to tell you how ready you are to take on a training session in that moment of that day. This is not a long-term metric, but rather one focusing on your current training readiness.
- Training Status — This looks at a combination of factors to analyze how you train. The idea is to give you a better overview of what areas you might be skipping in your training (you might only train at low intensities, for example). This is what would sometimes give you the meme-famous "Unproductive" training status.
- Training Load Focus — This divides your training efforts into three categories: Anaerobic, High Aerobic, and Low Aerobic. The idea is that you need to include different types of training to get faster, so if you only run at a slow pace, you will see a shortage in the Anaerobic category.
- Training Load Ratio — Compares your last week of training against your 28-day average to tell you how you are trending in this past week.
- Acute Load — Last seven days of training load, accounting for the fact that a training session from seven days ago would have far smaller impact than a training session you did today.
Garmin Instinct 3 Battery and Charging
Seven days battery life, even if you use the Always-on feature
Say goodbye to battery anxiety (Image by PhoneArena)
Battery life on the Instinct 3 is truly great.
Below, you will find how the Instinct 3 compares to other Garmin watches.
Garmin Watches Battery Life Comparison:
| Garmin Instinct 3 | Garmin Forerunner 265 | Garmin Forerunner 965 | Garmin Fenix 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Always On: 45 mm — up to 7 days 50 mm — 9 days | Always On: 42 mm — 5 days 46 mm — 5 days | Always On: 47 mm — 7 days | Always On: 43 mm — 4 days 47 mm — 7 days 51 mm — 13 days |
| Gesture Mode: 45 mm — 18 days 50 mm — 24 days | Gesture Mode: 42 mm — 15 days 46 mm — 13 days | Gesture Mode: 47 mm — 23 days | Gesture Mode: 43 mm — 10 days 47 mm — 16 days 51 mm — 29 days |
With the always-on screen enabled, you will average around seven days of use, on par with the 47 mm Fenix 8 and the Forerunner 965.
With gesture mode, you get more than two weeks of battery life on the smaller model and nearly three weeks on the older model.
Keep in mind that the torch is a big power drain, so if you use it often, your battery life will drop much faster.
Charging is the same as on other Garmin watches, with their proprietary plug connector. The cable in the box comes with USB-C on the other end, which is nice to see as most modern chargers have a USB-C plug.
Garmin Instinct 3 alternatives
There are none really!
If you want the rugged looks and functionality, the Instinct 3 is your only game in town. The $450 price is also nowhere near as high as what you would pay if you get a smartwatch.
If you do want a true smartwatch, though (one with apps, a voice assistant and all the other little extras), these are the rugged options you should look at:
- Apple Watch Ultra 2 — $800, two-day battery life. This watch has become so popular, but I prefer the classic looks of the Instinct and there is no comparison when it comes to battery life.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra — $650, two-day battery life. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is a beefy boy, but it weighs significantly more than the Instinct and because of its square shape, I find it less comfortable to wear. It runs on Google's Wear OS.
Garmin Instinct 3 Summary and Final Verdict
I absolutely love the Garmin Instinct 3.
The OLED screen is a big upgrade for those who want beautiful colors on a rugged sports watch, and Garmin has managed to deliver this while keeping the exceptional battery life.
It got little details like the torch right (it is way more useful than you might suspect at first!).
The most controversial decision here is the lack of touch screen, so everything has to be operated via the physical buttons. I did not mind this, and if I had to pick just one between physical buttons or touch navigation, there is no question I would go with the physical buttons. Your mileage may vary, of course.
With accurate GPS signal, good heart rate accuracy and plenty of supported workouts, the Instinct 3 is a solid upgrade and gets our big thumbs up.
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