Garmin
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition vs Lily 2 Active
Size, specs & wrist fit compared
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Which one fits you
On wrists narrower than about 47mm, the Lily 2 Active is the safer pick — it stays proportionate down to roughly 40mm, where the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition starts to hang over the edge. Above 47mm both sit cleanly, and the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition gives you more presence.
The Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition wears larger than the Lily 2 Active (45mm vs 38mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
The Lily 2 Active is the slimmer of the two (11mm vs 14.9mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Lily 2 Active feels lighter (29g vs 52g, case only).
Among the 385 45mm watches we hold thickness for, the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition is thicker than 84% — it will sit high even though the case width reads modest.
The Lily 2 Active is middle-of-the-pack for thickness among the 356 38mm watches in the database.
The Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition is 7mm wider, 7mm longer, 3.9mm thicker and 23g heavier than the Lily 2 Active. Both are circular.
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition
Lily 2 Active
Case width
45mm
38mm−7mm
Lug-to-lug
45mm
38mm−7mm
Thickness
14.9mm
11mm−3.9mm
Weight
52g
29g−23g
Switch or add watches
Garmin
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition
Garmin
Lily 2 Active
2D Dimension Schematics
Every case drawn to scale on a shared centre — from above, and in profile against the wrist.
Highlight
- Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition45mm · 14.9mm thick
- Garmin Lily 2 Active38mm · 11mm thick
3D preview
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition vs Lily 2 Active on a wrist
Sized to your own wrist, turned any way you like.
Shapes are built from published measurements, not manufacturer 3D models — accurate proportions, generic dial.
Battery life compared
Furthest apart in Smartwatch mode, where the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition lasts 3.1× as long as the Lily 2 Active (28 days against 9 days).
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical EditionLily 2 Active
Smartwatch
28 days9 days
Specifications
The short version
7 key specs| Spec | GarminInstinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition | GarminLily 2 Active |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 45mm | 38mm |
| Thickness | 14.9mm | 11mm |
| Weight | 52g | 29g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Display type | Monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | Liquid Crystal |
| Battery life | Smartwatch: Up to 28 days/Unlimited with solar* Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 65 days/Unlimited with solar* GPS Only: Up to 40 hours/130 hours with solar** All Satellite Systems: Up to 28 hours/50 hours with solar** All Satellite Systems + Multi-Band: Up to 24 hours/40 hours with solar*** Max Battery GPS: Up to 100 hours/Unlimited with solar** Expedition GPS: Up to 36 days/Unlimited with solar* *Solar charging, assuming all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions **Solar charging, assuming use in 50,000 lux conditions ***Solar charging, assuming use in 50,000 lux conditions; assuming typical use with SatIQ technology | Smartwatch Mode: Up to 9 days GPS Mode: 9 hours See Details |
| Released | 2025 | 2024 |
Every specification
283 specs| Spec | Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition | Garmin Lily 2 Active |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | Garmin | — |
| General | ||
| Timer | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Time/date | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm clock | Yes | Yes |
| Display type | Monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | Liquid Crystal |
| Water rating | 10 ATM | Swim, 5 ATM |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Pay™ | Yes | Yes |
| LED flashlight | Yes | — |
| Multi-band GPS | Yes | — |
| Solar charging | Yes | — |
| Training status | Yes | — |
| Training readiness | Yes | — |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | Yes | yes (spot-check and optionally in sleep) |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 28 days/unlimited with solar | Up to 9 days |
| Touchscreen | — | Yes |
| Sensors | ||
| Stocks | Yes | — |
| Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Passcode | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+® | Bluetooth®, ANT+® |
| Garmin Share | Yes | — |
| Find My Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Morning report | Yes | Yes |
| Weather forecasts | Yes | Yes |
| Smart Notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Smart trainer control | Yes | — |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | Yes |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | Yes | — |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ mobile | Yes | Yes |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | Yes | — |
| Find My Garmin (helps locate lost device) | Yes | Yes |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | Yes | — |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | Yes | Yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | Yes | — |
| Variant | ||
| Color | Black with Black Band | Lunar Gold with Bone Silicone Band |
| Version | Instinct 3 – Solar, Tactical | — |
| Case Size | 45 mm | — |
| Solar Charging | Yes | — |
| Available Colors | — | Jasper Green with Jasper Green Silicone Band; Silver with Purple Jasmine Silicone Band; Lunar Gold with Bone Silicone Band |
| Product Info | ||
| Price | 449.99 USD | 299.99 USD |
| Sale Price | 399.99 USD | — |
| Clock Features | ||
| Sleep | yes (advanced) | yes (advanced) |
| Hydration | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | Yes |
| Breathwork | Yes | Yes |
| Fitness age | Yes | yes (in app) |
| Sleep coach | Yes | Yes |
| Health status | Yes | — |
| Nap detection | Yes | — |
| All-day stress | Yes | Yes |
| Women's health | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | Yes |
| Health snapshot | Yes | Yes |
| Respiration rate | Yes | Yes |
| Resting heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| Breathing variations | Yes | Yes |
| Relaxation reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | yes (high and low) | yes (high and low) |
