Table of Contents
First things first, we know that both Garmin and Lowrance offer just chartplotters i.e. those gadgets that will allow you to see exactly where you are based on GPS and in-built maps. We aren’t going to focus on them, though. Instead, we want to compare Garmin vs Lowrance chartplotters with a fishfinder built-in.
This is the ultimate piece of gear for a boat!
What is a Chartplotter?
Most fishfinders nowadays will have GPS built into them. This means something that is going to be able to physically track your position. However, a GPS is really nothing without maps.
A GPS without maps is just going to give you a general readout of your location. It will tell you it in a language that is pretty hard to decipher unless you understand how to actually read a map.
How to use a Chartplotter (Video Demonstration)
A chartplotter gives a representation of the GPS signal on a map. This means that if you don’t know how to read GPS coordinates, you will be able to physically see where you are located. Basically, it is pretty much the same as the Maps app on your phone or a GPS that you have in your vehicle.
Check out Lowrance’s Chartplotter Basics Video below
The Benefits of a Chartplotter for Fish Finding
Having a chartplotter built into your fish finder can be fantastic for fish finding. There are several reasons for this.
Firstly, the maps are always going to come in useful. Both Garmin and Lowrance produce some high-quality maps for their fishfinders. This can make navigation an absolute breeze while you are out there on the water. Some even include various features that you may find fish around.
The chartplotter is also going to be useful for…chart plotting.
You see, these devices will allow you to plot fishing routes on your map. You will also be able to mark locations on the map where you have found fish before. This means that if you are always fishing in the same locations, you will be able to make a beeline for the places that you just know are going to be harboring fish.
Price Comparison
Generally speaking, Lowrance tends to have lower prices on their chartplotters.
This is more because you are paying a ‘premium’ for the Garmin brand as opposed to the fact that you will be getting extra features with the Garmin. Since everybody knows that Garmin is a top brand when it comes to chart plotting, they are able to charge more for their gadgets.
In our experience, Lowrance tends to try to focus on the lower-level markets. This means the fishermen that are going to be heading out on a day trip or two. On the other hand, Garmin tends to focus on trying to get cash from those that need a chart plotter that can get them through multi-day trips.
That being said, there isn’t really a massive difference between the price of the two devices. Certainly not to the point where it is going to be a deciding factor when you are looking at the upper end of the market.
Maps
When you have a chart plotter, you want the maps to be as brilliant as possible.
Honestly, the maps for both are amazing, although they use different tech.
Lowrance uses C-MAP technology, although most people will likely end up putting a Navionics SD card into their chart plotter because it provides better imagery of what lurks beneath the waters i.e. features and obstacles that you should probably be avoiding.
Garmin uses BlueChart which, out of the box, contains the same sort of features that Navionics would offer. This means that there will be fewer purchases involved with getting a Garmin. However, Garmin doesn’t really include lake and river maps. It is all about the sea, and you would need to purchase a Navionics SD card to slide into your Garmin fish finder and chart plotter if you want better readings of the smaller bodies of water.
In our opinion, the maps that you find in Lowrance fish finders tend to be a little bit better if you are sticking close to the coast. The mapping for that is absolutely astonishing, and we find that it has a lot more detail than Garmin.
If you are planning on heading on those longer fishing trips and exploring the deeper oceans, then the Garmin maps are going to be better for you.
Chart Plotting Functionality
Both the Garmin and the Lowrance units will allow you to plot your routes on the water. You will then be able to save locations that you can return to at a later date.
Garmin is a little bit better on the chart plotting functionality, though. It makes it a lot easier for you to be able to create your own maps that you can use later on. This is great if you are heading into an area that is virtually uncharted.
Check out Garmin’s Chartplotter Live Demo Below (Video)
That being said, Garmin doesn’t work well with most map software on the market. If you want maps, then you need to use Garmin software or, at the very least, software that has been approved by Garmin. This can make it exceedingly difficult to download information that other people have shared online.
You don’t really have to worry about that too much with Lowrance. The company is a whole lot better at being ‘open’ about the software that it is compatible with.
If we had to declare one winner when it comes to chart plotting, though, it would probably be Garmin. It just provides so many more options when you are looking to build your own maps.
UI Compared – Which is easier to use? Garmin or Lowrance?
The Lowrance UI is a little bit easier to navigate than the Garmin one. However, this is mostly down to the fact that it doesn’t have a whopping number of features that you need to navigate through.
Truth be told, the Garmin one isn’t even all that difficult to get to grips with. Once you have had a flick through the manual for your fish finder, then you will know exactly what you need to do to get to the features that you want.
For people that want a headache-free experience, though, we recommend the Lowrance models.
Screens Comparison – What we think
Many of the cheaper Lowrance fish finders on the market will use buttons to navigate through the menus. Garmin pretty much always has touchscreens.
If you are looking for a chart plotter, then touchscreens are the route to go down. It is so much easier to interact with the maps. It is even easier to chart your courses and plan where you want to head next.
Don’t get us wrong. Lowrance has done a pretty fantastic job at trying to ensure that you can interact with the maps with physical buttons. However, it doesn’t really come close to the amount of interactivity that you get with the Garmin models.
Of course, once you hit the more expensive Lowrance fish finders, they all have touchscreens. This means that there is less of a difference at that level.
The same with the colors and the ease of use when it comes to reading the screen. The cheaper Garmin fish finders are going to be better than the cheaper Lowrance models. However, once you get to the higher quality products, there is very little difference between the two.
The one thing that we do want to point out, however, is that Garmin screens tend to be a bit larger. This means that they are able to display more information on the screen at once. This includes multiple maps.
Sonar Comparison – Our View
We don’t want to get too technical on the sonar front here. This is because you are likely looking for a chart plotter that just so happens to be a fish finder.
Of course, the sonar functionality will vary between the Lowrance and Garmin models, so always have a look at the spec if there is something that you are interested in.
Both Garmin and Lowrance offer CHIRP, SideScan, and DownScan options. This means that they are both great for shallow and deeper water. However, in our experience, Garmin provides far better read-outs in deeper water than the Lowrance option does.
Fish Finding Features
Both Garmin and Lowrance offer fantastic fish-finding features.
We are particularly partial to what you can find in the Lowrance. They have pioneered features that will instantly highlight fish on your screen, even if the fish are giving off a weak signal. They can also give a live output to show you just how the fish are reacting to your lure.
Garmin, on the other hand, tends to have a better display of what is happening beneath the waves. A lot of people liken what Garmin shows to that of a video game. The images are almost photographic in quality. This makes it easier to spot when there is a fish, even if you take a quick glance at the screen.
Conclusion
Both Garmin and Lowrance offer fantastic chartplotters with fish finders. If you are looking to spend less cash, then opt for Lowrance. If you have a higher budget and are planning on entering deeper waters, then go down the route of Garmin.
Leave a Reply