Garmin Instinct 2S Solar Review: Rugged GPS Watch

The majority of GPS watches require a charging plan. You schedule around them, charge them up before a big hike, bring a power bank on multi day trips, check the battery icon by the end of the day. The Garmin Instinct 2S Solar turns that on its head. Get it strapped on, step outside and the sun.

I went out with the Instinct 2S Solar for a 3 day hiking trip, with GPS tracking, constant heart rate monitoring, navigation waypoints and more. As of day three, it remained at above 60%. Not because of my carelessness with it but the solar panel that was mounted in the lens, slowly recharged its battery when the clouds parted. That was the pitch and on the trail, it actually delivered.

It is the outdoor GPS watch that says goodbye to planning around it, for a Garmin Instinct 2 that is water-resistant to 100 meters and tiny at 40mm, it would be swallowed if it was a standard Garmin Instinct 2!

Built to MIL-STD-810 military standards, water-resistant to 100 meters with 40mm size that fits your wrist, the Garmin Instinct 2S Solar delivers rugged outdoor performance. 

Design & Build Quality

The smaller sibling in Garmin’s Instinct 2 family, the 2S is no exception in all the right ways. At 40 x 40 x 13.3mm and weighing 42g, it rests comfortably on your wrist, not as bulky as a military GPS watch can be. Band size is 20mm QuickFit, slightly smaller than the standard Instinct 2 at 22mm, making it a good fit for smaller wrists.

The case is made of fiber-reinforced polymer and the watch is built to MIL-STD-810 standards for thermal, shock, and water resistance. During the trail, it handled river crossings, heavy rainfall and scraped against rock more than once. After multiple scratches the solar charging surface or Power Glass lens still look scratch free. This watch has a 10 ATM water resistance rating which equates to 100 meters, so rain and stream crossings are no problem.

The 2S has less battery compared to the older Instinct 2 but it is also for slimmer profiles. The real difference between the Garmin instinct 2s and 2 is rather size as the 2 is 45mm and 52g with a 22mm band, whereas the 2s is 40mm and 42g with a 20mm band. They come equipped with virtually the same sensors, GPS systems and solar technology.

Display: Functional, Not Flashy

A monochrome 156 x 156-pixel display isn’t going to turn heads in comparison to the Fenix 7 or the Apple Watch Ultra. It’s small, it’s transflective and it’s definitely made for function and not form. It does very well in that it can be read in any illumination. Direct sunlight? No problem. The display becomes more crisp and doesn’t get washed out which is important on a trail.

One of the more functional aspects is the dual window design. You can display your main data page and a secondary strip of data, such as, time of day or steps taken, at the same time. It’s easier for hikers to retrieve the info they need the most, without having to press so many buttons.

GPS Accuracy & Navigation

GPS acquired quickly in open areas, usually in less than 30 seconds. It did take longer to locate it in denser (shaded) tree cover but around a minute, more or less, depending on the amount of tree cover. The watch is multi-constellation capable and supports both GPS and GLONASS satellite systems as well as GALILEO for solid multi-constellation support even at difficult latitudes.

Point to point navigation and breadcrumb trail tracking was effective on the hike. I loaded a route in advance via Garmin Connect and followed it without any problems. The barometric altimeter provided a consistent reading of elevation, which is more reliable than GPS only altitude measurements, which can drift. The altimeter is not just a spec bullet point, as it is of great use for serious trail navigation.

To complete the sensor package, there is a compass and thermometer. The compass is useful off the trail and the thermometer will need you to remove the watch from your wrist to get an accurate reading of ambient temperature (which is affected by body temperature), but it is useful for those that camp in changing weather conditions.

Battery Life & Solar Charging

The Garmin Instinct 2s solar battery life really justifies the extra cost. In smartwatch mode, it can last up to 21 days, in solar assist mode up to 51 days, depending on the amount of direct sunlight it receives during the day, at 50,000 lux, approximately. In GPS mode, you have 15 hours (or 30 hours with solar).

