Garmin · 2025
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, SolarSize, Dimensions & Wrist Fit
The Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar sits best on flat wrist widths of about 47–64mm (≈ 12.6–17.1cm wrist circumference). Adjust the slider below to check your wrist.
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The Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar in short
The figures that decide whether this watch suits you, pulled out of the full specification sheet further down.
- Between 24 hours and 65 days per charge depending on the power mode — battery saver at best, all satellite systems + multi-band at worst.
- Water rated to 10 ATM.
- 14.9mm thick. Thicker than 84% of 45mm watches — it will sit noticeably high on the wrist.
- custom, two-window design; 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) Monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display.
- Takes 22mm bands, so third-party straps fit without an adapter.
Does the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar fit your wrist?
Drag the slider to your wrist width and see the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar overlaid at true scale. Lug-to-lug — not case diameter — decides whether a watch overhangs your wrist.
Happy with the fit? Check current availability for the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar.
Check offer2D Dimension Schematics
The Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar drawn to scale — from above, and in profile against the wrist.
- Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar45mm · 14.9mm thick
3D preview
Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar on a wrist
On an arm sized to your own wrist — the view a product photo never gives you.
Shapes are built from published measurements, not manufacturer 3D models — accurate proportions, generic dial.
Which Instinct 3 size fits you?
This model comes in 4 versions. Set your measurement and each one reports its own verdict — tap any size to open its page.
Which of these fits your wrist?
Roughly a 14.7cm wrist circumference — the measurement a tape gives you. Compared against lug-to-lug where we have it, case width otherwise.
All 4 Instinct 3 variants fit this wrist. The 50mm · AMOLED gives you the most presence without overhanging; the smallest is the discreet end of the range.
- Width
- 45mm
- Thick
- 14.9mm
- Weight
- 53g
5.0mm clear a side
View this size- Width
- 45mm
- Thick
- 14.9mm
- Weight
- 52g
5.0mm clear a side
- Width
- 50mm
- Thick
- 14.4mm
- Weight
- 59g
2.5mm clear a side
View this size- Width
- 50mm
- Thick
- 14.4mm
- Weight
- 58g
2.5mm clear a side
View this sizeHow long the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar lasts, by power mode
Runtime changes by a factor of 65 depending on what you leave switched on. Bars are scaled against the longest mode.
without sunlightwith solar charging
- Battery Saver65 days
- Expedition GPS36 days
- Smartwatch28 days
- Max Battery GPS100 hours
- GPS Only40 hours · 130 hours solar
- All Satellite Systems28 hours · 50 hours solar
- All Satellite Systems + Multi-Band24 hours · 40 hours 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
How the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar ranks on battery
Against the 268 Garmin watches in our database, ranked on each figure Garmin publishes.
- Everyday use28 days#32 of 257
- GPS tracking40 hours#75 of 233
- Power save65 days#26 of 106
What size band does the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar take?
Lug width
22mm
Any 22mm strap fits, so you are not restricted to Garmin's own bands. Quick-release pins let you swap without tools — check that a replacement lists 22mm and quick-release before buying.
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Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar specifications
The figures that decide a purchase, followed by every line Garmin publishes.
- 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
- Display
- custom, two-window design; 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm)
- Resolution
- 176 x 176 pixels
- Water rating
- 10 ATM
- Case material
- fiber-reinforced polymer
- Bezel
- fiber-reinforced polymer/aluminum
- Glass
- Power Glass™
- Strap
- silicone
- Storage
- 128 MB
- Charging
- Garmin proprietary plug charger
Full specification sheet
250 published lines across 21 groups, unedited
Overview
- Family
- 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
- Battery type
- Lithium ion
- Display Size
- custom, two-window design; 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm)
- Case material
- fiber-reinforced polymer
- Lens Material
- Power Glass™
- Bezel Material
- fiber-reinforced polymer/aluminum
- Memory/History
- 128 MB
- Strap material
- silicone
- Charging method
- Garmin proprietary plug charger
- Display resolution
- 176 x 176 pixels
- QuickFit® watch band compatible
- yes (22 mm)
Sensors
- GPS
- Compass
- GLONASS
- Galileo
- Gyroscope
- Thermometer
- Accelerometer
- SatIQ™ Technology
- Barometric altimeter
- Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor
- Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor
Product Info
- Main SKU
- 010-02934-00
- Product ID
- 1315317
- Product Name
- Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar
- Release Date
- 1/6/2025
- Product Variation
- Black with Black Band
Clock Features
- Timer
- Stopwatch
- Time/date
- Alarm clock
- GPS Time Sync
- Sunrise/sunset times
- Automatic daylight saving time
Gaming Features
- Gaming Activity
- GameOn™ app compatible
Cycling Features
- Courses
- MTB Grit & Flow
- Race an activity
- Power meter compatible
- Advanced cycling dynamics
- Compatible with Varia™ lights
- FTP (Functional Threshold Power)
- Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor)
- Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor)
- Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar)
- Compatible with Vector™ and Rally™ (power meters)
- Compatible with Varia Vision™ (head-mounted display)
- Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories)
Golfing Features
