Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar vs Garmin Instinct® Solar – Surf EditionSize, Specs & Wrist Fit Compared
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Garmin
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar (010-02934-00)

Garmin
Instinct® Solar – Surf Edition (010-02293-07)
The Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar and Garmin Instinct® Solar – Surf Edition share a near-identical 45mm case, so wrist presence comes down to thickness, lug-to-lug and weight.
Specification Comparison
| Spec | GarminInstinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar | GarminInstinct® Solar – Surf Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 45mm | 45mm |
| Thickness | 14.9mm | 15.3mm |
| Weight | 52g | 53g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| 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: Up to 24 days/54 days with solar* Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 56 days/Unlimited with solar* GPS: Up to 30 hours/38 hours with solar** Max Battery GPS Mode: Up to 70 hours/145 hours with solar** Expedition GPS Activity: Up to 28 days/ 68 days 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 |
| Display | Monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | — |
| Released | 2025 | — |
Full Specification Comparison
361 specs| Spec | Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar | Garmin Instinct® Solar – Surf Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | Garmin | Garmin |
| General | ||
| 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: Up to 24 days/54 days with solar* Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 56 days/Unlimited with solar* GPS: Up to 30 hours/38 hours with solar** Max Battery GPS Mode: Up to 70 hours/145 hours with solar** Expedition GPS Activity: Up to 28 days/ 68 days 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 |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | — |
| Display Size | custom, two-window design; 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) | Custom, two-window design; 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) |
| Case material | fiber-reinforced polymer | Fibre-reinforced polymer |
| Lens Material | Power Glass™ | — |
| Bezel Material | fiber-reinforced polymer/aluminum | — |
| Memory/History | 128 MB | — |
| Strap material | silicone | Silicone |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Display resolution | 176 x 176 pixels | — |
| QuickFit® watch band compatible | yes (22 mm) | — |
| Lens material | — | Power Glass™ |
| Bezel material | — | Fibre-reinforced polymer |
| Memory/history | — | 16 MB |
| Display Resolution | — | 128 x 128 pixels |
| QuickFit™ watch band compatible | — | Yes (22 mm) |
| Sensors | ||
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| GLONASS | Yes | Yes |
| Galileo | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | — |
| Thermometer | Yes | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| SatIQ™ Technology | Yes | — |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Product Info | ||
| Main SKU | 010-02934-00 | 010-02293-07 |
| Product ID | 1315317 | 715736 |
| Product Name | Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar | Instinct® Solar – Surf Edition |
| Release Date | 1/6/2025 | — |
| Product Variation | Black with Black Band | Surf – Pipeline |
| Clock Features | ||
| Timer | Yes | — |
| Stopwatch | Yes | — |
| Time/date | Yes | — |
| Alarm clock | Yes | — |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | — |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | — |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | — |
| Gaming Features | ||
| Gaming Activity | Yes | — |
| GameOn™ app compatible | Yes | — |
| Cycling Features | ||
| 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 | — |
| Golfing Features | ||
| Tournament legal | Yes | — |
| Digital scorecard | Yes | — |
| Garmin AutoShot™ | Yes | — |
| Round timer/odometer | Yes | — |
| Auto CourseView updates | Yes | — |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | 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 | — |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | Yes | — |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | manual | — |
| Running 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 | — |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | — |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Display type | Monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | — |
| Water rating | 10 ATM | — |
| Garmin Pay™ | Yes | — |
| LED flashlight | Yes | — |
| Multi-band GPS | Yes | — |
| Solar Charging | Yes | — |
| Training status | Yes | — |
| Training readiness | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | Yes | — |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | — |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 28 daysUnlimited with solar | — |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation | — | Yes |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Gym | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing | — |
| Swim | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming | — |
| Cycling | Biking, Road Biking, Mountain Biking, Gravel Biking, Bike Commuting, Bike Touring, eBiking, eMountain Biking, Indoor Biking, Cyclocross, BMX | — |
