Edge Explore 3 launched at £349.99 / $399.99 against the £229.99 / $299.99 Edge Explore 2 asked in July 2022. The extra buys a sharper screen, twice the storage, twice the battery endurance in saver mode, and a navigation and training set that closes some of the gap to the performance Edge models.
Riding further on one charge
Battery saver mode changes what the device can do. Explore 2 manages 24 hours in that mode, and Explore 3 manages 48, with both rated for 16 hours in demanding use. On a multi-day tour or a long audax, Explore 2 needs a battery pack and a cable, while Explore 3 can run on a single charge with the screen dimmed and sensors dropped.
Navigation gains
Both models route on Garmin’s cycling maps with turn instructions, ClimbPro, Trendline popularity routing and road surface type. Explore 3 adds the features that change how a ride is planned on the move.
Free flow routing looks for roads with fewer stops, junctions and slow sections, which helps on a commute where repeated stopping costs more time than distance. Pin drop navigation turns a pin from Google Maps or Apple Maps into a bike route, so a recommended cafe quickly becomes a course to it without opening a route planner. Up Ahead marks cafes, water, and toilets along a course with the distance to each, and the course preview shows elevation, surface type, busy roads, and reported hazards before the ride starts. Route options then offer several ways round based on ride time, elevation and bike type.
Training features Explore 2 never had
Explore 2 tracked calories, intensity minutes and recovery time and stopped there. Explore 3 carries Garmin Coach cycling plans with adaptive workouts, daily suggested workouts, interval and advanced workouts with primary and secondary targets, VO2 max, training effect, Race an Activity and Physio TrueUp. Garmin Link also automatically connects a paired Garmin watch, so wrist heart rate appears on the bars without pairing each ride.
Riders who train to power and want the full performance set are still better served by Edge 850, the nearest touchscreen Edge, at £469.99, though its battery drops to 12 hours of demanding use against the Explore 3’s 16.
Screen, storage and sensors
| Edge Explore 2 | Edge Explore 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price at launch | £229.99 / $299.99 | £349.99 / $399.99 |
| Display | 3 inch, 240 x 400 pixels | 3 inch, 360 x 640 pixels |
| Storage | 16GB | 32GB |
| Battery, demanding use | Up to 16 hours | Up to 16 hours |
| Battery saver mode | Up to 24 hours | Up to 48 hours |
| Extra sensors | Barometric altimeter, accelerometer | Adds gyroscope and ambient light sensor |
| GNSS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo |
The higher resolution shows more map detail at the same zoom on the same 3-inch screen, and the ambient light sensor automatically adjusts brightness as light changes under trees and in tunnels. Positioning is unchanged, so riders who want multi-band reception in cities and steep valleys gain nothing by upgrading.
The Plus option
Edge Explore 3 Plus costs £429.99 / $499.99 and adds a microphone, a speaker and Wi-Fi. Voice control handles routes, statistics, screen changes and hazard reports with both hands on the bars; the speaker reads messages aloud and rings as a digital bike bell, and the Wi-Fi map manager updates map regions on the device. It runs 14 hours in demanding use rather than 16. Full details for all three models sit on the Edge Explore 3 specifications page and the Edge Explore 2 specifications page.
Garmin Edge Explore 3
Garmin's navigation-led bike computer. Bike maps, free flow routing and pin drop navigation on a 3-inch touchscreen, with 48 hours in battery saver mode. The Plus adds voice control and Wi-Fi maps.
+other retailersWho should upgrade
Explore 2 owners who do day rides on familiar roads can keep their device that still does the job. The upgrade earns its £120 for riders who tour or ride long events, where battery saver mode now covers two days, and for riders who plan on the move, where free flow routing and pin drop navigation save the most time. Anyone buying their first bike computer for heavy navigation should start with the Explore 3.
The rest of the range is covered on the Garmin Edge hub, the current picks are in the best cycling computer guide, and what Garmin launches next is tracked on the Release Radar.
Quick answers
Is Edge Explore 3 worth upgrading to from Explore 2?
It is worth it for touring and long events, where battery saver mode doubles to 48 hours, and for riders who plan routes on the move with free flow routing and pin drop navigation. Day riders on familiar roads gain little.
What does Edge Explore 3 add over Edge Explore 2?
A 360 x 640 screen in place of 240 x 400, 32GB of storage in place of 16GB, 48 hours of battery saver mode in place of 24, a gyroscope and ambient light sensor, free flow routing, pin drop navigation, Up Ahead, course preview, route options and a full training set including Garmin Coach, VO2 max and structured workouts.
Does Edge Explore 3 have better GPS than Explore 2?
Positioning is the same on both. Each receives GPS, GLONASS and Galileo on a single frequency, and neither offers multi-band reception.
How much does Edge Explore 3 cost?
Edge Explore 3 is £349.99 / $399.99 and Edge Explore 3 Plus is £429.99 / $499.99, with orders opening on 23 October 2026.
Last Updated on 21 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
