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Before, people used paper maps to know the directions of the location they were heading. But it was just inconvenient especially if you’re driving. And because of this, manufacturers, including, Apple invented a device that works just like a map. The only difference is you don’t need to hold it since you can just place on the dashboard as long as it has a holder. This device is called GPS or global positioning system.
There are lots of GPS devices that you can choose from. But none of them were made equally. In this article, you will know how to find the best GPS device that suits your needs.
Top 3 our pick for Best Garmin GPS
>> First: Garmin nüvi 54 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS (US & Canada)
>> Second: Garmin nüvi 54LM 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS with Lifetime Maps
A Brief Concept of GPS
This is known to be a mobile device as well, and expect that the capabilities of the GPSis perfectly like navigation mapsthat will provide you guides with various settings. This can let you use some options to help you track down your location towards your destination, place signs for you to be aware of things that you need to visit or other purposes, and so as letting you know more about various landmarks and convenient locations such as stores using its system.
This is known to be operated by a GPS satellite tracking device that will provide you a nice map that can let you check out various roads, buildings, and a whole lot more. This is guaranteed to be a very nice way that’s very accurate thanks to the satellite systems. That’s why we made sure that we will be able to provide you some of the best GPS for the money so that you will be able to have quality that’s truly worth the price as well.
The Types that We Have
We have various types of highest rated GPS. These have various settings that you may like to use so that you will be able to get what you need out of navigations. There are some that are perfect to install in cars because it provides GPS driving directions, and also comes with a part that can let you attach it on your vehicle to provide a nice guide while you’re on the way.
There are also some that might be perfect for online GPS navigation as well thanks to its capability to connect to networks, along with a way to track down places and many more using the GPS. This is perfect whenever you communicate with your friends, and take note that it also connects with social networking sites to provide you a better way to check out your friends and many more.
There are also some hiking GPS that might be perfect for your gear. This is known to be settings that will surely be effective whenever you’re in high places, and it perfectly captures various trails that you can tread on whenever you’re on mountains where signals are weak. Expect that the strong signal of this device will be the guide that will make your hiking preferences a lot better.
We do have lots of selection for you to have so that you will never lose a choice whenever you want to get the best GPS brand that you may want to get for the sake of making your tracking preferences a lot better. Rest assured that these are well sorted in the site to provide you what you prefer the most, and to make you canvass in an easier way than ever.
Compare 2 of the best GPS Brands
One of the toughest decisions you’ll ever make when choosing a GPS device is whether Tomtom or Garmin is a best gps brand. One thing is for sure about these GPS brands, they are the best gps for the money. Although Garmin is still a league in lead when it comes to sales, Tomtom has almost the same features, price, and routing accuracy that it is hard enough to tell the difference between the two.
The highest rated gps has dropped down their prices over the years due to the increase of productions of these standalone personal navigation devices of reputable brands. The retail prices of these devices hovers around $80 to $250 which is much cheaper as compared to their introduction prices which is around $800 to $1500. Other features that you can get with almost all brands of GPS include satellite vehicle tracking, hands free features, and Bluetooth connectivity. Basically, high end GPS devices offer the same features though their differences lies on the quality of materials used.
Difference On The Interface
Garmin is a favorite because of its stylish interface. Reading maps can be pretty hard especially if you do not really know how to read maps. Going to one place to another is very easy because of its easy to read icons, navigation maps, and colorful map graphics. It is also very friendly to first time users as it features legends and color meanings for easier map reading. The greatest asset of Garmin GPS is its zoom in and zooms out feature which is very beneficial when you are driving because you can just give it a quick peek while you are busy with the wheel.
TomTom devices on the other hand, feature more information than Garmin. If Garmin GPS is full of colorful map graphics and map legends, TomTom GPS is more on what establishments or landmarks are near your desired destination. This information will blink from the display simultaneously which is good as a constant reminder though it can be disturbing to people who gets easily distracted. While information and other details appear beautifully on Garmin GPS, the two-line message bar of TomTom makes everything in your screen neater.
Ads On The Screen
One thing that you might find annoying in Garmin devices is the displays of ads which appear every now and then. These ads might confuse you into thinking that they are gps information because ads can come as colorful as the display of information of a Garmin GPS. To remove these ads from appearing on your screen, check garmin gps updates or search for how to update garmin gps and look for ways on how you can control the ads that appears in your screen or totally remove them.
TomTom GPS do display ads on its screen. However, you might find it responding a bit late to your queries. For example, a Garmin GPS can find a certain location and produce its map with some information in a matter of 2 seconds. With TomTom devices though, it will take more than 10 seconds before maps and information in the display appears.
