Last year, I got to test the best GPS head unit I’ve ever used: the Garmin Edge 1040 Solar. I rode this head unit through the spring and summer, used it to navigate during my biggest endurance races, and absolutely loved it. Best of all, the solar charging feature meant I never stressed about the battery life. I even convinced several of my riding partners who were looking for a new head unit to pick up the 1040 Solar and they love it too. So when I finally returned it after my test period, I was super sad.
However, I never ended up buying one for myself. Why? Because I knew Edge 500 and 800-series Solar head units were on the way. I’m a frugal weight weenie and felt a smaller, lighter, and more budget-friendly option might be worth the wait. Well, I had to wait nearly a year, but they are finally here!
The new Edge 840 and Edge 540 incorporate many of the features we saw released on the Edge 1040 (they even have some that the Edge 1040 doesn’t have yet). They also come in that oh-so-cool solar charging version. Let’s take a closer look at what’s new.
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Garmin Edge 840 & 540 Solar Highlights
|
Edge 840 |
Edge 840 Solar |
Edge 540 |
Edge 540 Solar |
|
|
Weight |
88.9 grams |
88.9 grams |
80.3 grams |
84.5 grams |
|
Price |
$450 |
$550 |
$350 |
$450 |
- New USB-C charging
- New Multi-band/dual-frequency GPS/GNSS
- New Edge 540/840 Solar options
- A revamped user interface to match the Edge 1040
- A LOT of new software features
- Solar Battery Life - Up to 32 hours with solar charging in direct sunlight (75,000 lux); up to 60 hours with solar charging in battery-saver mode. During daytime rides, solar adds up to 25 minutes per hour in battery saver mode.
- Base battery life - up to 26 hours in demanding use cases; up to 32 hours in battery-saver mode.
Shop Garmin Edge 840 & 540 Solar
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Garmin Edge 840 & 540 Solar Details
An Edge 840 Solar - Note the subtle solar panel hidden around the screen.
The new Edge 840 and 540 replace the outgoing Edge 830 and 530. The big news for many riders will be the addition of Solar editions which extend battery life by 23% under regular use and over 87% in battery-saver mode. This means you pretty much never have to worry about your head unit dying during epic rides. The non-solar models still have extremely good battery life too, lasting well over 24 hours under normal use.
The latest Edge head units have also switched to USB-C, which should please tech heads who already charge all their devices with USB-C.
Adventurers and data geeks will appreciate the increased reliability and accuracy of the Multi-band GPS/GNSS. Multi-band frequencies are great for areas where GPS signals are severely degraded. This means you get better GPS coverage while riding under dense tree cover, on remote trails, and even in urban environments. They’ve also added handy “Bike Shop'' and “Water Stops” categories for navigation search. Also, route calculation/recalculation times are significantly faster than they were on the previous generation Edge.
Beyond that, the new Edge head units also get a lot software changes, implementing many of the new features first introduced on the Edge 1040. There are literally more new features than I care to list here so I’ve highlighted some of my favorite new features below:
- Free-ride ClimbPro
- Power Guide race/training pacing
- Climb Explorer for finding nearby climbs
- Training Status 2.0
- Automatic suggested workouts
- Phone-based configuration of data fields/data pages
An interesting one worth noting is Free-ride ClimbPro. I love using ClimbPro because it lets you know exactly what's ahead on climbs so you can pace yourself perfectly, but it only works when you’re actively riding on an uploaded course or route. With Free-ride ClimbPro, you no longer have to be on a course/route to get climb information. There’s also a Climb Explorer that will help you find nearby climbs if you’re riding somewhere unfamiliar. These features aren’t currently on the Edge 1040 but should show up in the next firmware update.
Otherwise, many of the new Edge software features are focused on some form of adaptive coaching. When used with a power meter or heart rate monitor, the Edge can help you manage efforts by providing power targets, plus stamina insights that let you know how much gas you have left in the tank. It also provides things like suggested workouts and Training Status which track your fitness and recovery to maximize your potential.
One feature I’m personally very excited about is the phone-based configuration of data fields/data pages. Wahoos head units have had this ability for a while, and it makes setting up and customizing your data pages within the app super quick and easy.
In terms of hardware, the screens have the same size and resolution as before, but Garmin says it has improved contrast ratio and color filters. Key features like ClimbPro have been tweaked to be easier to read. The units themselves have gained a bit of weight, increasing by about 10 grams. I am a weight weenie, but you’d have to be pretty intense for that to matter. The head units also come with the standard Garmin mount options, including a nice and beefy Garmin out-front mount.
What’s the Difference between the Edge 840 & 540?
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Edge 840 |
Edge 540 |
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Touchscreen display and buttons |
Buttons only |
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32GB storage |
16GB storage |
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Two regions pre-loaded |
One region pre-loaded (can download/swap regions) |
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CAN search on-device for specific street addresses and GPS coordinates |
CAN’T search on-device for specific street addresses and GPS coordinates |
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Trailforks maps pre-activated |
Need to manually activate Trailforks maps (free) |
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Can manually build a “multi-step” structured workout using the touchscreen (importing is easier anyway) |
Need to import workouts from the app or a 3rd party, use daily suggested workouts, or use the interval builder on the device |
Beyond price (Edge 840 is $100 more), the biggest difference is that the Edge 840 uses a touchscreen display while the Edge 540 does not. Both have a full set of buttons used to navigate within the unit, so if you’re wearing gloves with the Edge 840, you can still use the unit the same way you would the Edge 540.
Whether you want or need the luxury of the touchscreen should be the main deciding factor when choosing between the two units. Playing with the two units side-by-side, the touchscreen does make getting clicking around to access the desired pages much more intuitive. It's nice when looking at a map to be able to drag it around, rotate, and zoom with your fingers rather than scrolling with the buttons.
The second major difference is storage and the ability to search for specific addresses or coordinates. The Edge 840 has 32GB of storage versus 16GB on the Edge 540. These features will really only matter to riders who travel a lot and rely heavily on GPS navigation.
Which Garmin Edge Is Right for You?
So you now have four Garmin Edge head units to choose from, or six if you include the two Edge 1040 models released last year. So how do you choose? Here’s my breakdown:
Garmin Edge 1040 & 1040 Solar
- You want the best of the best
- You want the longest battery life possible
- You want a bigger touchscreen to make navigation and reading data fields easier
Garmin Edge 840 & 840 Solar
- You want Edge 1040 features in a smaller/lighter package
- You want the luxury of a touchscreen
- You want more storage and slightly better navigation
Garmin Edge 540 & 540 Solar
- You want the newest Garmin Edge features but also…
- You want the simplest option
- You want the most affordable option
Garmin Edge Solar vs Base (non-Solar)
So what about choosing a Solar vs. base model Edge? Going Solar adds $100 to the cost of the head unit. For many, it might not be worth it, since the base models already have excellent battery life. Personally, I’m choosing to go Solar because I’m lazy and bad at bringing my head units inside to charge. Then I always end up stressing during rides when my head unit is on the verge of dying. Riding with the Edge 1040 Solar was a form of stress relief. For me, it’s worth the cost.
Personally, I’m going to buy the Edge 540 Solar. I'm a simple person who also often wears full-finger gloves when riding gravel and MTB. I've never felt like I really needed a touchscreen on my head units. But many riders that I’ve talked to at TPC seem to be leaning toward the fancier Edge 840 Solar. It's a matter of taste.
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Photos courtesy of Garmin
