Garmin Edge Models Comparison: Which One To Buy?

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Garmin is the industry leader in bike computers. But their lineup can be complicated for beginners. It currently includes several models:

• Edge 130 Plus
• Edge 540, Edge 540 Solar, Edge 840, Edge 840 Solar, Edge 1040, and Edge 1040 Solar
• Edge 550, Edge 850, Edge 1050
• Edge Explore 2
• Edge MTB

I have experience with most of them, so I will help you answer which one you should buy. Based on the detailed comparison chart below, you will be able to orient yourself in them and make an educated decision.

NOTE: All Garmin Edge bike computers are also available in bundles. They include additional sensors, such as an HR monitor, cadence, and speed sensors. The ‘MTB bundles’ include sensors, a silicone case, and a special mount.

Garmin Edge Bike Computers Compared

The following table compares current Garmin Edge cycling computers.

The following chart visualizes the battery life of current Garmin Edge bike computers.

Garmin Edge 130 Plus

• Ideal for: Beginners, people on a tight budget
• Screen: 1.8″ (monochromatic)
• Touchscreen: No
• Battery life: 12 hours
• Weight: 33g
• Full on-device navigation: No

The Garmin Edge 130 Plus is the successor to the Edge 130 and the most affordable Edge bike computer. It has the smallest screen and is light, but it still offers all the features most people need from a bike computer. 

It uses GPS to measure your speed, distance, and other relevant data. It can also estimate the number of calories you burn. 130 Plus is compatible with additional sensors, such as HR monitors or power meters. 

You can also use it for training, as it can display structured workouts and even show a pre-planned route. However, it cannot recalculate the path if you deviate from it because it doesn’t offer advanced navigation features. Maybe the Edge 140 will?

Thanks to its affordable price and simplicity, it’s ideal for beginners and people with a limited budget.

Also available at amazon.com and tredz.co.uk

Garmin Edge 530

My Edge 530 rating at a glance:
Battery Life 4/5 | Ease of Setup 3/5 | Display 2/5 | Ease of Use 3/5 | GPS Accuracy 4/5 | Maps & Navigation 2/5 | Price 3/5 | OVERALL 3.0/5
More about this bike computer scoring.

• Ideal for: MTB, people looking for great value for the money
• Screen: 2.6″ (colored)
• Touchscreen: No
• Battery life: 20 hours
• Weight: 78g
• Full on-device navigation: Yes

The Edge 530 is an upgraded version of the Edge 520 Plus. It comes with buttons and a colored display. The buttons make it suitable for mountain bikers who don’t want to deal with touchscreens. Additionally, it can measure MTB metrics, such as jumps, flow, and grit, among others. 

Edge 530 offers most of the features of high-end bike computers (like the Edge 830 and Edge 1030 Plus) except for a few. For example, Points of Interest navigation is missing.

Using navigation is a pleasant experience until you need to browse the map on the device. It can be frustrating due to the lack of a touchscreen display.

However, you don’t have to be a mountain biker to use the Edge 530. It’s also suitable for roadies or gravel riders who want to get great value for the money.

Learn more in my Garmin Edge 530 review.

Also available at trekbikes.com and tredz.co.uk

Garmin Edge 830

My Edge 830 rating at a glance:
Battery Life 4/5 | Ease of Setup 4/5 | Display 3/5 | Ease of Use 3/5 | GPS Accuracy 4/5 | Maps & Navigation 4/5 | Price 2/5 | OVERALL 3.4/5
More about this bike computer scoring.

• Ideal for: People who want a touchscreen display and advanced features
• Screen: 2.6″ (colored)
• Touchscreen: Yes
• Battery life: 20 hours
• Weight: 82g
• Full on-device navigation: Yes

The Edge 830 is basically a smaller version of the Edge 1030 Plus. It features a 2.6-inch color touchscreen (compared to 3.5 inches on the 1030 Plus). The touchscreen works fine in rainy conditions or if you sweat a lot, and with full-finger touchscreen-compatible gloves.

This bike computer is the go-to choice for many riders due to its price-to-value ratio. It’s popular among pro cyclists and amateurs. It offers all the features of the Edge 1030 Plus, except for a few, in a smaller, more practical form factor.

The Edge 830 is among the best bike computers on the market. You can’t go wrong with it.

Learn more in my Garmin Edge 830 review.

Also available at tredz.co.uk

Garmin Edge 540 (Solar)

My Edge 540 Solar rating at a glance:
Battery Life 5/5 | Ease of Setup 5/5 | Display 3/5 | Ease of Use 2/5 | GPS Accuracy 5/5 | Maps & Navigation 5/5 | Price 2/5 | OVERALL 3.9/5
More about this bike computer scoring.