Top 4 Best Garmin GPS Reviews
1. Garmin nüvi 54 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS (US & Canada)
The Garmin nüvi 54 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS (US) has everything you’re looking for when it comes to GPS action. For instance, it has a five-inch diagonal WQVGA color display that unambiguously showcases all the information you need when traveling, plus it has a pixel display of 480 x 272, which is pretty large as far as global position system devices go. If you live in North America, it’s a huge boon to have Garmin GPS since it’s preloaded with City Navigator NT North America.
Our Rating: 
(4.4 / 5)
Features
The GPS covers 49 states and U.S. territories like Jamaica, Saint Barthelemy or Bartholomew, Martinique, Guadalupe, French Guiana, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. What’s more, using the GPS comparison chart, the said brand can lead you to points of interest such as shopping, fuel, entertainment, parking, restaurant, and hotel areas nationwide. It doesn’t only tell you where you are, you are also led to places of relevance for a good or enjoyable vacation.
Pros and Cons
It’s one of the more intuitive devices out there that isn’t just an overrated, overhyped version of a digital map like certain other apps or tools out there. With that said, it does lack some of the things you’d expect from a high-end GPS, like a touchscreen. It more than makes up for it through millions of points of interest, a text-to-speech voice prompt that reads road names at every turn, and various other benefits such as “Where am I?” functions, Route Avoidance, and Junction View.
Conclusion
This is the best GPS brand if only for the fact that it’s the best non-touchscreen GPS around with an extensive and updated map database. It’s easy-to-use by anyone, dependable, and even has features such as Lane Assist and a bright, large 5-inch display that will show you visually and aurally where you are and where you’re supposed to go to get where you’re headed. Isn’t that what you want out of a GPS device? That’s what you’ll receive, then: Driving Guidance par excellence on a sleek interface.
2. Garmin nüvi 54LM 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS with Lifetime Maps
Garmin does it again with its Garmin nüvi 54LM 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS (US & Canada). There’s a lot to love and little to hate about this iteration of the Five-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS, especially since this is a package deal that includes both American (USA) and Canadian sets of detailed maps for your ready perusal. It has a bright, unambiguously clear five-inch display and spoken turn-by-turn directions you’d expect from the Garmin nüvi 54 GPS model.
Our Rating: (4.4 / 5)
Features
Every turn of the street, you’re given directions on where to go. What’s more, it’s a sleek Garmin nüvi 54LM GPS that offers the best and easiest to use guidance when it comes to global positioning system service. It’s not an overrated digital map; like a true GPS, it keeps track of where you are instead of having you figure out where you are on your own that you can do with an ordinary paper map. What’s more, it has an intuitive touchscreen interface.
Pros and Cons
If you’ve ever used a smartphone, tablet, or even a laptop with touchscreen features, then you’re familiar with how to use the Garmin nüvi 54 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS (US & Canada). It’s essentially everything you’d expect out of the Garmin line—from Junction View to Route Avoidance—but this time you have a Canadian expansion pack included. This isn’t a bad thing really because the whole Garmin brand is known to be excellent save for drawbacks like limited power when unplugged from the car.
Conclusion
Aside from power issues when used unplugged (and it’s meant more for vehicular use anyway), the Garmin nüvi 54 GPS model is perfect for your everyday road trip needs whether you’re traveling cross-state or intercontinentally. You’re also given free updates and the most detailed maps you’ll ever see, thus you have access to millions of points of interest (such as shopping, fuel, entertainment, parking, restaurant, and hotel areas in Canada and the United States). Therefore, getting a Garmin nüvi 54 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS (US & Canada) will definitely answer “what is the best GPS to buy?”
3. Garmin nüvi 52LM 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS with Lifetime Maps
As a testament to its dedication to its consumer base and its competitiveness in the GPS market, it’s only natural that Garmin would come up with the Garmin nüvi 52LM 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS with Lifetime Maps (US). The main claim of fame of the Garmin nüvi 52LM 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS can be seen with its official Amazon.com title: It comes with a lifetime update for its maps. This is something that less sophisticated navigation maps used to compete with maps like Garmin, take note.
Our Rating: (4.4 / 5)
Features
Garmin now blows the competition away with the Garmin nüvi 52LM 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS exactly because it comes with Lifetime Maps (US). Not only will you enjoy reliable, intuitive guidance that will ensure that getting lost is a nigh-impossibility as long as you’re on American soil; you also have regular updates on maps so that in case roads are remade, rerouted, or otherwise blocked, you know which new routes to take. Yes, it still comes with a touchscreen and turn-by-turn directions.