| Wellness | Walking, Indoor Walking, Pilates, Yoga | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| Other activity profiles | Tactical, Inline Skating | — |
| Swimming 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 | — |
| Tactical Features | ||
| XERO™ Locations | Yes | — |
| Dual grid coordinates | Yes | — |
| Outdoor Recreation | ||
| Tides | Yes | — |
| TracBack® | Yes | — |
| Sight 'N Go | Yes | — |
| Tide glance | Yes | — |
| Back to start | Yes | — |
| UltraTrac mode | Yes | — |
| Vertical speed | Yes | — |
| GPS coordinates | Yes | — |
| Reference point | Yes | — |
| Area calculation | Yes | — |
| Elevation profile | Yes | — |
| Projected waypoint | Yes | — |
| Total ascent/descent | Yes | — |
| Future elevation plot | Yes | — |
| Distance to destination | Yes | — |
| Expedition GPS Activity | Yes | — |
| Sun and moon information | Yes | — |
| Point-to-point navigation | Yes | — |
| Bread crumb trail in real time | Yes | — |
| Barometric trend indicator with Storm Alert | Yes | — |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| Calendar | Yes | — |
| Passcode | Yes | — |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+® | — |
| Garmin Share | Yes | — |
| Find My Phone | Yes | — |
| Find My Watch | Yes | — |
| VIRB® Remote | Yes | — |
| Morning report | Yes | — |
| Weather forecasts | Yes | — |
| Smart Notifications | Yes | — |
| Smart trainer control | Yes | — |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | — |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | — |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | Yes | — |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | Yes | — |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | Yes | — |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | Yes | — |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | — |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | Yes | — |
| Activity Tracking 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 | — |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| HIIT workouts | Yes | — |
| Yoga workouts | Yes | — |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | Yes |
| Pilates workouts | 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 | — |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| Sleep | yes (advanced) | Yes (Advanced) |
| Hydration | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | Yes (in Garmin Connect™) |
| Breathwork | Yes | — |
| Fitness age | Yes | — |
| Sleep coach | Yes | — |
| Nap detection | Yes | — |
| All-day stress | Yes | — |
| Women's health | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | — |
| Health snapshot | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate | Yes | — |
| Resting heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| Breathing variations | Yes | — |
| Relaxation reminders | Yes | — |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | yes (high and low) | — |
| Relaxation breathing timer | Yes | — |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | Yes | — |
| Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second) | Yes | Yes |
| All-day Stress | — | Yes |
| Women's Health | — | Yes (in Garmin Connect™) |
| Abnormal Heart Rate Alerts | — | Yes (high and low) |
| Relaxation Breathing Timer | — | Yes |
| Body Battery™ Energy Monitor | — | Yes |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| Assistance | Yes | — |
| Live Event Sharing | Yes | — |
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | — |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | Yes | — |
| Kid Activity Tracking Features | ||
| Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app) | — |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | ||
| % HRR | Yes | — |
| % HR max | Yes | — |
| HR zones | Yes | — |
| HR alerts | Yes | — |
| Shortcuts | Yes | — |
| HRV status | Yes | — |
| Load ratio | Yes | — |
| Manual lap | Yes | — |
| Rest timer | Yes | — |
| Auto max HR | Yes | — |
| Auto scroll | Yes | — |
| Finish time | Yes | — |
| HR calories | Yes | — |
| Voice alerts | Yes | — |
| Custom alerts | Yes | — |
| Physio TrueUp | Yes | — |
| Recovery time | Yes | — |
| Training load | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (Run) | Yes | — |
| Course guidance | Yes | — |
| Training effect | Yes | — |
| Virtual Partner | Yes | — |
| Workout benefit | Yes | — |
| Race an Activity | Yes | — |
| Advanced workouts | Yes | — |
| Interval training | Yes | — |
| Race glance/widget | Yes | — |
| Training load focus | Yes | — |
| VO2 Max (Trail Run) | Yes | — |
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | — |
| Configurable lap alerts | Yes | — |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | — |
| Unified training status | Yes | — |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | — |
| Activity history on watch | Yes | — |
| Multisport auto transition | Yes | — |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | — |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | Yes | — |
| Manual multisport activities | Yes | — |
| HRM running pace and distance | Yes | — |
| Heat and altitude acclimation | Yes | — |
