While the best Garmin in 2025 is the Garmin Fenix 8, the Fenix 7 is still a formidable choice, especially at a big discount like this.
The Garmin Instinct 3 is a very good sports and outdoors watch but it doesn’t stir strong feelings of tech lust or excitement in me – in a good way. It’s a purely functional, utilitarian gadget, ready to do whatever you want with no frills, aside from the inclusion of a colour AMOLED screen, a first for the Instinct series.
Sporting a G-Shock-mirroring look, I strapped the 45mm black version to my wrist for a month of walking, running and sleeping to see how the new Garmin fared. I’ve been left impressed by a no-nonsense watch that’s a great, non-distracting alternative to an Apple Watch or Pixel Watch if you love the outdoors but don’t care about notifications and apps.
I didn’t get to test the solar version of the Instinct 3 that offers free top ups in battery power simply from being outside in the sun. That version ditches the AMOLED screen for a monochrome, energy sipping Memory-in-Pixel (MIP) version instead, so you’ll have to decide if you want a watch you basically never have to charge, or the one I tested with a nicer display.
Having previously used the Instinct 2 Solar, I actually prefer the perk of never having to charge the watch. I’d have appreciated the new colour screen more if the Instinct 3 had features that would benefit from the upgrade, but it’s mostly aesthetic.
The 8 offers a brighter AMOLED display, but if you want a solar option like this Fenix 7, you won’t notice that difference too much.
Solar charging is generally better on the Fenix 8, and the newer model also lets you take phone calls, issue voice commands, and more.
However, the Fenix 8 costs roughly double the price of this reduced Fenix 7, and on balance, I’d rather save the money. This is a lot of smartwatch for less than $500/£500, and should get you brilliant health and fitness tracking for years to come.
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