Pros and Cons
It’s hard to argue against free lifetime updates for maps that are detailed from the get go. The only real drawbacks to the Garmin nüvi 52LM 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS with Lifetime Maps (US) is the fact that it has limited battery life when not plugged into your car’s smoking plug. Otherwise, it’s sleek, it’s long-lasting, it’s dependable in giving you driver’s guidance in GPS form, and it even has a touchscreen, which means that if you’re used to smartphone touchscreens, then using this GPS device should be a breeze.
Conclusion
When it comes to dependability, easy-to-use guidance, Garmin would come up with the Garmin nüvi 52LM 5-Inch Portable Vehicle GPS with Lifetime Maps (US) is the product to beat. It comes complete with a five-inch display, a lifetime-updated set of maps, quick start manual, USB cable for your computer updates, vehicular suction cup mount, power cable for your smoking plug, and a preloaded City Navigator program. It’s everything you wanted on a cost-effective GPS device and more. That’s all there is to it, really.
4. Garmin nüvi 205 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Garmin nüvi 205 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator, as its name suggests, is a portable GPS navigator you can take anywhere so that you won’t be lost no matter where you go. It’s like a map, but it’s easier to use and it’s more helpful in finding your way or knowing where exactly you are. It possesses turn-by-turn directions as well as services from MSN Direct to keep you informed and on your toes in regards to where you are and where you’re going.
Our Rating: 
(4.1 / 5)
Features
As far as features are concerned, the Garmin nüvi 205 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator is the best GPS brand because it’s packed with millions of destinations and maps so that you will never get lost while you’re in the United States or in certain parts of Europe. It’s as easy to operate as a tablet or cellphone with its 3.5-inch touchscreen navigation as well as turn-by-turn spoken directions from the navigational computer. If that’s not enough to satisfy you, then perhaps the FM or MSN Direct Traffic should pique your interest.
Pros and Cons
At the very least, the possibility of getting lost is significantly reduced with the Garmin nüvi 205 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator on hand. What’s more, it has coverage for all of the continental USA, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and so forth. You have 6.5 million searchable points of interest, meaning you’ll have to actually make an effort to get lost when you have the Garmin nüvi 205 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator on hand. The only real con from his product is its rechargeable battery that only lasts for four hours.
Conclusion
It’s almost like a certain other map-based app used by many with Internet connection to not get lost, except this time it’s more USA-concentrated. It’s made by Americans for Americans, with an optional GDB 55 receiver, automatic time zone adjustment, photo navigation, and 3D terrain views, among many other quality perks. What more can you really ask for with this mapping and GPS technology that’s among the most intuitive GPS devices on the market today?
Best Garmin GPS Buying Guide
There are more reasons for most of us to buy a GPS device now. Reputable manufacturers of highest rated gps has developed these devices adding more helpful features to them making them more than just a devices that gives gps driving directions.
There are certain things that you need to look for when buying a navigation device. The first thing that you need to consider is the brand. Most companies claim that they are the best GPS brand. Don’t be deceived by these claims. It is still crucial to know the track record of the manufacturer before you buy their GPS device.
Second, you should consider some features below:
Here are some pointers that you need to know when buying a GPS device that you could find in some portable gps reviews.
Screen
One of the most important features when deciding over the right GPS device is the screen size. The standard size is 5 inches display but 7 inches displays are the best sellers. Garmin 2350LMT is 4.3 inches with lots of features and one of the best deals that you could find in the market though it is not advisable for people who are having a hard time reading small texts.
If you do not want to squint over the display to read your navigation maps, a Magellan Roadmate is the best option for you. It has a 7 inches bright display which guarantees that you do not have to give it a second look to read which street you are already one. Always remember that the larger the screens the more space will it need on your dashboard or windshield so the safest display size is 5 inches but if you can’t help buying the 7 inches once, go with the most sleek and thin design and not the chunky ones.
Maps
Every GPS on the store is already loaded with maps. The good thing about GPS devices is that they are not restricted to a certain location only. GPS devices purchased in the USA basically contains US, Canada, and Mexico maps.
If you want to go out of the country, you can just use online gps navigation where you can enter your current location and search for maps of that place. Or if you are using a Garmin or Tomtom, you can just search for the latest garmin gps updates or tomtom gps update and update your maps before hitting the road.
POI database
Aside from maps, all GPS is equipped with an assimilated points-of-interest or POI database. This is very helpful if you are looking for a particular establishment say for example the nearest Japanese sushi bar, gasoline station, mall, or even a car repair shop. Most updated GPS devices have logical and accurate results complete with description of the exact location. Old GPS models though bring slim information about your prospect location leaving you drive three times past your location.
Bluetooth calling
Much of the latest models of GPS are designed with a phone interface. This means that you can easily connect your cellphone to make your contacts appear on the GPS display to make a call. This is perfect for drivers and hikers because they can easily make hands free calls without the need of large headset which can be very distracting especially when driving.