| Relaxation breathing timer | Yes | Yes |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate (constant, every second) | Yes | Yes |
| Meditation | — | Yes |
| Gaming Features | ||
| Workout tutorials | Yes | — |
| Easy break planning | Yes | — |
| Truck driver workouts | Yes | — |
| Truck plaza loyalty programs | Yes | — |
| Compatible with dēzl™ OTR truck navigators | Yes | — |
| Cycling Features | ||
| Pool swim workouts | Yes | — |
| Time and distance alerts | Yes | — |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Drill logging (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Countdown start (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | Yes | — |
| "Repeat on" rest timer (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | Yes | — |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | — |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | Yes | — |
| Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim) | Yes | — |
| Golfing Features | ||
| Tides | Yes | — |
| Sight 'N Go | Yes | — |
| Tide glance | Yes | — |
| UltraTrac mode | Yes | — |
| Vertical speed | Yes | — |
| GPS coordinates | Yes | — |
| Area calculation | Yes | — |
| Elevation profile | Yes | — |
| Projected waypoint | Yes | — |
| Total ascent/descent | Yes | — |
| Future elevation plot | Yes | — |
| Wind meter compatible | Yes | — |
| Distance to destination | Yes | — |
| Expedition GPS Activity | Yes | — |
| Sun and moon information | Yes | — |
| Barometric trend indicator with storm alert | Yes | — |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | — | Yes |
| Running Features | ||
| Tournament legal | Yes | — |
| Digital scorecard | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin AutoShot™ | Yes | — |
| Round timer/odometer | Yes | — |
| Auto CourseView updates | Yes | — |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | Yes |
| Hazards and course targets | Yes | — |
| Pairs with Garmin Golf app | Yes | — |
| Green View with manual pin position | Yes | — |
| CT10 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | Yes | — |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | Yes | Yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | Yes | Yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | manual | Yes |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Weight | 52 g | 29 g |
| Battery life | Smartwatch: Up to 28 days/Unlimited with solar* Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 65 days/Unlimited with solar* GPS Only: Up to 40 hours/130 hours with solar** All Satellite Systems: Up to 28 hours/50 hours with solar** All Satellite Systems + Multi-Band: Up to 24 hours/40 hours with solar*** Max Battery GPS: Up to 100 hours/Unlimited with solar** Expedition GPS: Up to 36 days/Unlimited with solar* *Solar charging, assuming all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions **Solar charging, assuming use in 50,000 lux conditions ***Solar charging, assuming use in 50,000 lux conditions; assuming typical use with SatIQ technology | Smartwatch Mode: Up to 9 days GPS Mode: 9 hours See Details |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | — |
| Display Size | Custom, two-window design: 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) | 1.00” x 0.84” (25.4 mm x 21.3 mm) |
| Case material | fiber-reinforced polymer | anodized aluminum |
| Lens material | Power Glass™ | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 |
| Physical size | 45 x 45 x 14.9 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 137-204 mm | 38 x 38 x 11 mm Fits wrists with a circumference of 110-175 mm |
| Bezel material | fiber-reinforced polymer/aluminum | anodized aluminum |
| Memory/History | 128 MB | 7 timed activities; 14 days of activity tracking data |
| Strap material | silicone | silicone |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Display resolution | 176 x 176 pixels | 240 x 201 pixels |
| QuickFit® watch band compatible | yes (22 mm) | — |
| Color display | — | no (16 level grayscale) |
| Quick Release bands | — | Yes |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Assistance | Yes | Yes |
| Live event sharing | Yes | — |
| Incident detection during select activities | Yes | Yes |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | Yes | — |
| Swimming Features | ||
| PrePass weigh station notifications and bypass decisions | Yes | — |
| Tactical Features | ||
| Gaming Activity | Yes | — |
| GameOn™ app compatible | Yes | — |
| Outdoor Recreation | ||
| TracBack® | Yes | — |
| Back to start | Yes | — |
| Reference point | Yes | — |
| Point-to-point navigation | Yes | — |
| Bread crumb trail in real time | Yes | — |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| HIIT workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Yoga workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Pilates workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Strength workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin running coach experts | Yes | — |
| Garmin Coach - Prebuilt cycling plans | Yes | — |
| Daily suggested workout - Cycling (pace and heart rate based) | Yes | — |
| Daily suggested workout - Running (pace and heart rate based) | Yes | — |
| Mapping & Navigation | ||
| Courses | Yes | — |
| MTB Grit & Flow | Yes | — |
| Race an activity | Yes | — |
| Power meter compatible | Yes | — |
| Advanced cycling dynamics | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | Yes | — |
| FTP (Functional Threshold Power) | Yes | — |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | Yes | — |
| Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor) | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Vector™ and Rally™ (power meters) | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Varia Vision™ (head-mounted display) | Yes | — |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | Yes | — |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| % HRR | Yes | — |
| % HR max | Yes | Yes |
| HR zones | Yes | Yes |
| HR alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Shortcuts | Yes | — |
| HRV status | Yes | Yes |
| Load ratio | Yes | — |
| Manual lap | Yes | Yes |
| Rest timer | Yes | — |
| Auto max HR | Yes | — |
| Auto scroll | Yes | Yes |
| Finish time | Yes | — |
| HR calories | Yes | Yes |
| Voice alerts | Yes | — |
| Custom alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | Yes | Yes |
| Recovery time | Yes | — |
| Training load | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (run) | Yes | Yes |
| Course guidance | Yes | — |
| Training effect | Yes | — |
| Virtual Partner | Yes | — |
| Workout benefit | Yes | — |
