Best Handheld GPS in 2023

In this day and age, so many devices give you a GPS location. Anyone who owns a smartphone knows that you can open your map app and within seconds you know where you are and what’s around you. But a smartphone’s GPS doesn’t quite cut it when it comes down to life in the wilderness.

Quite often you’ll lose signal, batteries may die and it can be an altogether glitchy experience. Plus, you probably won’t want to risk your smartphone being damaged or lost whilst using it in rugged conditions. 

This is where a handheld GPS comes in. Much more reliable and with a greater feature set than a GPS watch or smartphone, a handheld GPS shows you terrain, allows you to plan routes, set marks, use topographical maps, and a lot more.

Some handheld GPS’ even allow you to communicate via satellite and send SOS signals when you’re really in trouble, something a watch or smartphone simply can’t do. 

If you spend a lot of time in the backcountry, out of phone signal, and far from any help, then a handheld GPS is a must. It’s that extra layer of safety that also provides peace of mind, you’ll always know where you are, can find your way out or give your co-ordinates to someone who is trying to find and rescue you. 

In this article, we will review the best handheld GPS on the market today, comparing their feature sets so that you can find the right one for you, quickly and easily. It has to be said that handheld GPS devices, or technology of any sort, shouldn’t be what you’re relying solely on for navigation, you never know when technology will fail or when you’ll need a backup.

And, although a good hiking app on your phone is one way to do that, you should always carry a hiking compass and a map too.