The Garmin Edge Explore 2 is Amazon’s only Garmin bike computer deal for its ubiquitous Prime Day sale – you can have a new one for £194.99, or a refurbished unit for £150.99 (at the time of writing).
Given that no other Garmin (or Wahoo Elemnt, for that matter) is on sale beyond the usual small-percentage discounts Amazon sometimes applies to its products, the deal represents the best-value chance to get hold of a contemporary head unit from one of the major bike computer players.
Garmin Edge Explore 2 – £249.99 £194.99 (save 22%)
Of course, a cheap price doesn’t necessarily mean you should just go ahead and buy one, but the Garmin Edge Explore 2 has featured in our bike computers buyer's guide since we reviewed it at the start of 2023.
At the time, my colleague Warren Rossiter was impressed by its navigation, battery life and usability, and commented that the value was especially good in the context of Garmin’s other offerings.
Of course, the game has moved along a little since then – Garmin has launched its latest-generation Edge 1050 computer with a further-updated user interface, while Wahoo has come to the table with its Elemnt Bolt and Roam 3 computers, as well as the Elemnt Ace.
SRAM-owned Hammerhead has even got a third-generation Karoo computer on the market.
But unless you need every metric under the sun tracked, none of these computers is strictly necessary – it’s the Garmin Edge Explore 2 that will ‘do the job’ for most riders.
The smart cyclist’s GPS?
While it can’t actively display the full suite of metrics a flagship computer can – think left/right power balance and the like – the Garmin Edge Explore 2 does pretty much everything else.
Navigation? Check. Speed? Check. Cadence? Check. Heart rate? Check. Basic live power? Check. Rearview radar compatibility? Yep, that too.
Only minor details are missing from the Edge Explore 2’s live display, the kind of things that (in my experience) are hard to process in real time anyway. The training features – such as session recommendations – are also an acquired taste.
It’s worth pointing out that it will still record almost all this stuff if you have the equipment to record it, and upload it to Garmin Connect (Garmin’s online platform), for later analysis.
In a world where electronic drivetrains are becoming ever more common, the lack of connectivity with them is a small bugbear, but is that really worth the £300 or more you’d need to spend in order to have it on a big-screen bike computer?
It’s not as if the Edge Explore 2 is lacking much in hardware capability, either. I own a Garmin Edge 830, which uses similar basic hardware architecture under the skin (think processor, screen-resolution density and touchscreen user interface), and still can’t see a compelling case to upgrade.
The lack of power pins in the mount means you can’t use Garmin’s power pack to extend the battery life. For those who want to use the Edge Explore 2 for multi-day adventure bikepacking, that’s a niggle, but the 16-hour battery life is still decent.
How much is it, then?
Right now, the Garmin Edge Explore 2 costs £194.99 – £55 less than the already reasonable RRP.
This makes it cheaper than any of the major computer brand’s latest offerings (at any level).
Plus, you can also buy one refurbished for £150.99. This is subject to Amazon’s Amazon Renewed policy, whereby an inspection, testing and cleaning is carried out to ensure it works properly.
Amazon Prime Day deals
In case you've missed the details, Prime Day deals are exclusively for Prime members. However, the good news is you can get a 30-day free trial to access all the offers.
- US users: Start your 30-day free trial at Amazon Prime and enjoy benefits such as fast shipping, streaming, and Prime Day access, before auto-renewal at $14.99/month: Start your trial
- UK users: New customers can sign up for a 30-day free trial, then continue Prime at £8.99 a month or £95 a year to enjoy Amazon Prime Day deals: Start your trial
Just remember to cancel before the trial ends if you don’t want to be charged.
