Hurry! Garmin's longest-lasting smartwatch is on sale for 33% off right now

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The Garmin Instinct 2 just keeps going and going and going

Garmin Instinct 2.
(Image credit: Future)

Reaching for your smartwatch before leaving the house only to find the battery is dead is nothing short of a drag. This is especially true when you’re headed out for a workout and want to use said smartwatch to track your efforts.

Fortunately, Garmin makes a smartwatch that technically never needs to be recharged, given enough access to the sun. And right now, it’s on sale. The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is just $299, reduced from $399 via REI, while the standard Garmin Instinct 2 is only $199, down from $299 @ Best Buy.

The standard version doesn’t recharge via celestial power, but the battery is still good for up to 28 days per charge.

Garmin Instinct 2 Solar
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar: was $399 now $299 at REI

Hate recharging your smartwatch? The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is for you. With enough sunlight, this sporty and comfortable GPS watch never needs to be recharged. Of course, if you're using location tracking often, you may need to seek out a wall outlet sooner or later.

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Garmin Instinct 2
Garmin Instinct 2: was $299 now $199 at Best Buy

The standard Instinct 2 is also on sale and despite lacking solar charging, it still promises up to 28 days of battery life per charge or 70 hours with GPS tracking. Plus, the Instinct 2 boasts tons of workout training and recovery tools, valuable sleep insights and accurate heart health monitoring.

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Both the Solar and standard editions come in two sizes and all four options are eligible for the $100 discount. The full-sized Instinct 2 (Solar) model sports a 45mm case while the smaller Instinct 2S (Solar) has a 40mm case. I prefer the bigger boy on my fairly average-sized 6.5-inch wrist but those with daintier wrists may find the 2S to be a better fit.

In addition to jaw-dropping battery life, the Instinct 2 also boasts precise GPS location tracking, support for an enormous range of activity types, advanced training and recovery tools, a comfortable and sporty design, and even support for Garmin Pay.

You also get a healthy amount of water resistance at 100 meters (that’s double the Apple Watch 10) and a hard-hitting Military Standard 810 rating. In terms of holistic tools, the Instinct 2 boasts accurate heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen saturation readings, detailed sleep insights and more.

Ultimately, there’s a very good reason we named the device a ‘near-perfect GPS smartwatch for outdoor sports enthusiasts’ in our Garmin Instinct 2 review. And as a hardcore outdoor adventure lover myself, it’s easily among my favorite smartwatches currently available for tracking my efforts in mother nature.

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Dan Bracaglia
Dan Bracaglia
Senior Writer, Fitness & Wearables

Dan Bracaglia is the Tom’s Guide editorial lead for all things smartwatches, fitness trackers and outdoor gear. With 15 years of experience as a consumer technology journalist testing everything from Oura Rings to instant cameras, Dan is deeply passionate about helping readers save money and make informed purchasing decisions. In the past year alone, Dan has assessed major product releases from the likes of Apple, Garmin, Google, Samsung, Polar and many others. 

An avid outdoor adventurer, Dan is based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest where he takes advantage of the beautiful surroundings every chance he gets. A lover of kayaking, hiking, swimming, biking, snowboarding and exploring, he also makes every effort to combine his day job with his passions. When not assessing the sleep tracking and heart rate accuracy of the latest tach gadgets, you can find him photographing Seattle’s vibrant underground music community.