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Comparing Handheld GPSs

Specs and Ratings Below | Compare to Other products
 
Awards Editors' Choice Award    Best Buy Award 
Price $450 List$550 List$450 List$600 List
$521.39 at Amazon		$245.00 at Amazon
Compare at 2 sellers
Overall Score Sort Icon
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73
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Pros Excellent reception, large buttons, big screen, smart notifications and connectivityStraight-forward touchscreen interface, preloaded topo maps, camera for easy geo-tagging and sharingEasy and affordable two-way messaging, great smartphone app, feature loaded, proven global networkHuge touchscreen, fast processing speed, shock and water resistantReasonably priced, includes barometric altimeter and electronic compass, small and lightweight, long battery life
Cons Expensive, bulky, complicated connectivity between devicesTouchscreen performance when wet, potential battery issues, expensiveExpensive initial purchase, largest and heaviest messengerBig and heavy, expensive, less practical as a handheld unitSmall screen, lack of connectivity, tedious user interface
Bottom Line Our favorite model, this reliable and accurate GPS unit is full of featuresThis touchscreen unit strikes a nice balance between straightforward functionality and high-end capabilitiesFully featured and arguably more reliable even than commonly available satellite phonesAn extremely capable handheld unit, with a size and design better suited to mounting on an ATV or touring motorcycleThe addition of an altimeter and electronic compass make this lightweight unit one of the most cost-effective options on the market
Rating Categories Garmin GPSMAP 66st Garmin Oregon 750t Garmin inReach Expl... Garmin Montana 700 Garmin eTrex 32x
Reception (20%)
8.0
8.0
8.0
9.0
6.0
Ease of Use (20%)
7.0
8.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
Display Quality (20%)
9.0
8.0
6.0
9.0
7.0
Speed (15%)
9.0
8.0
7.0
9.0
7.0
Weight and Size (15%)
8.0
8.0
8.0
3.0
10.0
Versatility (10%)
8.0
8.0
10.0
6.0
7.0
Specs Garmin GPSMAP 66st Garmin Oregon 750t Garmin inReach Expl... Garmin Montana 700 Garmin eTrex 32x
Battery Life GPS Mode: 16 hours
Expedition Mode: 170 hours		 16 hours 100 hours (Default, 10-minute tracking mode)
30 days (at 30-minute interval power save mode)		 GPS Mode: 18
Expedition Mode: 330		 25 hours
Water Resistant? Yes, IPX7 Yes, IPX7 Yes, IPX7 Yes, IPX7 Yes, IPX7
No. of Waypoints 10,000 10,000 500 10,000 2,000
Saved Tracks / Points per Track 250 / 20,000 250 / 20,000 20 / 500 250 / 20,000 200 / 10,000
Preloaded Maps Topo 100k, US and Canada Topo 100k, US Topo 1:25k, U.S. and Canada US Federal Public Lands;
Garmin TopoActive (regional)		 Garmin TopoActive;
Routable (OpenStreetMap)
Dimensions (in.) 2.5 x 6.4 x 1.4 2.4 x 4.5 x 1.3 2.7 x 6.5 x 1.5 3.4 x 7.2 x 1.3 2.1 x 4.0 x 1.3
Weight w/ Batteries (oz.) 7.5 7.4 7.5 14 5
Display Size (in.) 1.5 x 2.5 1.5 x 2.5 1.4 x 1.9 4.25 x 2.55 1.4 x 1.7
Display Resolution (pixels) 240 x 400 241 x 400 200 x 265 480 x 800 240 x 320
Built-in Memory 16 GB 4 GB 2 GB 16 GB 8 GB
Accepts Data Cards microSD microSD No microSD microSD
Touchsceen or Buttons? Buttons Touchscreen Buttons Touchscreen Buttons
Electronic or Differential Compass? Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic
Barometric Altimeter Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Wireless Communication? Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ANT+ Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ANT+ Bluetooth Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ANT+ ANT+
Satellite Systems GPS, GLONASS, Galileo GPS, GLONASS GPS GPS, GLONASS, Galileo GPS, GLONASS
Ability to Add Maps? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Support Satellite Imagery? Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Automatic Routing Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Vertical Profiling Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Camera/Video No Yes, 8MP Camera No No No
Picture Viewer Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Geocaching (paperless) Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Hunt/Fish Calendar Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Sun and Moon Information Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Area Calculator Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Battery Information 2 AA Batteries 2 AA Batteries; Rechargeable NiMH pack (optional) Rechargeable lithium ion Rechargeable lithium ion battery pack 2 AA Batteries
Online Connect Communities Garmin Connect Yes Garmin Earthmate Garmin Connect;
Connect IQ		 No
Screen Info Transflective color TFT Transflective color TFT Transflective, color TFT WVGA transflective, dual orientation Transflective, 65K color TFT
Interface Information High-speed micro USB; NMEA 0183 High-speed micro USB; NMEA 0183 micro USB High-speed micro USB; NMEA 0183 mini USB
What Comes in the Box? -BirdsEye Satellite Imagery subscription included
  • USB cable
  • Carabiner clip
  • Documentation
 -BirdsEye Satellite Imagery 1-year subscription included
  • Rechargable battery pack
  • USB Cable
  • Wall charger, w/ AC adapter
  • Carabiner Clip
  • Documentation
 -USB cable
  • Carabiner clip
  • Documentation
 -BirdsEye Satellite Imagery subscription included
  • USB cable
  • Lithium-ion battery pack
  • Documentation
 -USB cable
  • Documentation