If you spend a lot of time out in the backcountry, whether you are hiking, hunting, camping, or just plain getting lost, you have a lot to gain from owning your own handheld GPS receiver. With the best handheld GPS receivers, you can enjoy your outdoor activities without the fear of getting completely lost. Wherever you go, you will know exactly where you are and how to get back to safety.
In this article, we will help you find the best handheld GPS receiver for your needs, whether they are professional or recreational. We will answer some of the most common questions about these devices, and then we will take you through our reviews of the 10 products we consider to be the best handheld GPS receivers on the market. In one quick read, you will have all the information you need to be an expert on the market.
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A handheld GPS is a small, portable device dedicated to the purpose of keeping you tuned into your exact location. It is specially designed to serve the needs of outdoorsmen, providing accurate coordinates, long battery life, and high durability.
The handheld GPS is an invaluable tool for anyone who spends any amount of time in the outdoors. You can use it to keep track of your location while you are hiking, camping, hunting, exploring, and more.
There is no denying that smartphones are extremely capable in terms of location tracking. Pit them against the best handheld GPS receivers, though, and their shortcomings become abundantly clear. The best handheld GPS receivers have a lot of advantages, especially for people who spend a great deal of time outside of the city.
The best handheld GPS receivers are far more durable than smartphones and can withstand difficult outdoor conditions. They are typically waterproof and can even function in heavy rain or snow. You can drop them into a river or lake, and as long as you can find it, it should continue to work. Second, the best handheld GPS devices have a much longer battery life. Many use AA batteries, meaning you need not depend on an electrical outlet.
You can buy a handheld GPS receiver from many businesses carrying supplies for outdoor activities. You can also find one online on sites like Amazon.
The best handheld GPS receivers will be:
- Durable
- Waterproof
- Long in battery life
- Accurate
- Lightweight
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The following products were reviewed based on the following parameters: Features, Pros & Cons, Price, Where to Buy, and Warranty. We chose these parameters because we want to save you the hassle of having to try out different products. We want to ensure that you have the necessary information to buy the best handheld GPS receiver for your needs in one try. With these criteria, we can make our reviews comprehensive and unbiased.
These handheld GPS navigators range in price from $70 to $900. The main price determinants include the overall build quality, durability, the screen quality, the viability of the software, the user interface, the battery life, the internal storage space, and the quality of the provided maps.
- Garmin GPSMAP 64st
- Garmin Oregon 650t 3-Inch Handheld GPS
- DeLorme AG-008727-201 Two Way Satellite Communicator
- Garmin eTrex 30x 010-01508-10 Handheld Navigator
- Magellan eXplorist 310 Summit Series
- Garmin Montana 680 Touchscreen GPS/GLONASS Receiver
- Garmin etrex Touch 35
- Garmin epix
- Garmin eTrex10 GPS
- Garmin Monterra Wi-Fi Enabled GPS Navigator
Garmin GPSMAP 64st, TOPO U.S. 100K with High-Sensitivity GPS and GLONASS Receiver
- Sunlight Readable 2.6 inches color display. Display size : 1.43 x 2.15 inches and 2.6 inch diag (6.6 centimeter). Battery life : 16 hours. Water rating IPX7
- Expanded Internal Memory 8GB.Display resolution 160 x 240 pixels. Interface: high speed USB and NMEA 0183 compatible
- DUAL BATTERY SYSTEM Use with 2 traditional AA batteries (best with Polaroid AA batteries), or the optional rechargeable NiMH battery pack that can be charged while inside the device.Weight 8.1 ounce (230 grams) with batteries
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The Garmin GPSMAP 64st comes with a sunlight-readable 2.6″ color display. It has a battery life of 16 hours and water rating of IPX7. Its expanded internal memory is 8gb. Its display resolution is 160px x 240px. It is equipped with a dual battery system: two traditional AA batteries and it can also be used with an optional rechargeable NiMH battery pack that charges while inside the receiver. It features smart notifications, and when paired with ANT+ sensors, it provides extra information like temperature and speed. |
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This product can be found on Amazon for around $200. |
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It comes with a limited 1-year warranty. |
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The Garmin Oregon 650t 3-Inch Handheld GPS comes with 4GB of memory, topographic maps data, and a digital camera. It has a 3-inch sunlight-readable, touchscreen display and dual-band GPS/GLONASS satellite positioning. It features 3-axis compass, accelerometer, and barometric altimeter sensors, and ANT or Bluetooth technology, which allows you to share your routes, tracks, waypoints, geocaches, custom maps, and photos wirelessly. It uses a dual battery system (two AA batteries or chargeable NiMH battery pack). It also comes with an LED flash/torch. |
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This product can be found on Amazon for around $200. |
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It comes with a limited 1-year warranty. |
Spot X 2-Way Satellite Messenger
- Message- exchange messages with any cell phone number or email address from virtually anywhere in the world
- S. O. S. – send an S. O. S. To the 24/7 search & rescue center, message back and forth about the nature of your emergency, and receive confirmation when help is on the way
- Tracking- Select from 21/2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 minute tracking intervals, and let family, friends and other Adventurers follow your progress with SPOT easy-to-use google maps interface
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The DeLorme AG-008727-201 Two Way Satellite Communicator comes with built-in navigation, SOS functionality, two-way GEOS texting, a digital compass with a barometric altimeter and an accelerometer, and a route planning and sharing feature. It can maintain a robust satellite signal, even in the most difficult GPS areas. Full use requires a subscription, ranging from $12 to $100 a month. |
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This product can be found on Amazon for around $600. |
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It comes with a limited 1-year warranty. |
