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How to Buy Portable GPS Car Navigation Systems

By Sharon Albright

I was researching for a portable gps car navigation system the other week because my job requires me to travel a lot in different cities.

It was just practical for me to get a portable system that I could carry around with me.

While most portable gps systems have basic functions such as voice narrations to help direct you where to go, it's worth the time to figure out exactly what other features you may need.

For example, there are some models which will tell you which lane to be in so you can make turns in high traffic streets more easily. This could come in handy if you're traveling in a congested city such as Chicago.

When considering the features that you want in your portable gps navigation system, it's important to consider if you'll actually be needing that feature or if it's just an added bonus.

Here are some things to consider:

Size of the GPS Unit

You can find pocket sized units which are very portable but have small screen sizes. If you want a larger screen the units will be less portable so make sure to consider how you will use your unit.

Price of GPS Unit

Cost is always at the top of everyone's minds when it comes to technology purchases. As with anything, you get what you pay for. Skimp on a low priced unit and you may just end up with something that functions half the time.

My brother-in-law spent $175 on a no-name brand GPS unit and after using it to help him move across the country, it took a permanent vacation.

You should also consider some of these other major features:

Street name announcement -

Does the voice narration announce the name of the street or does it just say next street?

Time to destination -

Will it calculate how long it will take you to arrive at your destination? This feature is invaluable when you want to know the closest destination out of several choices.

Automatic rerouting -

If you make a wrong turn, does your navigation system reroute you?

You'll find a lot of choices when purchasing a portable gps car navigation system. My suggestion would be to figure out what options you would like, then find the units which have those features and check the units out physically at your local electronics store.

You can then go online to find the best deals for your unit. Often times, I find the best deals online after viewing the units in a store.

As with most technology, you will find that in a few years there will be more GPS units with more features for lower prices.

I'm very excited to see this technology develop.