Garmin Batteries – How To Buy A Garmin Battery?

Buying Garmin batteries for your GPS devices takes some consideration if you are going to get the best value from your battery purchase. But what are the specific factors you should consider when buying your next battery?

The factors to consider are the:

Garmin Battery Model and Part Numbers
Garmin Battery Voltage
Garmin Battery Capacity
Garmin Battery Retailer

Garmin Battery Part Number and Model

The number of Garmin GPS devices is extensive and being sure you get the right battery for your Garmin is essential. Be sure when you are reviewing a particular battery you match the battery part number on your old battery to the battery you are considering to buy. Another aspect to buying your next Garmin battery is to match the model of your GPS to the battery. An example of both of these would be at the Garmin StreetPilot C320 Battery page.

On that page you will see both a compatible model list and a list of compatible part numbers. They both look like:
Compatible with and fits these models: Garmin StreetPilot C320 Garmin StreetPilot c340 Garmin StreetPilot C330 Garmin StreetPilot C530 Garmin StreetPilot C550
Compatible Part Numbers: IA3AB07B1A97
As you may discover, though, the compatible model list and a list of compatible part numbers are extensive they may not cover all of the available Garmin 12V tools. If your part number or model is not on the list be sure to ask the retailer. Chances are it probably fits and the retailer can cross reference your model with Garmin to confirm.

Garmin Battery Voltage

When buying your Garmin batteries it is essential to buy the right voltage. An incorrect battery voltage will damage your battery, charger, power tool or all three. The voltage will be listed on your battery. The voltage typically is 3.7V but on occasion it can be 3.6V. To see examples of the voltages go to this page Garmin GPS Batteries and scroll down to see the various voltages. The voltage of the Garmin battery is an electrical measurement of energy potential. Mathematically voltage is commonly measured by V= I x R; where V=Voltage, I=Current, R=Resistance. Voltage can also be defined as Electrical Potential difference – a quantity in physics related to the amount of energy that would be required to move an object from one place to another against various types of force. In the fields of electronics the electrical potential difference is the amount of work per charge needed to move electric charge from the second point to the first, or equivalently, the amount of work that unit charge flowing from the first point to the second can perform. A battery contains four unique types of voltage measurements (float, nominal, charge, and discharge). Each voltage measurement type residing in a battery effects battery life.

Garmin Battery Capacity

The battery capacity of your Garmin battery is also a very important factor. In a nutshell the higher the capacity the longer the battery will last in between charges. For big jobs this longer runtime is critical and worth the extra money it will cost. To see an example go back to the Garmin StreetPilot C320 Battery page and you will see that this Garmin StreetPilot C320 Battery has a capacity of 2200 mAh (this is the same as 2.2 Ah). This high capacity battery is 120% greater than the original 1500 mAh battery. Therefore expect longer runtime with this 3300 mAh Garmin battery than the lower capacity version. Again the higher the capacity the greater the runtime (time between charges).

Garmin Battery Retailer

Finally when choosing your Garmin batteries, be sure to consider from whom you are buying. Factors to bear in mind when selecting the retailer is: price, ship costs, where they ship from, how long shipping takes, battery availability, customer service, return policy, warranty, and the testimonials about the retailer from previous customers. All these factors will help you come to a decision about where to buy your Garmin batteries.