Characteristic-rich with an old-school show

After I first began biking roughly 4 years in the past (yep, one other pandemic bike owner), I rode with no bike computer. I’d merely monitor my rides utilizing my Garmin watch. Then, my husband purchased me the Garmin Edge 130 Plus, which made monitoring my rides simpler since I might see key stats in entrance of me as a substitute of needing to carry my wrist good to see my watch. Nonetheless, it had a tiny display screen and pretty restricted options, so it wasn’t a motorcycle pc that obtained me very excited.

Unboxing the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic, then, left my jaw on the bottom. The gadget is very large, wanting extra like a small smartphone than a motorcycle pc. The function set is powerful, too, offering way over I even want at this time limit, however it means I’ve issues to develop into as I proceed down my biking highway. Total, the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is a critically spectacular gadget, and I’ve totally loved my time with it.

Advisable

Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

The Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is a complicated bike pc with photo voltaic charging capabilities to increase battery life. It provides a strong checklist of options for navigation, efficiency, and security with an enormous show that makes it simple to see data throughout your rides.

Execs

• Comes with plenty of equipment
• Massive show gives loads of room for information
• Numerous helpful maps and navigation instruments
• Very feature-rich
• Glorious battery life
• Photo voltaic charging is useful for lengthy rides

Cons

• Show appears fairly outdated
• Photo voltaic charging is simply helpful in particular conditions

See our course of

How we test and review products at Pocket-lint

We do not do arm-chair analysis. We purchase and check our personal merchandise, and we solely publish purchaser’s guides with merchandise we have truly reviewed.

Worth, availability, and specs

The Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is on the market from Garmin’s web site, Amazon, and REI for $750. It comes with a silicone case, three totally different bike mounts, a lanyard, and charging cable.

What I preferred in regards to the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

In depth options with plenty of display screen actual property

Put merely, there’s quite a bit to love in regards to the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic. Initially is the dimensions. The three.5-inch diagonal display screen leads to a number of room on the show. All of that display screen actual property makes it extremely simple to see your data whereas using, even with only a fast look down. It is particularly helpful when wanting on the map. Plus, due to a number of information screens which are customizable, you’ll be able to select which data you see whereas using.

As is typical for a Garmin gadget, the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic is extraordinarily feature-rich. This evaluation might get very lengthy if I touched on all of them, although, so I will spotlight my favorites. To begin, I very a lot respect how simple it’s to sync routes to the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic. I largely use routes from Strava, which routinely present up on my gadget. The top unit then gives turn-by-turn instructions throughout a journey so I do not get misplaced.

The instructions popped up with loads of time forward of a flip and had been pretty fast to regulate if I obtained off target. Whether or not you might be following a route or simply monitoring a journey, you will additionally get notifications if there is a busy highway forward otherwise you’re getting near a decent flip. I actually appreciated these options when using in areas I wasn’t very aware of. Plus, gaining access to the map throughout a journey is sort of good, even when I do know the place I’m.

Past navigation, the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic provides the complete suite of Garmin’s efficiency instruments, together with every day steered exercises, coaching standing, efficiency monitoring warmth and altitude acclimation, synced coaching plans, and a lot extra. These efficiency instruments are much more strong and helpful should you pair extra sensors like a coronary heart price monitor and energy meter. I bike for health causes, so it is useful to have that, particularly because it all feeds again to the Garmin Join app, which additionally collects information from my Garmin watch.

After all, as this can be a photo voltaic charging-capable gadget, I’d be remiss if I did not discuss battery life and photo voltaic charging. The Edge 1040 options two photo voltaic panels above and under the show, together with Garmin’s Photo voltaic Glass show, which is an basically clear photo voltaic panel over the show itself. Which means the complete unit is roofed in some type of photo voltaic panel.

Garmin guarantees as much as 100 hours in battery saver mode or as much as 45 hours in demanding use circumstances (basically if you end up utilizing all of the sensors with the GPS settings on the most correct). The corporate additionally says the photo voltaic panels can add as much as 42 minutes per hour in battery saver mode or as much as 20 minutes per hour in demanding use circumstances. The journey abstract reveals you the photo voltaic depth in the course of the journey, together with the battery achieve you bought in consequence.