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The Garmin eTrex 30x 010-01508-10 Handheld Navigator features an upgraded 2.2″ 65K color, sunlight-readable display with a resolution of 240px x320px. It comes with an internal memory of 3.7GB and a microSD card slot that allows you access to a wide variety of maps, like TOPO 24K, HuntView, BlueChart g2, City Navigator NT, and BirdsEye Satellite Imagery. It comes with a built-in worldwide base map with shaded relief. Its sensors include a 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass and a barometric altimeter. |
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This product can be found on Amazon for around $200. |
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It comes with a limited 1-year warranty. |
Magellan eXplorist 310 Fishing Hot Spots Bundle
- The World Edition includes detailed road network, water features, urban and rural land use
- Brilliant, Sunlight Readable Color Screen.A vibrant 2.2″ color transflective screen provides the best readability in direct sunlight
- Topographic map of 9 US Regions
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The Magellan eXplorist 310 Summit features a sunlight-readable color 2.2″ screen, a detailed road network, water features, urban and rural capabilities, and a realistic shaded relief background. Its battery life is 18 hours. |
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This product can be found on Amazon for around $160. |
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It comes with a limited 1-year warranty. |
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The Garmin Montana 680 is a GPS/GLONASS receiver with a 4″ dual-orientation, glove-friendly touchscreen display and an 8MP autofocus camera with automatic geotagging. It features a 3-axis compass with barometric altimeter. The Garmin Montana 680 comes with a 1-year BirdsEye Satellite Imagery subscription. |
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This product can be found on Amazon for around $430. |
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It comes with a limited 1-year warranty. |
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Garmin etrex Touch 35
- Touchscreen – 2.6-inch color, capacitive touchscreen display
- Activity profiles – easy-to-use navigation for multiple activities, including climb, hike, hunt, bike, geocache, fish and more
- Electronic compass – all models offer a 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass, which shows your heading even when standing still, without holding it level
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The Garmin etrex Touch 35 features a 2.6″ color, capacitive touchscreen display, an electronic compass with a 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass, built-in mapping with shaded relief, and a barometric altimeter. It provides smart notifications and is compatible with ANT+. It provides a variety of activity profiles for easy, specialized navigation (climb, hike, hunt, bike, geocache, fish, and more). |
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This product can be found on Amazon for around $250. |
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It comes with a limited 1-year warranty. |
Garmin epix
- TOUCHSCREEN : 1.4 inch high resolution, sunlight visible color Chroma touchscreen display
- EXPANDED MEMORY : 8 GB internal memory lets you load a variety of maps, including TOPO U.S. 24K and City Navigator NT
- CONNECT IQ APP : Customize your watch with a variety of watch faces, data fields, widgets and applications (view more information on page 2)
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The Garmin epix is a GPS receiver in the form of a watch. It comes with a 1.4″ high-resolution, sunlight-visible color touchscreen, an expanded memory of 8GB, and a Connect IQ app. It automatically uploads data wirelessly to Garmin Connect, LiveTrack, and other social media platforms. It provides smart notifications, meaning you can receive emails, texts, and alerts, all from your watch. It is suitable for a wide variety of activities, including hiking, navigating, running, mountaineering, swimming, indoor workouts, and much, much more. |
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This product can be found on Amazon for around $400. |
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It comes with a limited 1-year warranty. |
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Garmin eTrex 10 Worldwide Handheld GPS Navigator
- Rugged handheld navigator with preloaded worldwide basemap and 2.2 inch monochrome display
- WAAS enabled GPS receiver with HotFix and GLONASS support for fast positioning and a reliable signal
- Waterproof to IPX7 standards for protection against splashes, rain, etc.
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The Garmin eTrex10 GPS is an affordable handheld navigator that comes with a built-in worldwide base map and a 2.2″ monochrome display. It is WAAS-enabled with HotFix and GLONASS support, allowing it to provide quick positioning and consistent connections. It features IPX7 waterproofing, making it resilient against splashes, rain, and more. It uses two AA batteries, providing 20 hours of use at a time. |
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This product can be found on Amazon for around $70. |
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It comes with a limited 1-year warranty. |
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The Garmin Monterra Wi-Fi Enabled GPS Navigator features a 4″ dual orientation, sunlight-readable, mineral glass touchscreen display and an 8MP autofocus camera capable of recording 1080p HD videos. It provides precise positioning with high-sensitivity GPS/GLONASS, and multiple maps in 3D with the 3D MapMerge function. |
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This product can be found on Amazon for around $900. |
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It comes with a limited 1-year warranty. |
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By our assessment, the best handheld GPS navigator is the Garmin eTrex 30x, which sells for $200 (price rating: $), making it one of the more affordable navigators on our list. Despite its relatively low price point, it provides reliable performance and a high-quality build. It comes with an easy-to-read display. It has an impressive battery life of around 24 hours. It is waterproof and, all in all, is extremely sturdy. With an internal memory of 3.7GB and a microSD slot, you will have plenty of room to input your own data.
Overall, the Garmin eTrex 30x is a fantastic navigator for the price. If you plan on heading out into the backcountry and want the security of a handheld GPS navigator, the eTrex 30x should definitely be on your list. If you opt for this navigator, though, we recommend you get a screen protector to increase its longevity.
Featured Image Source: Unsplash.com
Last update on 2021-03-19 at 09:56 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API