I walked 5,000 steps with the Garmin Instinct 3 vs Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 — and this watch won by a single step

Close-up of the Garmin Instinct 3 next to the Amazfit T-Rex 2 Ultra.

Garmin Instinct 3 or Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2, which is the more accurate fitness tracker? To find out, I slapped one on either wrist and walked 5,000 steps — manually counted, of course — and compared the data from each device.

Both smartwatches are aimed at outdoor adventurers, with rugged build qualities, onboard GPS, and no shortage of tracking modes. While the Instinct 3 debuted in January 2025, it remains one of the best Garmin watches in 2026, particularly for battery life, with a starting price of $399 via Best Buy for the solar edition and $449 for the AMOLED version.