Garmin Instinct E 45mm Black/Gray

I tested the Garmin Instinct E for 2 weeks. This outdoor smartwatch is sturdy, powerful and comfortable. The Instinct E is a basic sports watch without many extra functions. Are you looking for an easy sports watch? Then the Instinct E is for you. Do you want more extensive measurements and analyses of your sports results? Then I recommend the Garmin Instinct 3 or a Garmin Fenix smartwatch.

Size and design I tested the Instinct E 45 millimeters. This is actually too big for my wrist of 14 centimeters in circumference. Still, I think this watch fits quite comfortably. This is due to the plastic watch case and rounded corners. These fit well on my wrist. I do find the watch thick. As a result, it does not always fit well through the sleeve of a tight sweater or t-shirt.

Black and white screen and operation with buttons The Instinct E has a black and white screen. With the button at the top left I make the screen brighter. If there is little light, then this is really necessary. I personally find this a bit inconvenient, but you get used to it. The Instinct E does not have a touchscreen, so I operate the watch with the buttons on the side. I test so many watches with touchscreens that I had to get used to this again. During a workout, I find the buttons handy, because that way I don't accidentally click the wrong button.

2 weeks battery life In the 2 weeks that I have been using the Instinct E, I have charged it once. I exercise an average of 3 times a week: running with GPS on (which uses more battery) and fitness exercises at home without GPS. The watch does not have many other functions. I can read messages from my smartphone, but I can't really answer them with the Instinct E. So I really think of this as a sports watch.

Good sports measurements I have run, skated and done fitness exercises at home with the Instinct E. The watch measures all of this precisely. After my workout, I know, among other things, how many sets I have done, my heart rate zones and how many calories I have burned. I also use this watch to measure my VO2 max, HRV status, body battery, stress level and sleep quality.

Very good registration while swimming.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the watch. It has many uses. Garmin Connect makes it easy to connect to your mobile phone.