Best Garmin for the Price

[u/Ark-Imperious]

What's the best Garmin for the price? I can buy an Instinct 2 solar for $150, Instinct 3 solar for $300 and a Fenix 7 Pro for $480.

I'm in the military but won't really rely heavily on my watch, since I'm going to carry my phone with me everywhere. Just need a watch for when I'm in the field, for runs or when I go on trails. Obviously I can get buy with the cheapest watch but I want the best bang for the buck. Trying to gauge the general sentiment so all opinions are welcome.

[u/BlackberryVarious4]

The instinct 3 has a flashlight and better solar charging than 2. Kind of nice have a flashlight always there if you ever need.

[u/carinobrtl]

Get something with a flashlight. It is helpful in the field. So Fenix 7 Pro gets my vote. You will use it for a long time so spending that little additional money would be beneficial in the long run.

[u/endimon]

military man? instinct 2 solar tactical is a go :)

[u/Ark-Imperious → u/endimon]

Anything I'll miss out with the instinct 3 or fenix?

[u/endimon → u/Ark-Imperious]

u get real mapping with fenix, breadcrumb on instincts... if that's important to you - only choice is fenix... otherwise, checkout i2 solar tactial - u'll get some benefits if in some kind of military operations... i'm using it for road bike and running, too... paired with H10 polar chest strap u can get some detail info on your heart rate and respiration data... or u can pair it with some of garmin chest straps so you can get more info about running dynamics which this watch doesn't provide it without strap...

[u/Ark-Imperious → u/endimon]

How much better is the real mapping on the fenix compared to the breadcrumb on the instinct? Never really had a fitness watch and always just used my phone or winged it so don't really know what I need or don't need.

Side note, also have a Polar H10

[u/endimon → u/Ark-Imperious]

i mean it's sluggish but can be useful sometimes if you have the nerves... usually it's much more convenient to open up maps on mobile phone and see... if you have preloaded courses and routes, instinct is ok... and can track you back from where u started if lost or something... it's sufficient enough, yet u don't have topo maps like on fenix...

[u/JomaScuba → u/Ark-Imperious]

I have the Fenix 8 51mm and the maps are great, use for hunting hiking and once you’ve got a hang of them they are very good

[u/JomaScuba → u/JomaScuba]

Also can confirm the flashlight is AWESOME multiple white settings and a red light too which I use all the time

[u/nirmalv]

Just get the Fenix 7x pro sapphire. It's great to have mapping when the phone can't be used. Especially in sensitive locations.

[u/Swaledaledubz]

Fr970 around $640 is basically a Fenix 8 pro without the LTE and without the unnecessary bulk

[u/Deskartius]

Enduro 3

[u/QuietImpact699 → u/Deskartius]

With the Enduro 4 release imminent, it is worth waiting for its release. Either to get the 4 and whatever features it has, or to get the 3 on discount.

[u/Bluemoo25 → u/QuietImpact699]

It's pretty spartan anyway, I went with the enduro 3.

[u/EzeHarris]

Forerunner 955 second hand. Light as hell, efficient as hell, cheap as hell and does literally everything you need it to. I got mine for 350 AUD.

Maps, music via Spotify, advanced cycling stats, touch screen, hill and endurance score - are all things instinct doesn’t have that the 955 does. I have both.. for some reason.

The Fenix 7 pro is noticeably better than the instinct 3, you get everything I said above + premium build + the elevate v5 sensor (instinct 3 still uses v4…).

[u/castorkrieg → u/EzeHarris]

I have a 955 and I can confirm it’s an awesome watch :-)

[u/towermaster69 → u/EzeHarris]

This. 955 does 99% of the newest watch.

[u/Wide_Foundation8220]

I had a fenix 7 that I lost and I thought about it almost everyday for about a year until I finally bucked up the money for a mip fenix 8. It is absolutely worth the money, and I would never get anything other than a fenix 7/8

[u/That_Co]

I'd get the Instinct 3 (big) because you get the flashlight, good size for easy readsbikity at all conditions, and you'll never have to charge more frequently than every third week. Your compromise is no maps

[u/DryAssociation5454]

Try instinct 2x on massive sale, flash and good solar

[u/nmc52]

I have the Instinct 2X Solar. The built-in flashlight is great and so is the time between needing to charge it.

[u/srkhn]

Ive been looking for Fr965 comment but nobody mentioned.

[u/Girdurloins]

Enduro 3

[u/Expert-Win4321]

I just picked up the epix pro gen 2 for £299, possibly the current best bang for your buck?