The Garmin Instinct 3 just launched at CES and it’s a rugged and affordable rival to the Fenix 8 – Tom’s Guide
There are three watches in the new Garmin Instinct 3 range
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Garmin has launched the Instinct 3 smartwatch range at CES 2025, with the line-up containing three watches including a Garmin Instinct with an AMOLED display for the first time.There is also a new solar-charging Instinct 3 that offers potentially unlimited battery life, and a more affordable option in the Instinct E, which costs $299 compared to $399 for the Instinct 3 Solar and $449 for the Instinct 3 AMOLED. All three watches will be available to order from January 10, 2025.All three of the watches now have a built-in-flashlight, and the AMOLED and Solar models come in two sizes — 45mm and 50mm. The distinctive, rugged design of the Instinct is kept, with colors including Neotropic and Electric Lime.A new metal bezel adds to the Instinct 3’s durability, and all of the watches in the range are tested to military standard MIL-STD 810 for thermal and shock resistance while offering 10 ATM water resistance.Battery life has always been a key feature of the Instinct range and that remains the case even with the Instinct 3 AMOLED, which can last up to 24 days in watch mode.However, if battery life is your main concern the Instinct 3 Solar will be the watch for you, since it can last indefinitely in sunny conditions thanks to the upgraded solar panels on its front, which Garmin says are much more efficient than the ones on the Instinct 2 Solar.Other upgrades to the new watches include dual-band GPS for more accurate outdoor activity tracking. The watches also have all the sensors you expect from a top Garmin watch, including a pulse oximeter and altimeter, and offer 24/7 health tracking plus smart features like NFC payments.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.The setup of the Instinct 3 range mirrors the Garmin Fenix 8 range, which also has solar, AMOLED and a cheaper E model. The Instinct 3 is likely to draw some customers away from the flagship Fenix 8, which is much more expensive, though does offer some key upgrades including offline maps.Nick Harris-Fry is an experienced health and fitness journalist, writing professionally since 2012. He spent nine years working on the Coach magazine and website before moving to the fitness team at Tom’s Guide in 2024. Nick is a keen runner and also the founder of YouTube channel The Run Testers, which specialises in reviewing running shoes, watches, headphones and other gear.Nick ran his first marathon in 2016 after six weeks of training for a magazine feature and subsequently became obsessed with the sport. He now has PBs of 2hr 27min for the marathon and 15min 30sec for 5K, and has run 13 marathons in total, as well as a 50-mile ultramarathon. Nick is also a qualified Run Leader in the UK.Nick is an established expert in the health and fitness area and along with writing for many publications, including Live Science, Expert Reviews, Wareable, Coach and Get Sweat Go, he has been quoted on The Guardian and The Independent.Garmin was down — what happened during the Garmin Connect outageI just went hands-on with the Amazfit Active 2 — and it could be the new budget smartwatch to beatCES 2025: FRENZ Brainband with brainwave tracking for better sleep wins Innovation AwardTom’s Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.©
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