- Tournament legal
- Digital scorecard
- Garmin AutoShot™
- Round timer/odometer
- Auto CourseView updates
- Yardage to layups/doglegs
- Hazards and course targets
- Pairs with Garmin Golf app
- Green View with manual pin position
- CT10 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory)
- Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green)
- Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit)
- Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course)
- manual
Running Features
- Run workouts
- Running power
- Race predictor
- Foot pod capable
- Running dynamics
- Lactate threshold
- yes (with compatible accessory)
- Grade-adjusted pace
- Trail run auto climb
- Performance condition
- Run/Walk/Stand detection
- Stride length (real time)
- PacePro™ Pacing Strategies
- Vertical oscillation and ratio
- Ground contact time and balance
- yes (GCT balance with accessory)
- GPS-based distance, time and pace
- Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute)
What You'll Love
- Display type
- Monochrome, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)
- Water rating
- 10 ATM
- Garmin Pay™
- LED flashlight
- Multi-band GPS
- Solar Charging
- Training status
- Training readiness
- Pulse Ox blood oxygen
- Sleep score and insights
- Battery life (smartwatch mode)
- Up to 28 daysUnlimited with solar
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
- Time and distance alerts
- Auto rest (pool swim only)
- Drill logging (pool swim only)
- Countdown start (pool swim only)
- Underwater wrist-based heart rate
- "Repeat on" rest timer (pool swim only)
- Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only)
- Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only)
- Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories)
- Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories)
- Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim)
Tactical Features
- XERO™ Locations
- Dual grid coordinates
Outdoor Recreation
- Tides
- TracBack®
- Sight 'N Go
- Tide glance
- Back to start
- UltraTrac mode
- Vertical speed
- GPS coordinates
- Reference point
- Area calculation
- Elevation profile
- Projected waypoint
- Total ascent/descent
- Future elevation plot
- Distance to destination
- Expedition GPS Activity
- Sun and moon information
- Point-to-point navigation
- Bread crumb trail in real time
- Barometric trend indicator with Storm Alert
Daily Smart Features
- Calendar
- Passcode
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth®, ANT+®
- Garmin Share
- Find My Phone
- Find My Watch
- VIRB® Remote
- Morning report
- Weather forecasts
- Smart Notifications
- Smart trainer control
- Smartphone compatibility
- iPhone®, Android™
- Controls smartphone music
- On-device Connect IQ™ Store
- Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile
- Compatible with Garmin Messenger app
- Battery saver (customizable low power watch)
- Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile
- Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only)
- Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps)
Activity Tracking Features
- TrueUp™
- Move IQ™
- Step counter
- Floors climbed
- Calories burned
- Distance traveled
- Intensity minutes
- Automatic rep counting
- Garmin Connect™ Challenges app
- yes (optional Connect IQ app)
- Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity)
- Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal)
Workout and Training Plans
- HIIT workouts
- Yoga workouts
- Cardio workouts
- Pilates workouts
- Strength workouts
- Garmin Running Coach Experts
- Garmin Coach - Prebuilt Cycling Plans
- Daily Suggested Workout - Cycling (Pace and Heart Rate Based)
- Daily Suggested Workout - Running (Pace and Heart Rate Based)
Health & Wellness Monitoring
- Sleep
- yes (advanced)
- Hydration
- yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget)
- Breathwork
- Fitness age
- Sleep coach
- Nap detection
- All-day stress
- Women's health
- yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget)
- Health snapshot
- Respiration rate
- Resting heart rate
- Breathing variations
- Relaxation reminders
- Abnormal heart rate alerts
- yes (high and low)
- Relaxation breathing timer
- Body Battery™ energy monitor
- Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second)
Safety and Tracking Features
- Assistance
- Live Event Sharing
- Incident Detection during select activities
- Incident detection alert on phone for wearables
Kid Activity Tracking Features
- Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app
- yes (optional Connect IQ Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app)
Training, Planning and Analysis Features
- % HRR
- % HR max
- HR zones
- HR alerts
- Shortcuts
- HRV status
- Load ratio
- Manual lap
- Rest timer
- Auto max HR
- Auto scroll
- Finish time
- HR calories
- Voice alerts
- Custom alerts
- Physio TrueUp
- Recovery time
- Training load
- VO2 Max (Run)
- Course guidance
- Training effect
- Virtual Partner
- Workout benefit
- Race an Activity
- Advanced workouts
- Interval training
- Race glance/widget
- Training load focus
- VO2 Max (Trail Run)
- GPS speed and distance
- Configurable lap alerts
- Customizable data pages
- Unified training status
- Touch and/or button lock
- Activity history on watch
- Multisport auto transition
- Downloadable training plans
- Training effect (anaerobic)
- Manual multisport activities
- HRM running pace and distance
- Heat and altitude acclimation
- Customizable activity profiles
- Auto Pause® automatic timer halt
- Respiration rate (during exercise)
- yes (with compatible accessory)
- Auto Lap® interval tracking feature
- Primary benefit (Training Effect labels)
- Power Modes - customizable in-activity battery settings
- HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices)
- Improved interval (includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection)
Compare the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar head to head
How each one differs in the three measurements you can feel on the wrist. Figures are relative to the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar.
