Garmin 520 plus vs 820

yiannism
yiannism Posts: 345
edited December 2018 in Road buying advice
I just saw that their price deference on the wiggle is just 5 euros, and since i am looking for an upgrade of my reliable but old 500, i want an opinion between of two.

Comments

  • zeee
    zeee Posts: 103
    I have the 520 plus and love it. The reason I went for this over the 820 is the 820 is touchscreen and I think it could be a bit of a pain in cold wet conditions.

    The 820 does have more advance navigation features but the 520 plus does enough for me.

    I think it just comes down to whether you prefer touchscreen or buttons as they are pretty much the same price but the 820 has more features.
  • EliDude
    EliDude Posts: 7
    Easily the 820 imo if the price difference is that little. It simply has more features.
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    I lost faith in garmin having owned pretty much every edge series gps at some point up to last year. My experience of the 520 and 820 wasn't positive and I wouldn't recommend either, however, I have heard far more positive things about the 520 plus.
  • MiddleRinger
    MiddleRinger Posts: 678
    I'd go the 820 unless you don't get on with touch screens (it can be a pain/faff with winter gloves).
    ~ ~ How fast is fast enough? ~ ~ ~ ~ Tempo Cyclist - Tasmania ~ ~
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    redvision wrote:
    I lost faith in garmin having owned pretty much every edge series gps at some point up to last year. My experience of the 520 and 820 wasn't positive and I wouldn't recommend either, however, I have heard far more positive things about the 520 plus.

    Same here. Last device of all the Garmin edge devices that I owned was the 820 and it was a pile of pants. The 520 plus seems to be a better option if you're determined to stick with Garmin.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • mamil314
    mamil314 Posts: 1,103
    520 plus only misses one major thing that 820 has - search straight in the map (postcodes, streets etc). Some people circumvented 820s touch screen from hell by using remote control.
  • jmb1966
    jmb1966 Posts: 9
    I ended up going 520 so I could use buttons to start stop without having to put gloves on/off.
  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215
    JMB1966 wrote:
    I ended up going 520 so I could use buttons to start stop without having to put gloves on/off.
    You still use buttons to start/stop with the 820.
  • EliDude
    EliDude Posts: 7
    bobones wrote:
    JMB1966 wrote:
    I ended up going 520 so I could use buttons to start stop without having to put gloves on/off.
    You still use buttons to start/stop with the 820.

    Yh but the touchscreen is needed to either save or delete the ride.
  • photonic69
    photonic69 Posts: 2,958
    EliDude wrote:
    bobones wrote:
    JMB1966 wrote:
    I ended up going 520 so I could use buttons to start stop without having to put gloves on/off.
    You still use buttons to start/stop with the 820.

    Yh but the touchscreen is needed to either save or delete the ride.

    Yes but but but -How often out on a ride do you access menus on the Garmin? All my prep and menu accessing is done pre ride with gloves off. I'll press start at the start and stop at the end. Might scroll through the screens mid ride.


    Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.

  • ajkerr73
    ajkerr73 Posts: 318
    I wouldn't wish the 820 touch screen on my worst enemy.

    I had an 810, it was ok.....only Garmin could make the 820 touch screen worse than the model from 5+ years previous.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,226
    820 touch screen works ok with gloves as long as it's wet. If dry, no chance.
  • yiannism
    yiannism Posts: 345
    Meh, your answers makes me to have 2nd thoughts about Garmin's. What about the elemnts? (i can afford both bolt and the big one). Are they better options? All i want is something much better than my edge 500, with most important factor to be hustle free. I cant count how many times ive used WD40 to be able to connect 500 with my PC.
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    I use the full size ELEMNT now after years of different Garmin's. Can't fault it. Does exactly what I want, simple to set up and operate and the one time it let me down was with uploading a ride when the cloud temporarily went down. Wahoo sorted it within hours.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • zeee
    zeee Posts: 103
    YiannisM wrote:
    Meh, your answers makes me to have 2nd thoughts about Garmin's. What about the elemnts? (i can afford both bolt and the big one). Are they better options? All i want is something much better than my edge 500, with most important factor to be hustle free. I cant count how many times ive used WD40 to be able to connect 500 with my PC.

    I was going to get the elemnt bolt but then we went on a club ride the Stratford. 3 of the club had bolts and they all apparently climbed 1000ft more than the other 16 with garmins. All these computers have extra features but if they can't even get basic metrics right what's the point!? Ended up getting the 520 plus and been pleased with it.

    And before the wahoo fans go on the defensive I'm not slating the bolt just highlighting my experience and why I went garmin.

Categories