Garmin Instinct 2X Final Review - 10 Things I LOVE, 3 Minor Things I Don't, & vs Instinct 2
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 พ.ค. 2024
- Garmin Instinct 2X Final Review - 10 Things I LOVE About This Watch, 3 Minor Things I Don't, & vs Instinct 2 - What the Garmin Instinct 2 Should Have Been, and More
To Purchase: amzn.to/3LMmL7m
Other Instinct 2X Reviews to Date:
I2X Initial Rev & Comparison to Original I2 - • Garmin Instinct 2X Ini...
I2X vs 965 for Screen Visibility - • Garmin Instinct 2X vs ...
i2X Stock Watch Faces - • Garmin Instinct 2X Sto...
I2X Band Conversion to QuickFit 26mm - • Garmin Instinct 2X Ban...
IG Channel: / fitgearhunter
NOTE: Battery tests included 70% Backlight, no GPS activities, Pulse Ox on for Sleep, Wrist Gesture On, Data Recording Every Second
00:00 Start
00:31 Overview
01:06 10 Things I Love
06:10 3 Things I Didn't Love
07:47 Summary
08:24 Versus Others
The software basically offers you almost everything the 7 series offers, without the touchscreen, music and colour screen. No brainer, fantastic release.
Agree! It's still one of my favorites. The new screen changes the usability of the instinct series for me. Thanks!
Doesn’t have maps which kinda sucks
And I don’t miss the touch screen or color or music. Hoping to grab this sooner than later.
I don't miss the maps or the touch screens, I got a smartphone 😁
No bruv @@nexelg
For me, the display is perfectly legible during the day even without backlight and at night I'm fine with 5-10%. And the battery life shows me 30-40 days on a full charge. With a normal stay (2 hours) in the sun I have about 110k lux hours now in May.
That's awesome! No idea how I missed this comment earlier. Thanks so much for sharing.
This gentleman is so easy to understand
Thank you!
The HRM of my Solar 1 stopped working and I'm considering the solar x2 (or solar 2). Thanks for the video!
I agree with everything! this is my first garmin watch and I was coming from a Fossil Hybrid HR, so this is a massive step up for me. Even though that lag is there on occasion it is still miles faster than my old fossil and those 2-3 seconds don't matter much when placed into the context that this watch has everything else I could possibly want. I get around 20 days of battery life with Spo2 turned off and heavy use of activities (2hr per day of activity tracking) with roughly 50k luxhr per day.
Edit: The only thing I disagree with is that i personally like the aesthetics of the standard version of the tactical look. However that is all just preference
Appreciate the thoughts all around! Good points. Glad you are liking the upgrade!
Thanks for the clear presentation.
I have a question that hopefully someone can answer: can you count floors (stairs climbed) with the Instinct 2X?
Thanks in advance
Like that you mentioned the lag! No other reviewer covered that.
Sure thing! It's the nuances of these watches that needs to be highlighted on either the positive or negative sides, I think.
i own this watch . and i love it . i have the back light on 5 percent. def dont need it bright.. basically the same features on the higher end models. without mapping features . which i never use anyways. and the light is awesome and the alerts . Garmin is the best in the game
I finally pulled the trigger on this as it's currently on sale. It's only been a week but i love it, and battery currently sitting at 88% after 6 days in basic smartwatch mode, no GPS tracking or workout tracking, solar average about 26k lux per day.
Me too, changing my fenix 5 for this one. Main reasons were battery, toughness and the new features like training readiness
Wow, you really love this watch! You got my attention.😉
Haha it has been a great watch all around!
Nice review. New subscriber!
Another good review. I've had mine for 6 days. So far : One hour gps only cycle a day,50% brightness, pulse ox manual, 50k lux a day ( its summer here in uk now) and on day 6 i have 85% battery remaining. That's about 3% drop a day which would make 33 days approx if it continues this way. That will do for me ! My instinct crossover was dropping 8 to 10% a day with same usage.
Heck yes! That is great for sure! Glad you are liking it - great watch!
and you are not using multi gnss?
@@fearless5533 my reply stated stats with my watch in gps mode only so no not multi band. Watch gets better each day. Swopped the silicone band for the Garmin ultra fit nylon and this makes the watch less bulky and more comfortable imo
@@mississippidel appreciate you, what wrist size do you have? Mine is 14 cm and i dont really know how they are gonna fit on my wrist
Great overview. For me, as you said the FR265 and this watch is a close run thing for me.
