Garmin Instinct 3 Solar

Works with: iPhone and Android
Display: MIP, 0.9 in
Case sizes: 45 / 50 mm
Battery: 28 days
GPS battery: 40 hours
Water resistance: 10 ATM
Weight: 52 g

We earn a commission from qualifying Amazon purchases made through our links, at no extra cost to you. This never affects our specs. How we make money.

Find it in these categories

Garmin Instinct 3 Solar at a glance

Battery

Weeks between charges

Up to 28 days in smartwatch mode. 40 hours with GPS. Solar charging.
GPS

Multi-band GPS

No maps. Runs and rides without your phone.
Display

MIP, 0.9 in

0.9 in.
Health

Heart, sleep and more

Measures blood oxygen and HRV.
Phone & smart

iPhone and Android

Payments.
Build

10 ATM water rating

52 g. 2 case sizes.

Garmin Instinct 3 Solar full specifications

Overview

Brand	Garmin
Model	Instinct 3 Solar
Series	Instinct
Versions	Instinct 3 – 50 mm, Solar, Instinct 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition, Instinct 3 – 50 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition

Platform & apps

Works with iPhone and Android phones, running Garmin.

It has an app store for extra apps and watch faces.

Operating system	Garmin
Works with	iPhone and Android
Storage	0.125 GB
App store	Yes

Display

A memory-in-pixel screen: always on, easy to read in sunlight and very light on the battery.

0.9 in.

Display type	MIP
Screen size	0.9 in
Resolution	176 x 176
Colour display	No

Design & durability

Comes in 2 case sizes (45, 50 mm) weighing 52 g.

Rated 10 ATM: fine for swimming, snorkelling and water sports.

Case sizes	45 / 50 mm
Dimensions	45 x 45 x 14.9 mm
Thickness	14.9 mm
Weight (case)	52 g
Case material	fiber-reinforced polymer
Bezel material	fiber-reinforced polymer/aluminum
Lens	Power Glass
Band material	silicone
Band width	22 mm
Band fitting	QuickFit 22 mm
Fits wrists	137-204 mm
Water resistance	10 ATM

Battery

Weeks between charges: up to 28 days in smartwatch mode, more with solar.

With GPS on, up to 40 hours, or 24 hours in multi-band mode. Real battery life depends on screen brightness, notifications and workouts.

Battery (smartwatch mode)	28 days
Battery (GPS)	40 hours
Battery (multi-band GPS)	24 hours
All battery modes	Smartwatch: 28 days; Battery saver: 65 days; GPS: 40 hours; All satellite systems: 28 hours; Multi-band GPS: 24 hours; Max battery GPS: 4.2 days
Solar charging	Yes
Battery type	Lithium ion
Charging	proprietary-plug

GPS & navigation

Built-in multi-band GPS for accurate tracks, even near tall buildings and trees.

Navigation shows a breadcrumb trail, not a full map.

GPS	Built-in
Multi-band GPS	Yes
Satellite systems	GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
Automatic GNSS mode	Yes
Maps	Breadcrumb trail
Navigation features	back-to-start, waypoints

Health & sensors

Tracks heart rate around the clock, plus blood oxygen and HRV.

For sleep, it offers sleep coaching.

Sensors	optical HR, SpO2, barometer, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, thermometer
Heart-rate sensor	Garmin Elevate
Heart-rate tracking	24/7
High/low heart-rate alerts	Yes
Heart-rate variability	Yes
Blood oxygen (SpO2)	Yes
Respiration rate	Yes
Sleep tracking	Sleep coaching
Stress tracking	Yes
Energy score	Body Battery
Readiness score	Training Readiness
Cycle tracking	Yes

Safety

Has an emergency SOS feature.

SOS works through your paired phone. Live tracking lets friends follow your workouts.

Emergency SOS	Via phone
Incident detection	Yes
Live tracking	Yes

Training

Built for training, with the metrics serious athletes use.

It adds a triathlon mode, running power and daily suggested workouts.

Auto activity detection	Yes
Triathlon / multisport	Yes
Swim tracking	Pool and open water
Underwater heart rate	Yes
Training metrics	VO2 max, training load, training effect, recovery time, race predictor, lactate threshold, HRV status
Adaptive coaching	Yes
Running dynamics	Yes
Wrist running power	Yes
Strength rep counting	Yes
Heart-rate broadcast	Yes
External sensors	ANT+, foot pod, power meter, speed/cadence, bike radar/lights, CT10 club tracking
Smart trainer control	Yes

Smart features

Smart extras include contactless payments.

Notifications	Yes
Message replies	Android
Contactless payments	Yes
Payment service	Garmin Pay
Find my phone	Yes
Find my watch	Yes
Flashlight	Yes

Diving, golf & more

Specialist modes	golf, tactical

Specs compiled from Garmin's product pages and datasheets. Manufacturers revise hardware between versions, so check the version on the box. Spotted an error? Tell us.