24-04-2025
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Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition
A Tactical Edition of the Garmin Instinct 3, one of Garmin's best recent watch releases, has been revealed.
Tactical Editions of Garmin watches have been around for years, and bring military features to otherwise fairly mainstream wearables.
The Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition comes in two sizes, 45mm and 50mm. And the larger one is available with either an AMOLED screen or a battery-sipping transflective display and solar charging.
Mirroring the figures of the standard Instinct 3 watches, the AMOLED model can last up to 24 days, the Solar version up to 40 days — or unlimited stamina with light use if the watch sees enough direct sunlight each day.
Many of you may already know plenty about the Garmin Instinct 3, so let's move onto the distinct features of the Instinct 3 Tactical Edition. Here are the highlights.
They are not solely software-led. Garmin's Tactical Edition of the Instinct 3 has a part-metal bezel rather than a purely 'reinforced polymer' plastic one. It's aluminium, and should bring a touch of higher-end class otherwise absent from the Instinct 3. Officially it's there to provide extra ruggedization.
Heading into the software, the Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition gains a Rucking activity. This lets you enter the weight of your pack before starting the activity, for a better idea of your exertion and calorie burn.
More useful for many, the more ordinary trail running, hiking and walking activities also provide the option to add pack weight.
The Instinct 3 Tactical Edition also comes with the Applied Ballistics solver mode. This is used to calculate the trajectory when shooting over long distances, and is useful for hunting as well as for military-style exercises.
Access to the actual service isn't included, though. It ties into the Applied Ballistics Quantum app, whose features are unlocked with a $100 fee for the Ultralight Solver or $300 for the Elite version.
There's more than just the opportunity to spend even more after spending extra on the Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition, mind.
The watch also includes a Stealth mode, which turns off wireless radios to avoid your position being triangulated by others. There's a Kill Switch that deletes all watch data, to avoid it falling into the wrong hands. And there's a Jumpmaster mode, for folks who jump out of planes.
If this all sounds a bit Ethan Hunt to you, the Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition might not be the right option from the expansive Garmin watch library for your needs.
Still, having used a standard Garmin Instinct 3 I can tell you this will make a great all-rounder fitness and health watch as long as you don't need on-watch maps. They aren't included in this mid-range model. But having a metal bezel will class-up the feel a little too.
The Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition will be available from April 30. Its 45mm Solar edition costs $499.99, the 50mm Solar watch is $549.99 while the AMOLED version (50mm) costs $599.99. In each case these prices are $100 higher than those of the standard Garmin Instinct 3 family.