Thanks so much! And yes they are both feature rich and bring a very different look and experience to the table. Thanks!
I got mine last Tuesday - I do agree with the battery life thing. First couple days during my hour lunch break I was sunning it on my dash and got maybe 20k lux hrs then I learned it needs to be direct. On the sunny days in direct sunlight you might get 1% back from 50k lux hrs. I've messed with how the backlight works and I'm not playing with it constantly having it on like I did the first few days but I am already down to 75%. My settings now are that the backlight is only on when I turn it on
Great feedback- thanks so much for sharing. Liking it so far?
@@fitgearhunter definitely - though I'm sure the reason I've lost a quarter of the battery is because I was nonstop fiddling with it those two first days 😅
@@jakepatterson2659 haha - totally get that
Change gps to "gps only". Battery life will drastically improve
I am in the process now of upgrading from my original Instinct. I never had any problem with the clarity or brightness since June of 2019. I'm pretty sure my backlighting has been set at 20% the whole time. I believe my battery is starting to go, otherwise I'd just keep using the one I have.
Well prepare to have a solid step-up then. Even if you don't need the backloght/clarity the screen size is just so much more enjoyable
I found out the original Instinct screen is much brighter. It is really a high contrast Silver and Black but almost looks Black & White. I assumed the IS2x would carrry that forward, but it more like an old G-Shock that needs the backlighing (Black with Gray/Greenish lighter areas). Loving the IS2x as a whole, but I guess for solar absorbtion, battery life, or some other technical issue Garmin was unable to use the orginal Instinct Screen/Presentation - a real shame. @@fitgearhunter
@@michaelhansen6802 interesting! I didn't have that experience with the instinct contrast or clarity, the 2X is much better to me - way more so than the 2 regular at least - but the instinct original lacked advanced training metrics and significant amounts of detail there unfortunately. I would say that that is about half of the value these Garmin watches offer, so it was a bummer back then to see it not an option with the instinct.
Thanks as always for your perspective. I've been using a Fenix 7 for quite some time and decided to try out the Instinct 2X, and I agree with your comments. One item I'll echo and expand is the "lag" inherent in some operations. You mentioned this for the Morning Report. I notice it too when ending an activity, at the point that the watch is saving the activity. It seems like this action lasts 4 or 5 times longer than on the Fenix 7 (not measured by me, just a guess). Obvious assumption that the processor or something in the watch is less capable than that of the Fenix, but I wonder if there are any other shortcomings in the 2X, impacted by the same root cause of this lag. I would certainly understand if the hardware which creates this characteristic is less capable, considering the much lower price of the watch. Thoughts?
Totally agree! That was another obvious time- failed to mention. I don't think it affects the quality of any analytics for sure. It is an excellent watch otherwise. Thanks for commenting!
2X is basically last year's hardware (regular sized Instinct 2) in a different case and better screen + LED. For lower price than I2 was when it launched 12+ months ago.
Instinct 2 is sluggish. Some functions take seconds to engage. Funnily enough one of the beta firmware versions for I2 had Morning Report but Garmin pulled it "due to unsatisfactory performance reported by the users". Obviously MR is sluggish on 2X so the I2 users got to beta test it for Garmin before 2X launch.
Some assume lag is caused by the HW limitations. Some say that they throttle the performance in order to achieve magical battery stats. I reckon both are true.
@@channul4887 That is interesting, thanks. I’m going to take a look around for more detailed, technical specs on these devices (2x and Fenix), see if I can find anything objective for comparison.
@@channul4887 yes I think it's hardware limitation too. But morning report worked well!
The lag is also in the garmin descent G1 ... epix 2 is blazing fast ... so maybe is the processor
A brilliant package, just wish it had a better map function iso the 'breadcrumb' function...
Yes I understand, but at the price it really has everything it possibly could! Obviously there are the screen limitations as well. It truly is a feature rich device for the price
So the backlight has that much of an effect?
I've just got the I2 (not X) and had it set to 70. Battery was dropping by points per hour as I set it up with backlight on!
Luckily for nighttime running I use a head torch as I would hate to relay on the backlight.
