Which One’s Better, Garmin or Wahoo?
We live in an age of technology where keeping up with the pace is important.Bike computers are one of those latest inventions of the 20th century.
They are these mini displays on your bike handlebars that keeps track of your performance records.
Garmin and Wahoo bike computers have been very popular among the users from the beginning.They use GPS technology to help guide you in your tracks.
And they are now the trending gadgets for your bikes. These two gadgets have similar features; therefore, it is difficult to choose just one.
We will discuss in brief about this in the article and hopefully answer the question, “Which one’s better, Garmin or Wahoo?”
The Garmin Series
The Garmin series has been in the market for over a decade now. They have provided the customers with some amazing devices that have fulfilled almost every biker’s dreams.
And they have been known as your best travel companion. Described below are the latest editions to the Garmin series.
Garmin Edge 520 and 520 Plus
The 520 model fulfilled almost every rider’s needs. It had easy manual setup and trainer features to keep you fit.
And it had a battery life of 15 hours with GPS connection. But it was not well equipped with surviving crashes. You can connect it with your smartphone and get notifications.
It had a detailed map and navigation system with recovery timings to get you performance-ready. The Edge 520 plus is a modified version of the previous Edge 520.
It had on-device routing for both on and off-road cycling. And it used GPS and GLONASS satellites for data collection. This had a battery life of 20 hours.
Related Comparison: Garmin Edge 130 vs Wahoo Bolt
Garmin Edge 530
Garmin edge 530 was the highest-ranking with the biggest screen in the series. And it had a preinstalled advanced navigation system.
With smart trainer features and nutrition and hydration alerts, it was a unique one of the series. It was a smartphone for bikes.
Garmin Edge 830
It is a compact packaging of a touchscreen, light weight, small size with all advanced features.
From a group-live track, incident detection, to training features, everything is available on this one.
It has a high-resolution screen and multiple other features to work on.
Garmin Edge 1030
It has accurate monitoring of every rides with preloaded routes. The Edge 1030 had up to 20 hours of battery life with improved Wi-Fi and ANT+ connections.
But in comparison with the Edge 1000, it had almost similar features with only extended battery life.
The Wahoo Series
Wahoo ELEMNT
It has an easy configuration system with Wi-Fi and GPS connections. This device had a poor navigation system with a black and white screen, so it was outrun by the latest Garmin series pretty soon.
Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt
The Wahoo ELEMNT is better reviewed by users for its specifications. It has all the basic features with additional ‘take me anywhere’ where you select any destination, and this device guides you there.
And it has an in-built workout function that syncs with your plans and shows bar-graph visualizations.
And the only defect in this device was the black and white maps that were very hard to read.
Wahoo ELEMNT Roam
This device has corrected the only defect of the previous one. It has a color display with a car navigation system that allows you to travel worry-free.
It has a “Back on Track” feature that guides you home from any tracks. And it has a 17-hour long battery life with auto adjustable brightness to travel hassle-free.
With Wi-Fi and ANT+ connections, you can share live tracks from where ever you are.
Garmin or Wahoo?
The comparison between the best two bike computers is never easy. Each of these devices is reviewed best by its users.
We will try to compare Edge 520 & 830 with ELEMNT Bolt and Roam by features here.
The Basics
Garmin Edge 520: Honestly speaking, this model has all the perfect basic features. You do not need any modification on this device.
It had a perfect mounting with third party computers with the quarter-turn mount accessibility.
Although it lacked the Bluetooth sensor, it had a lot of other features to overcome that.
Garmin Edge 830: It has both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connected features. Operating this device with or without the help of smartphones is both very easy.
You can simply turn on the device, and with a bit of information and GPS, you are ready to go.
Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt: It has dual ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart sensor support, making it easier to use.
The Bolt has a special dropbox feature where it keeps all your ride records.
Wahoo ELEMNT Roam: The Roam had a lot of complaints regarding breakage at first.
But with the special Roam mount, it became easier to use. It has GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connected features similar to the previous models.
Color Screen
Apart from the ELEMNT Bolt, the other three have a vibrant color screen. The Bolt was unpopular among its users for this reason.
Navigation
In comparison to the Garmin series, Wahoo devices are better at navigation. They have useful maps included and can auto-download tracks when needed.
Garmin Edge 520 lacks a turn-by-turn navigation system, but Edge 830 incudes that.
Whereas the ELEMNT Bolt does have the turn-by-turn navigation system, but it needs the help of the Wahoo app for creating routes.
All these problems are solved in the ELEMNT Roam. This device dismisses all the navigation-related queries.
Cost
German 830 is the most expensive option here as it costs more than 400$. While Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt is the least expensive with a price tag of around 225$.
Cycling Features
Garmin Edge 520 and 830: They are both compatible with power meters. You can compete against your previous courses in these devices.
Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt and Roam: These devices are perfect for cycling. Their power meter and calibration options make them impeccable for the riders.
Conclusion
No comparison is enough in front of users’ judgments. The Edge series has improvised a lot over time, and therefore, it has a compact device now.But the Wahoo users simply cannot get enough of it.
In my opinion, Wahoo has improved its basic features in the latest ELEMNT Roam model, and it is nothing in comparison to the costly Edge series.
We will let the readers decide what they think is best for them, Wahoo or Garmin?