Garmin Instinct 2S Rugged GPS Smartwatch, Graphite

I wanted a simple watch that looked rugged and provides all the basic stats. I am not an athlete but do look after my health. The stats are similar to a cheaper watch I was using so they are fairly accurate. The size of the watch is good for a smaller male wrist although the straps are a little on the short size. Aftermarket straps are a little harder to get for this watch than the full size version but they are available.The companion app on my iphone is collecting all the stats I need and interfacing with Apple health too.I wanted a watch that looks like a rugged watch rather than a fitness watch and I don’t really care for Amoled either. The functions are easy to work with using the buttons too. I’m very pleased with it.

OK, full disclosure, I really like this watch. No, REALLY like it. I have now bought 4!These ranged from the first incarnation, through the Instinct 2 solar (I have large wrists) and 2 of the smaller 2S for my wife and son.I am not going to go through the myriad of features and functions - there are a host of other places that can give you that info.What does this give you that you didn't get before?Sleep profile : We all have busy lives and understanding how good (or poor) your sleep was really helps plan your activities - if you are training for an event, knowing that you didn't sleep particularly well can help avoid injuries; or maybe not staying out later than you should? If you don't sleep well, this really helps show how changing your routine can help (or hinder) it.Body Battery : Yes, this is closely linked to the sleep profile, but understanding how drained your body gets is incredibly useful. I am working on doing longer stints on the rowing machine and working out when I can push and when I need to take it easy really helps me avoid getting over-tired which is when you are most likely to have an injury.Battery life : 3 weeks, yup. And that is without the solar option - which is great, but only for the larger watch faces as there is a larger surface area for the solar receptors. I mean - what is the point of having a watch like this, but it runs out of juice in a few days?Activity monitor : It doesn't matter what activity you do, but the likelihood is that this watch will give you the ability to monitor it. Just to let you know though, the use of activity monitors does significantly reduce the battery life. As a guide, I use about an hours monitor every day and this reduces the battery by about 40% This is totally impractical with other watches (you'd spend your life recharging it!), but with the Instinct battery life, it is not a problem.Sat Nav : Garmin's positioning is excellent, so if you are keen on recording how far you go on cycling, walking or running sessions then this is truly superb.Practicality : Being able to wear the watch all the time (apart from the occasional recharge) is really excellent. The strap has lots of holes, so sweat and water tends to disapate easier than full covered straps. Some might consider that that a lack of touch screen is a downside; but I am not convinced. A watch is not really large enough for that to be practical.Net result; you do need to learn the buttons, but it is pretty obvious and shouldn't take too long. You can adjust the watch face to fit in with your presonal preferences. Another warning; some of the faces do drain the battery faster than normal.So, great battery life, super activity options, a good price and it helps understand your physical wellbeing. What is not to love?

Excellent value for money. I'm so impressed and I haven't even set the whole thing up properly. It lost a star because the strap was sooo tight. It did say that the strap was small but I could only get it in the last hole.

There’s plenty of info on its functionality which is indeed beyond excellent so I’m going to focus on size here. After a massive amount of to and fro I decided on the 2s since I want to wear it 24/7. I know many who go for the smaller screen do so because the 2regular and 2x can seem a little conspicuous against everyday clothes. However, my main concern was sensitivity. It could be just me but I find it hard to ignore the feel of big watches. I feel constantly aware of them and eventually get tired of adjusting them to make them more comfortable. Adding and removing layers with a big watch getting caught in the sleeves can also drive me demented. That’s why I wanted to go with the 2s.The problem I had is that Garmin advertises the 2s for “smaller wrists” and ships them with smaller bands. My wrists are 185mm which is about the male average or just slightly above it. That made me concerned that the 2s would look too small on me. Others had similar concerns which only reinforced my own. After borrowing a 2regular for a couple of days and confirming its size would indeed irritate me I decided to take a chance with the 2s. I am both relieved and delighted I did. It looks fantastic. Extraordinarily neat looking but also still a good size watch. Not small looking in the slightest. The screen is just as easy to read as the larger 2 regular and there’s no scenario in which I haven’t been able to read it in any of its modes. I’m down to the last hole on the wrist band but there are good band replacements for very little money. That said, I really love the band that came with it for its comfort.And it’s on that last point, this watch wins most points with me. Hands down this is the most comfortable watch I’ve ever worn. I sleep with it on (which I’ve never been able to do with other watches), shower with it and go about my daily life without ever knowing it’s there until I need it. Some people love big watches and that’s fine. But some of us don’t, and I think Garmin limited their market for the 2s by only advertising it as “a watch for smaller wrists” rather than adding “and a watch for people who like bespoke sizes.”

I bought the 2S as I have smallish wrists (17cm) - watch was a bit smaller than I expect but still OK, until I tried to put it on - the strap is tiny. I could barely do it up and was left with a tag end from the buckle of only 2 cm. It looked plain wrong and hence I returned it and re-ordered the standard size, which was actually perfect for me. The 2S is for kids and small women, that should be made clear in the description. You only have to look at online reviews to find many people returning the watch because of the strap. Oh and the return process - 3 weeks to get a refund! Amazon Customer Service were very helpful in chasing it up, but there's something not right with the Seller in all this. I'd advise only buying from Amazon with higher value purchases.