It wasn’t that long ago that GPS devices were a device only the rich and famous could afford - okay perhaps a little extreme but they were priced at the top end of the market. Today however their price has fallen dramatically, while their features are a huge improvement on the original models. I don’t really drive that often, but when I do I quite often get lost and so my recent purchase of a GPS device has been a gadget I just could not do without now. Garmin and TomTom are probably the top two providers of GPS kit and I’d like to highlight a couple of their must see products in this post.

First up the Garmin Nuvi 310, complete with Bluetooth connectivity which allows you to make and receive hands free calls. At its core is a basic GPS device which aims to get you from A to B as quickly as possible. What sets this device apart from the sea of competitors is the ability to bolt on additional features, such as European maps and speed camera locations. This makes the Navi a perfect first venture into GPS with the ability to increase its features at a later date. 3.5″ touch screen, 8 hours battery life and mp3 are just some of the other features than come as standard on this particular model.

In the same price bracket we have the TomTom One (3rd edition) which again boasts an impressive 3.5″ screen along with 3d map view but only 2 hour battery life. One of the selling features of the TomTom range is the supposed ease of use, as they promise with their plug and drive you can literally switch this device on and be navigating within minutes. The TomTom however does not have bluetooth connectivity which is one major feature missing when comparing with the Nuvi. It does however have a more detailed map view which some drivers prefer including point of interest landmark notifications.

Personally if price was an issue I’d go for the Nuvi as the longer battery life, along with the ability to add additional features to the base extend this devices usefulness. One note I would add though is that if you are considering a GPS for the car but also would like to use it on foot, be careful. A lot of the in-car models don’t work as well when navigating on foot, especially in a city with many side streets involved. If you are looking for a GPS for navigation on foot then choose one of the models for this particular task.