Garmin Edge 1050 Review

We pushed the Garmin Edge 1050 as hard as our legs, taking it from rolling hills to work commutes to chunky single track. After testing, we found that this model particularly stands out for its features and is a great option for serious cyclists and mountain bikers. Our testing team shared, “It all comes down to value; if you spend a lot of time in your bike saddle, you're more likely to get the most out of a top-shelf device like the 1050.”

Display and User Interface

The Edge 1050 has a large and vibrant screen, making it a top scorer in this metric. Its improved resolution over past iterations makes the screen easy to read, which pairs well with Garmin's excellent interface.

While several other models have friendly user interfaces, few can compete in terms of screen size, brightness, and resolution. In this sense, the Edge 1050 is closer to a smartphone than a bike computer, allowing us to easily scroll around to program rides, adjust settings, and quickly view the map mid-ride. The touch screen is responsive, and the learning curve wasn't too steep when discovering the ins and outs of the 1050, exploring features from GroupRide to Garmin Wallet. Our only gripe is the absence of physical buttons. Normally, it's not a big deal, but it can make the device difficult to use in rainy conditions due to the less responsive touchscreen.

Setup & App Integration

The Edge 1050 is an easy device to set up. A few other models are slightly quicker, but the 1050 came in towards the front of the pack.

Its generous screen makes the Edge 1050 easy to turn on, dial in some essential settings, and get on your first ride. The device includes a variety of mounting attachments to accommodate various handlebar sizes and mounting preferences. While highly featured models like this one can sometimes be more complex to navigate for ride setup, getting the essentials programmed on the 1050 doesn't take long.

Navigation and Connectivity

There aren't many models out there that are as feature-rich as the Garmin Edge 1050. It has a lengthy list of offerings that go far beyond navigation, and simply put, if you need as many bells and whistles as possible, this is the bike computer for you.

The Edge 1050 is Garmin's premier “large screen” option amongst an impressive lineup of other well-made bike computers. Since its update from the 1040, the 3.5" LCD display is brighter and has a sharper image, making for an impressively clear interface from which to navigate the dizzying array of features. It also includes an upgraded processor with faster response times, which improves things like menu navigation and turn-by-turn directions. There's a long list of cool training features as well, ranging from heat and altitude acclimation to Garmin Coach, which creates training plans for you.

Garmin Wallet is similar to Apple Pay; you can simply store a credit card on the device and tap-to-pay if you're stopping to snag a coffee or a quick bite to eat. The 1050 also includes a speaker, which can be set up to give you audible notifications or allow the device to be used as a bike bell. We were also huge fans of the Trailforks map integration for mountain biking, which gave our testing team full access to the app's invaluable network of trails. Maps can also be updated via Wifi, allowing you to stay as up-to-date as possible.

The 1050 also has Garmin's cool GroupRide feature, which allows you to form a bike computer group with your riding community. This includes incident detection, which provides live notifications if it senses a crash of some variety. At the end of the day, this model has an unparalleled number of features, more than we could cover in depth here. We had a great time combing through all the features during our daily rides, and we highly recommend taking a closer look at the 1050 yourself.

Adaptability & Battery Life

As a highly capable bike computer, it comes as no surprise that the Edge 1050 is also highly versatile. It came in just shy of being the top product in this metric, but it can still be used for a variety of ride types.

From road cycling to mountain biking, this model offers features customizable to any bike ride type. While we've found it more common for the road cycling community to use bike computers, models like the 1050 offer maps integrated with Trailforks, making for a fantastic single-track companion. This model even includes automatic jump detection, which tracks your stats, including number of jumps, jump distance, hang time, and speed.

The primary reason the 1050 didn't score the highest in this metric is its bulk. While we think the mass of extra features is worth it, if you are a gram-counting cyclist or just want something less clunky on your handlebars, it is something to consider.

Should You Buy the Garmin Edge 1050?

The Edge 1050 is among the most expensive bike computers we've tested to date. Fortunately, this is one case where you get what you pay for, and the extensive feature set makes this pricey model a worthwhile option for serious cyclists. If you only need to keep an eye on the basics, there are several other models that are smaller and less costly, but if you want something that can virtually do it all, look no further.

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