Garmin Carrying Case for GPSMAP 60 Series
by Garmin
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List Price: Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Carrying Case for GPSMAP 60 Series
Customer Review: Neat, but not thought-through
Summary: 3 Stars
This is Garmin's own case for the GPS Map 60 series, and it looks OK and serves to protect the GPS pretty well, but functionally, Garmin has missed the boat, I think.
The case is great if you don't ever take your GPS out, if you don't need to up- or down-load waypoints, maps, etc., if you don't have to change batteries, if you don't use an external power source, and if you don't want to use the keypad. I guess that makes, umm, very little of the time.
I find the clear protective plastic on the front of the case too thick to allow proper use of the keypad. And it has a negative effect on visibility.
The case needs to be removed (which means fiddling it over the peg used for the belt-clip and threading or un-threading the wrist strap) to use an external power source, to up- or down-load data, to connect an external antenna, or to change the batteries. And the little velcro strap at the bottom tends to get caught on something along the way...
The case is well constructed, though, of high-quality materials, and provides very good shock protection (except at the bottom, where the corners of the GPS stick out a bit - and Murphy's Law would have it that this is usually where the GPS lands, when it does fall... Too bad, actually, cuz it looks pretty good and fits the device well...
Customer Review: You need the protection, but it comes at a cost
Summary: 4 Stars
If you're going to be spending the money on an expensive GPS, you'd be a fool not to spend the extra few bucks on a protective cover. I can't begin to count the number of times I've bumped, knocked, and dropped mine.
But it does come at the expense of being able to easily manipulate the rocker and buttons on the front of the unit. I've learned to be extra "firm" when pushing the buttons and a little more diligent when using the rocker, so it does OK.
Access to the USB and battery compartments isn't too difficult, but does pretty much require removing the case. That's easy enough, but if I have a lanyard attached to the GPS and fed through the protective case, it tends to get caught.
Some time ago I bought A neoprene Gilsson cover for my old 60CS. It had holes for the buttons and rocker panels, so it was easier to navigate through the menu options; however, it was bulkier and the screen cover seemed harder to read through. My conclusion was that every product of this type is going to have its drawbacks.
I'd recommend this product to anyone who buys a 60C/CS model--not so much because it's a phenomenal product, but because a few minor inconveniences are sure much easier to deal with than fixing/replacing a broken GPS.
Customer Review: Not very well thought out
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this case for my Garmin 60CSx over a year ago. A month ago I lost my 60CSx. I really miss it, but not this case. The plastic cover reduces the sharpness of the display and can create glare. It also made it hard for me to push the buttons on the GPS. Several times, while I was climbing fences or up rocks, it fell off of my belt (that's how I lost it).
I replaced my 60CSx with a Garmin Colorado 400t, which I like much more that it's predecessor. I also bought Garmin's hard carrying case for it. Now that is one well thought out design! It is made for the bare unit to just set in it, completely enclosed. There is no plastic covering the screen or getting in the way of using it's features. It has two methods of mounting and both are more secure than the clip on this case.
I don't think that the 60 series would fit into the Colorado case, but Garmin might want to think about making one like it that would. It's much better than the case they are offering here.
Garmin Hard Carrying Case for Colorado Handheld GPS Units
Customer Review: a piece of plastic over a piece of plastic
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought this cover for a reason. It was for my second Garmin 60csx. The first was lost overboard during a brutal night of sailing. I normally helm, but we mixed things up and I was up on foredeck. I should have put my Garmin down below.
The Garmin allows for a lanyard to be attached around a thin piece of plastic. It seems that this flaky attachment point is practically designed to fail. And fail it did.
So to it would also seem that the Garmin Protective Case would be custom built to solve this problem, hence the adverb Protective. Instead you get a piece of plastic to wrap around another piece of plastic. Gift wrapping if you will. Yes, it makes the buttons more difficult to manipulate. No, it doesn't allow access to the USB port. And you are correct for pointing out that the plastic window causes glare from just about any angle.
But no, it really doesn't offer much protection that a piece of some screen protection strip wouldn't. I paid $18 for this? Ok, I'm not too smart.
Customer Review: Useful only in dry conditions
Summary: 2 Stars
The case fits well and has nice construction detail. The GPS buttons can be used reasonably well through the flexible plastic. Unfortunately, the soft plastic also soaks up moisture and becomes translucent making it impossible to see the GPS screen. The plastic reclears when it dries out. Since a handheld GPS like the 60 series is often used on boats and in other situations where water is present, this is a pretty amazing, and fatal, design flaw for the case. The stretch material on the back also soaks up water like a sponge. I use the somewhat kludgier DryPak cases and Pelican boxes for GPS wet work; at least the plastic stays clear.
The case has cutouts for the lanyard and belt clip. People have pointed out that the belt clip stud can unscrew from the GPS which then drops to the pavement, into the water, etc. Whenever I use any mounting system with any GPS, I always attach the lanyard as a backup safety line. Never trust any bike, auto, or belt clip mounting system to secure your GPS.