Garmin Instinct 3 45mm Solar Tactical Edition GPS Watch Black
Meet the rugged GPS smartwatch that is built for the mission with an MIP display with solar charging lens, a metal-reinforced bezel and dedicated tactical features. Choose to see your stats in stunning detail on a solar charging lens in 45 mm or 50 mm sizes with unlimited battery life1. Purpose-built tactical features include a rucking activity that allows users to input pack weight, stealth mode and kill switch, along with access to an Applied Ballistics® solver (requires one-time purchase via the AB Quantum mobile app). Navigate confidently with a 3-axis compass, barometric altimeter and multi-band GPS with SatIQ™ technology, which delivers superior positioning while also optimizing battery life. It is engineered to MIL-STD-810 standards for thermal and shock resistance and is also 10 ATM water-rated. Light the mission with a built-in LED flashlight with a bright, steady beam in either green or white light. The 24/7 health and wellness features keep you connected to your body with heart rate tracking, advanced sleep monitoring2, Pulse Ox3 and more. The Instinct 3 – Tactical Edition also includes Garmin Pay™ contactless payments4.
New Features as of May, 2025
NEW! BREATHING VARIATIONS
For a closer glimpse of your health, the breathing variations feature uses Pulse Ox3 to help you better understand shifts in your breathing patterns as you sleep.
NEW! RUCKING ACTIVITY
Weighted hiking feature allows users to manually input their pack weight for load-carrying exercises to enable more accurate tracking and analysis of metrics like pace, distance, heart rate, VO2 max, calorie burn, elevation and more.
NEW! PASSCODE
Help protect sensitive data with a passcode to access smartwatch data. For even greater security, an automatic wrist detection option allows users to set up a pin to regain access once the watch has been removed from their wrist.
NEW! STAGE TIMER
A new tool that for competitive marksmen that gives you alerts via paired hearing protection or from the speaker, so you know the remaining time in your current stage.
NEW Features in the Instinct 3 - Tactical Edition (vs. Instict 2X Solar - Tactical Edition)
IMPROVED! SOLAR CHARGING
For those who are looking for even greater battery life for their outdoor adventures, Instinct 3 – Tactical Edition series features options with a monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display with a solar charging lens that extends battery life up to 40 days (unlimited with solar1) in smartwatch mode on the 50 mm model.
NEW! MISSION-READY
Dedicated tactical features include a jumpmaster activity, waypoint projection, dualposition GPS format, preloaded tactical activity, stealth mode, kill switch, rucking activity, and an integrated ballistics solver from Applied Ballistics® with a one-time fee.
NEW! GUIDE THE OPERATION
Navigate confidently with a 3-axis compass, barometric altimeter and multi-band GPS with SatIQ™ technology, which delivers superior positioning while also optimizing battery life.
NEW! HEALTH MONITORING
Know your body better with health monitoring features, including wrist-based heart rate, advanced sleep monitoring2, Pulse Ox3 and more.
NEW! BUILT-IN FLASHLIGHT
A built-in LED flashlight with variable intensities and strobe modes gives you greater visibility in the outdoors and provides convenient illumination when you need it. Available in all sizes.
NEW! RUGGED DESIGN AND METAL-REINFORCED BEZEL
Explore confidently with a rugged design, including a metal-reinforced bezel and scratch-resistant display.
NEW! MULTI-BAND GPS + SATIQ™ TECHNOLOGY
Navigate confidently with multi-band GPS, featuring SatIQ technology, which delivers superior positioning while optimizing battery life.
NEW! GARMIN SHARE
Use this feature to easily share saved locations, courses and workouts with friends’ compatible Garmin devices.
NEW! RUCKING ACTIVITY
A dedicated rucking activity profile allows you to input your pack weight.
NEW! GARMIN MESSENGER™ APP
Communicate via two-way text messaging5 on your wrist.
PLUS, More Great Features
10 ATM WATER RATING
This smartwatch provides a 100-meter water rating and is designed to MIL-STD-810 standards for thermal and shock resistance.
BALLISTICS SOLVER
With a one-time fee, get access to aiming solutions for long-range shooting in the field with the preloaded solver from Applied Ballistics®.
TRAIN TO PERFORM
Begin each day with a customizable morning report offering a summary of health and wellness information. Use the training readiness feature, which looks at a variety of health metrics, to maximize your training efficiency and recovery4 — to help prevent burnout.
GARMIN PAY™ CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS
Breeze through checkout lines or transit systems with participating providers.
CONNECT IQ™ STORE
Add watch faces, data fields and apps to your paired watch.
SAFETY AND TRACKING
If you feel unsafe or if your watch senses that an incident occurred, your watch will send a message with your live location6.
HRV STATUS
Gain a deeper understanding of your overall health through heart rate variability while you sleep.
MORNING REPORT
Get a customizable overview of your sleep, training outlook, HRV status, weather and more as soon as you wake up.
