The Garmin Foretrex 601 is a lightweight GPS that can be attached to your wrist to order to give you a hands-free GPS whenever you need it. It’s Garmin’s update to the much beloved Foretrex 401 that came out so many years ago. As time is going on it’s slowly gaining traction among the military as more and more make it into the field.

1. Joe Ready May 16, 2018
Garmin Foretrex 601 Review – Is It The Foretrex 401
Killer?
readylifestyle.com/garmin-foretrex-601-review
Garmin Foretrex 601 Review
The Garmin Foretrex 601 is a lightweight GPS
that can be attached to your wrist to order to
give you a hands-free GPS whenever you
need it.
It’s Garmin’s update to the much beloved
Foretrex 401 that came out so many years
ago. As time is going on it’s slowly gaining
traction among the military as more and more
make it into the field.
9.3
Accuracy
9.0 /10
Durability
9.5 /10
Battery Life
10.0 /10
Ease of Use
8.5 /10
Pros
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2. Uses normal AAA batteries
Light weight at 3.1 oz
Small at 2.9 x 1.7"
Rugged
Battery Life
Cons
Doesn't have some of the extras that other GPS have.
Placement of the battery compartment.
Check the Price on Amazon
Who Should Buy The Garmin Foretrex 601?
Everyone that would have been interested in the Foretrex 401 should strongly consider just
spending a little more money and purchasing the Garmin Foretrex 601. This means hikers,
military, preppers, and mountain bikers will love this GPS. In my eyes, it’s a straight upgrade
over the 401.
Features
The Garmin Foretrex 601 looks a lot like its predecessor. It’s body is the same size, weighing
just 3.1 oz with two AAA batteries installed and 2.9″ x 1.7″.
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3. The display is a 2″, 4 color greyscale display. That is a massive upgrade from the previous
version. It also doubles the resolution of its older sibling.
Runtime is a crazy 48 hours on batteries in GPS mode. Less power intensive modes (UtraTrac
and Watch Mode) can go for up to a week!
It can track your routes, mark your location with the push of one button and wirelessly share
waypoints with other Foretrex 601s.
The waterproof rating stays the same in the 601. Basically, you can take it in the shower but
any more water than that and the amount of waterproofness is going to be hit and miss.
Garmin has a host of external monitors that you can use with the 601. For most people, the
heart rate monitor may be worth it but not much else.
Pros
The Garmin Foretrex 601 is lightweight, fits the wrist well, and can attach to pretty much
anything else as well. Mine has replaced the 401 on my body armor.
I haven’t had my Foretrex 601 for nearly as long as I had my 401 so it’s hard to tell for sure if
the 601 is going to be as durable, but it sure seems like it. My 401 took a beating for years in
some really harsh environments and only broke one of the pins that holds the wrist strap in
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4. place.
I love that Garmin has stayed with regular AAA batteries for the Foretrex 601! This makes it
really flexible when it comes to trying to find power. I always have a way to charge AAA
batteries on me but with a 48 hour to 1 week run time, I can’t see needing to change batteries
all that often.
The screen resolution is one more big advantage that the Foretrex 601 has. When you read
that it has a 4 color greyscale display it doesn’t seem all that impressive. In practice, it makes a
big difference. The double resolution helps as well!
Anyone who is familiar with the older version of the Foretex 601 will have no problem picking
up the menus and buttons. For others, the learning curve still isn’t steep at all. If you don’t
know anything about GPS then you could run into some problems but that’s not Garmin’s fault.
If you’re looking for a band other than the included strap, you can also attach theGarmin
QuickFit 26 Silicone Band for a more watchlike feel.
Cons
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5. If you need mapping and other extras that come with some GPS then you’ll want to look for
something else. The Garmin 601 uses the base map and can’t change that. It’s not a problem
for me as I have other GPS if I’m looking for street names and the like.
The battery compartment is behind the band so you need to remove one side to access the
batteries. This doesn’t bother me since it hardly takes any more time but it would be nice if it
wasn’t the case.
Beyond that, it’s hard to find flaws in the 601 since Garmin answered most of the problems that
I had with the previous version. (Which weren’t many.)
Garmin Foretrex 601 vs 401
You may have seen this chart on ourGarmin Foretrex 401 review page. It pretty much says it
all…the new Foretrex 601 is better.
I’ve replaced my 401 with a Foretex 601 and it was pretty much brand new.
Garmin Foretrex 401 vs 601 Garmin Foretrex 401 Garmin Foretrex 601
Dimensions (W x H x D) 2.9 in x 1.7 in x .9 in 2.9 in x 1.7 in x .9 in
Display Size 1.6 in Diagonal 2 in Diagonal
Display Resolution 100 x 64 200 x 128
Display Type Black and White LCD High-Res 4 Color Gray LCD
Weight 3.1 oz with batteries 3.1 oz with batteries
Battery Type 2 AAA 2 AAA
Battery Life 18 Hours 48 Hours in GPS Mode
Up to 1 Week in UtraTrac
Up to 1 Month in Watch Mode
PC Interface USB USB
Waypoints/Favorites 500 500
Conclusion
My conclusion is pretty much the same as it was with the 401…go ahead and buy. You won’t
be disappointed.
Overall, the Garmin Foretrex 601 is a great GPS that gives you a hands-free ability in an
updated case with an updated display.
Did this Garmin Foretrex 601 review tell you what you wanted? Please let us know in
a comment below.
5/6

6. If you’re interested, you can find what gear we put in our bug out bags here. We also have
more gear reviews on our gear review page.
6/6