Garmin's Rugged Smartwatch Was Designed With Drivers in Mind

Trust me, I've tried them all, and nothing compares to the Apple Watch Ultra. Fitbit has no future under Google's umbrella, and I believe it's just a matter of time until it goes dark, Samsung is rather busy figuring out if the rotating bezel should still be used or not, and Xiaomi looks committed to wristbands more than anything else.

In other words, if you want a truly advanced smartwatch right now, your only options come down to the Apple Watch and one of the Garmin models available out there. Apple Watch Ultra, for instance, is known to be insanely accurate regarding HR readings, whereas Garmin's devices excel in training metrics.

Garmin's incredibly vast smartwatch lineup also includes a model specifically aimed at drivers. It's a special version of the Instinct 2, a smartwatch supposed to offer infinite battery life (though this claim isn't necessarily accurate).

The Instinct 2 dezl Edition is a rugged trucking smartwatch that allows for a healthy lifestyle behind the wheel. Truck drivers typically spend a lot of time on the road, so the smartwatch comes with special features that let them track everything, from heart rate and calories to the time on the road and breaks.

The first thing you'll notice when trying the Instinct is the screen. Sure enough, it's not the best shiny display you'd expect on a 2023 device, but it serves its purpose just right. The technology powering the screen is called transflective memory-in-pixel, or MIP, and belongs in full to Garmin. It's used on many other devices, including the Fenix series (though the latest-generation models come with an upgraded version of the screen). Furthermore, the Instinct sports a monochrome panel, so you won't see any colors.

Given it's a device aimed at truck drivers, it's super tough. The case is made from fiber-reinforced polymer, and I can tell you from my experience it's incredibly durable. You can do pretty much anything with it, including running over the device with a truck, and it'll still be OK. It's thermal and shock resistant, and according to Garmin, it's chemically strengthened with a scratch-resistant lens.

As an activity tracker built by Garmin, Instinct 2 monitors your health by collecting live heart rate information, the respiration rate, pulse Ox blood oxygen saturation, the body battery, all-day stress, and sleep. It includes a barometer, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, a compass, an accelerometer, and a thermometer. Thanks to the mobile device connection, it shows mobile notifications, weather data, and can also make payments via Garmin Pay.

Now let's see what makes it just the right device for truck drivers. In addition to the rugged design, Garmin Instinct 2 dezl Edition sports notifications for break times. If you pair it with a dezl GPS navigation unit, you can see the remaining time until the next break on the screen. When the time for a break comes, the smartwatch generates a notification.

In addition, the smartwatch can pair with the dezl app to access additional content, such as loyalty program information via Love's Travel Stops and Pilot Flying J Travel Centers. Like the GPS navigator, it can also display notifications of upcoming weigh stations. The feature is only available in the United States, though.

Getting back to breaks, Garmin worked together with owner-operator coach Kevin Rutherford for this special-edition smartwatch, so truck drivers will get customized workouts to keep them in shape during their breaks. Drivers can choose between body-weight, dumbbell, or resistance workouts, getting guidance right on their smartwatches.

Additionally, detailed workout tutorials are available on the smartphone if you install the dezl app.

With a 45mm screen, the Instinct 2 dezl Edition is truly a rugged smartwatch, and thanks to all these features, it can withstand pretty much anything that comes to mind. Sure enough, it's not as exquisite as an Apple Watch, but it's not even supposed to be. The Instinct 2 dezl Edition is a tough piece of technology, and if you don't mind the rather basic screen, you'll probably enjoy it from one end to the other.

Now let's talk a bit about the battery life. Garmin says the solar cell makes the Instinct 2 a device with infinite battery life, but that's obviously a pretty optimistic claim. On the other hand, if you use it with all sensors on and with lots of phone notifications, you should still get at least ten days per charge. This is something Apple users can only dream about, as the Apple Watch Ultra hardly gets two days per charge.

The Instinct 2 dezl Edition can be yours in the United States for $399. It's only available in black and in a 45-mm size.