• Ideal for: MTB, people looking for great value for the money
• Screen: 2.6″ (colored)
• Touchscreen: No
• Battery life: 26 hours
• Weight: 80g (85g)
• Full on-device navigation: Yes

Garmin Edge 540 is the successor of the Edge 530. It features a completely revamped user interface, longer battery life, a USB-C charging port, and new features such as Real-Time Stamina and Power Guide. It also has an improved ClimbPro that doesn’t require a pre-planned route.

The Edge 540 is also available with a solar option, which provides an additional 25 minutes of battery life per hour of riding.

Read this article comparing Edge 530 and 540, or my Edge 540 review for more info.

Garmin Edge 840 (Solar)

My Edge 840 rating at a glance:
Battery Life 5/5 | Ease of Setup 5/5 | Display 4/5 | Ease of Use 4/5 | GPS Accuracy 5/5 | Maps & Navigation 5/5 | Price 2/5 | OVERALL 4.3/5
More about this bike computer scoring.

• Ideal for: People who want a touchscreen display and advanced features
• Screen: 2.6″ (colored)
• Touchscreen: Yes
• Battery life: 26 hours
• Weight: 85g (90g)
• Full on-device navigation: Yes

The Garmin Edge 840 is the successor to the Edge 830, and, except for a few features, it’s almost identical to the Edge 540.

The main difference between these two is the touchscreen display and larger storage (read this article for more differences).

Another new feature is that the 840 has the same physical buttons as the Edge 540. This makes it suitable for both those who prefer a touchscreen and those who prefer buttons.

Read this article comparing Edge 830 and 840, or my Edge 840 review for more info.

Garmin Edge 1040 (Solar)

My Edge 1040 rating at a glance:
Battery Life 5/5 | Ease of Setup 4/5 | Display 4/5 | Ease of Use 4/5 | GPS Accuracy 5/5 | Maps & Navigation 5/5 | Price 1/5 | OVERALL 4.0/5
More about this bike computer scoring.

• Ideal for: Those who want a Garmin bike with the longest battery life, advanced navigation features and workout suggestions
• Screen: 3.5″ (colored)
• Touchscreen: Yes
• Battery life: 35 hours (1040), 45 hours (Solar)
• Weight: 126g (1040), 133g (Solar)
• Full on-device navigation: Yes

The Edge 1040 and Edge 1040 Solar were introduced in June 2022. They took the game to another level thanks to improved battery life, over 30% longer than the 1030 Plus, redesigned UI, and more accurate GPS thanks to multi-band GNSS.

The Solar option can even charge itself while riding. Garmin claims it can add up to 42 minutes of battery life per hour of riding in battery saver mode under ideal conditions.

The Edge 1040 introduces new features, including Real-Time Stamina and a Power Guide, to the Edge bike computers. Garmin appears to be working diligently to utilize training data more effectively and offer valuable recommendations for enhancing your performance.

Additionally, you can now customize it via the Garmin Connect smartphone app. So, Garmin finally caught up with Wahoo ELEMNT bike computers.

Although the prices of the Edge 1040 and Edge 1040 Solar are high, they bring many improvements that make them more justifiable.

Learn more in my Garmin Edge 1040 review.

Garmin Edge 550 and 850

• Ideal for: Those who want the latest and greatest from Garmin for less than E1050.
• Screen: 2.7″ (colored)
• Touchscreen: Yes
• Battery life: 12 hours
• Weight: 110g/112g
• Full on-device navigation: Yes

The Garmin Edge 550 and 850 look almost the same, but have a few key differences. The Edge 850 offers a touchscreen, built-in speaker (with a digital bell and voice prompts), support for Garmin Pay contactless payments, and 64GB of storage. The Edge 550 uses buttons only, has no speaker, and 32GB of storage. Both models now have a larger, brighter 2.7-inch transmissive LCD screen, which looks clearer in all conditions but uses more battery life than the older screens.

Both units introduce advanced new features. They offer adaptive Cycling Coach training plans that adjust to your fitness, ride goals, and even the weather. Smart fueling alerts remind you to eat and drink based on your effort and the course. For group rides, GroupRide Comparisons let you see how your speed, power, heart rate, and cadence match up with your friends in real time. More features are available, but these are the most important upgrades right now.

The Edge x50 series now has features that were only on the flagship 1050, like the speaker and Garmin Pay. These extras make the Edge 850 especially useful for riders who want navigation prompts, a digital bell, and the option to pay with their device. However, these new features come at a higher price and reduce the battery life compared to the older x40 models.

