Garmin
Instinct 3 Solar
2025 Instinct with a solar MIP display, 45 and 50 mm
- Best value (based on RRP)
- Longest battery life
The Instinct 3 Solar keeps the Instinct's monochrome memory-in-pixel display with solar charging under a Power Glass lens, with a torch and multi-band GPS, in 45 and 50 mm sizes. Garmin rates the 45 mm at up to 28 days in smartwatch mode before solar charging.
Key specifications
- Overall score
- 4.3 out of 10,Mid-rangeHow we score
- Case size
- from length 45 mm, width 45 mm, height 14.9 mm, to length 50 mm, width 50 mm, height 14.4 mm
- Weight
- from 52 g to 58 g
- Battery life, smartwatch mode
- from 28 days to 40 days
- Battery life, multi-band GPS
- from 24 h to 34 h
- Display type
- Monochrome memory-in-pixel (MIP)
Full specification
Bars, drawing and score: 45 mm, Black, Black band (standard model)
Size and build
- Case size
- from length 45 mm, width 45 mm, height 14.9 mm, to length 50 mm, width 50 mm, height 14.4 mm
- Weight
- from 52 g to 58 g
- Analogue hands
- No
- Water resistance depth
- 100 m
- Materials
- Fibre-reinforced polymer case, fibre-reinforced polymer/aluminium bezel, silicone band
Battery and charging
- Battery life, smartwatch mode
- from 28 days to 40 days
- Battery life, multi-band GPS
- from 24 h to 34 h
- Solar charging
- Yes
Display
- Display type
- Monochrome memory-in-pixel (MIP)
- Display size
- from 23 mm to 27 mm
- Touchscreen
- No
- Sapphire lens
- No
Navigation and connections
- Navigation to a set point
- Built-in GPS
- Multi-band GPS
- Yes
- Preloaded maps
- No
- Wi-Fi
- No
- Satellite messaging
- No
- LTE mobile connection
- No
Sensors
- Digital compass
- Yes
- Altimeter and barometer
- Yes
- Thermometer
- Yes
- Step counter
- Yes
- ECG app
- No
Smart features
- Built-in torch
- Yes
- Contactless payments
- Yes
- Music storage
- No
- Speaker and microphone
- No
- Dive computer (EN 13319)
- No
- Tactical features
- On some models
Variants
6 variants
010-02934-0045 mm, Black, Black bandStandard model- Colour
- Black with black band
- Case size
- length 45 mm, width 45 mm, height 14.9 mm
- Weight
- 52 g
- Battery life, smartwatch mode
- 28 days
- Battery life, multi-band GPS
- 24 h
- Display size
- 23 mm
- Tactical features
- No
- UK model code
010-02934-00- RRP
- £299.99
010-02934-5045 mm, Black, Black band, Tactical- Colour
- Black with Black Band
- Edition
- Tactical Edition
- Case size
- length 45 mm, width 45 mm, height 14.9 mm
- Weight
- 52 g
- Battery life, smartwatch mode
- 28 days
- Battery life, multi-band GPS
- 24 h
- Display size
- 23 mm
- Tactical features
- Yes
- UK model code
010-02934-50- RRP
- £399.99
010-02935-0050 mm, Black, Charcoal band- Colour
- Black with Charcoal Band
- Case size
- length 50 mm, width 50 mm, height 14.4 mm
- Weight
- 58 g
- Battery life, smartwatch mode
- 40 days
- Battery life, multi-band GPS
- 34 h
- Display size
- 27 mm
- Tactical features
- No
- UK model code
010-02935-00- RRP
- £349.99
010-02935-0250 mm, Sunburst, Sunburst/grey band- Colour
- Sunburst with Sunburst/Grey Band
- Case size
- length 50 mm, width 50 mm, height 14.4 mm
- Weight
- 58 g
- Battery life, smartwatch mode
- 40 days
- Battery life, multi-band GPS
- 34 h
- Display size
- 27 mm
- Tactical features
- No
- UK model code
010-02935-02- RRP
- £349.99
010-02935-0350 mm, Whitestone, Black/bolt blue band- Colour
- Whitestone with Black/Bolt Blue Band
- Case size
- length 50 mm, width 50 mm, height 14.4 mm
- Weight
- 58 g
- Battery life, smartwatch mode
- 40 days
- Battery life, multi-band GPS
- 34 h
- Display size
- 27 mm
- Tactical features
- No
- UK model code
010-02935-03- RRP
- £349.99
010-02935-5050 mm, Black, Black band, Tactical- Colour
- Black with Black Band
- Edition
- Tactical Edition
- Case size
- length 50 mm, width 50 mm, height 14.4 mm
- Weight
- 58 g
- Battery life, smartwatch mode
- 40 days
- Battery life, multi-band GPS
- 34 h
- Display size
- 27 mm
- Tactical features
- Yes
- UK model code
010-02935-50- RRP
- £439.99
Alternatives
Chosen from the overall scores, recommended retail prices and sizes of the models on sale in the UK.