I wonder why it affects this model so aggressively versus the Fenix range where it doesn't to the same degree.
Yes it does have that impact! On the 2 I saw much faster drain times w the backlight up, but had to have it high to even have a chance to read it. The 2X makes everything not only bigger but clearer, and I didn't need to turn the backlight up as much, thus saving battery.
What is your daily driver these days for watches?
Why do need the backlight so bright? It's perfectly visible in normal light conditions with no backlight. Do you have a messed up screen ?
A realistic battery life review....thanks!
Hi. Love your reviews. I've bought an instinct 2X tactical version to use alongside my Epix gen 2 after watching the reviews of you Desfit and DC Rainmaker. I use my watches mostly to track Strength Training and other gym based workouts.
I saw something strange with the instinct 2X though and would highly appreciate any help with that. The background color changes from black to white continuously during each sets while doing Strength Training though I've selected the background colour as black in the activity settings. I could find from the internet that by turning off auto climb feature and toggling invert colours off in the auto climb settings, this can be prevented. But there's no auto climb setting or invert colour toggle in Strength Training settings. Have you noticed this. And if so do you have a solution for this. Thanks in advance 😊
Hey! Thanks for the compliment. And that is such a strange occurrence you are having! I unfortunately don't know anything, and haven't heard anything, about that issue, so I don't have a good suggestion for you!
What kind of real world battery life can be expected without solar charging. I bought mine from the US and shipped it to India as the Coyote Tan Tactical version wasn't available here. I use 40% brightness for general use and 30% for activities and 5% during sleep. With these profiles my battery shows to last 36 days but in reality I get only around 16 days. Is this normal
I use the watch for around 1 -2 hrs a day for gym-based activities with no satellites turned on. Since I'm in India, I will have to ship it back if it's not normal 😢
@@govindkrishna9528 yes - 16 is totally right w those specs. Sorry!
For me the perfect match to my Epix. Love them both for different situations.
But you use 70% display light? Wow, I use 5% and it could be even lower. My battery life is really good. 30days easy
Yes could totally see that! And yes - just like it brighter than most!
The one thing I'm going to miss when swapping my fenix 7 for the instinct 2x is the projected calories feature. I've never seen that on any garmin except the fenix and I have no idea why a basic feature like that would be omitted from almost every garmin watch.
Interesting! I've never noticed that. Thanks for pointing out!
Does the 2x vibrate to notification when charging? Cos it drives me crazy on my instinct 2
Oh yes. They all do. May want to turn on Do Not Disturb when you set it on charger
I'm really surprised the battery life isn't more on the two sizes below the 2x. People online complain about the batt life of the 965 compared to the 955, but 12 days batt life is the same as the 965 with always on display off. The 255/265 and 955/965 seem better to me across the board, except for the flashlight.
With backlight on 5-10% show me battery life about 40+ days. After 8 days 82%...
@@ludekpertl great - thank you for commenting!
Yes the backlight burns a lot of battery, and I don't get much sun! I also didn't mention but put in description that I have pulse ox on at night, so that adds to it. Thanks for asking - looks like other reply confirms much better life at lower backlight
Tough.. I found a fenix 7 brand new in box for $450. Since that would be the same price as this, what do you think would be the better option? Fenix, you lose flashlight but have maps and touchscreen 🤷♂️
You found a brand new F7 for $450?! Holy cow that's great! Yes - it's still tough call but that is much higher quality build and screen res. Plus should receive better updates over time.
@@fitgearhunter thanks
@@fitgearhunter you reckon they'll keep supporting 2022 F7 longer than 2023 I2x?
@@channul4887 yes and no - mostly that the F7 will get more unique updates and possible features bc it is flagship.
Get the fenix !!!
What are your thoughts on this for CrossFit over the instinct crossover? I have the crossover and the screen is too difficult to read.
1,000% agree - I had a tough time reading the crossover screen too, and the instinct 2X solved all of it - bigger screen for one, but they increased the brightness capabilities and even the clarity/contrast - it's a much better experience, and I found it usable for sure.
@@fitgearhunter thank you
My skin is sensitive to the silicone band. May I know where did you buy the nylon strap shown in this video?
For sure - making a whole video on band options literally now!
