User submitted reviews
Review by Eric
Works great, I will be adding a heart rate monitor soon. That will be followed by a power meter soon after. Hopefully it all works out but as of now, its great.
Review by mgmoehn
I came from being a long time 520 user and I really love the 530. I upgraded primarily because my 520 was about 4-5 years old and the battery was really bad. I do gravel events and use the gps course mapping feature a lot in those events as well as in cold temperatures. This is a battery destroyer typically but the 530 has held up very very well on 6-7 hour elasped time for gps mapping, colder weather (30-40F), power meter, bluetooth phone, and brightness dimmed to 20%, and GPS enabled. Looking beyond the extended battery life are features that go above and beyond the 520.
Review by TEE CEE
I used both Wahoo and Garmin. Garmin has incident detection! yep, safety first people!
Review by Anonymous
Use this mainly for road rides. The battery life is awesome.
Review by Anonymous
Bike comp that's accurate is always excellent. Not to mention battery life is awesome
Review by dave
I haven't used it yet, I assume it works. It is a spare.
Review by [email protected]
I use my Garmin 530 on my road bike and indoor trainer.......I upgraded from a 130 and love the larger screen
Review by GJH
I bought this as a replacement for the Garmin Edge 520. Very happy with the choice
Review by Anonymous
To tell me how fast I am riding and the time riding ant the total difference gone.
Review by Mark
I am using this 530 edge on my training rides using the power meter and the lap controls to see my specific results.
Review by CBI@PTY
Would have given it a 5 star review if it didn't have so much information that I don't need. Disabling windows so to be able just to use the main data I use!
Review by Anonymous
This is my first GPS bike computer. It has taken a little time to learn, but it gets better with each ride.
Review by Anonymous
I upgraded to the 530 because I appreciated it's functionality over my older 520. Lots of training dynamics data, maps galore should you want to consult them, and an easy-to-read screen. I prefer a smaller display than the 1030 range, more compact in cockpit and lighter. Good visual interface with Garmin Varia radar. Only drawback is that the battery may require more frequent recharging, depending how many features you activate.
Review by HalloweenEagleBike
The Edge 530 has been a great addition to my cycling. With the integration w Garmin Connect, its very easy to create training workouts, custom routes, and also more detailed performance stats from each of my rides. I've used it for both road, gravel, and mountain biking and its well suited for each discipline. The battery life is solid. I've only done 1 longer (5 hours) ride with it, but had no concerns of it dying somewhere along the way. Normally, I use it for several 60-90 minute rides a week and typically only charge it once every other week. It integrates seamlessly with all of my sensors (garmin speed and cadence), heart rate strap (garmin chest strap), and lights (garmin varia headlight, garmin varia radar). It has changed my cycling experience. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that periodically there are some small annoyances like auto downloads restarting your ride, but these are few and far between.
Review by Control Freak
The Edge 530 replaces my 5-yr. old Edge 820. I am much happier with the 530 because: 1, my screen would go haywire in the rain; 2, much faster processing with routes; 3, better looking screen that does not reminds me of my Palm Pilot; 4, much better battery life. The new firmware is also less buggy so, yeah, I am glad that Garmin (finally) up their game. I was seriously considering switching to a Wahoo Element or a Karoo Hammerhead. I would have given it 5 stars if the screen has better resolution and color-there is not excuse in 2021 to have a screen from a 20 yr. old flip phone!
Review by manholemagnet
I received a Garmin 520 Explorer as a gift. On the first ride, the extremely short battery life caused the unit to shutdown after approximately 3.5 hours. Big surprise and quite annoying. I returned the device and upgraded to the 530. The battery life is significantly better--approximately 3 to 4 times longer between charges. The Garmin 530 does what it is supposed to do, so there's that. The illumination is good --especially when riding at night or in dim natural light. My main disappointment is the learning curve necessary to manage the various functions. It is anything but an intuitive process and the "get started" booklet is basically a waste of paper; entirely insufficient. Users who want to actually use the device will need to download the more detailed manual from the Garmin website. The GPS works fine although it takes me a few minutes to locate a satellite signal; better to wait before pedaling down the driveway. I find that the post-ride map/graphic of the route is very general; vague and not helpful. All in all, I believe that the 530 provides the best value for the money. For casual riders, a wireless cycle computer still may be a simpler way and less expensive way to go.
Review by manholemagnet
I received a Garmin 520 Explorer as a gift. On the first ride, the extremely short battery life caused the unit to shutdown after approximately 3.5 hours. Big surprise and quite annoying. I returned the device and upgraded to the 530. The battery life is significantly better--approximately 3 to 4 times longer between charges. The Garmin 530 does what it is supposed to do, so there's that. The illumination is good --especially when riding at night or in dim natural light. My main disappointment is the learning curve necessary to manage the various functions. It is anything but an intuitive process and the "get started" booklet is basically a waste of paper; entirely insufficient. Users who want to actually use the device will need to download the more detailed manual from the Garmin website. The GPS works fine although it takes me a few minutes to locate a satellite signal; better to wait before pedaling down the driveway. I find that the post-ride map/graphic of the route is very general; vague and not helpful. All in all, I believe that the 530 provides the best value for the money. For casual riders, a wireless cycle computer still may be a simpler way and less expensive way to go.
Review by Tailwind
Really like the larger screen & is much faster than the 520 Edge. Also, the ability to load proper maps is a big plus. Battery life seems to be quite good as well.
Review by Marin biker
Better screen resolution, faster, much better battery and more capabilities as compared to my 2 year old Garmin 520+!!
Review by ZimZim
Use the Edge 530 for gravel and road rides. Creating a course on Garmin Connect is a bit of a chore but is easy to follow once uploaded to the 530. My eyes are not working so well now and I really appreciate the easy to read data screen. I was using a Wahoo Bolt but just could not see the screen. I passed it on to my daughter and purchased the 530. The 530 is a huge step up in the display over the Wahoo.
After a month of use I dropped the 530 from a height of about 2 feet. No visible damage but the screen no longer worked. Garmin did send a refurbished device for a $130 charge. The 530 is quite fragile - certainly not a robust as a Wahoo device. I now have a silicon sleeve that, hopefully, will preclude damage should the 530 be dropped. My experience with the 530 is really great; with exception of the fragility. a silicon protective case is, in my view, an absolute necessity.