Wahoo ELEMNT GPS Bike Computer

The Wahoo ELEMNT offers a good alternative to Garmin's dominance but for some key elements. In terms of screen quality, navigation and size, it is still behind, but quickly catching up.

The Wahoo ELEMNT is the US company's long-awaited move into fully functional bike computers, usable as a standalone unit. We have previously looked at the Wahoo RFLKT, which essentially displays what's on your smartphone, but the ELEMNT offers the company's first fully integrated offering, even if it still lacks a vowel. 

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The GPS bike computer market is one that has been long dominated by Garmin and with the company releasing its Edge 820 (see my first thoughts on it here), the market is at its most competitive. So how does the ELEMNT compare? 

Data and how it is presented is always the core function of a bike computer, and the ELEMNT excels at this; it seems like this is something Wahoo has really concentrated on. Along the lefthand side of the unit there are a number of LED lights that help to keep you in specific zones – power, cadence, pace etc. It is also quick to see more or less data, simply through pressing up or down on the two buttons on the side.

In terms of accuracy, I found that it was consistent in terms of speed, cadence, heart rate and metres climbed, although sometimes the gradient took some time to catch up compared with the two other computers I was using at the same time.

Another important feature of the unit is the GPS and routing capabilities. Here the unit is okay, although it is not at the same level as Garmin, with a simple navigation format consisting of a map with a highlighted route and a red LED showing on the unit if you are off this route. Unlike Garmin, the ELEMNT doesn't have turn-by-turn navigation, but you can do this through connection to apps on your phone which communicate with the unit. However, I found that this would drain the battery on my phone, so not an ideal solution.

One thing that is a great feature is that after creating a route on Strava, it automatically loads the route to your unit, making it really easy to quickly create a new route to follow. At the tail end of the review period, Wahoo also included Strava live segments, where it is simple to choose which segments you are targeting on Strava, which then show up on the unit and instantly show your results.

The screen is fairly large, offering a decent amount of display space, but it is only black and white, with basic use of pixels. It is still simple to see the maps and data, though, and far better than many others I have used in the past. It isn't touchscreen, unlike offerings from Garmin. It comes with three mounts, one attached through zip ties, one for TT bars and another out-front mount; these all held it in place well and I never felt like it was unstable.

Customising the unit is done through your phone, with the partner app easy to use, and pairing the two is perhaps the easiest I have found, simply using a QR code on the computer. The transfer from computer to phone and apps is simple, and within a minute of finishing a ride everything is uploaded to Strava or whichever app you choose. Connections on the device include Bluetooth and ANT+, and both are really simple.

The unit itself could perhaps be smaller, measuring 57.5 x 90.5 x 21.2mm and weighing 105g, but the screen is only 68.6mm, leaving a sizeable buffer around the edge. This has some use in incorporating the LEDs on the left, although it looks bulky on your handlebar. It is controlled by six buttons, two up/down on the right, three across the bottom and the on/off button on the top left. They are easy to use both with and without gloves and Wahoo has clearly put a lot of thought into their design. These are used to control every element of the unit and the bottom three buttons change use based on what you are doing at that time, with the up/down buttons allowing for more/less information to be shown and the on/off button also accessing the settings menu.

> Read our buyer's guide to the best GPS computers

In terms of pricing, the unit comes in with an RRP of £249.99, which is steep for a computer with a black and white, non-touchscreen screen. The new Garmin 820 is £80 more, but offers turn-by-turn navigation, full colour and a high pixel touchscreen.

Overall, the ELEMNT brings together some really good features, such as the easy to use buttons, strong Strava integration and innovative use of LED lights. It is on the large side and is a big outlay for what it is, but if you want to get a bike computer that isn't a Garmin, you certainly won't be disappointed. It is also worth noting that the unit is improving all the time, and Wahoo is well known for frequent updates, so it is drawing closer, in terms of software, to Garmin's standard.

Verdict

Packed full of features, great menu design, but not quite at Garmin's level