TRACK YOUR ACTIVITIES
Use preloaded activity profiles to get data and insight from your active pursuits. Even track team sport activities such as soccer, football, racquet sports and more.
GARMIN COACH
Train for an event, achieve a milestone, or improve your fitness with Garmin Coach training plans for runners and cyclists.
DAILY WORKOUT SUGGESTIONS
View your entire week of daily suggested workouts, which adapt after every run or ride to match your performance and recovery, as well as upcoming races in your Garmin Connect™ smartphone app calendar.
VO2 MAX
Train smarter with VO2 max, an indicator of how you can expect to perform. It even accounts for changes in performance that could be caused by heat or altitude.
| Sleep score and insights | yes |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 28 days/unlimited with solar |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | yes |
| LED flashlight | yes |
| Garmin Pay™ | yes |
| Multi-band GPS | yes |
| Training readiness | yes |
| Training status | yes |
| Display type | Monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Solar Charging | yes |
| Water rating | 10 ATM |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Strap material |
silicone |
| Lens Material |
Power Glass™ |
| Bezel Material |
fiber-reinforced polymer/aluminum |
| Case material | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| QuickFit® watch band compatible |
yes (22 mm) |
| Physical size |
45 x 45 x 14.9 mm |
| Weight |
52 g |
| Display Size | Custom, two-window design: 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) |
| Display resolution | 176 x 176 pixels |
| Battery type | Lithium ion |
| Battery life |
Smartwatch: Up to 28 days/Unlimited with solar* *Solar charging, assuming all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Memory/History | 128 MB |
| Clock Features | |
|---|---|
| Time/date | yes |
| GPS Time Sync | yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | yes |
| Alarm clock | yes |
| Timer | yes |
| Stopwatch | yes |
| Sunrise/sunset times | yes |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | |
|---|---|
| Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second) | yes |
| Resting heart rate | yes |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | yes (high and low) |
| Respiration rate | yes |
| Fitness age | yes |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | yes |
| All-day stress | yes |
| Relaxation reminders | yes |
| Relaxation breathing timer | yes |
| Breathwork | yes |
| Sleep | yes (advanced) |
| Sleep coach | yes |
| Breathing variations | yes |
| Nap detection | yes |
| Hydration | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) |
| Women's health | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) |
| Health snapshot | yes |
| Sensors | |
|---|---|
| GPS | yes |
| GLONASS | yes |
| Galileo | yes |
| SatIQ™ Technology | yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | yes |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | yes |
| Barometric altimeter | yes |
| Compass | yes |
| Gyroscope | yes |
| Accelerometer | yes |
| Thermometer | yes |
| Daily Smart Features | |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+® |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | yes |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | yes |
| Smart Notifications | yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | yes |
| Morning report | yes |
| Calendar | yes |
| Weather forecasts | yes |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | yes |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | yes |
| Controls smartphone music | yes |
| Find My Phone | yes |
| Find My Watch | yes |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | yes |
| VIRB® Remote | yes |
| Smart trainer control | yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Garmin Share | yes |
| Passcode | yes |
| Workout and Training Plans | |
|---|---|
| Daily Suggested Workout - Running (Pace and Heart Rate Based) | yes |
| Daily Suggested Workout - Cycling (Pace and Heart Rate Based) | yes |
| Garmin Running Coach Experts | yes |
| Garmin Coach - Prebuilt Cycling Plans | yes |
| Cardio workouts | yes |
| Strength workouts | yes |
| HIIT workouts | yes |
| Yoga workouts | yes |
| Pilates workouts | yes |
| Activity Profiles | |
|---|---|
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing |
| Multisport | Triathlon |
| Wellness |
Walking, Indoor Walking, Pilates, Yoga |
| Indoor running |
Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Virtual Running |
| Outdoor running |
Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Obstacle Racing |
| Outdoor recreation |
Hiking, Rucking, Indoor Climbing, Bouldering, Climbing, Hunting, Horseback Riding, Golfing, Disc Golf, Archery |
| Cycling |
Biking, Road Biking, Mountain Biking, Gravel Biking, Bike Commuting, Bike Touring, eBiking, eMountain Biking, Indoor Biking, Cyclocross, BMX |
| Swim |
Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
| On the Water |
Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Surfing, Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, Fishing, Boating, Water Skiing, Snorkeling, Wakeboarding, Wakesurfing, Tubing, Whitewater |
| Motor sports |
Motorcycling, Overlanding, Motocrossing, ATVing, Snowmobiling |
| Racket sports |
Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball |
| Snow & winter |
Skiing, Snowboarding, Backcountry Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, XC Skate Skiing, Backcountry Skiing, Ice Skating, Snowshoeing |
| Team sports | Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Football/Soccer, American Football, Lacrosse, Rugby, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Softball, Baseball |
