Garmin has announced the Instinct 2 series - rugged smartwatches designed to withstand the elements.

They come with impressive battery life, are available in multiple sizes and colours, and offer a variety of health features, such as VO2 Max, menstrual, pregnancy, and hydration tracking, and Garmin's "Sleep Score" monitoring technology.

Garmin launches Instinct 2 series of rugged watches for the outdoorsy type photo 5
Garmin

The Instinct 2 series consists of the 2 and 2S. The 2 has a 45mm bezel and offers military standard 810 for thermal and shock resistance and is water rated to 100 metres, while the 2S has a 40mm bezel. Both offer a new high-resolution, scratch-resistant glass display and are available in the Instinct 2 Solar, standard (non-solar), Surf, Tactical, and Camo editions.

Garmin launches Instinct 2 series of rugged watches for the outdoorsy type photo 2
Garmin

Here is how each of those editions differ:

  • Instinct 2 Solar: Solar-equipped watch that notably features unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode. It also now includes Garmin Pay for payments on the go.
  • Surf Editions: Dedicated water sports activities such as surf, windsurfing, and kitesurfing, as well as a tides widget, keeping you up to date on ocean conditions. (Surf editions are available in Instinct 2 and Instinct 2S with or without solar.)
  • Tactical Editions: Popular with military personnel, the Instinct 2 Solar - Tactical Edition adds tactical features such as a Kill Switch, Stealth Mode, Night Vision Goggle Compatibility, Dual Format Position Coordinates, and Jumpmaster Activity mode. Available in Coyote Tan or Black.
  • Camo Editions: Graphite and Mist Camo patterns let you blend in everywhere.

With Garmin’s Your Watch, Your Way program, you can also build customised Instinct 2 or 2S Solar versions in a variety of bezel and band choices, with more than 240 different design combinations.

Garmin launches Instinct 2 series of rugged watches for the outdoorsy type photo 4
Garmin

Garmin's Instinct 2 Series is also compatible with the Garmin Connect IQ store, to access apps, widgets, watch faces, data fields, and more. But the watches come preloaded with sports apps and activities, including a new multisport activity that allows you to transition between activities and continue to view your total time and distance. Plus, when an Instinct 2 watch is paired to Garmin Connect Mobile and an incident is detected, Garmin Connect Mobile can send a message with your name and location (if available) to your emergency contacts.

The Garmin Instinct 2 series is available now with a starting suggested retail price of £299.99 in the UK, $349.99 in the US

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Garmin Instinct 2 Solar

Garmin lets you go for longer with the solar version of the Instinct 2, with the possibility of eking out unlimited battery life.