Garmin Edge 1050

My Edge 1050 rating at a glance:
Battery Life 4/5 | Ease of Setup 5/5 | Display 5/5 | Ease of Use 5/5 | GPS Accuracy 5/5 | Maps & Navigation 5/5 | Price 1/5 | OVERALL 4.3/5
More about this bike computer scoring.

• Ideal for: Those who want the latest and greatest from Garmin.
• Screen: 3.5″ (colored)
• Touchscreen: Yes
• Battery life: 20 hours
• Weight: 161g
• Full on-device navigation: Yes

The Garmin Edge 1050 was introduced in June 2024, just 2 years after the Edge 1040. The most significant improvements are in the display, which is brighter and has a higher resolution.

Garmin has also completely redesigned the UI and added several new features, including Garmin Pay and a speaker. Through this speaker, you can receive voice instructions when the navigation is on or use the electronic bell.

Another interesting new feature is “Road hazards,” which works similarly to the Waze navigation. You can alert other cyclists to potential hazards.

On the other hand, the battery life is basically half that of the 1040 Solar, which is a big disappointment. The price of $699 also makes this bike computer hard to reach for many casual cyclists. Garmin clearly targets a different group of users with the Edge 1050 than the previous generation.

Also available at competitivecyclist.com and tredz.co.uk

Garmin Edge Explore 2

• Ideal for: Casual cyclists and people who love adventures
• Screen: 3.0″ (colored)
• Touchscreen: Yes
• Battery life: 16 hours
• Weight: 104g
• Full on-device navigation: Yes

The Garmin Edge Explore 2 is an improved version of the Garmin Edge Explore 1. It has a fully revamped user interface inspired by Edge 1040 and a claimed 4-hour longer battery life than its previous generation. It has a USB-C port, and like the Edge 1040, it can be configured via the Garmin Connect smartphone app.

Explore 2 can connect with power meters and record the data, but you won’t see them on-screen. The last thing worth noting is that Explore 2 is available in two options: standard and power bundle.

If you select the standard option, you will receive a holder without charging pins, which means you must purchase the mount separately.

Also available at competitivecyclist.com and jensonusa.com

Garmin Edge MTB

• Ideal for: Mountain bikers
• Screen: 2.13″ (colored)
• Touchscreen: No
• Battery life: 14 hours
• Weight: 58g
• Full on-device navigation: Yes

The Garmin Edge MTB is a rugged, compact cycling computer designed for mountain bikers. It has a small, tough body, a scratch-resistant screen, and seven buttons for easy use. The screen is 2.13 inches and shows sharp color maps, including the preloaded Trailforks network, so you always know where you’re headed. This device is much smaller and lighter (58 grams) than most other Garmin Edge models, making it easy to handle on rough trails.

The Edge MTB stands out with new enduro and downhill ride profiles, which automatically track your ascents, descents, and runs—perfect for gravity riding. It records your ride five times per second (5 Hz GPS) when you go downhill, giving you super-accurate data about your lines and speed. You can set up to 10 timing gates on your course, so you can compare your times for different trail sections and improve your best runs. The battery lasts up to 14 hours in tough conditions, or up to 26 hours in battery saver mode.

However, the Edge MTB does not have a touchscreen, Wi-Fi, or all the advanced training features of the larger Edge models. This keeps things simple and tough for mountain biking adventures.

Also available at rei.com and competitivecyclist.com

Discontinued Garmin Edge Computers

Here are the discontinued Garmin Edge bike computers. You may still find them in online marketplaces, but they are not sold officially.

Overview of the Popular Garmin Edge Features

Below, I list some of the popular features of the Garmin Edge bike computers.

ClimbPro can show you upcoming climbs based on a pre-planned route. You will know their gradient, length, remaining distance, profile, and so on.

Cycling Dynamics provides you with advanced metrics, including pedal smoothness position, bike setup, ride duration, and more. Remember, some metrics require additional sensors, like pedal power meters.

Incident Detection can detect if you crash and notify your emergency contacts.

MTB Dynamics measures your jump metrics (jump count, distance, hangtime, speed, etc.), grit (overall ride difficulty), and flow (how well you maintain speed). 

Points of Interest means that the head unit will navigate you to a selected location, such as a restaurant, gas station, grocery store, etc. 

Virtual Partner sets a virtual partner that you can use to pace yourself. 

Garmin Pay allows you to pay with your bike computer (it’s the same as Apple Pay).

Conclusion

Or, if you want to save some bucks, you can buy older models secondhand.

Which of the current Garmin Edge computers is your favorite? Let me know in the comments.