During my hike (three days) with GPS turned on for much of the day, heart rate monitoring on all the time, and regular notifications throughout the day, the watch dropped to about 65%. That’s about 11% of intensive outdoor use per day, topped off by the sun. This is genuinely helpful to be able to book a week long trip without having to think about charging.

Garmin instinct 2 solar charging: The look and readability of the display do not change as a result of the Power Glass technology being built into the lens. The charging process is passive, in other words, you do not have to put it in a special position or take it off your wrist. Any time you’re outside, it’s adding time. It will still be depleted but considerably slower for heavy use and in cloudy conditions compared to a non-solar model.

Health & Activity Tracking

The Instinct 2S is powered by Garmin’s Elevate Gen 4 heart rate sensor and maintains a high accuracy throughout the hiking and running range. RHR (Resting Heart Rate) readings were fairly similar to one I had taken with a chest strap. Pulse Ox (blood oxygen saturation) is added, helpful on a hike gaining altitude and if you enable it, the watch will track it continuously, but this uses up more battery.

In addition to the essentials, the watch monitors stress levels through heart rate variability data, a Body Battery score (Garmin’s energy reserve measure which is used throughout its line of watches), sleep quality and VO2 max estimates. It also calculates the recovery time after hard or tough climbs and the estimate felt much closer to how long I actually needed to recover.

More than 40 sport profiles (hiking, trail running, cycling, swimming, multisport, climbing and more) are covered in activity support. The multisport mode is especially convenient when you head out for the trail, hike, and then go for a swim at the end of the day. You can switch between them without stopping the session.

Quick Specs: Garmin Instinct 2S Solar vs. Instinct 2 Solar

For those comparing the two size options, here’s how they stack up:

Software, App & Connectivity

Garmin Connect is the companion app, and it’s one of the more sophisticated GPS wearable apps. It contains route planning, detailed workout analysis, sleep breakdowns, and trend data. It’s a quick and accurate Bluetooth sync.

Connect IQ support includes the ability to add third party apps and watch faces, which isn’t very useful with such a small screen. A genuine convenience if you don’t want to leave your wallet on the trail, Garmin Pay is included on the Solar version.

External sensors such as a heart rate strap, power meter, foot pods are covered with ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity. If you’re a serious runner or cyclist who already utilizes a sensor system, this is important.

What We Liked

Battery life is a feature that stands out with lasting through multi day adventures without constant charging concern. The compact 2S version fits best to smaller wrists much better than the instinct 2.

As long battery life without having to constantly monitor charging when traveling for several days. The 2S version of the button fits smaller wrists much better than the standard Instinct 2. Quality is really tough and does not weigh that much. The accuracy of GPS was always good. The barometric altimeter really comes in handy on hikes.

What Could Be Better

It’s a feature of the monochrome screen that is a bit of a compromise: the screen is functional, but using maps or data pages in detail takes a bit more squinting than a color screen. GPS mode battery life (15 hours) would be useful if using the GPS was a habit on very long multi day pushes. It’s a minor inconvenience that the thermometer has to be removed from the watch to take a reading. Garmin’s Fenix series is the only one that has onboard maps, which is a worthwhile advantage.

Scoreboard to a Garmin Instinct 2S Solar 

Final Verdict

The Garmin Instinct 2S Solar is designed for those who are spending time outdoors. Garmin has released it, and while it’s not the most feature packed smartwatch they’ve ever produced, the screen is definitely utilitarian. For the trail runner, the hiker or anyone seeking a GPS watch that will last for weeks on a single charge and become more challenging the more you use it, then it’s one of the most practical choices at this price.

Solar charging is not a ploy. It is also an active range extender while on the trail. It is the right hand to wrist size for wrists under approximately 160-165mm due to its smaller 2S case. If the only difference you are concerned about is size, then the Garmin Instinct 2s will be the more convenient daily wear.