That one is the expensive Garmin Tactical Nylon band - amzn.to/46gc2vr
I also like the aftermarket one here too - amzn.to/3qWBkif
@@fitgearhunter i thank you very much!
@@galaxysuar sure! And here is video!
th-cam.com/video/KDCIIKNudko/w-d-xo.html
Is the Garmin Instinct still a good watch in 2023? Planning to buy just to record walks. I already have a 1030 Plus to record bike rides.
Depends! The I1 didn't have advanced training dynamics, which includes training effect, recovery time, training status, training load, etc. if you can accomplish it all w only the 1030 then it would be fine for GPS tracks and basic heart rate! But if wanting the wellness/recovery/sleep score then not as much
@@fitgearhunter Thanks for your reply! I just want a basic tracker for all my works to aid in my dying battery on my XZ1 Compact with the Strava app. No need for fancy stuff
@@MegaXtc11 got it!
Got mine for 370euros the day when it was released to public. It gets 1% per 50k lux. Tho i dont know how you ppl can get 100k lux by being 2 hours outside. Keeping your hand up in the air towards the sun? I am in a marina so sun is the above and below me and barely get 100k in 8 hours, sometimes not even that. But its still good. It would mean about +2% while watch uses also about 2% a day with hr on. Dont leave your watch in the sun to charge, it will overheat and ruin your battery a lot sooner then its meant to last. Display glass is very easy skratched so put some protection, got two dots on mine the same day i unpacked it. It can have unlimited battery if everything is off, using it as it meant to be battery can last 10-12 to 20 days.
Not sure about backlight(is it the night backlight?) mine is at 20%, but every setting seems the same. Very visible.
Do you think the band you used in this video is better than the original one? The original one is a little too thick for me so I'm considering to buy a flat one.
Honestly think that it is a much better option to use a third-party bands, personally. I very much like the ability to change bands using the quickfit system, versus the one that comes fixed on it out of the box
So would you recommend it over the garmin 955?
I personally would, yes for sure. But I would not use the mapping the 955 would have available to it. I just love the flashlight and it has all the higher level training analytics, and for me the design hits Home
If you turn off auto light and couple other things, you'll get way more battery. I have the original Garmin Instinct, non solar, and I get 14 days stand by with 3 hours GPS usage.
6 days out of regular Instinct 2 must be a world record, that backlight at 100% is killing the run time.
Yes - it really does. Another subscriber confirmed 40+ days at 10%
I just bought it for the sleep, heart rate and ‘battery/readiness’ feature. As a firefighter we get calls during the middle of our sleep and I want to see how work affect my day to day life. What would be your opinion on that situation as I’m still waiting for the watch to be delivered
I think you'll love this one! Have been using mine for a week for similar uses you mentioned. With your occupation, I think you'll find the flash light function more useful than expected! Flashlight has been surprisingly useful for me in situations
@@franklin4260 awesome! Thanks for the feedback, I now have the watch but haven’t been on duty yet !
I got the red one. A big disappointment (color). It's so hard to match the red with any clothing outfit. The red isn't really red, its more orange/pink. I cant find a red anything that matches..
My buttons are also not clicking anymore in my first month of use.
Everything else on the watch is fine/great.
Well that stinks on the color! I wondered how it actually looked in real life, are you within 30 days can you send it back and then purchase a new one?
@@fitgearhunter maybe. I'll check. Good idea
@@fitgearhunter on my last week. I started a return. Thanks for the recommendation.
Disappointing about the battery. Great reviews and coverage about the watch.
I know! But def note - it's only bc of increased backlight to higher than 20%.
And thank you so much!
Are you still using the Instinct 2x?? Or is there any bether to go to Watch out there??
Good question! I had to switch to the Epix pro just to be able to make sure I was testing and tracking the latest developments, but I still think the instinct 2X is my favorite watch for the price
If you had to pick one of Instinct 2x fenix7 and epix gen2 . What one did you pick then?
70% Luminosity is HUGE and for the quality of the screen is overkill. I can see perfectly with 10% so I bet you can squeeze some more battery juice from there.
Oh definitely- WAY more. Others have confirmed too. Thanks!
Aye it's a cool watch.
