Garmin Instinct E 40mm 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.