I'm not familiar with other, similar units ' although there are a few. I purchased this because of my experience with other Garmin products' and it was on sale! So far, I've not been disappointed as it does everything I'd hoped for. One thing I've noticed is that if using the screen on your phone, the traffic icons are spot on' as opposed to shutting the screen off and relying on the audio alert only: in this case, there could be two cars when you're expecting only one. That said, I still use my mirror to be sure. I also like the fact that you're given plenty of time before traffic comes near you' just in case you need to do some emergency maneuvering. If you're curious about radars, definitely check this one out!
BTW: I use an IPhone 12 with the Garmin Varia app. I understand it will also work with Ride with GPS, but I haven't tried that as yet.
This is my second Varia, bought for a bike I have in a different location. I've been using the first one for about three years now, and it is terrific. The new one is the same. The light itself is very bright, and the radar works well close to 100% of the time, even most of the time when riding in a paceline, but that is the occasional time when it won't pick up an approaching car because of interference from the back of the pack. Its range is excellent, picking up an approaching vehicle from about 1/4 mile back. Highly recommend.
This is one of those, 'didn't know how much I needed this,' purchases. The radar picks up cars further back than your ears can hear. I feel much more aware of what's behind me at all times. Can't imagine riding without it.
It works well with my Wahoo Bolt 2, though it doesn't remember my preferred flash settings (takes 15 seconds to configure pre-ride).
Battery life is fine. I can get several rides out of one charge if I'm only doing flash alerts. If I'm also using it as a persistent rear light it needs to be charged by the end of the ride.
Included seat post mount uses silicon bands to secure. Better clamp-based options out there.
When I saw the price drop, I decided to finally take the plunge and buy this. I have mine paired with my Edge 1040 and I am honestly amazed at how well this works. You can easily see when cars are behind you, how many there are, and also get a sense of how close they are. As soon as it senses a car, you get a beep and a red gradient overlay appears on the sides of my Edge, along with dots on the right side showing how many cars, relative spacing between them, and how close they are to you. If the car turns off before it passes you, the red gradient overlay turns green and then fades away. It's a very simple, intuitive and effective interface, that really doesn't take anything away from your normal display. I really regret not buying this a couple of years ago! Highly recommended.
