Garmin Instinct E 40mm vs Lily 2
Size, specs & wrist fit compared
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Which one fits you
On wrists narrower than about 42mm, the Lily 2 is the safer pick — it stays proportionate down to roughly 37mm, where the Instinct E 40mm starts to hang over the edge. Above 42mm both sit cleanly, and the Instinct E 40mm gives you more presence.
The Instinct E 40mm wears larger than the Lily 2 (40mm vs 35.4mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
The Lily 2 is the slimmer of the two (10.1mm vs 13.6mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Lily 2 feels lighter (24.4g vs 41g, case only).
Among the 539 40mm watches we hold thickness for, the Instinct E 40mm is thicker than 98% — it will sit high even though the case width reads modest.
The Lily 2 is middle-of-the-pack for thickness among the 105 35mm watches in the database.
The Instinct E 40mm is 4.6mm wider, 4.6mm longer, 3.5mm thicker and 16.6g heavier than the Lily 2. Both are circular.
Instinct® E – 40 mm
Lily® 2
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Garmin
Instinct® E – 40 mm
Garmin
Lily® 2
Watch Fit Tool
For sports watches, lug-to-lug (L2L) is what matters most — it decides whether a watch overhangs your wrist. Bulky is fine; overhang is not.
Measure at the point where you wear your watch — typically just below the wrist bone.
Flat width — lay your arm on a table, palm facing up, and measure straight across the top of your wrist with a ruler. Bone to bone; do not follow the curve down the sides.
Around — wrap a tape measure snugly round the wrist. No tape? Wrap a strip of paper, mark the overlap and hold the strip against a ruler.
Width ≠ circumference. They are different numbers — around 170mm is about 64mm across — so set the toggle to whichever one you actually measured before you type it in.
Garmin Instinct® E – 40 mm
Case 40.0mm · Lug-to-lug 40.0mm · Thickness 13.6mm · 41g
Balanced Fit
40mm on a 55mm wrist
Across the wrist it works — 7.5mm spare each side — but a tall watch on this wrist. Fine over a sleeve, awkward under one.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 40mm, so you could go bigger.
Measure where you wear it, just below the wrist bone. Either of these works — the tool converts between them.
- 1. Flat width — arm flat on a table, palm up. Measure straight across the top of the wrist, bone to bone, ignoring the curve down the sides.
- 2. Around — a tape, or a strip of paper marked and held against a ruler, snug the whole way round.
Leather: Attaches at the lugs, so the case back rests on your skin. Thins and softens with wear. Typical figures, not this model’s own.
Show the measurementsHide the measurements
- Across the wrist7.5mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist13.6mm off the skin
A tall watch on this wrist. Fine over a sleeve, awkward under one. (13.6mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~3.4mm under the rim
Seats well, with the case back following most of the wrist.
- Weight on the wrist41g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.7g per mm of wrist)
Garmin Lily® 2
Case 35.4mm · Lug-to-lug 35.4mm · Thickness 10.1mm · 24g
Understated
35.4mm on a 55mm wrist
Well inside your wrist on every measurement — you have room to go a size up if you want more presence.
On a 55mm wrist the sweet spot is 47–53mm lug to lug. This one is 35.4mm, so you could go bigger.
Measure where you wear it, just below the wrist bone. Either of these works — the tool converts between them.
- 1. Flat width — arm flat on a table, palm up. Measure straight across the top of the wrist, bone to bone, ignoring the curve down the sides.
- 2. Around — a tape, or a strip of paper marked and held against a ruler, snug the whole way round.
Leather: Attaches at the lugs, so the case back rests on your skin. Thins and softens with wear. Typical figures, not this model’s own.
Show the measurementsHide the measurements
- Across the wrist9.8mm spare each side
Comfortable, with visible skin either side.
- Off the wrist10.1mm off the skin
Normal sports-watch height for a wrist this size. (10.1mm case, back against the skin)
- How it seats~2.3mm under the rim
Sits flat on the wrist with contact right across the case back.
- Weight on the wrist24g
Light enough to forget you have it on. (0.4g per mm of wrist)
2D Dimension Schematics
Every case drawn to scale on a shared centre — from above, and in profile against the wrist.
- Garmin Instinct® E – 40 mm40mm · 13.6mm thick
- Garmin Lily® 235.4mm · 10.1mm thick
3D preview
Instinct® E – 40 mm vs Lily® 2 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
Runtime for every power mode either watch publishes, aligned by mode.
