Garmin Edge 540 vs Wahoo Elemnt Bolt v2

Here are 10 key differences to help you decide between the Garmin Edge 540 and the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt v2.

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[MM-ktdv]

One thing that bugs the hell out of me is how all the bike computers still look like they were designed in 2003 with these huge bezels and hardly any screen real estate compared to their sizes.

[technovelodos]

Battery life is actually pretty important and different enough to mention. Advertised run-times: Edge 540: 26 hours vs Bolt v2: 15 hours. DC-rainmaker found the Garmin's 26 hours was conservative - he got a bit more in his testing. If you are like me and keep the same computer for 6+ years, then the longer battery life means a much longer usable life span.

[paulweaver]

Used both Garmin and Wahoo over the years and it was one of the smallest things that made me stick with Wahoo... chevrons when navigating. No confusion on overlapping routes!

[emptyhead]

Great video Matt. Really helped me choose the Wahoo over Garmin. I’ve been using a combination of my Garmin Forerunner 255 and iPhone up until recently and today I went for my first ride with the Wahoo. The screens & buttons are so intuitive that I haven’t even felt the need to read the manual yet. Loved the experience on the road, especially the Summit freeride climbing feature. Highly recommended.

[ciscokid]

To be able to customize the screens on the Garmin from your phone is awesome. I want that! The hill feature is pretty sweet too 😊

[nstadlman]

Great review... excellent video. I appreciate how clearly you speak, clear and concise info - perfect length,

[LosihoTTT]

Thanks for the great video. I have an old Edge 510 that i wanted to upgrade. I almost jumped ship to Wahoo, but instead ordered a Edge 540. What swayed me to stay with Garmin in the end was the fact that it can independently record an odometer, i don't want to keep track of that in a companion app or strava, especially transferring a bike over that's already travelled a few km.

[jimlap]

I am a strictly gravel and rail trails rider. I just ordered the Bolt based on the a friend's recommendation. I trust him and he knows my rides and riding style. Saving over $100 on a bundle was a big deal for me as well. The rail trails I ride are all in Strava or Ride GPS and that's important in terms of getting back to the start point on trails I haven't used before.

[shaunbassett]

Watching your video, the most obvious difference is the screen glare on the Garmin verses none on the Wahoo. In some shots, I couldn't even tell if the Garmin was ON. That alone is enough to sway me.

[EnigmaPhi]

I bought the Wahoo Bolt V2 for my gravel bike for its buttons and ease of use. On the other hand, I bought the Garmin 1030 Plus for my xc hardtail as I found the reviews to favor it for mountain biking. So far I enjoy the Bolt V2 during my road and sometimes rugged road biking. I have not put the Garmin through its paces yet but will do so this summer. I imagine if I was purchasing a bike computer for my mountain bike today, then it would be between the 840 and 1040. Regards.

[shawnhall]

Something else to consider with the Garmin you get a bunch of training metrics built right imto the device; training load, recovery, and daily suggested workouts that adapt based on current circumstances. With wahoo you have to subscribe to their system plan for $15/month. So after 5 months the Garmin is actually cheaper.

[tomlimey]

I see Garmin still have a really, really shiny screen. The Wahoo's matt screen is sooo much better in sunny situations ☀️

[adamgoodman]

Comprehensive review! Few missing points : Speed of loading routes & rides .
Garmin Emergency Contact and live tracking is worth $ “your Networth “ Not on Wahoo or any other …
Looking to upgrade from a Garmin 130 which is a phenomenal little device but takes a bit to up/down load rides..

[cream]

One major issue is the highly reflective screen on Garmin. It’s dreadful. I could see you filming in the video in the screen reflection. The wahoo is superb with almost an e-ink type Matt screen. Have had loads of Garmin computers which I feel have a lot of bloat ware that I don’t use. I love my Roam V2 and it would be my first choice.

[matthewberkompas]

Great video Matt! I bought the Garmin Edge 540 over the Wahoo bolt purely for Garmin’s incident detection feature built into their computers. In my past experience, it has not been perfectly accurate—maybe 50% of the time, though I don’t crash often—but it was very useful every time it was accurate. Plus, even a 50% that it will accurately detect a crash is a comfort to my family so there’s that too. Apart from that feature I likely would have chosen the Bolt V2.

[bonn]

Great video. Love the led on the bolt but climber pro on the Garmin as I do not plan most routes

[albandb]

Nice comparaison, tempted to go for Bolt 😀

[Nat-DAVID]

Great review Matt! I'm a Garmin user (old GPS 520+ 955 watch + garmin connect) and i do like their products but i find Wahoo has some features that i really like and as for the price they are very good

[alexforero]

Excelente video gracias por compartir sus conocimientos

[moisesprat]

Just bought 540 and to me it is best choice for the Connect ecosystem and the new metrics.