You do realise you can't knock the transflective screens when you're a shut in because they're meant to work like Gameboy screens and capture lights from external sauces so you can see it
Huh :D wibration is the best - dont need a alarm clock enymore :)
Completely. I haven't used an Alarm Clock for about six years since I have had a watch ha ha
My eyesight is horrible actually I hate bright stuff. My phone is always on minimum. I have both most common eyesight problems togheter I have 7.0 on each eye. My brightness is on 20% I barely use it tho the back-light. I use the flashlight alot and the GPS because I ride my bike everyday for hours. I get around 70lux a day apart from weekends. I got the watch about a month ago. Still says it has 13 days left. Kinda odd you getting way less 🤔 as I really use GPS for around 2h a day
Oh and about the vibration I actually like it. When I'm riding it helps to see when I get a call and a turn etc. On my fenix 7x ima be honest I don't even notice it vibrates when I'm riding even when I'm working too xD
Yes completely on all! I know - the battery was surprising, so I tested and re-tested, and it came out the same. That's awesome for what you're getting
@@fitgearhunter could your battery be faulty? Or is really the solar so powerful on this one? Even tho I might get 50k lux 5 days a week or 4 days I still use GPS alot ao my battery should drain faster I think. None the less it's a good watch. I just find the buttons bit eh same with fenix 7x. On this one they are clicky yeah but in the fenix nope and it just feels weird for me. I was too used to g shocks haha
@@jarlofrivia ha - good old g-shocks. Yes - it's a really solid offering. Not sure if mines faulty bc I found the same drain on the I2 w the backlight up. I may test it with it down but the review schedule is a bit packed too. Thanks for sharing!
I need 1.25 reading glasses too 😅
Haha - it's the worst haha
I really like that I can make out the time at night, without my glasses on! (yes, that's an achievement for me over any other watch I have owned)
I moved on from an awesome Casio Protrek (not a smartwatch but triple sensor) to the Instinct 2X solar. Loving it so far.
Battery life - much less than the Casio - which is not chargeable, but never needed it over 6+ years. I don't spend a lot of time in the sun either, but it's way better than the ~2 days of some other name brand smart watches.
I don't mind the strong vibration for alerts, because you can be selective about which alerts use it.
Lag - yep, it does that. It's not a big problem for me against the other benefits.
Thanks for a great review 🙂
Thanks so much! And yes - the readability is so much better than in instincts past. Glad you are liking it!
I really liked the watch but ultimately send it back. It can only store 50 Waypoints for courses. That's way too less. Great watch, but that kills it for me. Sad.
Oh no so sorry! Yes that's not something I even come across in testing - maybe the F7X would be the way to go!
@dm976 and for anyone else who found this to be a deal breaker, Garmin got rid of the 50 point limit on courses in a software update at end of 2023. HUGE update and selling point for any trail folks out there considering this imo.
.. oh.. and got Instinct 2X for $350!!
I would love an AmOLED display in the Instinct case with a flashlight. I bet that woul sell like hotcakes! Let’s call it the Distinct X
Interesting call! Maybe a black and white amoled!
no it wouldn't.
oled will burn out sooner or later .
it's one of the reasons why I went specifically with instinct 2x.
Important note for those wanting to buy this want
**HE DOESNT MENTION THAT
1. THERE ARE NOOOO OFFLINE MAPS AT ALL AND LOADED MAPS WAY POINT ARENT ABLE TO HOLD BIGGER RACES THAN A 5K
2. THE TACTICAL MODEL IS 50$ MORE SO ITS $500 NOT 450$
I would almost consider one of these but putting the word tactical on the face is so stupid on it's face, pun intended, that alone is a deal killer for me. I am retired military and I am so tired of our societies wannabe militarization that I can't stand it anymore. The constant wearing of the flag, especially the subdued flag, the jingoistic tshirts, the don't tread on me tags, flags and t-shirts, the screaming eagles with fangs, you get the picture. All of the wannabe operators in their "tactical' gear is just something I wish would go out of style immediately. Here is a clue, that aint a watch, its an electronic device attached to an email account to tactically track you right down to every breath you take. No fuckin thanks.
Yes I can totally understand that!. The Tactix has no markings, but I can understand the frustration
you can get the Instinct 2x (non tactical edition)
Haters going to hate. 🎉
Just get the non tactical version. Problem solved. Everyone happy