I’ve the Garmin HRM-Match related to the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic, and lots of of my rides use turn-by-turn navigation with the map on the show, which chews by way of the battery sooner than the opposite information screens. Based mostly on Garmin’s Battery Life Expectations chart, I fall roughly within the ‘Mid’ use case description, which Garmin says ought to lead to 40 hours of battery with out photo voltaic charging or 50 with.

Most of my rides had been below 1.5 hours, so I did not push the unit to its restrict by way of battery life on particular person rides. Throughout my testing, I used to be capable of get proper round that 40-hour mark that Garmin promised. The truth is, my shorter rides used barely any battery in any respect. I solely needed to cost it a couple of occasions, and a kind of was as a result of I left the brightness at 100% as a substitute of auto and forgot to show it off (a double whammy). I additionally did not reap the benefits of the truth that the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic will get photo voltaic charging even when off (it was tucked in a darkish nook), which might have prolonged the life much more.

I did not get the photo voltaic charging numbers Garmin promised, however to get these, you will persistently want 75,000 lux circumstances. One journey was at roughly 10 am on a sunny day, albeit with occasional shade on the path, and the gadget stated the photo voltaic depth was 85% with 2:13 of battery achieve. If I had been completely out within the open in the midst of the day, that quantity would possible be fairly a bit increased, leading to extra battery achieve.

Although much less necessary than all of the above options, I used to be additionally impressed by all of the extras the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic comes with. It features a silicone case that protects the unit should you fall or should you drop it, which is a wonderful merchandise to have given the value. You additionally get three totally different bike mount choices (​​MTB, customary, and out-front) and a lanyard.

Associated

Garmin’s latest bike computer is close to perfection

A contemporary show, speedy efficiency, and an limitless checklist of options received over my bike owner coronary heart.

What I did not like in regards to the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic

Outdated display screen expertise

Whereas the show is giant, it, sadly, appears fairly outdated. The touchscreen could be very responsive, however the transflective TFT show expertise, in comparison with what you are used to in your smartphone and even Garmin’s newer watches, merely appears a bit unhappy. The colours are uninteresting, the distinction is pretty low, and it is not very vivid.

The display screen continues to be simple sufficient to learn in vivid circumstances, however it positive appears far older than the Edge 1040’s 2022 launch date. Garmin deployed the identical sort of show in all of its bike computer systems, which was a standard grievance. The truth is, it was such a standard grievance that the corporate just lately launched the Edge 1050, which makes use of a way more fashionable, vivid, and vibrant show. The Edge 1040 merely pales as compared.

After all, the value is one other ache level. At $750, this is without doubt one of the most costly bike computer systems obtainable. You get quite a bit for the value, to make certain, however that worth is greater than many will likely be prepared or capable of pay.

Do you have to purchase the Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic?

The Garmin Edge 1040 is a spectacular bike pc. There’s quite a bit to love about it. The large show makes it simpler to see your stats and browse maps whereas using, it gives all kinds of coaching, security, and navigation instruments, and the battery life is improbable. Those that sort out lengthy rides, need in-depth metrics, and depend on a head unit for navigation ought to completely spend money on the Edge 1040 Photo voltaic.

There are additionally downsides to this unit, although. Whereas the photo voltaic charging is a plus, and it does add a pleasant enhance in the suitable circumstances, it prices $150 greater than the non-solar version. For anybody not tackling lengthy rides in demanding conditions, or should you do not stay in a sunny location, that additional value possible is not value it. Should you nonetheless care about lengthy battery life however do not want the enhance from photo voltaic charging, you’d be higher off choosing the Edge 1040 with out photo voltaic for $600.

Lastly, should you’re choosy in regards to the show and would favor one thing even simpler to learn in all circumstances with extra vibrant colours, then the Edge 1050 will likely be a better option.

Advisable

Garmin Edge 1040 Photo voltaic