Garmin Edge 550 Review: Overpriced and Easy to Ignore?

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I spent one other $1100 on Garmin’s newest bike computer systems,1 so that you don’t must. I in contrast the Edge 550 with the earlier generations and in addition some competing bike computer systems. So, is it value it?

My Edge 550 score at a look:Battery Life 4/5 | Ease of Setup 5/5 | Show 5/5 | Ease of Use 5/5 | GPS Accuracy 5/5 | Maps & Navigation 5/5 | Worth 1/5 | OVERALL 4.3/5More about this bike pc scoring.

NOTE: I examined the Edge 550 with firmware model 7.10.

Garmin Edge 550 Execs and Cons

These are the primary professionals and cons of the Garmin Edge 550 I discovered throughout its use.

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What’s New In comparison with the Edge 540?

Within the Field

Preliminary Setup

Organising the Edge 550 is similar as with earlier Garmin bike computer systems. If you happen to’ve used an Edge system earlier than, your settings (together with knowledge fields) will likely be routinely downloaded out of your Garmin Join account. That is tremendous handy as you don’t must spend time adjusting the information pages or pairing sensors. Wahoo ELEMNT bike computer systems may sync knowledge pages, however not sensors. So Garmin has an edge right here (no pun supposed!). The one settings I needed to regulate have been the widgets and their visibility.

The UI is equivalent to that discovered on the Edge 1050. Naturally, Garmin unified your complete lineup to offer a constant expertise.

My Expertise with Garmin Edge 550

Let’s now dive deeper into particular person options.

Show

Garmin elevated the show measurement by 0.1″, bringing it to 2.7 inches. Because of a expertise often called transmissive LCD, it’s a lot brighter and simpler to learn in numerous situations (see the gallery beneath).

The pixels per inch (PPI) are decrease than on the Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT 3 (271 vs. 376 PPI), for instance, however every little thing seems to be sharp, so that is kinda irrelevant. The 0.1″ measurement distinction can also be negligible. The next chart reveals the show sizes of different fashionable bike computer systems.

The show is now shiny sufficient to be simpler to learn even in direct daylight. Nevertheless, it’s tough to seize it on digital camera. The display brightness seems in a different way relying on the lean of the bike pc. Remember the fact that the display floor is shiny, so it nonetheless displays glare. The shiny screens are dragging the Edge bike computer systems down a bit. An anti-glare coating might take them to a different degree. Under, I’ve included a gallery of assorted mild situations and a comparability with completely different Edge bike computer systems.

Right here is one other comparability, this time with different bike computer systems. In actuality, Karoo 3 is the brightest, with Magene C606 a detailed second. BOLT 3 and ROAM 3 are the least shiny.

The Edge 550 can show as much as 10 knowledge fields directly, protecting them comparatively straightforward to learn, although they’re naturally a bit smaller than on the ten×0 fashions.

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Battery Life

The Garmin Edge 550 has a dramatically decrease battery life than the earlier technology and most different bike computer systems available on the market. It ought to last as long as 12 hours, however the true battery life is decrease. I squeezed solely 10.3 hours from it.

I rode with a linked Wahoo TICKR, Elilee EK01, Garmin Varia RTL515, Shimano Ultegra Di2, and iPhone 14 Professional. I set the brightness to auto and rode in autumn temperatures (round 15°C [59°F]).

For comparability, the next chart reveals the claimed battery lifetime of the most effective bike computer systems available on the market.

The horrible battery life is likely one of the primary the reason why I might not suggest this bike pc. Sure, I do know, it’s not that way back once we had bike computer systems not making it over 10 hours, however these occasions are lengthy gone!

Management & Person Friendliness

The brand new person interface is an enchancment over the earlier one, however the Edge 550 stays button-based. This makes navigating the menus a ache. Though it’s higher than the earlier interface, given the function richness of the Edge bike computer systems, it’s going to at all times stay suboptimal for button-based management. I don’t perceive why the 5×0 line was not killed years in the past. Wait, I really do. I imagine that the Edge 550 (and the earlier 5×0 fashions) serves just one function: to make the Edge 850 and Edge 1050 appear like a greater deal. This “anchoring” technique is fairly broadly used.

Going via the information pages, widgets, maps, and many others., is way simpler on a touchscreen than with buttons, so in case you care about that, Edge 850 is the best way to go. The excellent news is that when you have an digital groupset, you possibly can pair it together with your Garmin and change pages through the buttons in your shifters.

Lastly, I need to level out the brand new chassis design, which simplifies repairs and battery swaps. That is primarily due to the EU’s Proper to Restore laws, which is able to take impact in 2026. You may take away your complete again panel, and the adaptor is replaceable as effectively.

Maps & Navigation

One of many enhancements within the Garmin Edge 550 over its predecessor was in maps and navigation. They’re simpler to comply with as a result of the roads, trails, and different options have distinct traces and distinction.

