In addition to wearables, fitness products and action cams, Garmin makes a wide selection of GPS devices for automotive, aviation, marine and sports use. Each Garmin GPS is a navigation device that plots a route to the user's destination while providing spoken turn-by-turn directions and showing the progress toward the destination on a map. The most popular Garmin navigation units among consumers are car GPS devices.

Advantages of a Stand-Alone Car GPS
Most smartphones now have built-in GPS units. When coupled with a GPS app, a smartphone can serve as a replacement for a stand-alone car GPS. However, there are many reasons to choose a portable GPS device over a smartphone for vehicle navigation. First, a Garmin car GPS continuously provides navigation directions even when you're driving through areas with no cell service. It also does not drain a smartphone's battery or eat up mobile data. Additionally, a dedicated GPS unit does not distract the driver with phone call, email and SMS notifications.

Picking the Right Garmin GPS
Garmin makes GPS systems for cars, motorcycles, RVs and semi-trucks. For example, the brand offers both portable and in-dash GPS units for cars. Portable devices are compatible with all vehicles and don't require tools to install. In-dash units, on the other hand, are only available for select car brands and require professional help to install. Find a GPS unit with all the features you need. For example, the Garmin nuvi GPS line has products with premium features that include live traffic reports, lifetime map updates, voice command capability, Bluetooth connectivity and powered mounts.

Should You Register Your Garmin Device?
Yes. While all Garmin navigation devices work out of the box, registering them is necessary to get free software and map updates. Registration also qualifies users for discounts on accessories and allows them to manage their GPS units from a central online dashboard.

Does It Cost Money to Update Garmin Devices?
Software updates for Garmin navigation devices are free. These updates offer bug fixes as needed and sometimes introduce new features. However, map updates are not always free. Usually, Garmin nuvi GPS units, as well as some of the brand's other high-end and mid-range navigation devices, enjoy free map updates for 3 months after purchase. After that, users have to buy lifetime or yearly map update plans for their devices if they want their maps to reflect new points of interest and changes to roads.

Where Do You Download Maps for Garmin GPS Devices?
Official maps are available on Garmin's website. Users can download them through Garmin Express, a desktop program that helps sync map updates with the company's GPS devices. Map updates are also available on the company's website for in-dash GPS units installed in select car models. You can upload free open-source maps to a Garmin unit by first downloading these map files from a third-party website. After you connect the GPS unit to a computer by USB, you can copy the downloaded files to the map folder on the device's internal storage.

Garmin GPS Navigation Units