| In the ring | Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts |
| Other activity profiles |
Jumpmaster, Tactical, Inline Skating |
| Safety and Tracking Features | |
|---|---|
| Incident Detection during select activities | yes |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | yes |
| Assistance | yes |
| Live Event Sharing | yes |
| Tactical Features | |
|---|---|
| Ballistics solver | yes (unlock required) |
| Dual grid coordinates | yes |
| Kill switch | yes |
| Night vision mode | yes |
| Stage timer | yes |
| Stealth Mode | yes |
| Gaming Features | |
|---|---|
| Gaming Activity | yes |
| GameOn™ app compatible | yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | |
|---|---|
| Step counter | yes |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | yes |
| Calories burned | yes |
| Floors climbed | yes |
| Distance traveled | yes |
| Intensity minutes | yes |
| TrueUp™ | yes |
| Move IQ™ | yes |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ app) |
| Automatic rep counting | yes |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | |
|---|---|
| Customizable data pages | yes |
| Downloadable training plans | yes |
| Course guidance | yes |
| HR zones | yes |
| HR alerts | yes |
| HR calories | yes |
| % HR max | yes |
| % HRR | yes |
| Recovery time | yes |
| Auto max HR | yes |
| Race glance/widget | yes |
| HRV status | yes |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | yes |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| GPS speed and distance | yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | yes |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | yes |
| Interval training | yes |
| Improved interval (includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection) | yes |
| Advanced workouts | yes |
| Power Modes - customizable in-activity battery settings | yes |
| HRM running pace and distance | yes |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | yes |
| Manual lap | yes |
| Rest timer | yes |
| Configurable lap alerts | yes |
| Heat and altitude acclimation | yes |
| VO2 Max (Run) | yes |
| VO2 Max (Trail Run) | yes |
| Load ratio | yes |
| Training load | yes |
| Training load focus | yes |
| Training effect | yes |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | yes |
| Primary benefit (Training Effect labels) | yes |
| Workout benefit | yes |
| Improved recovery time | yes |
| Custom alerts | yes |
| Voice alerts | yes |
| Multisport auto transition | yes |
| Finish time | yes |
| Virtual Partner | yes |
| Race an Activity | yes |
| Manual multisport activities | yes |
| Touch and/or button lock | yes |
| Shortcuts | yes |
| Auto scroll | yes |
| Activity history on watch | yes |
| Physio TrueUp | yes |
| Unified training status | yes |
| Running Features | |
|---|---|
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | yes |
| Running dynamics | yes |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio | yes |
| Ground contact time and balance | yes (GCT balance with accessory) |
| Stride length (real time) | yes |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | yes |
| Running power | yes |
| Grade-adjusted pace | yes |
| Performance condition | yes |
| Lactate threshold | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | yes |
| Run workouts | yes |
| Trail run auto climb | yes |
| Race predictor | yes |
| Foot pod capable | yes |
| Run/Walk/Stand detection | yes |
| Golfing Features | |
|---|---|
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | manual |
| Digital scorecard | yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | yes |
| Garmin AutoShot™ | yes |
| Auto CourseView updates | yes |
| Green View with manual pin position | yes |
| Hazards and course targets | yes |
| Round timer/odometer | yes |
| CT10 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Golf app | yes |
| Tournament legal | yes |
| Outdoor Recreation | |
|---|---|
| Point-to-point navigation | yes |
| Bread crumb trail in real time | yes |
| Back to start | yes |
| TracBack® | yes |
| UltraTrac mode | yes |
| Reference point | yes |
| Elevation profile | yes |
| Distance to destination | yes |
| Barometric trend indicator with Storm Alert | yes |
| Vertical speed | yes |
| Total ascent/descent | yes |
| Future elevation plot | yes |
| GPS coordinates | yes |
| Sight 'N Go | yes |
| Area calculation | yes |
| Projected waypoint | yes |
| Sun and moon information | yes |
| Wind meter compatible | yes |
| Expedition GPS Activity | yes |
| Tides | yes |
| Tide glance | yes |
| Cycling Features | |
|---|---|
| Courses | yes |
| Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor) | yes |
| Race an activity | yes |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | yes |
| FTP (Functional Threshold Power) | yes |
| MTB Grit & Flow | yes |
| Advanced cycling dynamics | yes |
| Compatible with Vector™ and Rally™ (power meters) | yes |
| Compatible with Varia Vision™ (head-mounted display) | yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | yes |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | yes |
| Power meter compatible | yes |
| Swimming Features | |
|---|---|
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | yes |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | yes |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | yes |
| Drill logging (pool swim only) | yes |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | yes |
| "Repeat on" rest timer (pool swim only) | yes |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) | yes |
| Time and distance alerts | yes |
| Time and distance alerts | yes |
| Countdown start (pool swim only) | yes |
| Pool swim workouts | yes |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | yes |
| Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim) | yes |
