The Garmin Instinct 3 and Garmin Fenix 8 are both excellent sports watches with a whole load of useful features for runners and other athletes. Both come with different size and screen options, but whichever option you go for the Instinct 3 is much cheaper than the Fenix 8, so is the Fenix worth the extra outlay? Mike, Kieran and Nick run through their testing of the watches in this video and point out the key differences between them.
Check out our full reviews of both watches:
Garmin Instinct 3 review:
Garmin Fenix 8 review:
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00:00 – Intro
00:32 – Design & Key Stats
03:41 – The Run Test & Verdict
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Hello and welcome to the Run testers my Name is Nick and in this video we're Going to be comparing the Garmin Phoenix 8 and the Garmin Instinct 3 and how they Work for runners so first off I'm going To run through the two watches the Design differences the mainly the key Differences between them we won't go Into loads of detail on each watch just Talking about really the most important Differences we do have full reviews of Both up on the channel if you want to Dive into a bit more detail on either of Them and then Kieran Mike and I will run Through our running experience with both These watches and give an idea of which We would pick if you the market for one Of the [Music] Two both watches come in a fairly wide Range of different sizes and styles both Of them have both AMOLED and memory and Pixel watches in the range and with the Memory and pixel watches you get solar Panels running around the screen to Increase the battery life even further There is also the Instinct 3E and the Phoenix 8e watches which are the more Affordable versions of each watch in General we're not huge fans of those we Think it's probably better to look at Older gar models and sales and look at The E versions of the watch is so in This video we're going to be comparing
The Instinct 3 and phoenix8 models in Particular and actually also looking Mainly at the AMOLED versions which are The ones that we've tested the first big Difference to talk about is the price Which is much cheaper for the Garmin Instinct 3 the price starts at £349 or $399 with the Instinct whereas you're Looking at over double that for the Phoenix it starts at £949 or $1,99 so depending on which model you go For which size you go for you're going To be spending a lot more on the Phoenix But it's fair to say you have a lot more Features with the Phoenix and it's also Got a different design to the instinct Which which has its very classic style But it's a mainly plastic case with an Aluminium ring where with the Phoenix Got the choice of steel or titanium Bezels you've also got a sapphire Crystal option in the Phoenix range for The screen whereas with the Instinct you Just have glass screens and the screen Size is a little bit bigger on the Phoenix8 as well you either have 1.3 in Or 1.4 in screens depending on which Model you go for whereas on the Instinct Side of things it's 1.2 in or 1.3 in It's also worth noting that the screen Is a touchcreen on the Phoenix 8 which Isn't on the Instinct 3 got three Different sizes in the Phoenix range as
Well going from 43 mm 47 mm and then 51 Mm for the biggest one whereas the Instinct is 45 or 50 mm instinct is a Lighter watch though by virtue of the Fact it has got that plastic case pretty Similar in terms of thickness depending On which model you go for they both have Built-in flashlights as well which very Handy and they both have the usual array Of sensors you get on Garmin watches Including a barometer an altimeter and They both offer dual band GPS tracking As well however one big difference in The sensors is that the phoenix8 offers The Gen 5 Elevate heart rate sensor from Garmin which is the latest heart rate Sensor they do which is the Instinct 3 You're looking at the Elevate V4 so the Previous model of their heart rate Sensor which is a little bit less Accurate I'd say in my testing and you Also as a result of having that newer Sensor get ECG and skim temperature Measurements on the phoenix8 fenix8 also Has a mic and speaker on it and it's got A dive proof design you can dive to Depths of 40 m got dive proof buttons on It as well leak proof buttons both of Them are water resistant to 10 ATM so 100 m got a lot more storage on the Phoenix 8 and that's because it offers Extra features in the way of offline Maps and music both of which require a Lot of storage and neither of which are
Available on the Instinct 3 you also get Some extra Sports modes on the Phoenix 8 Like ultra running and some extra Training analysis including garment's Hill and endurance scores the G fenix8 Also has a newer user interface which is Introduced with the phoenix8 and Enduro 3 models that's not there on the Instinct 3 and when it comes to battery Life it will differ massively depending On the exact model you go for in the Range of course in general the memory And pixel models with solar panels will Outl the Amed watches but overall both Of the Phoenix 8 and Instinct 3 watches Across the range are very impressive in Terms of battery life I'd say maybe the Instinct 3 has a slight Edge especially With the solar models which can last Indefinitely in sunny conditions but Really they're fairly similar looking Across the two ranges the terms of the Actual real world battery [Music] Life so in terms of my running time These two watches it's been very good Overall inside and outside of tracking My runs a little bit on the design first I like the design of both of these very Different reasons I like the fact the Instinct series kind of offers something A little bit different outside of you Know what you know the other things that Gin offers in it's range it's a bit more
