Wahoo Elemnt Bolt 3 bike computer review
The third generation of Wahoo's most compact head unit has arrived. Rob Slade tests out its brighter screen and improved GPS.
220 Triathlon Verdict
The larger Roam is a better performer, but the Bolt is still handy and $100 / £100 cheaper. Score: 80%
Pros
- Good navigation
- Decent battery life
- Useful features
Cons
- Small screen hampers data and map readability
- Lateral LEDs have gone
Wahoo launched the Elemnt Bolt 3 bike computer at the same time as the Elemnt Roam 3 with the duo sharing a lot of similarities.
Most of that comes in the form of software, but there are differences elsewhere. The main one is size.
How we tested
All of the bike computers we review have been tested over several weeks. In this case, Rob Slade assessed how easy the head unit was to set-up and sync with sensors before riding it outdoors. Here, he rated its screen, battery life, navigation, and training features including Strava segments and structured workouts. For more details, see how we rate and test products.
While the Roam 3 has a 2.8in screen, the Bolt 3 has a 2.3in display. That means data isn’t as legible if you want a lot of it on the screen.
That said, you can zoom in using the side arrow buttons, leaving you with less data, but better legibility.
You can also customise pages via the app to only see what you want.
There’s no touchscreen here (and gone is the useful LED light strip from the Bolt 2), which feels like a bit of a negative, but the six textured buttons are easy to use while on the move, even if you are wearing all but the thickest of gloves.
On-screen navigation is good and simple to follow, with the colour display and bleep alerts helping.
However, the smaller screen means it’s harder to quickly glance at your route or mapping while on the move.
Wahoo quotes a battery life of 20 hours, which is doable depending on the settings and features you’re using, but if you’re using multiple sensors, have full screen brightness, alerts, navigation and so on then it’s likely you’ll come a little short of this.
Other features include the ability to load up structured workouts, the handy Summit feature, which gives you climbing data when ascending, music controls, Strava segments and custom alerts.
Wahoo Elemnt 3 specs
| Price | $350 / £299.99 |
| Display | 2.2inch, 16 million colour high-contrast |
| Dimensions | 3.26in x 1.85in x 0.78in / 83mm x 47mm x 24mm |
| Internal storage | 32GB |
| GPS | Dual-band GPS |
| Buttons | Convex, no touchscreen |
| Weight | 3.4oz / 84g |
| Battery life | Up to 15 hours |
| Connectivity | Wifi, ANT+, Bluetooth |
Rob Slade
