Garmin zumo 220 3.5 inch Portable GPS Motorcycle Navigator Review

Garmin’s zumo 220 is the entry level model and most affordable of the zumo motorbike GPS satellite navigation devices. The zumo range has been specifically designed to be rugged enough to survive the conditions encountered when mounted to a motorbike or scooter handlebar.

Garmin zumo 220 motorcycle GPS navigator

Affordability with the zumo 220 comes with the smaller 3.5 inch screen size compared to the 4.3 inch display of the Garmin zumo 660. If you’re also interested in the extra dimension of usability that XM Radio could bring (news, weather and traffic) then have a look at the zumo 665 which has an XM receiver on-board.

Common zumo features held by the 220 include; large (glove friendly) icons, sunlight readable touchscreen, waterproofing to IPx7 which is suitable for driving rain, Bluetooth wireless technology (for headset communication), both motorcycle and automotive mounts with power cables and 8 hours battery life.

Lane Assist, microSD card slot, speed limit indication, Garmin Hotfix (reduces satellite acquisition time) from cold start, travel assistant software applications and Garmin Lock (anti-theft feature). The zūmo 220 comes with mapping data for the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and the unit is FM traffic compatible.

In the Box with the Garmin zumo 220

zūmo 220
Preloaded City Navigator NT for North America or Europe (full coverage)
MapSource City Navigator North America NT DVD or City Navigator Europe NT DVD (full unlock)
Motorcycle mount with integrated power cable and mounting hardware
Automotive suction cup mount
Automotive power cable
Carrying case
Battery pack
USB cable
Dashboard disk
Quick start manual

(City Navigator North America NT DVD included in North American Version; City Navigator Europe NT DVD included in European version)

Final Thoughts

The Garmin zumo 220 is the most affordable of the zumo range of requiring only a compromise to use a smaller 3.5 inch display in comparison to the zumo 660 and 665. Garmin seems to have positioned this unit to be more competitive with the TomTom Rider 2 which both a reasonable price and feature set.