The Garmin Instinct crossover solar introduction.
Introducing the best watch The Garmin Instinct Crossover is a cutting-edge outdoor smartwatch. that seamlessly blends style with advanced functionality. Designed to cater to the needs of outdoor enthusiasts, this watch boasts an array of features that make it stand out in the world of adventure wearables.
The Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar Review.
The Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar is one of my top picks for activity watches in 2022. It’s essentially a Garmin Instinct 2 but with notable upgrades such as an enhanced chipset and the introduction of analogue hands. These analog hands are powered by Garmin’s innovative ‘RevoDrive technology,’ a feature that sets it apart.
The RevoDrive technology plays a crucial role in maintaining the watch’s accuracy, especially in challenging situations like sudden impacts or time zone changes. Unlike traditional analogue watches that may lose accuracy under such circumstances, the Instinct Crossover uses satellite technology to calibrate and ensure precise timekeeping automatically.
Beyond its durability and accuracy, the Instinct Crossover’s hands serve a functional purpose. Activating the RevoDrive technology is as simple as pressing any function button (excluding the light). This action temporarily halts the analogue timekeeping, causing the hands to swivel and align horizontally between the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. This feature allows users to fully utilise the smart capabilities of the Garmin Instinct 2.
While the Instinct Crossover is undeniably a capable adventure watch, some may find its price tag a bit steep for the overall package. Despite this, its combination of advanced features, durability, and the novelty of analogue hands make it a standout choice, earning its place as one of the best Garmin watches and a top contender in the hybrid outdoor watch category.
Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar feature review.
The Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar is loaded with numerous functions and features, most of which are already familiar from the Instinct 2. It excels at activity tracking, providing notifications for floors climbed, distance travelled, steps taken, and various health metrics, including sleep and the valuable Body Battery score, indicating your readiness for the next adventure. However, it lacks the more advanced Training Readiness feature. it is Constant heart rate monitoring, heart rate variability measurement, and an estimated respiration rate make the Instinct Crossover an excellent outdoor companion. It offers environmental information such as sunrise, sunset, GPS coordinates, elevation details, and distance from a designated destination directly on the watch face, all customisable through the app.
Cycling and swimming profiles offer similar functionality, adapting metrics like speed, cadence, lengths, and stroke counts. Like the Instinct 2, the Crossover serves well as a triathlon watch, blending style and functionality for those seeking a unique yet informative device.Regrettably, there’s no onboard music, only music control, which feels lacking at this price point.
Some features present in other watches, like the Garmin Forerunner 955, are missing, such as onboard music storage, a training readiness score, a daily morning report digest, Pace Pro pacing tools, and topographical maps. While acknowledging challenges with incorporating maps due to the analogue hands, their absence is notably felt, especially given the Crossover’s outdoor focus.
As a dedicated runner, I extensively tested the watch during runs up to around 14 miles. The GPS integration, on-wrist running power, and TracBack for returning to the start of a route are impressive. The autolap feature provides timely updates, resembling conventional running apps. Garmin’s decision to position the Crossover above the Instinct, bringing it close to the premium Forerunner and Fenix ranges, might not be ideal. While the Instinct 2 offers exceptional value at its current price, the Crossover, though a fantastic alternative, struggles to compete with other watches in the $500, £500, or AU$1,000 price range, missing out on topographical map functionality and specialised sporting features found in Garmin’s higher-end models.
The Garmin Instinct Crossover sloar specifications.
| Component | Garmin Instinct Crossover |
| Price | $499.99, £479.99, or AU$999.99 |
| Dimensions | 45 x 45 x 16.2 mm |
| Case/bezel | Fiber-reinforced polymer or stainless steel |
| Display | 176 x 176 px, MIP, chemically-strengthened glass |
| GPS? | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO |
| Battery life | 28 days (25 hours GPS) |
| Connection | Bluetooth, ANT+ |
| Water-resistant? | Yes, 10ATM (100 metres) |
armin Forerunner955. Right: Garmin Instinct CrossoverThe Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar vs. Garmin Forerunner 955 Health feature review.
In our testing experience, the GPS on the watch proved highly accurate, comparable to both the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar and the Apple Watch Ultra. It reliably measured my speed in time per kilometre and delivered consistent heart rate measurements. I’m completely satisfied with its precision, especially after comparing it with other high-end watches. It’s become my go-to for everyday running without any reservations.
The heat-map design of the routes displayed in the app caught my attention, and the watch seamlessly integrated with Strava, automatically uploading my runs. The LiveTrack feature, allowing remote monitoring of my runs by friends and family, worked flawlessly.
While I don’t personally need onboard music and maps, preferring Spotify and keeping my phone with me, I understand how trail runners might find these features useful. In such cases, the Garmin Forerunner might be a better fit. Personally, I prefer having my phone with me for safety reasons, given my asthma, as it might be necessary to stop and call for assistance, although that hasn’t happened yet.
The watch’s size took some getting used to; it’s big and bulky. Despite its stylish appearance, its extra thickness was noticeable, particularly bulging under my sleeve during the day and feeling somewhat obtrusive at night. Nevertheless, it wasn’t uncomfortable to wear, thanks to Garmin’s excellent silicone straps.
The watch delivered a comprehensive set of Garmin’s baseline health metrics, offering detailed insights like daily stress scores categorised by minutes of rest, low, medium, and high energy. Continuous heart rate monitoring and an HRV score were also provided. Customising the watch face configuration allowed me to display the information I wanted. The 176 x 176px monochrome display, while basic, adds to its charm. The analogue watch concept limits screen interactions compared to a full smartwatch, providing the best of both worlds. The Crossover’s display reminded me of a Casio LCD screen, contributing to its retro charm. I genuinely fell in love with it, and the RevoDrive technology consistently maintained accurate time despite frequent mode changes
The Garmin Instinct Crossover solar battery review
Smartwatch mode offers a battery life of 28 days.
The device can run for 25 hours in GPS mode.
- The solar-extended unit extends the battery life significantly, providing an impressive 70 days of usage.
The standard Instinct Crossover boasts up to 28 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 25 hours in GPS mode, as claimed by Garmin. - With moderate GPS usage, I found that the battery lasted nearly three weeks in real-world usage, matching Garmin’s estimate. Charging the watch took just under an hour.
- The Garmin Instinct crossover solar version promises an extended battery life of 70 days when using solar power. This impressive duration is achievable with approximately three hours of outdoor exposure daily, thanks to its Power Glass technology. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the solar version for testing.
- Battery life score: 4.5/5,
- reflecting the device’s commendable longevity and efficient charging.
Weighing the Ups and Downs of the The Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar
| pros | cons |
| A new GPS chip with 5 satellite systems | More expensive than Instinct 2 |
| Analogue hands! | No maps is a miss at a price point |
| Good battery life | Hands break up the screen |
conclusion.
The Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar stands out as a reliable and feature-packed outdoor smartwatch. With a battery life of up to 28 days in smartwatch mode and 25 hours in GPS mode, it delivers on Garmin’s promises. In my real-world testing, the watch lasted around 18 days with moderate GPS usage, and a quick charge of under an hour got it back to full power. The Solar version offers an impressive 70 days of solar-extended use, contingent on spending about three hours outdoors daily to maximise its Power Glass technology. Unfortunately, I couldn’t test this version
