Garmin Edge 25 GPS computer

The brand new Edge 25 is Garmin's smallest ever GPS computer, and along with its diminutive size, Garmin has nailed the user interface, which is a dream to use.

If you don't need route mapping and navigation and just want to track all the important metrics like speed, distance and elevation, the Edge 25 does everything you need.

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It's light, just 25g, and takes up very little space on the stem using the supplied quarter-turn mount that Garmin has been using for years. The 128x160 pixel display is small and grayscale, but it's pin sharp and the new lighter font makes it easy to see at a glance how fast you're riding.

The first screen you see upon powering up the Edge 25 is the Ride screen. From here you can go straight into a ride. If you're cycling indoors, there is a dedicated Use Indoors mode under the Ride Options menu.

From the home screen you can also scroll down to History, Courses and Settings. It's all self-explanatory and you really don't need to consult the manual to find your way around the Edge 25.

There is no touchscreen with the Edge 25, instead navigation is via four buttons on the side of the unit. Each button has a knurled surface making them very tactile and easy to press during use, with or without gloves.

The top left button is your power button, and also acts as a backlight during use. The top right button is the OK button, the lower left button is a back button, and the lower right button is for scrolling down through the various menus and options.

You get three screens during a ride, and you can configure two of them to display a range of metrics. The first screen shows three data fields, with time, distance and current speed the default settings. A second screen shows two data fields, ascent and calories.

Each of the data fields can be changed in the settings menu, but you can't add any extra screens or increase the number of data fields in any screen. If you're a data hungry cyclist then that might be an issue. I found it just fine, with the Edge 25 displaying the essential information I need and want during a ride, and no more.

The Edge 25 picks up a GPS signal really quickly, much more quickly than the old Edge 500 I regularly use. Turn it on, and it's ready to go in an instant, no waiting for it to find satellites.

What the more expensive Edge 25 offers over the Edge 20 is built-in Bluetooth and ANT+ wireless connectivity. The former allows you to sync the device with a smartphone and Garmin's Connect app, so you can easily upload rides without going anywhere near your computer.

If you want to pair heart rate, cadence, speed sensors, ANT+ allows you to do just that. The Bluetooth sensor is primarily for syncing with a smartphone, not for use with any of the latest crop of Bluetooth sensors.

Both the Edge 20 and Edge 25 are not compatible with power meters, which does seem a shame. So if you want use power, you're going to have to stick with one of Garmin's more expensive units like the Edge 520 or higher.

While the Edge 25 isn't designed for navigation (the bigger Edge 1000 is better at route mapping), you can download courses from Garmin Connect to the Edge 25 and follow a breadcrumb trail.

That's a feature that existed on the Edge 500, and works reasonably well. It even does turn-by-turn navigation, but there's no base map so you can't make up a route on the fly, as you might with one of the bigger Garmins. For many applications, it works just fine.

The Edge 25 will also do Live Tracking so friends and family can follow your endeavours, along with smart notifications from a smartphone.

Battery life is a claimed eight hours. The longest ride I've done so far was six hours the other weekend, and the battery life symbol still looked very healthy.

Garmin has ditched the mini USB charge port and introduced a new four pin contact system and dedicated cradle. It works really well but it does mean you can't plug an external battery pack into the Garmin for longer rides or multi-day adventures, and you can't charge the unit or read data from it with any old cable you happen to have kicking around. If you lose it, a replacement cable costs £20.

Garmin has become what Hoover is to the vacuum business, a byword for GPS devices. There's a lot more competition in this market with more competitors bringing out GPS computers all the time. The Edge 25 is the best Garmin yet, it's simple and easy to use, it even looks good which isn't a bad thing at all.

As for prices, Garmin is charging £110 for the Edge 20, £140 for the Edge 25 and £170 for the Edge 25 HRM bundle. On paper the Edge 25 compares well with similarly priced rivals from Lezyne, Cateye and Polar, with a good feature set and the most compact size of them all.

Verdict

Garmin's Edge 25 is the smallest GPS computer we've ever tested, and it's easy to use as well