For sure, the Edge 550 can navigate you nearly anyplace, however in comparison with the E850 and E1050, the navigation is a little more restricted. The E550 doesn’t have deal with search, an on-device course creator, or present audible alerts as a result of lacking speaker.

I examined navigation primarily on paved roads, and it labored flawlessly. Garmin has among the best maps, additionally for off-road. It’s also possible to set up third-party apps, akin to TrailForks, to discover trails and extra. In case you are a frequent map person, take into account the Edge 850 or the Edge 1050 as an alternative, as they’ve touchscreens and make searching maps simpler.

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GPS Accuracy

Because of the multi-band GNSS, the Edge 550 is likely one of the most correct bike computer systems. After I take a look at bike computer systems, I experience a selected section within the forest, document my experience, after which examine the recorded route with the precise route and my earlier assessments.

I examined the Multi-GNSS Multi-band system as a result of it’s probably the most correct. The accuracy is so good that the experience recording nails the facet of the slim forest street I’m using on. Then again, it drains extra battery. Check out the next screenshots for additional reference.

ClimbPro

ClimbPro is likely one of the most helpful options. We will barely customise the information web page and make the map smaller. So, as an alternative of two customized fields, there at the moment are as much as 4 (in comparison with the Edge x40 fashions). Nevertheless, it’s a pity that there aren’t any knowledge fields, e.g., “Common energy throughout this climb.” That may be very helpful. However the reality is, you possibly can work round this through Avg. energy (lap) area. You simply must activate the lap earlier than every climb.

General, I’m grateful to Garmin for uplifting different producers to repeat this function and implement it as effectively (primarily Wahoo and Hammerhead, but additionally just a few Chinese language rivals) as a result of ClimbPro-like alternate options are often my favourite options.

Actual-Time Stamina and Energy Information

Because of Actual-Time Stamina, you will note how lengthy you possibly can experience on the present tempo and the way a lot you have got left within the tank. Energy Information suggests the facility zones in your deliberate route based mostly in your FTP. These options can now account for extra metrics, akin to route elevation, climate, and person profile. In different phrases, they’re extra correct.

So, for instance, when utilizing Energy Information, it’s going to account in your Stamina and in addition wind knowledge. Which means that in case you experience right into a headwind or your Stamina drops sooner than anticipated, the Energy Information will regulate the goal energy zones. I respect this enchancment. It makes me excited to see what different metrics Garmin provides sooner or later to enhance the accuracy even additional.

Shared Street Hazards

Sharing dangers on the street, as is the case with Waze or Google Maps, is a extremely great point. The extra individuals use it, the extra helpful it turns into. It would take some time earlier than sufficient individuals in some areas are within the Garmin ecosystem and contribute by including these hazards. Happily, Garmin made this function obtainable for the x40 head items a while in the past to widen the person base. That is one other instance of the advantages of the Garmin ecosystem.

GroupRide, Challenges, and Awards

GroupRide has obtained a number of enhancements. For instance, the primary is that if the E550 detects a crash, it notifies others within the group (when GroupRide is on). That is good. I’m shocked we didn’t get this function sooner. Think about how helpful this function will likely be in quick descents.

The Challenges are just like Strava dwell segments. You may compete with your mates to see who can climb the upcoming climbs sooner. Sure, this function has solely labored for climbs in ClimbPro to date. That is Garmin’s manner of supplying you with another excuse to decide on the Garmin bike pc and lock you into their ecosystem.

And the Awards are simply Garmin’s manner of leveraging extra gamification parts. You earn rewards in your energy output, pace, and extra.

As you possibly can see, these are just a few examples of how Garmin tries to lock individuals into its ecosystem.

Connectivity

There aren’t any connectivity modifications. The Edge 550 nonetheless helps Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ANT+ connectivity, so you possibly can join it to sensors or your smartphone. In fact, it may possibly auto-sync actions, programs, and many others. I’ve not skilled points with synchronizing actions, however loading programs typically takes a number of tries.

Garmin Edge 550 Alternate options

Garmin Edge 550 Technical Specs

Under, I summarized the technical specs of the Garmin Edge 550.

My Verdict

The Garmin Edge 550 provides many new, fairly helpful options, akin to climate overlay, however it comes at a excessive worth. Personally, I can dwell with out them and imagine that the earlier technology provides higher worth for cash. Amongst different issues, it is because the Edge 550 lacks a touchscreen and lasts simply over 10 hours in actual use.

Anyway, I hope you appreciated this evaluate and located it useful. In case you are contemplating shopping for the E550, please use the hyperlinks beneath. It’s one of the best ways to assist this web site, and it gained’t price you something additional. Thanks rather a lot upfront.

Additionally obtainable at rei.com, competitivecyclist.com, jensonusa.com, and tredz.co.uk

Really useful Equipment

Under are some beneficial equipment for the Garmin Edge 550.

Garmin Edge 550 FAQ