The best budget cycling computers don't cost a fortune, but still offer features like GPS tracking, mapping, and advanced ride metrics.
They can also wirelessly connect to sensors such as power meters, tracking data such as power output, cadence, and even left/right balance, while syncing with third-party apps like Strava, Zwift, and Komoot.
That said, not everyone needs or wants all the extras. Some of the options featured here, such as the Beeline Velo 2 and Cateye Padrone, are great for riders who just want the basics and often result in a cleaner, less cluttered setup.
After testing all the models featured here, and many others that didn't make the cut, our best budget cycling computer is the iGPSPORT BiNavi. It's a brilliant feature-packed unit that rivals many models with much higher price tags.
If you're still unsure what to look for, we've answered some of the most common questions about budget cycling computers at the bottom of this guide to help you choose the best device for you. If you want to see what higher-end models offer, head over to our guide to the best cycling computers.
Best budget cycling computers available today
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Best budget cycling computer overall
The iGPSPORT BiNavi takes the top spot thanks to its performance far exceeding the price point at £219 RRP. The large 3.5-inch colour touchscreen is quick to respond, with no lag when swiping between screens. We really like the six physical buttons, too.
It's easy to set up different layouts for switching between training and racing, with seven ride profiles to customise to your heart's content. Integration with Strava, Komoot, and TrainingPeaks comes alongside 32GB of storage, dual-band GPS, and it even uses a Garmin-style mount.
Navigation is clear and easy to follow, with turn warnings and voice prompts via the app. However, you can't zoom the map with the touchscreen, and the built-in destination search was hit-or-miss in our testing.
With over 800 miles of testing, the claimed 35-hour battery life didn't come close to running out.
Find out more in our review of the iGPSPORT BiNavi.
Best budget cycling computer for mapping
The Garmin Edge Explore 2 offers excellent value at a reasonable price (RRP: £229.99) and was our top pick overall until it was bettered by the iGPSPORT BiNavi. It features a large 3-inch display, a full-colour touchscreen (with buttons), and mapping and routing capabilities that rival many higher-end cycling computers.
It forgoes more advanced training features in favour of being a dedicated navigation and exploration device, performing well both on and off-road.
Battery life is another strong point, with a claimed 16 hours of use, and in testing, performance with sensors, radar and mapping matched that figure.
It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of something like the Garmin Edge 840, but at this price, it’s still an excellent choice.
Find out more in our review of the Garmin Edge Explore 2.
Best tiny budget cycling computer
If you want a head unit that doesn't take up too much space on your handlebars, the Garmin Edge 130 Plus packs all the essentials into a compact, simple package.
It features a few buttons for navigating screens and supports ANT+ and Bluetooth connections for heart rate monitors, cadence sensors, and power meters. The lack of a touchscreen can be a pro or a con, depending on your preference.
There's breadcrumb navigation and features such as VO2 Max, a recovery calculator and mountain bike dynamic metrics, though if you're after more advanced metrics like normalised power or TSS, you'll need to opt for the Edge 530 if you’d like to stick with Garmin.
The Edge 130 Plus is slightly pricier than many other options here, so if you don’t need power or heart rate data, it may offer more than you require.
Read about how the Garmin Edge 130 Plus performed in our full review.
Best budget cycling computer for battery life
The Coros Dura (RRP: £250) absolutely lives up to its name, providing outstanding battery life. It's bold to claim 120 hours per charge, but it lived up to the hype, going down just 1% on a three-hour ride.
After long-term testing, it still stood out, even beating Garmin solar models that cost twice as much. It also uses a Garmin-style mount, so it's easy to swap onto an existing setup.
It's got all the basics you'd expect from a modern cycling computer, with a 2.7-inch colour touchscreen, maps with navigation, and support for power meters and sensors. Beyond that, it's pretty bare-bones.
We have spent months with the Coros Dura, and some downsides include its clunky overall feel, especially the touchscreen, which can be unresponsive at times. It's one of the pricier options here, but if you want a computer you'll rarely have to charge, the Dura does a brilliant job.
Find out more in our review of the Coros Dura cycling computer.
Best budget cycling computer for commuting
The Beeline Velo 2 is a small black button, approximately 46mm across and weighing a tiny 25g. It's a simple and intuitive bike computer at a very affordable price.
The main attraction is how simple the Velo 2 is, particularly with its navigation. It also has an incredibly bright screen, and there are several ways to mount it to your bike.
Setup is simple and there are no more confusing maps. Follow the arrow and the countdown to your turn if you've pre-loaded a route.
This isn't a replacement for a high-end device, but it's not trying to be. For the average commuter and casual road rider, it'll do more than enough.
For all of the details, read our review of the Beeline Velo 2.
Best budget cycling computer for basic functionality
Cateye has been in the bike computer game since the early 1980s, so it knows a thing or two about what works. If all you're after is a device to tell you your speed, distance and time, then the Cateye Padrone is for you. It's a simple bike computer that's reliable and straightforward.
The display is large and easy to read, even in bright sunlight, and it weighs just 31g. With a battery that lasts around a year, this is a fit-and-forget device.
It does require a sensor mounted to your bike’s fork, which can be a bit fiddly - particularly on wider gravel forks.
The Padrone doesn’t offer navigation, but for capturing basic ride data without cluttering your cockpit, it’s hard to beat at this price.
Check out our review of the Cateye Padrone for more details.
