GARMIN INSTINCT 2 SOLAR

£389.99 Is this ‘Fenix lite’ the multisport watch for you?

It feels strange to claim a £390 (£300 for non-solar) watch is good value, but that’s what we’re about to try and do here.

The Instinct 2 comes in many different variations, including 40mm or 45mm case sizes, Solar or standard options and multiple colourways. That extra £90 for solar seems steep, particularly for Brits. With it, Garmin says the Instinct 2’s battery life is potentially unlimited in smartwatch or battery saver mode (28/65 days without it), but that’s dependent on the device catching enough light each day, which seems unlikely in Blighty.

The difference in GPS mode is an additional 18 hours with solar (48 hours vs 30 without it). That’s not as much as the new Fenix 7 Solar (73 vs 57, £689.99), but still plenty of time for a full Ironman.

Solar aside, the big talking point here is the inclusion of some of Garmin’s fitness features, many of which weren’t present on the original Instinct. These include: VO2 max, Fitness Age, Training Status/Load Effect, Recovery Time and daily suggested workouts.

Heart rate monitoring and GPS accuracy is solid, and there are dozens of activity profiles to choose from including run, bike, swim (pool and open water) and triathlon. Openwater tracking can be a little patchy, as we’ve found with other Garmins.

The case is robust, the device feels light on the wrist (53g) and, though a little dull versus other models, the screen is clear and easy to read.

If you want a rugged multisport watch without the high price tag of the Fenix, the standard Instinct 2 would be our pick.

87 %

VERDICT RUGGED, LIGHTWEIGHT AND FULL OF FEATURES; ANOTHER GARMIN WORTH CONSIDERING

Regular open-water swimmers will know the pain of having wet neoprene endlessly strewn around the house dripping. This strange-looking device solves the problem by including uprights to place your booties and gloves on, as well as a large slot for hanging your wetsuit. We also used the central bar to hang up our neoprene swim cap and goggles. Solidly constructed with an adjustable hanging strap, the C-Monsta quickly became indispensable over a winter of coldwater swimming that needed all our kit ready to go again every day. Hanging it allowed it to drain and ventilate easily (without clothes pegs marks!).

92 %

VERDICT A SIMPLE BUT WELLCONSTRUCTED SOLUTION TO A SWIMMER’S PROBLEM!