I picked the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar over watches from Apple, Samsung and Google – as it's now cheaper than ever
There's so much I like about this Garmin watch
If you're in the market for a new watch this Amazon Prime Day deals week, then I've got a recommendation for you: the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar.
I'll explain what makes it so good in a moment, but first of all you need the headlines regarding the price: thanks to Prime Day, this watch will now cost you $299.99 rather than $399.99 in its 45 mm size.
Check out the Garmin Instinct 3 deal on Amazon.com
A quick bit of math will tell you that works out as a 25% reduction, which means you're making a substantial saving over the original price. If you've been thinking you're due a smartwatch upgrade – or maybe you're picking up a wearable like this for the first time – it's a great opportunity.
The 'Solar' part of the Instinct 3 name tells you that this is one of Garmin's solar-powered models. While the battery life is rated at 28 days on a single charge, thanks to the low-energy monochrome screen, if you're in a part of the world that gets enough sunshine then you will (in theory) never have to charge this watch at all – ever!
Compare that to a lot of the smartwatches from rivals like Apple, Google, and Samsung, where you generally need to make sure you don't forget to charge these devices every night. That's a huge contrast to the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar. I've got enough gadgets to worry about charging without adding a smartwatch too.
Packed with features and rugged looks
You'll notice that the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar comes with a rugged aesthetic, for the simple fact it is rugged. It's well-protected against knocks, scratches, and the great outdoors. Having a fashion statement on your wrist is all well and good, but you're just one accident away from it being significantly damaged.
The Garmin Instinct 3 Solar
As always with Garmin watches, this is a wearable packed with features. It'll measure your steps, calories, sleep, stress, blood oxygen saturation, and more. You can log much more in the companion Garmin Connect app too, giving you a holistic look at the bigger picture of your health and well-being.
GPS is built-in for navigation – and for showing my heat maps when I play 5-a-side soccer – and the built-in flashlight has also come in handy more than once when I've been without my phone. There are smart notifications from your phone here as well, reducing the time you need to spend looking at your Android or iPhone screen.
It's undoubtedly one of my favorite gadgets out of the many I own currently, and I'm keeping a keen eye out for the Instinct 4 too (though it won't be here for a while). Now that it's at three-quarters of the original price, it's even more appealing – and hard to beat for a smartwatch bargain this Prime Day.
