August 2021 The Great Outdoors 81FeaturesGarmin
Instinct Solar
£ 320 53 grugged; excellent battery life; effective solar charging; good for
navigation; customisablesteep learning curve; altimeter accuracy
Case size:45x45x15.3mm
Screen:0.9“ transflective monochrome, always-on
Battery life (GPS on): 30-45 hours, or 24-54 days in
smartwatch mode; unlimited in power-savemode
OS grid ref? yes
Mapping: no, but usable breadcrumb navigation
Operation: buttons
garmin.com/en-gbThe Instinct Solar adds much better
battery life and solar charging to
the original Instinct, making it a top
choice for UK walkers. Its chunky
design feels good on the wrist.
Despite a smaller display, it’s crisp
and highly readable in all conditions.
The interface is similar to that of
other Garmins, showing useful info
such as elevation. Screens can be
customised; this can takea while to
set up, and can feel intimidating at
first, but once configured is very
powerful. Navigation features are
comprehensive. It does all the basics
well, including offline sync with yourphone and OS grid reference at the
push of a button.
Battery life is very good, and the
solar panel can really extend it.
Battery life can be extended by
deactivating features. In power-save
mode (no GPS), battery life is
effectively unlimited if used in full
sun for a few hours a day. But the
opening for the barometric sensor is
flush with the wrist, which can result
in inaccurate altimeter readings if
blockedby sweat or rainwater.
It is the best GPS watch without
maps for mountain walkers looking
for comprehensive navigation tools.comparative review Gear1 Comfort and fit
Some watches are big and chunky. If you have
a small wrist, a smaller case size may be better.
Look for a comfortable strap too.
2 Durability
A watch for mountain use must be waterproof
and built to takeknocks and scrapes.
3 Batterylife
Two figures are usually quoted for battery life:
time in ‘smartwatch mode’,and time with GPS
active. Look for at least 12 hours with GPS, or
more for multi-day walking. Some devices have
battery-saving modes that will extend battery
life at the cost of accuracy.
4 Screen
Bigger watches tend to have bigger screens, but
screen tech is important too. AMOLED looks
fine indoors but is less good outside. Look for
an always-on, transflective, sunlight-readable
display that can be used without the backlight.
5 Track recording
Every device can track your walk or run and
save itto a smartphone app. Look for the ability
to share the route as a GPX file for viewing in
your mapping app of choice.
6 Fitness tracking
Every device tested has a heart-rate sensor
and can be used to track basic fitness metrics
such as steps, distance and calories.
7 Altimeter/barometer/
compass
These can help pinpoint your location, predict
bad weather and keep you on track. Elevation
and pressure can be surprisingly accurate if
frequently calibrated; compass is best used for
general guidance only.
8 OS grid reference
The best GPS watches can give an OS grid
reference, but this is not a common feature.
9 Navigation
Some watches can navigate a saved route, either
on a graphical breadcrumb screen or a map.
10 Mapping
Only a few models offer maps. Included
mapping may be basic, but there are often
alternatives with more detail. Ask yourself
if you really need it; devices with usable
outdoor maps are very expensive.
11 Connectivity
Some watches can connect to services such as
Strava, Komoot, Apple Health, MyFitnessPal
and more. Every watch tested offers
smartphone notifications.
Note: quoted battery life is as tested by me, with heart-rate sensor and fitness tracking
active, and GPS set to default sensitivity. Deactivating heart-rate and other sensors may
extend battery life on some models.