Customer Reviews

Travel Charger (Mini USB) for Garmin Nuvi 260 / 260w / 265 / 265wt / 275t / 295w / 350 / 360 / 370 / 465t / 500 / 550

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I purchased this product from BargainCell via Amazon because the listing claims that it is a "Travel Charger (Mini USB) for Garmin Nuvi 260 / 260w / 265 / 265wt / 275t / 295w / 350 / 360 / 370 / 465t / 500 / 550". I just bought a new Garmin Nuvi 295w as a gift for Christmas, so I have not attempted to use either the Garmin device or the USB charger that was sent to me.

The problem is that the charger BargainCell sent to me says nothing about being compatible with a Garmin Nuvi 295w or any other Garmin device. It merely identifies itself as a "GT Max Charger for cell phone & MP3". The item that I received looks substantially similar (although not identical) to the one pictured in the Amazon listing. I've contacted BargainCell several times -- who has offered to replace or refund the purchase -- but from the replies that I've received, I can only conclude that any replacement that they would send me would be the same item. They have not answered my question about the suitability of the charger that I received for use with a Garmin Nuvi.

After doing some research, I have learned that not all USB chargers are created equally. A standard USB charger that will work with most devices should have an electrical output of 5.0V +/- 5% (between 4.75V and 5.25V) and should provide up to 500mA of current. However, some devices require currents up to 1.0A (1000mA) in order to be used or to charge.

In fact, examining the USB charger that I received from BargainCell, it says that its electrical output is 5.5V at 600mA. The Garmin Nuvi 295w says that it requires an input of 5.0V at 900mA and its own car power adapter outputs 5.0V at 1000mA. Therefore, it seems likely to me that the charger that BargainCell sent to me has the wrong voltage and will supply an insufficient amount of current to properly charge the battery of a Garmin Nuvi 295w.

Thus, I believe that the listing on this page is misrepresenting a "universal cell phone charger" as a Garmin Nuvi charger. Maybe the other sellers offering this charger would ship a product that is compatible with the Garmin Nuvi's but I would advise anyone to beware of this product unless you confirm in advance that the charger you will receive meets the electrical requirements of your Garmin device.

Product delivery etc. was no issue. However the car charger for Garmin Nuvi does not work as it should. Although it charges the GPS, the GPS screen gets locked while it is charging and cannot be used for navigation. This is a big disappointment. The charging is also very slow. I slow tried one other charger which I purchased from a gas station, however faced the same problem with second one too. I suspect Garmin GPS recognizes non-Garmin charger and locks the screen.
There is a way of overcoming this problem - if you keep on tapping the GPS screen while the GPS unit is starting after connected to charger, it can go into display mode. However this solution is not repeatable.

I thought I was getting a Garmin charger, but this was an off (cheap) brand. It works though...so I gave it a 4*.

Stay away from this cheap stuff. I do not know why I bought this cheap unit. You get what you pay for these days. I had my Garmin plugged in all night and it actually drained what was left in the battery. Not worth the effort to return.

A necessary accessory for your Garmin GPS. Great price for this charger. I use the GPS in my home too. Gives you a way to charge it without going to the car. Shipping was very fast.

I bought my brother a Garmin Nuvi 295w for Christmas, so along with it I decided to get him this travel charger and so far it works as expected.

This item works fine. I don't think an OEM charging unit would be and better than this, and the price was great. Shipping was done quickly as well. Can't get much better than all that!

I ordered this charger so I would be able to set it up with my contacts, etc,in my home and it works great.