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Best GPS device for kids


rach641

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My 7 year old son has loved geocaching with his friends. I want to get him a GPS device for Christmas but I don't know where to start.

I don't want to get him a smartphone.

I would love the device to be simple enough for him to use independently. I also want him to be successful so I want it to have good accuracy. It would also need to be hard wearing and difficult to break. The devices I've seen recommended are so expensive. I want to spend <£100, and I don't mind getting a second hand one.

Any tips please?

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My 7 year old son has loved geocaching with his friends. I want to get him a GPS device for Christmas but I don't know where to start.

I don't want to get him a smartphone.

I would love the device to be simple enough for him to use independently. I also want him to be successful so I want it to have good accuracy. It would also need to be hard wearing and difficult to break. The devices I've seen recommended are so expensive. I want to spend <£100, and I don't mind getting a second hand one.

Any tips please?

 

Garmin offers a $110 device - the eTrex 10 - that should translate to less than £100 I think. Maybe you can find it even cheaper second hand. I have no experience with this model, so I cannot help with information about reliability or ease of use. But the more expensive Garmins are of excellent quality and accuracy, so at least the brand has a solid reputation in the GPS market.

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Hi, rach641.

 

If you can find a Magellan eXplorist GC with a European map, that may be just the ticket. It has buttons, like a remote control. It was made strictly for geocaching. I see North American units in your price range. You cannot add or upgrade maps in this unit, which is why you must make sure you are getting a unit suitable for the European market.

 

It might also be possible to get a Garmin eTrex 20 in your budget. Garmin has more recently come out with a model called the eTrex 20x, so the plain "20" is a bit older. This GPS also uses buttons. It is newer than the eXplorist GC. It can do more than just geocaching. Free maps are available. Small size--it would not be too unwieldy for a child.

 

An older Garmin that is worth a look is the Dakota 20. It is small in size, has free maps available, can do things besides geocaching. It has a touchscreen, like a smartphone. It can find Chirp caches. This might be out of your price range, though.

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I got gifted a Garmin etrex 10 back when I was 12 and have been geocaching ever since! (I'm 17 now)

I just did a little search for you and found one on amazon for 100 pounds that has been reduced to 75, might be worth jumping on the offer if you end up picking the etrex 10!

Anyways, I've found that the etrex is really easy to use, extremely accurate and stupidly strong, I've lost count of the amount of times it's been dropped and it just keeps on going. I'd recommend any of the devices from the etrex series to beginners. They're really good quality for what you pay for and even after finding over 1,300 caches I still love the etrex series. Pretty much everything you'd ever want and need for geocaching packed into one rugged, affordable unit. I actually prefer them to my father's garmin oregon just for their simplicity, pretty much just as accurate as the expensive units give or take a metre or two which when geocaching doesn't matter all that much if you use your eyes :)

Hope this helps!

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What does the etrex 20 do that the 10 does not? I have read the specs but to a novice it's all a bit confusing!

 

I think the most noticeable difference in normal use is that the 20 shows an actual map on the screen, while the 10 only displays an arrow and the route drawn as a line. So the 20 provides more information about your surroundings while the 10 simply points you in the direction you need to go.

Edited by DirtCruiser
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