Garmin Edge 540 and 840 get Solar Charging and USB-C Ports

The brand new Garmin Edge 540 Solar and Garmin Edge 840 Solar GPS cycling computers inherited solar charging tech from the higher-end Edge 1040, and they come with USB-C, new coaching/goal functionality, enhanced navigational support, more tracking metrics, interesting mapping upgrades, connected features, and more. Garmin claims both get up to 32 hours of battery life in demanding use or up to 60 hours in battery saver mode. Find more details below.

New features (from Garmin PR)

• Cycling ability and course demands: Identify strengths and weaknesses as a cyclist and prepare for the demands of a specific course by focusing training in the right areas.
• Targeted adaptive coaching: Whether cycling indoors or outdoors, riders can view daily suggested workouts and training prompts, plus receive personalized coaching that adapts2 based on training load, recovery, and the demands of upcoming events.
• Real-time stamina: Monitor and track exertion levels in real-time during a ride to help influence training efforts or see how much further the current pace can be maintained.
• Power guide: Manage efforts with power targets throughout a course.
• ClimbPro ascent planner: View the remaining ascent and grade for each climb while riding freely without course navigation or search for climbs directly on the Edge and in the Garmin Connect smartphone app before heading out.
• Multi-band GNSS: Cyclists can easily find their way with enhanced positioning accuracy via multi-band GNSS technology. Plus, Edge 540/840 operates well in challenging environments, such as dense tree cover or downtown urban environments.
• Solar charging: Power GlassTM solar charging lens on solar models extends battery life to up to 60 hours in battery saver mode, giving cyclists up to an extra 25 minutes per hour during daytime riding.

The Garmin Edge 540 and 840 Series models both have 2.6″ color displays and feature button controls that Garmin claims are more rugged than those of their predecessors. The Edge 840 also gets touchscreen controls. Garmin states that device setup is easy, and users can adjust data fields directly from the Edge device or from a paired compatible smartphone.

Updated mapping brings more community-level features to the interface, including improved ride type-specific maps that use Trendline Popularity Routing to highlight popular roads and trails, plus searchable points of interest. More interestingly, both the Garmin Edge 540 and 840 Series users have access to worldwide Trailforks trail content.

The Garmin Edge 540 Solar and Edge 840 Solar are both available now for $449.99 (at REI) and $549.99, respectively. The non-solar Edge 540 costs $349.99, while the non-solar Edge 840 retails for $449.99. Note that non-solar models feature up to 26 hours of battery life in demanding use and up to 42 hours in battery saver mode. Find more details over at Garmin.com.

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