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What are TopoActive Maps? Garmin’s mapping service explained
In This Article
Garmin recently announced two new premium smartwatches, theFenix 8 and the Enduro 3.
Both fitness trackers include access to contoured maps throughGarmin’s TopoActive Maps feature, but what exactly are TopoActive Maps?
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Garmin TopoActive Maps, including what they are, how they work, which wearables support them and whether you’ll need to pay extra to access them.
What are TopoActive Maps?
TopoActive Maps are maps that are optimised for outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling and driving. These maps can be used to route a journey, offering turn-by-turn instructions to reach a destination.
Key features include routable roads, trails and walking paths, as well as international boundaries, waterways, natural features, land use areas, historical sites, airport structures and buildings.
TopoActive Maps highlight certain points of interest in an area too, such as shops, restaurants and bars, schools and universities, car parks and accommodations. You can also search for these points of interest directly in the app.
Garmin uses OpenStreetMap to source this information, which is a free, open geographic database updated and maintained by volunteers.
According to Garmin, the quality of the coverage, as well as information regarding contour and elevation lines, will depend on the information OpenStreetMap has for that specific area. For this reason, you might find that urban areas are often more developed than rural ones.
TopoActive Maps cover a wide range of locations from North and South America to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Antarctica, among others. You can find more specific details regarding map coverage onGarmin’s support page.
Are Garmin TopoActive maps free?
TopoActive Maps are available on a wide range of Garmin smartwatches and fitness trackers, including:
You can find the full list of supported devices on Garmin’s aforementioned support page. While some compatible watches come with TopoActive Maps preloaded, others do not, meaning you’ll need to use Map Manager or Garmin Express to install the maps manually.
TopoActive Maps are free to use because they’re based on OpenStreetMap data. However, if you want to access other topo maps with more advanced information, you’ll need to purchase them fromGarmin.com.
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Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