You know colorful a bit more out there Kind of bold bright and I kind of like It and in this 45mm version it's a good Weight as well you're not getting the Same level of kind of ruggedness and Protection that you're going to get on The Phoenix 8 which you know is a bit More keeping that look with those kind Of Premium Garmin watches a little bit More metal in play you got that sapphire Glass you got these leak proof buttons Which you know if you don't dive it's Not going to be a big deal you don't get It on the Instinct 3 they've both got am Displays you're getting in general a Bigger and higher resolution display on The Phoenix X Series compared to the Instinct 3 I think what's more Disappointing on the Instinct 3 point of View it doesn't have a touch screen Whereas you do get that on the phoenix8 Series and that makes things like kind Of interacting with the Smartwatch Features using mapping and navigation Just a little bit nicer to do on the Mapping navigation support you don't get The full mapping support on the Instinct 3 which I find it surprising Particularly on the AMOLED version which You don't have that sub display now that You do have on the solar version uh and Would I think would you know enable that Support for that full mapping um on the Instinct three but you don't get that
And I think that's a if you care about Full mapping I think you know the Experience is very good on the Garian Watch and you're getting some of the you Know the later navigation features there On the Phoenix that you won't get on the Instinct 3 the GPS performance has been Very good across both watches I think The Phoenix 8X has just been a little Bit more reliable for me the kind of GPS Track route's been slightly touch wobbly In places with the Instinct 3 but I'd be Very happy kind of you know using these In they kind of top GPS accuracy mode Heart rate sensors you've got the newer One on the Phoenix 8 I mean I would Still be if you know I always training By heart rate I'd be still pairing heart Rate monitor chest TRS to both of these Watches I think for steady Pace runs Generally they've been good for me high Intensity maybe this is slightly better But I don't think there's a huge amount In it for me battery life now it's Probably unfair to kind of you know kind Of compare the Phoenix 8X to the Instinct 3 it's got you know a bigger Battery just holds that battery a lot Better even than the kind of top GPS Accuracy mode but I think in general the Phoenix 8 will give you better battery Life performance I think with the always On display as well I think you're going To get a little bit more out of the
Phoenix8 in general compared to the Instinct 3 probably just maybe a couple Of days in it but if you want a little Bit more I think the phoenix8 in general Is going to give that to you Smartwatch Features there are some missing ones From the Instinct 3 you're not getting That music play you are getting a bum Pop in storage in general for kind of You know downloading and installing apps And kind of watch faces and kind of data Fields the Phoenix 8 you're getting Everything that Garin offers his Smartwatch features those new voice Enabled features which yeah I don't Massively use I felt compelled to use I Do have or have found I've used the kind Of LED flashlights and you've got bright Powerful ones on both of these watches Something you care about then you have Those in play as well so yeah I would Say you know good watches good watches To track your runs definitely some wins And losses on both of these watches so I Taking with go for the G Phoenix 8 or The Garmin Instinct 3 now these are two Garmin watches that sit at very Different price points the cheapest Available G Phoenix 8 model is still Considerably more expensive than the Most expensive Instinct 3 version now These are absolutely both very capable Running watches which I'd be very happy To turn to to track my runs now there's
Some key areas where I think are Probably going to sway going for one Over the other I think when you look at The Phoenix 8 side of things you're Getting the best in terms of protection And ruggedness in that design you are Getting the best in terms of mapping and Navigation support and you're getting All of garments available Smartwatch Features the Instinct 3 you are getting You know that kind of very good Multiband GPS performance you're not Getting the same level of protection Ruggedness you're not getting all of Garmin Smartwatch features and you are Not getting that full mapping support Either you're still getting something That's going to work well for you're Tracking your runs in general and the Battery life is very good on that watch If I had to pick if I had the money to I Would still be going for the Phoenix 8 Personally it's a little bit about some Of the things I talked about but also I Think the software experience just works A little bit nicer for me and having That touchscreen display I think Particular you've got an AMOLED display There and particularly when you're using It for maps it just works really nicely For me and it's a shame that the Garmin Instinct doesn't have that in its Locker On its AMOLED version but you know I'd Be happy using the Gin Instinct 3 it is
