I have a confession to make: I have never climbed a rock wall and honestly had no plans to do so. However, when Garmin invited me to take a brief break from the CES 2025 grind to try out a pair of its newest rugged smartwatches, I accepted, if only for the chance to test one, the Solar Instinct 3 rated at battery that will last. forever.
The rugged Garmin Instinct 3 watches have a bold, even aggressive look, and seem more than up to the task of surviving a fall off a climbing wall. (Editor’s note: no one fell).
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There’s the new one that’s solar-powered and features a monochrome non-touch display surrounded by a metal band that further protects the watch and its display, most of which is covered by a transparent solar panel. There are large black areas around the digital screen that are more efficient at capturing sunlight.
The other Inspire 3 watch features a bright and colorful AMOLED display. While the Solar Instinct 3, with enough sunlight, will run indefinitely, the AMOLED is not far behind and runs for up to 24 days on a charge.
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There are a couple of buttons on the right and a trio of them on the left side of each watch. Navigating the rich interfaces is a little tricky at first, especially if you’re used to touch screens, but I think you’ll get used to it quickly.
I like that the readings on both watches are pretty clear. And I found them easy to read even while climbing and looking at my wrist.
Oh yes, I went up. It was a V0 difficulty wall and I was able to follow that exact climb with the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar on one wrist and the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED on the other.
Both watches have a ton of activity tracking options, and you can add more if you don’t see your preferred workout.
I used the larger 50mm watches (there are also 45mm options) but despite their sturdy appearance I didn’t find them uncomfortable. The almost unlimited battery life may encourage you to use them in bed. After all, sleep tracking is a crucial part of health tracking features. You get a daily battery level score that helps you decide if you need to exercise more in your wellness or fitness activities.
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The watches will provide all the traditional notifications you’d expect from a smart wearable device, but you won’t receive calls. There are no microphones or speakers on any of the Instinct 3s.
With a starting price of $399.99 for the Solar line (AMOLED starts at $449.99), this is considered Garmin’s most affordable rugged watch. One of the things you lose with a lower price is active, detailed topoactive maps, but you still get GPS and all the navigation features that come with it.
I didn’t have much time with either watch, mostly just my couple of uneventful climbs, but one cool feature I was able to try out is the built-in flashlight.
In both the solar and AMOLED models, the small lamp is located between the handles at the top of the watch. Pressing a button twice turns it on, then pressing one of the two buttons below increases and decreases the brightness. You can keep pressing and then the light turns red, which can be a pleasant surprise for those who hate the bright white lights of flashlights.
Overall, I liked what I saw in these Garmin Instinct 3 rugged smartwatches. They’re comfortable and fun, have great screens, and incredible battery life. The prices are decent for this almost ultra class of smartwatches and can be a great alternative for someone who doesn’t want to invest in an expensive Apple Ultra.
