Top 5 Editorial Picks

Five current fishfinders chosen for distinct buyer needs—from compact value to a premium expandable system. These are editorial selections, not Amazon or reader ratings.

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  1. 1
    Garmin Striker Vivid 4cv Fishfinder with Transducer - 4-inch LCD Display - Easy-to-Use Scanning Sonar - Color Palettes, 11.2 Ounces (010-02550-00) | Transducer, 4-inch LCD Display, Easy-to-Use Scanning Sonar, Color Palettes, 11.2 Ounces 4 Inch STRIKER Vivid 4cv Transducer

    Best Compact Value

    Garmin STRIKER Vivid 4cv

    A straightforward sonar and GPS unit for kayaks, jon boats, and small boats.

    • CHIRP and ClearVü scanning sonar in a compact package
    • A sensible pick when you do not need a chartplotter or SideVü
    • Best fit for budget-conscious small-boat anglers
  2. 2
    Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv, Easy-to-Use 7-inch Color Fishfinder and Sonar Transducer, Vivid Scanning Sonar Color Palettes (010-02553-00) | Easy-to-Use 7-inch Color Fishfinder, Sonar Transducer, Vivid Scanning Sonar Color Palettes 010-02553-00 7 Inch STRIKER Vivid 7sv Transducer

    Best All-Around 7-Inch Fishfinder

    Garmin STRIKER Vivid 7sv

    A capable sonar-first choice for anglers who want a useful 7-inch display without moving into a full chartplotter system.

    • CHIRP, ClearVü, and SideVü sonar for fish and structure
    • Simple setup with a practical 7-inch screen
    • Strong value for most general boat anglers
  3. 3
    Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv with GT54 Transducer, 7” Touchscreen Chartplotter, Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland 7' Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland with GT54 Transducer

    Best GPS & Chartplotter Upgrade

    Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv

    The mapping step-up for buyers who need confident navigation as well as high-quality scanning sonar.

    • Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland mapping and touchscreen control
    • Ultra High-Definition ClearVü and SideVü sonar
    • A better fit than STRIKER when charts matter
  4. 4
    Humminbird XPLORE Series GPS Fish Finder MEGA Side Imaging+ & HD Touchscreen Display Transducer Included) 9-Inch Display

    Best Side-Imaging Upgrade

    Humminbird XPLORE 9

    A current 9-inch imaging platform for anglers ready to build around serious side imaging and boat integration.

    • MEGA Side Imaging+ and MEGA Down Imaging+
    • 9-inch display with touchscreen and keypad control
    • Recommended configuration: 9-inch, transducer included
  5. 5
    Lowrance HDS PRO Fishfinder/Chartplotter with Smartphone Integration and Preloaded C-MAP U.S. & Canada Charts 10 Inch ActiveImaging HD 3-in-1

    Best Premium Expandable System

    Lowrance HDS PRO 10

    A larger-boat platform for buyers who want premium sonar, mapping, networking, and a serious expansion path.

    • Active Imaging HD and C-MAP charting
    • Wide networking support for integrated electronics
    • Ready to expand with ActiveTarget 2 and the Lowrance ecosystem

Garmin 60 Review

The Garmin 60 uses a monochrome screen measuring 2.6 inches on the diagonal with 160 x 240 pixel resolution. The high resolution on this Garmin marine handheld made the edges of small fonts and circles smooth and easy to read.

We found the night lighting on this Garmin portable GPS to be fairly sophisticated with five levels of brightness for both screen and pushbutton backlighting. Daylight viewability was very good.

garmin 60 marine handheld gps

Garmin 60

The screen occupies the upper two-thirds of the case face with eight pushbuttons and a rocker switch below. All the pushbuttons on the case front are clearly marked for function. The off/on button resides on the top of the unit adjacent to the antenna.

We found it awkward to hold and operate this Garmin portable GPS with one hand mainly because of the small pushbuttons and their location near the bottom of the case.

The Garmin marine handheld interfaces with the user through five main pages. The Satellite page displays tracked satellite location and signal strength, battery status, and present position. Three navigational pages follow with each press of the Page button.

First, you’ll find the Trip Computer page displaying either three or eight user changeable data boxes. Next in order is the Map page, here you can display a full page map or add up to four data boxes, again all are user selectable.

The last of the navigational pages is the Compass page; half the screen is used by a large compass rose and the other half by either three or four data boxes. Again, the user can select the data to be displayed in the boxes and either degrees or cardinal headings for the compass.

The final page in the list is the Menu page. It leads you to one of 16 other lists or submenus including Tracks, Routes, Setup, Calendar, Calculator, and others.

Unfortunately for mariners the Garmin handheld does not contain any tide tables or buoy data. Access to the battery compartment, data port, external antenna jack, and USB port are all located on the rear of the case.

Including the pair of AA batteries used to power this unit it weighs in at seven ounces. The Garmin 60 is WAAS capable and can store up to 1000 waypoints and 50 routes. It carries a 1-year warranty.

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