Similar
Within a point of its score, closest in score and size
Garmin
fēnix 8 AMOLEDOverall score 4.6 out of 10, Mid-rangeRRP from £699.99
0.3 points higher
Garmin
Instinct 2 SolarOverall score 3.4 out of 10, EntryRRP £299.99
0.9 points lower
Garmin
Instinct 2X SolarOverall score 4.8 out of 10, Mid-rangeRRP from £299.99
0.5 points higher
Better specified
More than a point higher in overall score
Garmin
tactix 7 AMOLEDOverall score 5.9 out of 10, Mid-rangeRRP £949.99
1.6 points higher
Garmin
fēnix 9Overall score 6.0 out of 10, Mid-rangeRRP from £859.99
1.7 points higher
Garmin
fēnix 9 Pro AMOLEDOverall score 6.1 out of 10, Mid-rangeRRP from £949.99
1.8 points higher
Compare with
Each link opens the two side by side in the comparison.
Sources
Specifications last checked on .
Sources (5) Close
Garmin newsroom, Instinct 3 series announcement (opens in a new tab)checked
Covers: Launch date, Tagline.
Garmin UK, Instinct 3 – 45 mm, Solar (opens in a new tab)checked
Covers: Status, Variants, Case size, Weight, Battery life, smartwatch mode, Battery life, multi-band GPS, Solar charging, Display type, Display size, Touchscreen, Sapphire lens, Navigation to a set point, Multi-band GPS, Preloaded maps, Wi-Fi, Satellite messaging, LTE mobile connection, Digital compass, Altimeter and barometer, Thermometer, Step counter, ECG app, Built-in torch, Contactless payments, Music storage, Speaker and microphone, Dive computer (EN 13319), Tactical features, Analogue hands, Water resistance depth, Materials, Tagline, UK availability, Variants sold in the UK, UK RRP.
Garmin UK, Instinct 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition (opens in a new tab)checked
Covers: Status, Variants, Tactical features (010-02934-50), UK availability, Variants sold in the UK, UK RRP.
Garmin UK, Instinct 3 – 50 mm, Solar (opens in a new tab)checked
Covers: Status, Variants, Case size (010-02935-00), Weight (010-02935-00), Battery life, smartwatch mode (010-02935-00), Battery life, multi-band GPS (010-02935-00), Display size (010-02935-00), Case size (010-02935-02), Weight (010-02935-02), Battery life, smartwatch mode (010-02935-02), Battery life, multi-band GPS (010-02935-02), Display size (010-02935-02), Case size (010-02935-03), Weight (010-02935-03), Battery life, smartwatch mode (010-02935-03), Battery life, multi-band GPS (010-02935-03), Display size (010-02935-03), UK availability, Variants sold in the UK, UK RRP.
Garmin UK, Instinct 3 – 50 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition (opens in a new tab)checked
Covers: Status, Variants, Case size (010-02935-50), Weight (010-02935-50), Battery life, smartwatch mode (010-02935-50), Battery life, multi-band GPS (010-02935-50), Display size (010-02935-50), Tactical features (010-02935-50), UK availability, Variants sold in the UK, UK RRP.