I had no intention of starting my review of the new Garmin eTrex Solar off this way. But there it is on the dash of my truck, soaking up juice that’s bouncing off my shades as I drive home this morning, and frankly, I’m a little blown away. I’ve used a lot of solar products over the years and I don’t think I’ve ever used one that is this efficient.
But I digress. In the last month, this little GPS unit has become part of my daily life. I take it everywhere I go, and have even created a custom mount for it in my 4Runner. I make it a point to import and export routes and waypoints randomly throughout the day. And, ultimately, I have come to appreciate the fact that the unit requires me to put in a little work to get what I need from it.
That all said, if you pay attention to product reviews (and we do), it’s what’s been baked into the eTrex Solar ($250) that has been given as much attention as what has been left out of this minimal device. So, the following isn’t just going to be an informed review of my experience with the unit, but an opportunity to debunk some of the lingering questions out there.
In short: The Garmin eTrex Solar is a stripped-down, solar-powered handheld GPS unit that gives you easy-to-read information in an easy-to-use package. It also has multiband GPS, which provides pinpoint accuracy and staves off obsolescence.
To read more on the spectrum of GPS-enabled devices today, check out GearJunkie’s Best Handheld GPS Devices guide for the bird’s-eye view.
- Battery Life: 200 hours in standard mode; up to 1,800 hours in expedition mode; unlimited with solar
- Battery Type: Internal rechargeable lithium ion
- Weight: 5 oz.
- Memory: 28 MB
- Screen Size: 2.2”
- Rating: IPX7
- Connectivity: USB-C / Bluetooth
- Sensors: Multi-band GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou, IRNSS + Compass
Pros
- Solar cells in screen powers device indefinitely in direct sunlight
- Multi-band GPS reception
- Modern USB-C charging
- Affordable pricing
- Simple feature set executed well
Cons
- Notifications don’t go away on their own
- Black and white screen isn't the nicest to use