Garmin
Venu 4 - 45mm
- Width
- same mm
- Thick
- -2.9mm
- Weight
- -14g
Huawei
Watch GT 6 - 46mm
- Width
- +1mm
- Thick
- -3.9mm
- Weight
- -0.7g
Pixel Watch 4 - 45mm
- Width
- same mm
- Thick
- -2.6mm
- Weight
- -15.3g
Garmin
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition
- Width
- same mm
- Thick
- same mm
- Weight
- same g
Garmin
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, AMOLED
- Width
- same mm
- Thick
- same mm
- Weight
- +1g
Garmin
Instinct® E – 45 mm
- Width
- same mm
- Thick
- -0.7mm
- Weight
- -4g
Huawei
Watch GT 5
- Width
- +0.8mm
- Thick
- -4.2mm
- Weight
- -4g
Pixel Watch 3 45mm
- Width
- same mm
- Thick
- -2.6mm
- Weight
- -15g
Samsung
Galaxy Watch7 - LTE · 44mm
- Width
- -0.6mm
- Thick
- -5.2mm
- Weight
- -18.2g
Samsung
Galaxy Watch7 - Wi-Fi · 44mm
- Width
- -0.6mm
- Thick
- -5.2mm
- Weight
- -18.2g
Amazfit
Balance
- Width
- +1mm
- Thick
- -4.3mm
- Weight
- -17g
Amazfit
Pop 3R
- Width
- +0.5mm
- Thick
- -4.1mm
- Weight
- +3.5g
Alternatives to the Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar
Watches that cover a similar amount of wrist, with the measurements that separate them.
Garmin
Venu 4 - 45mm
- Width
- 45mm
- Thick
- 12mm
- Weight
- 38g
Garmin
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar, Tactical Edition
- Width
- 45mm
- Thick
- 14.9mm
- Weight
- 52g
Garmin
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, AMOLED
- Width
- 45mm
- Thick
- 14.9mm
- Weight
- 53g
Garmin
Instinct® E – 45 mm
- Width
- 45mm
- Thick
- 14.2mm
- Weight
- 48g
Garmin
Venu 3
- Width
- 45mm
- Thick
- 12mm
- Weight
- 47g
Garmin
Instinct® Crossover Solar
- Width
- 45mm
- Thick
- 16.2mm
- Weight
- 65g
Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar — Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar fit my wrist?
The Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar looks balanced on flat wrist widths of roughly 47–64mm (about 12.6–17.1cm circumference). Drag the slider above to check it against your own measurement.
What size band does the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar take?
22mm. Any 22mm strap fits, so you are not limited to Garmin's own bands — look for a quick-release fitting if you want to swap without tools.
How long does the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar battery last?
Between 24 hours and 65 days per charge, depending on the power mode. Garmin rates Battery Saver at 65 days and All Satellite Systems + Multi-Band at 24 hours; the chart above lists all 7 modes.
How does the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar battery compare with other Garmin watches?
At 28 days in everyday use it ranks #32 of the 257 Garmin watches in our database — the top 12% of the range. The full ranking, including GPS and power-saving figures, is on our Garmin battery life comparison.
Is the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar thick for a 45mm watch?
At 14.9mm, thicker than 84% of 45mm watches — it will sit noticeably high on the wrist. Thickness, not case width, is what decides whether a watch catches on a shirt cuff.
Should I get the 45mm or 50mm Instinct 3?
The Instinct 3 comes in 2 case sizes — 45mm, 50mm. Which one suits you depends on the flat width of your wrist rather than preference: the larger sizes need a wider wrist to sit inside the edge. Set your measurement in the size picker above and each variant reports its clearance in millimetres.
What other watches are the same size as the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar?
OnePlus Watch Lite, Oppo Watch S, Google Pixel Watch 4 - 45mm, Tissot T-Race Chronograph PVD / Black / Rubber all sit within half a millimetre of the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 45 mm, Solar's 45mm case, so they cover the same amount of wrist.
