Garmin 010-02626-10 Instinct 2, Rugged Outdoor Watch with GPS, Built for All Elements, Multi-GNSS Support, Tracback Routing and More, graphite (Renewed)

I'd heard good things about Garmin, so after giving it some thought, I bit and got a refurbished Garmin Instinct 2 - no solar, since there isn't a ton of regular sun here and I'm on a budget. This was absolutely the worth the money (in my opinion), and has improved my overall QOL. The app is leagues better than the Fitbit app, in my opinion, and I love the customizability and the options I have re: watch faces. The battery life is also insane - if you have GPS off, it lasts for over two weeks (I only turn GPS on for activities here and there, and still get over a week between charges; I like to charge it once it's at half charge or so). The band that it came with tends to get smelly with 24/7 wear, as is the case with silicone bands, and I found it a bit annoying to adjust. Thankfully, there are a lot of options online from third-party brands for bands to accessorize with, so I got some stretchier bands and swapped those in, and it's really comfortable. Seems to be accurate with regard to heart rate and the like. Sleep I'm a little mixed on - I toss and turn a lot, so it sometimes logs my restless sleep as wakefulness, but it's definitely gotten me to pay more attention to my sleep schedule, which has resulted in more consistent sleep on my end. I like the e-ink(?) display since it's easier to read in bright light, and is probably one of the reasons the watch's charge lasts so long. It's hard to read in the dark, but pushing a button backlights the display so you can see the time. Also worth noting is that I have notifications off - I don't need to be plugging in 24/7, especially not on my walks, which also probably saves battery. In general, it's the customizability, and the fact that I can turn certain features off or on at will that is a huge selling point for me. It might not be for everyone, especially if you're looking for something "fancier" with a color display, but it meets my needs. Final note on durability: I haven't tested its water resistance because I don't want to push it, but it's perfectly fine without a screen protector! I've dropped it a few times and it's still fine, probably because the raised edge means that, if dropped on a flat surface, the screen isn't taking the brunt of the impact.

This watch is perfect. It’s got a great battery and tracks everything. I got a refurbished watch and it was like new. It is easy to use and customizable for what info you see and how it’s laid out. It connects to my phone seamlessly. It will tell you when someone is calling and you can view texts. Even though you can’t respond, it is nice to have because I miss things when my phone is in my pocket. This has been a crucial tool in my fitness journey and has helped me get my workouts tuned it. %100 recommend!

Having tested this for over a month now, I can say the watch has been very good. It is simple, and the battery life is very high. I haven't gotten mine to 28 days, but I also use some features that eat more battery life such as the better GPS. I get well over a week of charge still. The band itself may be irritating to some people. If I don't take it off and clean it every night, the salt that builds up from sweat will make your skin raw. Ignoring that, the band has a ton of adjustability. The holes go from the watch itself, to the end of the strap. The watch is fully customizable (minus the option of color screen) and you can put a lot of statistics on the watch. It works even better when you are pairing it with the Garmin connect app.

Good watch, reasonable price. I returned it and went with amazfit though because the value was a little better. If you have a bunch of garmin stuff I would rec9mend this because you can link it to stuff like the inreach or the gpsmap. It's rugged and easy to use. Fits well and seems to be accurate when compared to an amazfit watch when worn side by side. Overall if you like it esthetically you won't be sorry with its functionability. Buy it

This does so many things for such a reasonable price. I just wanted a durable smart timepiece mostly for health and activity metrics. I wanted app notifications and basic messaging. It does this impeccably and a lot more stuff that I don't expect to use. Spending significantly more to get color was not a priority. I've also had issues with touchscreen watches and didn't need that either. There are lots of faces available and the customizability is amazing. You can also get tons of apps for controlling other devices, navigation, different sport specific apps, etc. Check out some of the online reviews. Display is readily visible in daylight and from what I've managed to do, the sensors are quite good as well. My only "con" so far is the exposed charging port that will collect grunge and may corrode over time. Come on Garmin. I got the little (inexpensive )silicon plugs that should protect the charge port. Going to try a different band more my style even though the stock band is ok. The Garmin connect app is also quite good though I'm still exploring.

Haven't had a problem with it yet. Long lasting battery, screen never scratches. Great quality . Recently Upgraded to instinct 3.

Works great, face is in perfect shape, and looks much better than I expected for a refurbished. Looks brand new.

does what it says