| Customizable activity profiles | Yes | — |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | yes (with compatible accessory) | — |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | 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 | — |
| Improved interval (includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection) | Yes | — |
| Clock features | ||
| Timer | — | Yes |
| Stopwatch | — | Yes |
| Time/date | — | Yes |
| Alarm clock | — | Yes |
| GPS time sync | — | Yes |
| Sunrise/sunset times | — | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | — | Yes |
| Cycling features | ||
| Courses | — | Yes |
| Race an activity | — | Yes |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | — | Yes |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | — | Yes |
| Running features | ||
| Run workouts | — | Yes |
| Foot pod capable | — | Yes |
| Trail run auto climb | — | Yes |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | — | Yes |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | — | Yes |
| Activity profiles | ||
| Gym | — | Strength, Cardio and Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing and Yoga |
| Swim | — | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
| Cycling | — | Biking, Indoor Biking, Mountain Biking |
| Outdoor recreation | — | Surfing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Hiking, Climbing, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Skiing, Fishing, Hunting, Tactical |
| Swimming features | ||
| Pool swim workouts | — | Yes |
| Time and distance alerts | — | Yes |
| Drill logging (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 |
| Tactical features | ||
| XERO™ Locations | — | Yes |
| Dual grid coordinates | — | Yes |
| Outdoor recreation | ||
| Tides | — | Yes |
| TracBack® | — | Yes |
| Sight 'N Go | — | Yes |
| Back to start | — | 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 |
| Distance to destination | — | Yes |
| Expedition GPS Activity | — | Yes |
| Sun and moon information | — | Yes |
| Point-to-point navigation | — | Yes |
| Breadcrumb trail in real time | — | Yes |
| Barometric trend indicator with storm alert | — | Yes |
| Daily smart features | ||
| Calendar | — | Yes |
| Connectivity | — | Bluetooth®, ANT+® |
| Find my phone | — | Yes |
| Find my watch | — | Yes |
| Weather forecasts | — | Yes |
| Smart Notifications | — | Yes |
| VIRB® camera remote | — | Yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | — | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Controls smartphone music | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | — | Yes |
| Battery Saver - customisable low power watch | — | Yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | — | Yes |
| Activity tracking features | ||
| TrueUp™ | — | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | — | Yes |
| Step counter | — | Yes |
| Floors climbed | — | Yes |
| Calories Burned | — | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | — | Yes |
| Distance travelled | — | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | — | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | — | Yes |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity; walk for a couple of minutes to reset it) | — | Yes |
| Training, planning and analysis features | ||
| % HRR | — | Yes |
| % HR Max | — | Yes |
| HR Zones | — | Yes |
| HR Alerts | — | Yes |
| Shortcuts | — | Yes |
| Auto Lap® | — | Yes |
| Manual lap | — | Yes |
| Auto Max HR | — | Yes |
| Auto scroll | — | Yes |
| Finish time | — | Yes |
| HR Calories | — | Yes |
| Voice alerts | — | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | — | Yes |
| Course guidance | — | Yes |
| Virtual partner | — | Yes |
| Race an activity | — | Yes |
| Advanced workouts | — | Yes |
| Interval training | — | Yes |
| Customisable alerts | — | Yes |
| Customisable screen(s) | — | Yes |
| GPS speed and distance | — | Yes |
| Configurable lap alerts | — | Yes |
| Touch and/or button lock | — | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | — | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | — | Yes |
| Customisable activity profiles | — | Yes |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | — | Yes |
| Power Modes - customisable in-activity battery settings | — | Yes |
| HR Broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | — | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar
Sits best on wrists ~47–64mm wide (≈ 12.6–17.1cm circumference).
Garmin Instinct® Solar – Surf Edition
Sits best on wrists ~47–64mm wide (≈ 12.6–17.1cm circumference).
2D Dimension Schematics
Accurate scale drawings based on case dimensions. Drag to pan, Ctrl+scroll to zoom. Works for every watch regardless of photo availability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar bigger than the Garmin Instinct® Solar – Surf Edition?
Both have a 45mm case. Compare their thickness and lug-to-lug above to judge wrist presence.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar or the Garmin Instinct® Solar – Surf Edition?
The Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar suits wrists around 47–64mm wide, and the Garmin Instinct® Solar – Surf Edition around 47–64mm. 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 and Garmin Instinct® Solar – Surf Edition 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.