Welcome to our Garmin Edge 530 review! Garmin recently released this top-of-the-line GPS bike computer for high performing cyclists. You can use it with mountain bikes, road bikes, training bikes, and racing bikes to name but a few.
It’s a cousin of the Edge 830 device which as you know, is incredibly feature-rich and useful. Similarly, the Edge 530 comes with a lot of useful features as well, including things like Strava Live Segments, GroupTrack, and LiveTrack. The best part is that it’s as stylish as it’s functional.
In case you’re wondering what all of these features are and what they’re for, no worries. We’re going to dive deep into each one. Believe us when we say that it’s just the tip of the iceberg considering all of what this device has to offer.
We were particularly impressed with this device’s battery life, which lasts 20 hours charge-free, granted you have it on battery-saver mode. Plus, you can always bring the Garmin battery pack along on your journey to enjoy double the Garmin 530 battery life which translates to up to 80+ hours of continuous use.
Without further ado, here’s our Garmin 530 review.
Garmin 530 Review
The following Garmin Edge 530 review is going to focus on the specs and features of the 530 model, as well as its pros and cons.
We assure you that by the time you finish reading this, you’ll know whether or not it’s worth your money.
Design
What’s remarkable about the Edge 530 is the fact that it looks eerily similar to the Edge 830.
This means that it’s compact, lightweight, and can easily fit into your backpack pocket or even your cargo pants pocket. It even has the same 2.6-inch screen as the 830, which makes for a pleasant viewing experience.
It has all the same dimensions and the only way to tell the two apart is through the five side-mounted buttons on the 530. Plus, the 530 has a larger 2.6-inch screen compared to the previous 520
User Interface
Now, we’re just going to be honest and tell you that this device doesn’t have the easiest user interface.
This is all because it doesn’t come with a touchscreen interface. It takes you back to the days of the Blackberry with all of its buttons.
But, once you get the hang of the interface you’ll find that it enables you to do a lot of things like customizing the profile system and the display.
You can use the profile system to set your metrics depending on the type of cycling activity that you plan on engaging in, whether it’s road biking or mountain biking.
Navigation
This being a Garmin device, it’s no surprise that it has some of the best navigation features on the market. We’re talking about a complete regional map that includes pre-loaded routes and even street names.
However, unlike the 830 and 1030, this device doesn’t allow you to type in specific addresses or pin a certain point of interest. Otherwise, it’s similar in navigational ability to these other two devices in every respect that matters.
It has the ability to calculate routes at lightning speed and it makes it that much easier to find your preferred route no matter where you are in proximity to it.
GPS Accuracy
When buying a GPS bike computer, you want peace of mind knowing that it offers accurate GPS readings and directions because you don’t want to get lost on the road or find yourself on the wrong side of the road.
Now, when it comes to GPS accuracy, there are different ways to measure this. It all depends where you’ll be using it and for what purposes.
For instance, if you’re someone that wears different types of watches and you track your GPS that way, then you’ll find that this is a great way to ensure GPS accuracy on your Garmin Edge 530.
To install the Garmin Edge 530, all you need to do is mount it on the handlebar using a regular mount. But, if you’re using two devices at the same time, then you should keep them separate at all times
To install the Garmin Edge 530, all you need to do is mount it on the handlebar using a regular mount. But, if you’re using two devices at the same time, then you should keep them separate at all times and test them out by riding through the city.
In our experience this device offers a pretty accurate GPS reading in all situations when utilized properly.
Construction
Lightweight construction is an important feature of any GPS bike computer and the Garmin Edge 530 definitely ticks this box.
It only weighs 2.72 ounces with an even smaller front mount that helps to guarantee a comfy and efficient ride.
We like the fact that this device’s screen only measures 2.3 inches which is in line with its overall weight but without compromising your ability to view the data being presented.
The screen isn’t only large enough to view but it’s made with rugged materials that are resistant to dents and cracks.
However, if you’re worried about the glass screen breaking then you could always buy one of the many Garmin Edge covers which are affordable and come in a number of stylish colors.
Battery Life
What sets the Garmin Edge 530 apart from other models from the brand is the fact that it has impressive battery life.
That’s because it’s powered by a powerful lithium-ion battery which has a lifespan of 15 to 20 hours per charge. This means up to 20 hours of continuous use without charging in between.