Cheaper I still think you're going to Get a good run tracking experience but For me if I had the money to spend I Would probably going for Phoenix 8 Probably not the Phoenix 8X probably a Smaller version which is still going to Be very expensive but I think for a lot Of people the Instinct 3 is going to Work and absolutely be enough of a watch To kind of track your runs analyze your Data get a good enough battery Performance get good enough GPS Performance and heart rate monitoring You know you're probably going to grab a Chest STP for that anyway so happy for The Instinct three to trap my runs if I Had to pick and I had the money to spend I'd be going for the phoenix8 so in Testing I've had the Garmin Phoenix 8 AMOLED 51 mil for quite a while and I've Been running that alongside this Instinct 3 45 mil AMOLED to compare them So the first thing you notice is the Size obviously overall I prefer the Looks of the Phoenix 8 with its more Premium bezel and bigger AMOLED screen That offers more real estate for easier Reads kind of for your stats on the Move Though I have got a soft spot for the Lighter more compact feel of the Instinct Tre that kind of sits on the Wrist a bit more easily particularly Overnight in bed when it comes to Controls I think the Phoenix 8 combined
Touchscreen and button controls are also A big tick for that work particularly Considering the buttons are easier to Control and you've got these flat Instinct buttons on the Instinct 3 I Find those a little bit harder to use They don't protrude quite as much so They're particularly kind of harder to Sort of hit when you're wearing gloves Which I've been doing in the winter Recently now broadly speaking the Instinct 3 is a pretty good match for The Phoenix for all the training health And Recovery insights there are gaps Like you won't get Hill score or Endurance score on the Instinct 3 or the ECG sensor there those capabilities Aren't there because you don't get the Latest heart rate sensor Tech on the Instinct 3 but in general daily training Use I didn't feel there was a huge Amount of difference one where I did Notice or I would notice when I went and Did longer run Instinct 3 doesn't have Clim Pro that's a biggie for me perhaps Even more than the emission of maps when I Venture into hilly Ultra races this is Something that I Rey a lot you know it's Just great for showing you where you are On the course what climbs descents You've got how far you've got left of us Descent to go is it enough to pay a Considerable extra for the Phoenix I'm Not 100% sure but it is a gap generally
Speaking the Garmin Phoenix 8 is also The more competent Navigator uh when it Comes to Performance I found the GPS Accuracy pretty similar overall I ran More than a dozen times with both Watches on in various settings and on The whole they came within a 10% margin For error of each other that was not Anytime there's a massive discrepancy Stuck closely to the tracks as well when You dig into the GPS traces both Struggled where expect underpasses that Sort of thing but for the majority of my Miles the GPS on both of these was good I didn't find a massive difference in Terms of the heart rate Fidelity either Both of them had struggles at different Times doing intervals and whatnot when You're doing steady runs they're fine Now if you care about Smartwatch smarts The Phoenix 8 is the smarter watch it Boasts a mic speaker to enable those Kind of voice notes and some basic voice Commands that you now have with this Watch there's more storage Wi-Fi Connectivity that makes it easier to Sync to the ging Connect app and update The watch when new firmware lands or you Want to put new widgets and stuff on it From connect IQ speaking and also Obviously to add music speaking of music I felt the lack of streaming services on The Instinct 3 a bit the phoenix8 wins On that count two you just have controls
On the Instinct 3 verdict then the Differences between these two multisport Watches depend heavily on Which models You compare from the two lineups but Beyond the big price discrepancy I think The most obvious difference is ball down To this the Phoenix 8 is bigger it's Heavier it has more features it has Newer Hardware it's got a more premium Build and a longer battery life the Phoenix8 is the more allround competent Watch but you'll pay for those upgrades And the key here I think is to ask Yourself how much you care about Maps Music and a touchcreen hill score clim Pro all those kind of things and whether You'd swap those for the convenience of A smaller durable watch and that has More of that cool kids Casio g- sock Styling if you're budget and your risk Capacity can handle it I think the Phoenix 8 is the better watch no doubt About it if you're on a tighter budget And don't care about size the Phoenix 7 And epic Gen 2 are worth a look they are Cheaper than the Phoenix 8 but have more Fully featured offering than the Instinct 3 and you get maps but if you Want a less bulky watch the Instinct Three I think is a very capable watch Though I'd be tempting to look at the Likes of the sunto race s or the race s Titanium 2 for sort of good comparable Performance for a similar PR so I tested
The Instinct 3 and the Phoenix 8 side by Side for a couple of weeks wearing one On each wrist I tested the Instinct 3 45 Mm AMOLED watch that's the smaller model In the AMOLED version and then on the Phoenix side of things I tested it Against the 51 mm AMOLED Phoenix and Also the 47 mm AMOLED Phoenix like in Turn to see how those compared looking At design I like the look of both Watches but I do prefer the design of The Phoenix myself only the intin 3 will Have a lot of fans with its slightly G-Shock styling but I like the more Classic look of the Phoenix especially The dark gray and orange version version Of the watch which is maybe the best Looking garment I think I've ever seen Obviously that's just personal Preference but the screen is better on The Fenix 8 I would say it's a larger Display and also it just feels a bit Brighter and easier to read for me so Overall I would give the design Edge to The Phoenix and then when it comes to Accuracy GPS accuracy has been very Similar on both watches I've been using Them in multiband mode for the most part And it's been pretty much exactly the Same throughout all my runs I even did I Think a 22 Mile where the difference Between them was less than 100 m met so The GPS accuracy would not be a Differentiator for me I do think the