Comparison table
Model |
Connectivity |
Companion app |
Navigation |
Battery life |
Colour screen |
Screen size |
Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
iGPSPORT BiNavi |
BLE, ANT+ and Wi-Fi |
iGPSPORT app |
Built-in global offline maps |
Up to 35 hours claimed |
Yes |
3.5 inches |
102g / 3.6oz |
Garmin Edge Explore 2 |
BLE and ANT+ |
Garmin Connect |
Garmin Cycle Maps |
Up to 16 hours claimed |
Yes |
3 inches |
104g / 3.7oz |
Garmin Edge 130 Plus |
ANT+, Bluetooth |
Garmin Connect |
GPS, GLONASS and Galileo satellites |
Up to 15 hours claimed |
No |
1.8 inches |
33g / 1.2oz |
Coros Dura |
Bluetooth, ANT+ |
Coros app |
Google Maps |
Up to 120 hours claimed |
Yes |
2.7 inches |
97g / 3.4oz |
Beeline Velo 2 |
Bluetooth |
Beeline app |
Turn-by-turn |
Up to 11 hours claimed |
Yes |
1.28 inches |
25g / 0.9oz |
Cateye Padrone |
Wireless internal connection |
None |
None |
Up to 365 hours claimed |
No |
2.11 inches |
31.5g / 1.1oz |
How to choose the best budget cycling computers
- What features do you need? At the budget end of the scale, you're not going to get as much connectivity or data as a premium computer. And for the majority of us, that's likely okay. But make sure you decide what you really can't do without, whether that is mapping and navigation, Bluetooth connectivity etc.
- How much do you want to spend? Cycling computers can be a big investment; heck, that's why we've put this guide together, to show that sometimes the simpler options might work better for your budget. We've included computers up to £250 in this guide, but if your budget is bigger, have a look at our best bike computers guide to see what else is out there.
- How important is battery life? Some offer 10 hours, others claim 100 hours, and those without rechargeable batteries offer even more battery life. But depending on how much you ride and what you want the computer for will help you to decide if battery life is key.
- What type of riding do you do? If you're commuting to and from work and know the route, then a budget computer will likely do. If you want to head on off-road adventures, then you might want something with decent mapping and navigation. And if you're someone who trains on the bike, make sure your chosen computer works with 3rd party apps or can display workouts.
Everything you need to know about the best budget cycling computers
How much should I spend on a budget cycling computer?
Chances are, if you’re reading through a list of the best budget cycling computers, then you’re operating on a pretty tight budget. It’s no secret that cycling is expensive, and when you see cycling computers that cost £500, you begin to wonder what all the fuss is about.
If you’re a commuter who’s looking for new roads to explore, then you don’t need a high-end cycling computer capable of analysing your pedalling metrics and left/right balance. You need a computer with good GPS capabilities and an easy-to-use navigation system that works even when it’s dark and wet outside.
When it comes to value, there are a number of cycling computers on this list that skip the famous name (i.e. Garmin or Wahoo). Companies such as iGPSPORT might not be the most popular or easy to use, but once you get familiar with the interface, the iGPSPORT BiNavi has nearly all the capabilities of higher-end models. So when you’re shopping on a budget, take a closer look at the options, not just the popular models.
Which computer is best for my type of riding?
Perhaps the most important factor when choosing a cycling computer is where you ride. Consider the weather, the terrain, and the amount of natural light you’ll get. Will a dim, black-and-white computer screen be readable? Or will you need to see the map on a brighter, colour screen?
The display is one of the biggest faults of many budget cycling computers, as they can be small, dim, and difficult to read. And the last thing you want to be doing while descending at 60km/h is squinting at your cycling computer, trying to see where the next turn is. A larger and brighter display is more common nowadays, even on budget models, but it’s always worth having a proper look at it before you commit to purchasing a new cycling computer.
Commuters won’t mind the short battery life of some budget cycling computers, but if you’re looking for any long adventures, such as bikepacking, you’ll need a computer with decent battery life. Some of the units on this list last only half a day, while others can make it well over 24 hours. Keep in mind that recording data, keeping your display backlit, and following navigation will drain your cycling computer’s battery much faster than normal.
Budget-friendly cycling computers don’t always have the beautiful navigation maps of higher-end models. They will often use ‘breadcrumb’ navigation, which is when the computer displays your route as a line that you follow – quite literally like following a trail of breadcrumbs. That said, many nowadays have a base map pre-installed, which allows for seamless recalculations, turn-by-turn directions, and, with some, you can even create routes directly on the device.
What features do I need on a budget cycling computer?
These may not be the first thing on your mind when you’re shopping on a budget, but the plethora of features included in some of these budget cycling computers is what makes them truly special. WiFi and Bluetooth capability usually enable connection to third-party apps such as Strava and Komoot, which can be one of the most underrated features of a cycling computer. With these, you can connect to your phone, receive messages, re-route on the fly and go after Strava Live Segments. A few years ago, this level of capability was reserved for only the high-end cycling computers, but now, you can find these features in several budget options.
Do budget cycling computers work with Strava and other third-party apps?
If uploading your rides to Strava is your motivation for getting a cycling computer, you'll need to find one that can track your location as you ride, so look for something with GPS, GLONASS or similar. Sadly, a wheel-based speed sensor won't cut it.
If you want to download routes from Strava onto your device, then look for smartphone app connectivity. The app will usually be able to integrate with Strava, TrainingPeaks and the like, allowing you to share data back and forth with ease.
Can't I just use my phone for navigation?
You can use your smartphone in a pinch, but it's not worth relying in. Phone navigation uses a lot of battery life, the screen visibility can be poor in bright daylight, and of course there's always the risk of damaging it if you take a tumble. There's also usually no ANT+ connectivity so you can't integrate it with existing sensors.
How we test
Cycling computers are one of the most fun gadgets to test and use, and it's no secret our crack team of reviewers know what they're talking about when they recommend one. Although not all of the computers on this list have been tested in-house, the ones that have have received high scores over hours and hours of testing in all conditions and all terrains.