Instinct E 40mmLily 2
Battery Saver
35 days—Expedition GPS Activity
17 days—Smartwatch
14 days—Battery life
—5 daysMax Battery GPS
43 hours—GPS
21 hours—All Satellite Systems
14 hours—
Specifications
The short version
7 key specs| Spec | GarminInstinct® E – 40 mm | GarminLily® 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 40mm | 35.4mm |
| Thickness | 13.6mm | 10.1mm |
| Weight | 41g | 24.4g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Display type | Monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | Liquid Crystal |
| Battery life | Smartwatch: Up to 14 days Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 35 days GPS: Up to 21 hours All Satellite Systems: 14 hours Max Battery GPS Mode: Up to 43 hours Expedition GPS Activity: Up to 17 days | Up to 5 days See Details |
| Released | 2025 | 2024 |
Every specification
205 specs| Spec | Garmin Instinct® E – 40 mm | Garmin Lily® 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | Garmin | Garmin |
| General | ||
| Battery life | Smartwatch: Up to 14 days Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 35 days GPS: Up to 21 hours All Satellite Systems: 14 hours Max Battery GPS Mode: Up to 43 hours Expedition GPS Activity: Up to 17 days | Up to 5 days See Details |
| Battery type | Lithium ion | — |
| Display Size | custom, two-window design; 0.86” x 0.86” (22 x 22 mm) | 1.00” x 0.84” (25.4 mm x 21.3 mm) |
| Case material | fiber-reinforced polymer | anodized aluminum |
| Lens Material | Chemically Strengthened Glass | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 |
| Bezel Material | fiber-reinforced polymer | 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 clip charger |
| Display resolution | 166 x 166 pixels (active area) | 240 x 201 pixels |
| QuickFit® watch band compatible | yes (20 mm) | — |
| Color display | — | no (16 level grayscale) |
| Quick Release bands | — | Yes |
| Sensors | ||
| GPS | Yes | — |
| Compass | Yes | — |
| GLONASS | Yes | — |
| Galileo | Yes | — |
| Thermometer | Yes | — |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | — |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | — | Yes |
| Product Info | ||
| Main SKU | 010-02932-00 | 010-02839-01 |
| Product ID | 1314137 | 950277 |
| Product Name | Instinct® E – 40 mm | Lily® 2 |
| Release Date | 1/6/2025 | 1/8/2024 |
| Product Variation | Black with Charcoal Band | Metallic Lilac with Lilac Silicone Band |
| Clock Features | ||
| Timer | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Time/date | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm clock | Yes | Yes |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | — |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | — |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | Yes |
| Cycling Features | ||
| Courses | Yes | — |
| Race an activity | Yes | — |
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | Yes | — |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | Yes | — |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | Yes | Yes |
| Running Features | ||
| Run workouts | Yes | — |
| Race predictor | Yes | — |
| Foot pod capable | Yes | — |
| Running dynamics | Yes | — |
| Trail run auto climb | Yes | — |
| Run/Walk/Stand detection | Yes | — |
| Stride length (real time) | Yes | — |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio | Yes | — |
| Ground contact time and balance | yes (but not balance) | — |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | yes (Connected GPS only) |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | — |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Display type | Monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) | Liquid Crystal |
| Water rating | 10 ATM | Swim, 5 ATM |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | Yes | yes (spot-check and optionally in sleep) |
| Sleep score and insights | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 14 days | Up to 5 days |
| Touchscreen | — | Yes |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| 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 |
| Wellness | Walking, Pilates, Yoga | Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Breathwork |
| Team sports | Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Football/Soccer, American Football, Lacrosse, Rugby, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Softball, Baseball | — |
| On the Water | Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Fishing, Boating, Whitewater | — |
| Racket sports | Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball | — |
| Snow & winter | Skiing, Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, XC Skate Skiing, Ice Skating, Snowshoeing | — |
| Indoor running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Virtual Running | Treadmill Running |
| Outdoor running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running | Running |
| Outdoor recreation | Hiking, Climbing, Hunting, Horseback Riding, Archery | — |
| Other activity profiles | Tactical | — |
| 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 | — |
| 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 | Yes |
| Passcode | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth®, ANT+® | Bluetooth® |
| Garmin Share | Yes | — |
| Find My Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Find My Watch | Yes | Yes |
| VIRB® Remote | Yes | — |
| Morning report | Yes | Yes |
| Weather forecasts | Yes | Yes |
| Smart Notifications | Yes | 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 |
| 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 | — |
| Connected GPS | — | Yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | Yes | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | Yes |
| Step counter | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | — |
| Calories burned | Yes | Yes |
| Distance traveled | Yes | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | yes (optional Connect IQ app) | — |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | Yes | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | Yes |
| Move Alert movement options | — | Yes |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| HIIT workouts | Yes | — |
| Yoga workouts | Yes | — |
| Cardio workouts | Yes | — |
| Pilates workouts | Yes | — |
| Strength workouts | 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 |
| Breathwork | Yes | Yes |
| Fitness age | Yes | yes (in app) |
| Nap detection | Yes | — |
| All-day stress | Yes | Yes |
| Women's health | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) | Yes |
| Health snapshot | Yes | — |
| Respiration rate | Yes | Yes |
| Resting heart rate | Yes | Yes |
| Breathing variations | 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 |
| Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second) | Yes | Yes |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| Assistance | Yes | Yes |
| Live Event Sharing | Yes | — |
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | 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 | Yes |
| HR zones | Yes | Yes |
| HR alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Shortcuts | Yes | — |
| HRV status | Yes | — |
| Manual lap | Yes | — |
| Rest timer | Yes | — |
| Auto max HR | Yes | — |
| Auto scroll | Yes | — |
| Finish time | Yes | — |
| HR calories | Yes | Yes |
| Voice alerts | Yes | — |
| Custom alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | Yes | Yes |
| Recovery time | 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 | — |
| VO2 Max (Trail Run) | Yes | — |
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | yes (Connected GPS only) |
| Configurable lap alerts | Yes | — |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | Yes |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | — |
| Activity history on watch | Yes | — |
| Downloadable training plans | Yes | — |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | 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) | Yoga and Breathwork only | 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 | — |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Instinct E 40mm
Sits best on wrists ~42–57mm wide (≈ 11.2–15.2cm circumference).
Garmin Lily 2
Sits best on wrists ~37–51mm wide (≈ 9.9–13.6cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Instinct E 40mm bigger than the Garmin Lily 2?
The Garmin Instinct E 40mm is bigger — 40mm vs 35.4mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Instinct E 40mm or the Garmin Lily 2?
The Garmin Instinct E 40mm suits wrists around 42–57mm wide, and the Garmin Lily 2 around 37–51mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Instinct E 40mm and Garmin Lily 2 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.