Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition Black with Black Band
Dare for more with Instinct® 3 – Tactical Edition, the rugged GPS smartwatch that shows your expedition stats in stunning detail with an AMOLED display — and lights the way with a built-in flashlight. With a bolted construction, metal-reinforced bezel and scratch-resistant lens, it’s built for the toughest missions. It’s engineered to MIL-STD-810 standards for thermal and shock resistance and is also 10 ATM water-rated. Purpose-built tactical features include a rucking activity, stealth mode, kill switch and preloaded Applied Ballistics® solver (requires one-time purchase via the AB Quantum mobile app). Stay on track with a 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter as well as multi-band GPS with SatIQ™ technology, which delivers superior positioning while optimizing battery life. Its 24/7 health and wellness features include heart rate tracking, advanced sleep monitoring, Pulse Ox and more (this is not a medical device, and data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked; Pulse Ox not available in all countries). Get up to 24 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.
- Lead the mission with this rugged GPS smartwatch featuring a stunning AMOLED display
- Engineered with a supertough 50 mm fiber-reinforced polymer case and metal-reinforced bezel
- Dedicated tactical features include jumpmaster activity, waypoint projection, dual-position GPS format, preloaded tactical activity, stealth mode, kill switch, compatibility with night vision goggles and a rucking activity
- Includes a preloaded Applied Ballistics® solver (requires one-time purchase via the AB Quantum mobile app)
- Battery performance: up to 24 days in smartwatch mode; up to 40 hours in GPS mode
- 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
- Know your body better with health monitoring features, including wrist-based heart rate, advanced sleep monitoring, Pulse Ox and more (this is not a medical device, and data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked; Pulse Ox not available in all countries)
- 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
- 10 ATM water-rated and designed to MIL-STD-810 for thermal and shock resistance
- Leave your cash and cards at home; Garmin Pay™ contactless payments (with supported bank) let you pay for purchases on the go and breeze through select transit systems
- Stay connected with smart notifications (when paired with your compatible smartphone) and Connect IQ™ Store compatibility, which allows you to download new apps and watch faces
- Safety and tracking features include incident detection (during select activities) and Assistance, both of which send a message with your live location to emergency contacts when paired with your smartphone; requires setup and your smartphone to be in an area with network coverage where data connectivity is available
- Sync the Instinct® 3 – Tactical Edition smartwatch with the Garmin Connect™ app, and get more details on your health and fitness data plus personalized insights and more
| What You'll Love | |
|---|---|
| Sleep score and insights | yes |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 24 days (9 days always-on) |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | yes |
| LED flashlight | yes |
| Garmin Pay™ | yes |
| Multi-band GPS | yes |
| Training readiness | yes |
| Training status | yes |
| Display type | AMOLED (always-on) |
| Water rating | 10 ATM |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Strap material |
silicone |
| Lens Material | Chemically Strengthened Glass |
| Bezel Material |
fiber-reinforced polymer/aluminum |
| Case material | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| QuickFit® watch band compatible |
yes (26 mm) |
| Physical size |
50 x 50 x 14.4 mm |
| Weight |
59 g |
| Display Size | 1.3" (33 mm) diameter |
| Display resolution | 416 x 416 pixels |
| Color display | yes |
| Battery type | Lithium ion |
| Battery life |
Smartwatch: Up to 24 days (9 days always-on) *assuming typical use with SatIQ technology |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Memory/History | 4 GB |
| 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 |
| Health status | yes |
| Sensors | |
|---|---|
| GPS | yes |
| GLONASS | yes |
| Galileo | yes |
| QZSS | yes |
| BeiDou | 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 |
| Ambient light sensor | 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 |
| View images from notifications on watch (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™ |
| Red shift mode | yes |
| 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 |
| Cardio workouts | yes |
| Strength workouts | yes |
| HIIT workouts | yes |
| Yoga workouts | yes |
| Pilates workouts | yes |
| On-screen workout animations | yes |
| On-screen workout muscle maps | yes |
| Activity Profiles | |
|---|---|
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Jump Roping |
| Multisport |
Triathlon, Swimrunning |
| 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 |
| Kid Activity Tracking Features | |
|---|---|
| Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app) |














