Garmin vs. Lezyne: Which Cycling Computers Are Better?

CyclistsHub is supported by its readers. We may receive a commission if you buy products using our links.

This article generally compares Garmin and Lezyne bike computers.

I used multiple Garmin head units (Edge 520, Edge 830, Edge 1030 Plus, Edge 1040, Edge 540s, and Edge 840), and l also have experience with Lezyne.

Let’s dig deeper and find out which bike computers are better for you and your use case.

Garmin Cycling Computers Lineup Explained

Garmin bike computers are known for their features, detailed maps, and comprehensiveness.

The Edge 130 Plus is ideal for beginners and people on a tight budget. It offers most features you may need for training and recording your rides, except full on-device navigation.

The Edge 530 is the successor of the iconic Edge 520. It comes with a colored display and buttons and full on-device navigation. It’s suitable for training, racing, MTB, etc. Riders praise mainly its small form factor and versatility.

Garmin Edge Explore is one of the head units not for hardcore cyclists but for people who love adventures or are more casual riders. Its main benefits are a larger display (3“) than the Edge 530 and Edge 830 (2.6“) and affordability. But it lacks some (training) features and has a short battery life of about 12 hours.

The Explore 2 comes with additional sensor support and longer battery life. These (and many other) upgrades made it more suitable for day-to-day riding. You can even customize its data fields via a mobile app (just like Edge 1040).

Everything I wrote about the Edge 530 also applies to the Edge 830. The main difference between these two head units is that the Edge 830 has a touchscreen display. Edge 830 is also packed with a few extra navigation features.

Edge 1030 Plus was Garmin’s flagship from 2020 until 2022. It has the largest screen (3.5“), up to 24 hours of battery life, a touchscreen display, and 32GB of internal storage. However, it’s also the most expensive.

Garmin Edge 1040 and 1040 Solar are Garmin’s most advanced bike computers. They are more accurate thanks to the multi-band GNSS, have longer battery life, and the Solar version can even extend the battery life while riding. They are also the first Edge computers that are customizable via a smartphone app.

Garmin Edge 540 and 840 are the latest additions to the Edge’s lineup. They have features from the Edge 1040 and are also available in the Solar option. They have multi-band GNSS, improved battery life, a new user interface, and a USB-C port.

Check out the following table that compares some of Garmin bike computers’ basic specifications and features.

Lezyne Cycling Computers Lineup Explained

Lezyne bike computers are simpler, more affordable, and have long battery life.

Macro Easy GPS is the entry-level cycling GPS from Lezyne. It’s the most affordable and provides basic features and compatibility with Bluetooth sensors.

It lacks support customization via mobile app or ANT+. It’s like a more capable speedometer that allows you to show your ride statistics once you finish.

Macro Plus GPS is a more advanced version of Macro Easy GPS. It basically has most features that Easy doesn’t.

This means you can customize it via smartphone, and it will navigate you turn-by-turn (when paired to a phone) or show you Strava-live segments.

Super Pro GPS is comparable with modern bike computers. It features ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity, full on-device navigation, and is customizable via smartphone.

You can pair it with devices like power meters, smart trainers, etc., and it will auto-sync your activities with 3rd party apps.

And finally, Mega XL GPS is like Super Pro GPS, just bigger, with longer battery life and larger storage. It also has a few extra data fields and features.

See the following table for more details.

Garmin vs. Lezyne: Pros and Cons

Except for the design, the biggest difference between Garmin and Lezyne cycling computers is in the user experience.

Lezyne bike computers require a longer learning curve because of their unintuitive controls.

On the other hand, they are customizable via a mobile app. Unfortunately, the Garmin Connect app doesn’t offer this option for most of the Edge’s lineup (except 1040, 1040 Solar, and Explore 2).

Lezyne computers offer a long battery life (thanks to their monochromatic displays). Only the highest-end Garmin bike computers have it longer.

Garmin head units are packed with more features but are still more user-friendly. Furthermore, some of their models have touch-screen displays for easier controllability.

I have never leveraged all of Garmin’s features, for example, incident detection. However, I find this one particularly useful. It’s a shame Lezyne doesn’t offer it because it can save lives.

Garmin maps are also more detailed, and some of their bike computers can navigate you to “Point of Interest,” for example.

The readability is slightly better on Garmin devices, regardless of more glossy displays. This is because their displays have better resolution and colors and are usually larger.

You get more frequent firmware updates on Garmin. However, they can be annoying sometimes. Lezyne updates are occasional.

The last feature to mention is the ability to use some Lezyne bike computers in landscape or portrait mode. This is not possible on Garmin head units.

The following table shows my summary of the pros & cons of Garmin and Lezyne bike computers.

Garmin vs. Lezyne: Which One Should You Choose?

Choose one of Garmin’s cycling computers. They are more capable, user-friendly, and visually appealing.

They are pretty capable and have excellent battery life, but design-wise, they are stuck in the last century.

Lezyne bike computers look like calculators. I believe their design department should redesign them.

However, if you don’t care about the design and are looking for a cheap bike computer, Lezyne is the way to go.

Conclusion

I prefer Garmin over Lezyne bike computers because of their features and design.

The design of Lezyne bike computers is unappealing and outdated. Although they are surprisingly capable, this reason alone is not good enough for me.

I also struggled to get used to controlling Lezyne bike computers. They require a longer learning curve.

Garmin bike computers are less user-friendly than Wahoo bike computers, but still more user-friendly than Lezyne.

The only area where Lezyne has the edge over the lower-end Garmin Edge computers is the long battery life.

So, which one will you choose after reading this article? Garmin or Lezyne? Let me know in the comments below.