This is pretty impressive in our opinion, especially comparing it to other GPS bike computers. Not only that, but if you set this device to battery saver mode then you can stretch the battery life to 40 hours.
Then you have the Garmin power charger power bank which will allow you to extend the battery life even further. It’s definitely recommended for long rides because it’ll come in handy if you ever find yourself in a tight spot.
In fact, you can get several days of continuous use from this device without recharging it.
Main Features
As we said, you’d be surprised just how many features Garmin can cram into a tiny device like the Edge 530.
Read on to find out more in this next section of our Garmin 530 Edge DC Rainmaker review.
Alarm
As part of any Garmin Edge 530 mountain bike bundle review, you have to mention the bike alarm feature, which is a great addition to the safety of your bike.
This is especially if you’re going to use it for road cycling where you’d need to leave it outside of a café while grabbing a coffee, for example.
Mapping
When Garmin released the Edge 520 Plus model, one of its standout features was the turn-by-turn navigation which made mapping even easier than before. This is thanks to the fact that it’s backed by a powerful process that makes it easier to use, efficient and fast.
We’ve seen scenarios where you’re able to load a 90km route within 20 seconds. It’s not instant but it’s still quite impressive comparing it to other models on the market. But, since it’s Garmin, we have to say something because they can do better.
Now, the turn-by-turn navigation feature is limited to street level navigation, which means that you’ll need to use the 830 or Garmin Connect to benefit from pre-loaded points of interests and specific addresses.
The only downside is that this device doesn’t have a touchscreen and like we said, you have to go through a lot of button pressing just to navigate and browse through a single map.
There are two buttons dedicated to functions like zooming in and out and another button to pan between these different options. The good news is that it’s relatively easy to get used to switching between these buttons once you do it enough times.
Once you’ve chosen a specific destination through the preloading feature or otherwise, you’ll really start seeing the benefits of having this device. Similar to other Garmin Edge models, the 530 can route to start which is useful and we particularly enjoyed its crisp display overall.
ClimbPro
ClimbPro is another great feature that’s worth mentioning in any Garmin Edge 530 review so we weren’t going to leave it out of ours.
This is a tool that lets you know what to expect in the terrain that you’re about to climb, including the level of ascent, gradient, and distance.
Basically, the first thing you’ll see with this feature is a screen that allows you to create a profile while telling you about the remaining distance and gradient.
However, while using this particular feature, we found that it’s unable to handle long climbs and is much more likely to only alert you to small lumps on the road instead.
This is obviously not ideal when you’re going through a climb expecting your device to warn you when a large boulder is coming up ahead.
So yeah, this one is a work in progress but we’re glad they included it and we know that they’re definitely going to improve it in the future because that’s what Garmin does. They just keep getting better.
Find My Edge
Yet another useful safety feature, Find My Edge will give you peace of mind if you plan on using your bike for off-road applications.
Basically, if you ever go through a crash that causes this device to disintegrate, then you can rest assured that all of the device’s features and coordinate data will be saved on your phone.
This means that you can ask the app to redirect you to the last point at which your Garmin Edge 530 lost its connection.
If that doesn’t work, no worries. Request the Garmin to sound an alarm as that will trigger it to establish a Bluetooth connection.
Garmin Edge 530 vs Edge 1030 vs Edge 830
As mentioned earlier, the Garmin Edge 530 is very similar to the Edge 830 with the main difference between the two being that the latter is pricier and it comes with a responsive and intuitive touchscreen instead of annoying buttons.
However, you’ll be thankful for the 530’s buttons when you have to make settings changes on the go because it’s not as difficult to use than a touchscreen that requires fine motor skills while you’re trying to keep the sweat off your eyes and get those damn gloves to swipe efficiently.
So, not only is the 530 more affordable but it’s easier to use as well. It definitely made our lives easier when it came to changing settings on the go.
Conclusion
As you can see from this Garmin Edge 530 review, this is yet another stellar device from Garmin.
Of course, one would expect no less from a brand that has made a name for itself as one of the best manufacturers of GPS bike computers and devices in general.
It certainly doesn’t disappoint when it comes to battery life, functionality, features, and even the buttons are more responsive compared to the 830’s touchscreen.
So, go ahead and try it because we did and liked it a lot.