Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED: Our Review After a Month of Testing

MY SMART WATCH has become a major asset in keeping my day on track. These tech-forward tools help you to stay on top of your schedule, fitness, heart rate, location, and a number of important health markers. But for those looking to join the movement, it can feel like there’s a new model dropping every month, and it can be hard to know what’s actually worth paying attention to. The Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED has generated serious buzz ever since its launch in mid-January, making it tough to ignore.

So we made sure to get our hands on one early, putting it through a number of tests to see how it stacks up against previous editions. Garmin is known for catering to the adventurous and active set, with reliable trackers that clearly display stats in a way that’s easy to digest. But the brand outdid itself with the rugged Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED, which delivers the impressive technology Garmin fans have come to expect in a new and even more user-friendly package.

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What We Love About the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED

There’s a reason why people are raving about this watch online: It’s loaded with technology and built tough enough to handle everything from grueling workouts to weeks-long camping trips. The watch is also water rated up to 10 meters, so there’s no need to unhook it for showers or swimming.

The Instinct 3 AMOLED is nearly ready to go out of the box, arriving with a full charge. It synced to my phone immediately and was up and running in less than five minutes, including the time it took to remove it from the packaging. Being someone who has tested a tons of fitness trackers, this was a pleasant surprise as many options are frustratingly difficult, and sometimes impossible to set-up if you don’t have the right kind of phone.

This watch has a distinctly masculine look, with a thick face and rugged design. It feels high quality thanks to its sturdy build that can take repeated beatings. I accidentally banged it into several doorways and even scraped it against a kettlebell during a clumsy gym moment—it still looks brand new. But this watch is more than arm candy. It’s packed with features that’ll make your life easier.

The previous model, the Instinct 2, had no AMOLED option. So fans of the Instinct line looking for a watch face that’s easier to navigate, this might be a great improvement. Of course, if you don’t mind a more basic screen and don’t require a flashlight, the Instict 2 is still a great watch. It can sometimes be found on sale right now for a few hundred dollars less. Check the link below for a current price.

SHOP THE GARMIN INSTINCT 2

The Battery Life Is Wildly Impressive

The Instinct 3 AMOLED has a lot going for it, but its lithium ion battery life is one of the best you’ll find. The brand claims the watch can go for 18 days without a recharge, but I found it was more like 21 days when I didn’t regularly use battery-draining features like the built-in flashlight, GPS-only mode, or workout modes. For comparison’s sake, most Apple Watches need to be fired up again after 18 hours. (If you’re especially allergic to charging, the Garmin Enduro 3—which was built for ultra-performance athletes—boasts a very rare 36-day battery life.)

While you don’t need to check it often, the watch’s home screen displays the number of days you have left before needing to charge. Once you finally plug in, the charging process is speedy: I got an extra three days of battery life from just a 10-minute session. Now if you want an even longer battery life, you can look into the Instinct 3 Solar, but that means losing the brightness on the screen.

It’s Easy to Navigate

The watch comes with some very basic instructions—mostly photos that show which buttons to push—but it’s easy to figure out. While the watch doesn’t have a touchscreen, the controls are intuitive with five buttons to navigate into and out of features. I had it figured out within a few minutes.

The 390 x 390 pixel AMOLED display resolution is sharp and bright, allowing Garmin to jam a lot of stats on the home screen. At a glance, you can see your step count, heart rate, weather, date, time, and more. It’s arranged smartly in a way to deliver plenty of information without feeling overwhelming.

Workouts are available in one click, with tailored tracking for walking, cycling, swimming, and pretty much anything you can think of. Check your workout stats on your watch or really zero in on specific metrics on the corresponding Garmin Connect app, which neatly arranges exercise stats in an easy-to-digest form.

SHOP THE GARMIN INSTINCT 3 AMOLED

It Has Thoughtful Features

Garmin packs a lot into the Instinct 3 AMOLED, but the brand really elevates the experience with the way data is presented and accessed. The watch asks for your typical sleep and wake time during set-up, which isn’t unique. But the Instinct 3 AMOLED uses that information to wind down when bedtime is looming. At that point and through the night, the home screen switches from an information-packed display to simply show you the time. Meaning, if you want to obsess over your daily step count as you’re climbing into bed, you need to do a little digging.

The workout features are available in one click, allowing you to start tracking activity-specific data without having to fiddle with different menus. The interface is handy, with stats like workout time, distance, pace, and heart rate on the home screen while you grind it out. The watch also vibrates when you start and stop a workout to eliminate second-guessing on whether you’re actually tracking your data.

As the parent of four young kids, sleep data is always a potential stressor. I appreciate that the watch didn’t beat me over the head in the morning with the fact that I woke up four times during the night, something I’m already well aware of. Instead, you have to scroll down the watch to see your sleep report the morning after or click into the app. Even then, the watch tries to present a horrible night’s sleep in a positive way with messaging like “You didn’t sleep great last night, but your overall readiness looks good” or “Your sleep was short, but your body stayed calm throughout it.”

A Few Elements Will Help You Thrive in the Woods

If you plan to use the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED for city life, that’s fine. But this watch has specialized elements to support you during lengthy trail runs and camping trips, making it a great choice for outdoorsy types.

The watch boasts a “torch” element, which is a fancy word for a built-in flashlight with four intensities and a red light option. The light isn’t strong or big enough to replace a traditional flashlight, but it’ll do you a solid when you’re trying to navigate to your tent after a late-night bathroom break, tightening a screw in a dark spot, or trying to find a keyhole at night.

The Instinct 3 AMOLED relies on multi-band GPS with the brand’s SatIQ technology, meaning you’re unlikely to drop a signal or accidentally drain your battery when you’re deep in the woods. A livetrack feature also allows others to keep tabs on your location when you want to share it.

SHOP THE GARMIN INSTINCT 3 AMOLED

What We Don’t Love About the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED

The major downside is that the watch is slightly heavy at 53 grams, but you’re packing a lot of tech on your wrist. The Instinct 3 AMOLED doesn’t have touchscreen technology, which is jarring at first if you’re used to an Apple Watch. I caught myself tapping the screen a few times like an idiot before remembering I needed to use actual buttons. But as time went on, I actually enjoyed feeling the click and tactile feel of the buttons during use. The watch will also alert you to calls, but can’t take them. You can receive texts and respond to people, but only using custom messages. A final, but admittedly small, gripe: You can’t easily see what time it is when you’re in workout mode. I was under a time crunch during a trail run and had to rely on mental math to know when I had to turn back. Still, I survived.

Is the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED Worth It?

At $450, the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED is an investment. But the price tag isn’t completely out there, especially when you stack it up against something like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which will set you back $799, or even some other loaded Garmin watches, like the Fenix 8 at $1100.

But the watch is stacked with technology and perfect for outdoor life thanks to the 18-day battery life and strong GPS. Its tough build, smart design, and low-maintenance style make it worth considering if you’re looking for a more rugged watch to support your life. Plus, it just looks good.

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