I am not really a watch person, I like keeping my body as free of accessories and stuff as possible. But analyzing my various requirements, I found this kind of a watch accessory most suitable compared to other options. In this blog, I share with you the 3 reasons why this rugged smartwatch made the most sense for me. If you are considering purchasing a smartwatch, you can also think through on these points and decide.

The good news,

With changing life circumstances, I will soon be doing some cycle touring & wilder traveling again. Yay! This is after a fairly long break – my last cycle tour was in Thailand in 2019 (read all about it here). Then COVID struck, so that whole travel style went for a toss.

Now it may be THAT time again! Woohoo!

Why I Bought Garmin Instinct 2S Solar (Not an Ad)

Can’t Take Heart Health for Granted especially After COVID & COVISHIELD (ASTRA ZENECA)

There have been an increasing incidence of cases where healthy 40-50 years all of a sudden succumb to heart attacks. Thus, there has been growing awareness in India of our hearth health even if we are healthy. But add to that COVID & COVISHIELD.

During the COVID years, I got COVID two or three times. And each time it was *quite* impactful – severe fatigue, weakness, body heat and often unexplainable issues. After a point we stopped testing for it and even after testing it wasn’t getting detected. So, when the vaccines came out, I was ready to take it right away! I had already seen what crap havoc COVID can wreak on the body. Eventually, I happened to take the COVISHIELD aka ASTRA ZENECA vaccine and booster doses – i.e. – three doses in close proximity. Not much of post-vaccine issues except the usual body pain, feverish feeling.

However, eventually, there have been some news of Astra ZENECA having further negative impact on heart health. Especially, for women in my age group and those that took vaccine shots in close proximity. Enough of news for a lot of scientific studies on the same which may not have been that conclusive (here’s a study of covid vaccines & heart health)

Long story short, I am happy to keep this heart tracker with me.. just in case some irregularities crop up. Especially, as I cycle in different conditions – I feel better having a tracker on my vitals.

GPS ROUTES, Compass to help me NOT Get Lost in a hike!

When I was exploring Andalucia in Spain I got lost on a solo hike. And had to be rescued by the police. If you don’t already know about this story, read my complete blog post here. I thought I would die that night, but having come out safe and sound, I recognised the need for a GPS tracker / routing device beyond my phone.

I wrote a detailed post on hiking safety after this incident, read it here.

I wasn’t sure of taking a smartwatch for this purpose, as other GPS routers are also available. But coupled with my other two requirements, it made sense to get all these features in my smartwatch – rather than purchase different equipment.

It was this requirement, that bumped up my spend – because smartwatches that track only the health parameters are actually a lot cheaper. With branded ones like Garmin in the 15-20k range. However, my requirement for outdoor routing led me to the Garmin Instinct Watch series. Along with routes and maps, Garmin Instinct also provides the ABC i.e. Altimeter, Barometer and Compass. These can be useful to keep a check on the weather conditions and altitude when I am on some rugged hike or cycle trip!

Sleep Check

More awareness is dawning in youth that often there are sleep disturbances or problems which lead to many health issues. I feel happy tracking my sleep. Though having to wear the smartwatch while sleeping is a bit of pain. But it is good to have the possibility 🙂 And I don’t need to wear it everyday, just a few days to set normal benchmarks and then check once in a while.

Why Garmin vs Other Cheaper Brands

A lot of cheaper brands are available in the Indian market which provide good health tracker bands. So, why Garmin? Considering that I am using this watch to track my health stats, I feel better owning a military standard brand like Garmin. Moreover, the features of Altimeter, Barometer and Compass + GPS routing are not available in the other simpler fitness bands. So, inevitably I had to opt for a higher end brand and device. The Garmin Instinct Series is bringing in these high-end features at a comparatively lower price range. That is why, I opted for the Garmin Instinct 2S Solar version.

This is the official India website to browse Garmin watches. Garmin Instinct range is available on Amazon (check out all the different models here). I was actually very surprised when the official India website routed me to Amazon to buy the specific device I wanted: Instinct 2S Solar – Neo Tropic – it is even discounted on Amazon. I bought it for 42990 INR. Be careful while making your purchase if you do choose a Garmin watch, because the different colors, even within the same model, often have different features. For example, Instinct 2S Tactical – is made for military stealth and has features according to that. Be sure, that you are choosing the exact features you want.

I feel better having a finger on my health specs. The features this watch packs are quite powerful. And I look forward to tracking the GPS routes and other training specs on my watch. In fact, I have already been tracking my yoga practices on the watch. Seeing the impact these activities have on my heart rate, breathing rate and other stats are fascinating. Will upload a video soon.

Do you have a smartwatch? If you do, what features do you most use?