Garmin eTrex Touch 25 Review

Sure, your phone might be able to give you a rough idea of where you’ve walked, especially if you’ve installed some kind of tracking App. But can you drop it in a stream without worrying about water damage? Can you drop it on the floor and pick it up without a crack? Will the battery keep going longer than you can when you’re out on the trail? Does it come with thousands of preloaded geocaches? We didn’t think so.

And that’s where good old-fashioned hand-held GPS devices come into play. We say old-fashioned because they’ve been around for years, but they’re actually pretty high-tech these days. Garmin’s eTrex Touch 25 is the perfect example of how these hardy, reliable devices can be fitted with some mod cons enabling some fantastic extra touches yet without compromising on quality.

This portable GPS is portable, durable, and waterproof, yet it has a color touchscreen display and some nice extra touches. It might not come with all the bells and whistles like some of the more expensive models, but it does a great job of balancing price, durability, and modern touches. So, let’s take a closer look to see if this is the hand-held GPS for you.

Design & Durability

The Garmin eTrex Touch 25 is the ideal size for journeys into the back and beyond. With dimensions of just 1.3 x 2.3 x 4 inches you can easily pop this device in your pants or backpack side pocket, and you can operate it single-handedly with no problem. It’s also super light, especially for a touchscreen, weighing in at just 5.5 oz.

Like all of Garmin’s eTrex range, this hand-held is coated in grippy plastic with grooves in the side to help you hold it stead. If you do drop it, however, the plastic doubles up as a shock absorber – but be wary of the screen – and you won’t get any pesky bits of dirt, moisture, or dust making their way through the casing. The color is understated and minimal – who can complain about a mostly black design with a touch of blue?

Waterproofing

As well as keeping the dirt out, this device has an IPX7 waterproof rating. This means you can leave it in up to 1m of water for half an hour without worrying about water damage – which is more than enough time to pick it up if you happen to drop it in a puddle (and it certainly means you don’t have to worry about splashes or a  bit of rain).

Display

If you’re into touchscreens, then you’re in luck. This screen is not only touch-operated, but it also features a color display and, at 2.6 inches, is slightly larger than some of Garmin’s other hand-held screens (yet it doesn’t increase the overall dimensions). The resolution isn’t quite as high as on some of the more expensive options, but it’s better than the cheaper ones, and the 160 x 240 pixels provide more than enough detail overall.

Battery Life

Again, in terms of battery life, the eTrex Touch 25 sits somewhere in the middle of Garmin’s range. The two AA batteries will give you enough juice for 16 hours, which is pretty good considering the large, colored touchscreen. Plus, it’s super easy to pop some spare batteries in your bag for emergencies – and remember, you can always opt to use rechargeable ones too if you want to cut down on your waste.

Usability

The eTrex Touch 25 blends classic traditional features with some modern touches, but does this come at the cost of decreased usability?

In summary, no. Garmin products are renowned for their intuitive nature, and the Garmin eTrex Touch 25 is no different. In fact, the touch screen is easier to use than the joystick featured in the manual options, and, particularly for those of you already used to smartphones, you’re going to find it extremely natural.

One thing to bear in mind is that you’ll have to whip your gloves off to use this hand-held, unlike the other traditional button-and-joystick models. This shouldn’t be a problem though – unless you know you’re going to be out in bad weather most of the time.

Navigation

And now for, arguably, the most important bit – how good is the Garmin eTrex Touch 25 when it comes to navigation?

It has 4GB of internal memory to store that all-important mapping and tracking info, which is at the smaller end of Garmin’s range. However, to combat this, it features a microSD card so you can save and upload tonnes of additional data.

Maps

Like many of Garmin’s more affordable options, the eTrex Touch 25 comes with a preloaded standard global base map, but no additional maps. It is, however, compatible with tonnes of maps that you can purchase separately and upload, such as BirdsEye satellite imagery, BlueChart® g2, and City Navigator®.

This is a great way to save some pennies if you won’t actually use the maps that often, as it means you aren’t forced to splash out on them when you buy the device – simply make use of the ability to save up to 10,000 points and 200 tracks on the internal memory instead.

GPS and GLONASS

Although GPS alone is pretty darn accurate, Garmin has equipped this unit with GLONASS satellite tracking too, so you be sure of pinpoint accuracy (although you have the option to turn it on or off).

GPS HotFix and WAAS

Get bored of waiting for your satellite data to load? You’re going to love HotFix. This satellite prediction technology accumulates information about spots you’ve visited in the recent past, which means it can pull up the information you need regularly way quicker than if it were loading it for the first time – pretty neat huh?

WAAS is only applicable if you’re in North America, but it’s an awesome feature that makes use of ground reference stations to achieve pinpoint accuracy with your tracking.

Other Features

Although Garmin hand-held GPS devices have lots in common, they all have their own unique characters. We’ve seen that the eTrex Touch 25 is durable, portable, and very simple to use, but what else does it have to offer?

If you’re into geocaching, then you’re in luck. This device comes with 250,000 geocaches preinstalled, so there’s no excuse not to get involved! Plus, we love the new electronic system that cuts down on plastic waste.

As well as excellent tracking, this unit also features an integrated compass that compensates for tilts (because whoever really knows if you’re holding your device fully flat?) and displays a heading even when you’re stationary. There are also tonnes of extra features found in most Garmin hand-helds, such as a calculator, alarm, stopwatch, and more.

It might be lacking a few of the high-end features seen in the more expensive touchscreen models, such as ANT+ connectivity and an altimeter, but there are certainly enough extra touches to keep you busy for a while.

Value For Money

So, is the Garmin eTrex Touch 25 worth it overall?

Well, it’s the cheapest of the eTrex touchscreen options, but it’s more expensive than non-touchscreen models that offer similar levels of performance in other areas.

So, if you’re looking for something that’s durable and portable but you want a modern colorful screen, then this is the most economical way to go. If you aren’t so fussed about the screen and happy with something that feels a bit more dated, you might rather save yourself some dollars and go for a non-touchscreen model.

Rating

With a total rating of 88, the eTrex Touch 25 has scored well against our rating system.

In terms of design, this device has managed to retain its portable nature despite its large color touchscreen, which is pretty impressive. Its interface is super simple, and the touchscreen is extremely intuitive to use.

Our major gripe is how much the touchscreen has affected the price – it would be nice to see a few more extra features thrown in to give it a bit more of an edge against its non-touchscreen comparators.

Verdict

The Garmin eTrex Touch 25 is durable, portable, and waterproof, making it a reliable companion for outdoor adventures.

It also features a modern touchscreen that’s super simple to use, yet it’s far more economical than other touchscreen options. It lacks a few extra touches seen in non-touchscreen models of a similar price range so, ultimately, it depends on how much you value usability versus quirky touches.

If you’re after something incredibly easy to read and use, and you don’t want to shell out on a high-end Garmin touchscreen device, then this could be the one for you.