Review: Garmin Edge 20 & Edge 25

The new Edge 20 and Edge 25 are two physically identical units that fill the entry-level role in Garmin's cycling computer line. With a $40 price difference, the Edge 25 offers mapping, ANT+ features and can pair to a smartphone through Bluetooth in addition to the standard GPS route tracking. Here's a closer look at the smallest and most lightweight GPS cycling computer on the market.
What's Included
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Both the Edge 20 and Edge 25 come packaged with the same standard essentials: the unit, a standard mount, the charging/data cradle (not shown) and manuals.
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First-Look
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With 1.6-inch square bodies and 0.9-inch square screens, the Edge 20 and Edge 25 are physically identical and impressively light—leading the industry at 25 grams each. The Edge 20 features grey buttons and accents to the Edge 25's white features. The device is surprisingly small and reminiscent of a GPS running watch sans band. Its symmetrical design is aesthetically pleasing, and it looks inconspicuous mounted on the bike.
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Side Profile
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Little to see here, literally. Its sleek and low profile stance will draw many who wish to avoid bulkier alternatives. Again, the white back distinguishes the Edge 25 from the Edge 20.
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The Backside/Mount
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The Edge 20 and Edge 25 use the classic Garmin mounting bracket. These devices are compatible with many aftermarket mounting systems, which gives the user more options than simply mounting on the handlebars or stem.

The charging/data cradle hooks to the contact points on the back and clips to the bottom edge.
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ANT+ Compatibility
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The Edge 25 is compatible with heart rate and speed/cadence ANT+ devices. The unit paired to our ANT+ devices quickly and we had no connection issues during the ride. The Edge 25 is not compatible with power meters—which we expected for the size and price point.

The more affordable Edge 20 is not compatible with any ANT+ devices. It is strictly a GPS-based route tracker.
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Data Transfer
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The charging/data cradle is required to transfer ride data from the Edge 20 to your computer. Ride data on Edge 25 can be uploaded/downloaded the same way, or by pairing the device to your smartphone. We found the latter to be problematic. The Garmin Connect app wouldn't recognize the device, and it took a few tries to get it to connect. It wasn't a bug-free process, but once it was connected it did upload the ride wirelessly. Like all Garmin products, the Edge 20 and Edge 25 are compatible with Strava.
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Smartphone Pairing/Mapping
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As mentioned before, the Edge 25 connects to a smartphone through Bluetooth. In addition to wireless data uploads, once paired, the Edge 25 supports live tracking and smart notifications.

The Garmin Connect app can create and download custom route maps to the unit. Due to the unit's size, following the route was less useful than just keeping a different data field up and waiting for the direction change alert. For such a small device, this is a pretty powerful feature.
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Customizable Screens
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The Edge 20 and 25 have two customizable screens with three fields per screen. You can choose from time, distance, speed, average speed, calories and total ascent (and calories and heart rate for Edge 25). For such a small size, the high level of contrast on the display made viewing the data surprisingly easy—even in direct sunlight.
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Accuracy and Battery Life
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Despite its small size, both the Edge 20 and Edge 25 contain the always-reliable Garmin accuracy. Both devices connected to satellites quickly, even in the heart of a busy downtown.

Both the Edge 20 and Edge 25 have a lithium-ion battery that lasts up to eight hours. If you're attempting a 200K ride with breaks, this may be a limiting factor. For our long weekend rides (~100K), we had plenty of battery life.
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Final Thoughts
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The size and features of the Edge 20 and Edge 25 made us reevaluate what we like most about a cycling computer. If you're looking for a basic, accurate, GPS-route-tracking device with no-frills, look no further than the Edge 20. If heart rate/cadence compatibility, mapping and wireless uploads are important to you, the $40 price difference for the Edge 25 is worth the money. At $169, there are other alternatives on the market with more features, but they will be dramatically larger and more cumbersome.
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