| Race an Activity | Yes | — |
| Advanced workouts | Yes | — |
| Interval training | Yes | Yes |
| Race glance/widget | Yes | — |
| Training load focus | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (trail run) | Yes | — |
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | Yes |
| Configurable lap alerts | Yes | — |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | Yes |
| Unified training status | Yes | — |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | — |
| Activity history on watch | Yes | Yes |
| Multisport auto transition | Yes | — |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | Yes |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | Yes | — |
| Manual multisport activities | Yes | — |
| HRM running pace and distance | Yes | — |
| Heat and altitude acclimation | Yes | — |
| Customizable activity profiles | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | yes (with compatible accessory) | Yoga and Breathwork only |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | Yes | Yes |
| Primary benefit (training effect labels) | Yes | — |
| Power modes (customizable in-activity battery settings) | Yes | — |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | Yes | Yes |
| Improved interval (includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection) | Yes | — |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Indoor Rowing, Dance Fitness, Jump Roping |
| Swim | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming | Pool Swimming |
| Cycling | Biking, Road Biking, Mountain Biking, Gravel Biking, Bike Commuting, Bike Touring, eBiking, eMountain Biking, Indoor Biking, Cyclocross, BMX | Biking, Indoor Biking |
| Wellness | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Indoor Walking, Mobility | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Meditation, Breathwork |
| Multisport | Triathlon | — |
| In the ring | Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts | — |
| Team sports | Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Football/Soccer, American Football, Lacrosse, Rugby, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Softball, Baseball | — |
| Motor sports | Motorcycling, Overlanding, Motocrossing, ATVing, Snowmobiling | — |
| On the water | Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Surfing, Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, Fishing, Boating, Water Skiing, Snorkeling, Wakeboarding, Wakesurfing, Tubing, Whitewater | SUP, Rowing |
| Racket sports | Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball | Pickleball, Tennis, Padel |
| Indoor running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Virtual Running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running |
| Outdoor running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Obstacle Racing | Running |
| Snow and winter | Skiing, Snowboarding, Backcountry Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, XC Skate Skiing, Backcountry Skiing, Ice Skating, Snowshoeing | Skiing, XC Classic Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing |
| Outdoor recreation | Hiking, Rucking, Indoor Climbing, Bouldering, Climbing, Hunting, Horseback Riding, Golfing, Disc Golf, Archery | Golfing, Disc Golf |
| Other activity profiles | Jumpmaster, Tactical, Inline Skating | — |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| GLONASS | Yes | Yes |
| Galileo | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | — |
| Thermometer | Yes | — |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| SatIQ™ technology | Yes | — |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes |
| BeiDou | — | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | — | Yes |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| Kill switch | Yes | — |
| Stage timer | Yes | — |
| Stealth mode | Yes | — |
| Ballistics solver | yes (unlock required) | — |
| Night vision mode | Yes | — |
| Dual grid coordinates | Yes | — |
| TrueUp™ | — | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | — | Yes |
| Step counter | — | Yes |
| Calories burned | — | Yes |
| Distance traveled | — | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | — | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | — | Yes |
| Move alert movement options | — | 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 |
| Trucking Smartwatch Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | Yes | — |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | — |
| Step counter | Yes | — |
| Floors climbed | Yes | — |
| Calories burned | Yes | — |
| Distance traveled | Yes | — |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | — |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | — |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ app) | — |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | Yes | — |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | — |
| Kid Activity Tracking Features | ||
| Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app) | — |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | ||
| Run workouts | Yes | — |
| Running power | Yes | — |
| Race predictor | Yes | — |
| Foot pod capable | Yes | — |
| Running dynamics | Yes | — |
| Lactate threshold | yes (with compatible accessory) | — |
| Grade-adjusted pace | Yes | — |
| Trail run auto climb | Yes | — |
| Performance condition | Yes | — |
| Run/walk/stand detection | Yes | — |
| Stride length (real time) | Yes | — |
| PacePro™ pacing strategies | Yes | — |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio | Yes | — |
| Ground contact time and balance | yes (GCT balance with accessory) | — |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | Yes |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition
Sits best on wrists ~47–64mm wide (≈ 12.6–17.1cm circumference).
Garmin Lily 2 Active
Sits best on wrists ~40–54mm wide (≈ 10.7–14.4cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition bigger than the Garmin Lily 2 Active?
The Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition is bigger — 45mm vs 38mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition or the Garmin Lily 2 Active?
The Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition suits wrists around 47–64mm wide, and the Garmin Lily 2 Active around 40–54mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition and Garmin Lily 2 Active side by side at true scale?
Yes — the schematics and photos above show both watches at matched scale, and our fit tool overlays each on your wrist width.
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