High rate accuracy is better on the Phoenix though with that new sensor even When using the really large 51 mm Phoenix and sometimes I find that bigger Watches can be less accurate cuz they Move around a bit on my skinny wrist but Had really good results throughout Testing the phoenix8 even in cold Conditions the odd error here and there But not too much whereas the Instinct 3 I did see a lot of Errors during my runs With it when I wasn't using an external Heart rate sensor like I say it's cold Here in the UK which does make it harder But it often just read a bit High Compared to my actual heart rate Measured by a chest strap and I do think That new heart rate sensor you get on The Phoenix is an upgrade on the one on The Instinct so battery life has been an Interesting test against two watches the Fenix 8 51 mm watch you know is an Absolute Titan for battery life like I've had all of these watches in the AMOLED versions testing them with the Screens always on using the multiband GPS which is the most power intensive Mode and running every day and the Phoenix at 51 mm watch last me 12 days On a charge which is you know really Outstanding the Instinct 45mm model this Is the smaller model so it has the less Good battery life in the Instinct range Was lasting me seven days in a charge of
That use which is I think slightly Outlasting the Phoenix 8 47 mm model It's pretty similar like six or seven Days I was getting out of the Phoenix 8 47 mm AMOLED watch but yeah battery life Is really good in all these watches for AMOLED watches you could really extend That battery life quite easily by using Raced awake or if you op for a solar Version then you know you are going to Get truly incredible battery life but It's always impressive to me how good The 51 mm AMOLED Phoenix 8 is in terms Of battery life for a watch of a big Screen big it is a big watch it's got a Big battery in it but still that's very Impressive and all of these watches have Impressed me on that front side by side Maybe these are the most comparable the 47 and the 45 mm watches and the instant Slot outlasted it but there not a huge Difference here unless you're looking at The solar models which you know then can Really extend the amount of battery life You get from them so quite a few Features obviously are missing on the Instinct that you get on the phoenix Like some of this I'm not too bothered About like music for me is not a big Loss I don't tend to use my Watch for Music that much or really at all outside Of testing the maps are a bigger loss Though like maps for the most part I'm Not using them day in day out usually
I'm running where I live and I know all The areas around here but when they are Useful they're really useful like I do Find it much easier to follow courses With garmin's maps compared to just the Line and pointer you get on the Instinct 3 and also there's features like kleim Pro which I think are really useful when You're running on a hilly course or Racing on a hilly course in particular And can judge your refer uphills so it's A big loss from the Instinct because it Is an outdoors focused watch and having Maps on there especially now I've got The AMOLED screen which would make them Very bright and easy to read you know It's a bit of a shame then the extra Training stuff on the Phoenix it's nice To have it's not essential I do look at My endurance scorer you know throughout Marathon training just to see if it's Ticking in the right direction but for The most part I'm not too worried about My endurance score so I wouldn't say It's a big loss and the Instinct 3 does Have quite a lot of useful training Analysis on it nowly the price is a huge Factor here I almost say the biggest Threats to the Instinct might be the Older models from the Phoenix range like The Epic Pro and Fenix 7 Pro or even Epic 2 they're really good watches that Still have more features than you get on The instincts and they're more
Comparable in price because it's such a Big price upgrade to the Phoenix 8 I Much prefer it as a watch I prefer the Design and the look of the watch I like The heart rate monitor being a bit more Accurate even if I do mostly use an External strap and that is one way to Rule out that difference of course is Just to buy an external chest strap with The several hundred pounds you save by Going for the Instinct and just using External strap which means you wouldn't Have to worry about that Optical sensor Which is accurate outside of workout I Will'll say that yeah so it is a much Better watch to Phoenix but you know You're paying a lot more for it I do Think it's a shame that Garmin left some Features off the Instinct as one of the Newer watches in its range it didn't get That heart rate sensor and maps in Particular but you know if they're not Essential you are going to save a lot of Money by going for the Instinct if you Love The Look of the Phoenix and you Know have the money it's a better watch It's the one i' get if you are working To a tighter budget the Instinct 3 is Very attractive but I think it's Probably still outgun by maybe those Older Garing models like the Epic Pro Epic 2 that kind of thing
