Garmin Oregon 550T review

Garmin made its name producing recreational rather than car satnavs, and its experience shows in the new Oregon 550T. It’s a chunky device, but beautifully made, waterproof and extremely rugged-feeling.

The only physical control is a power button on the edge. Everything else is accessed via a 240 x 400 colour touchscreen and a simple UI.

It’s powered by two AA batteries, with the pair of bundled NiMHs (a charger is also supplied) offering a full day of use per charge.

The GPS is sensitive, providing a signal lock in less than a minute. There’s a three-axis digital compass, so you don’t need to hold it flat to get your bearings.

You also get an altimeter, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and wireless for swapping tracks and waypoints with other owners or connecting compatible heart-rate belts and bicycle cadence sensors.

There are even features aimed at marine enthusiasts, such as a Man Overboard facility and depth alarms. And we loved the ability to switch between activity profiles.

Add in full topographic and street maps (non-routable) of Europe and the wide availability of free OpenStreetMap-based maps, and you have a great package.

Alas it's not cheap, which means you’ll need to be feeling generous to buy one as a Christmas gift.

Author: Jonathan Bray