* I would like to mention in advance that this article was written in informal tone since it was also posted on my personal blog.

* I previously posted about attending a demonstration event, and I was given an opportunity to participate as a Garmin 820 experience tester.

* This article was written honestly while actually using a product borrowed from Garmin.

In February 2026, Garmin released new bicycle accessories.

The name is VARIA REARVIEW 820

Let me briefly organize the lineup as follows.

Varia 515: Radar + rear light

Varia 715: Radar + rear light + rear camera

The newly released Varia Rearview 820 this time appears to be a successor to the 515.

As a successor to the 515, features were added and the price increased, and compared to the 715, it appears to have been released at a price between the 515 and 715 since it lacks the rear camera function.

It is cheaper than the 715, but that is because it lacks the rear camera, and it is said to have the best specifications currently available if you only look at the radar and rear light technology.

Before opening, if you look at the box first, it doesn't seem to be significantly different from the existing 515.

I think the packaging method leaves something to be desired. This is because when unboxing, the first thing you want to see is the glorious appearance of the product you purchased. Think about unboxing a smartphone; you'll understand what I mean. If the Baria 820 had been visible right when I opened the box, it would have been better.

Anyway, I finally took out the product that was hidden away for protection.

My first impression was that the product looked three-dimensional. The Baria 515 has an oval shape with a wide surface, while the 820 has a more sophisticated design, like the latest cars.

You'll know what I mean just by looking. So here's a comparison shot~

Looking at the back, there didn't seem to be anything special, but the difference was immediately apparent. It was the six screws!

Due to the European Battery Directive, starting in 2027, consumer products will have to be designed so that consumers can replace batteries without special tools. The Varia 820 already reflects this.

Garmin Edge 850 and 550 have already adopted a method that allows for direct battery replacement. This is welcome news for consumers.

Previously, when using Edge or Varia devices, the functionality was fine, but battery degradation led to shorter usage times. This often forced users to replace the entire device or seek unofficial battery replacements.

And the charging port has finally changed to TYPE C. Nowadays, most devices use TYPE C, so you can easily charge them anywhere. Everything else is TYPE C, but only the Baria uses micro USB, so I have to carry a separate cable, which is annoying ㅠㅜ

Showing the inside of a product is a sign that they are confident.

As seen from the side.

You can see that the radar part has become a little thicker.

It seems that some consideration is needed because the performance has been greatly improved, such as detecting objects farther away and detecting the size of the vehicle and lanes.

The Syphopost mount kit has also been significantly changed. First, the rubber for fixing was originally in the form of an O-ring, but it has been changed to a double rubber ring used for cadence sensors. Covering a wider area, it seems to be more resistant to twisting, and above all, even if the rubber hardens and breaks later, the probability of breaking at the same time is low, so the risk of loss can also be reduced.

I took a picture to compare with the varia 515 for comparison. You'll be amazed when you see it.

If you look closely at the mount kit, three types of rubber adapters are provided. Since there are many shapes of seatposts, you just need to find the shape that matches your own seatpost and attach it. And as you can see in the picture, the angle at which it is attached is indicated above and below the adapter. This shows that it was carefully designed so that not only the shape of the seatpost but also the angle can be matched for installation.

In addition, the 820 model is designed with a hole for attaching an anti-loss strap. This means you don't have to worry about losing it even if it detaches from the mount due to shaking or impact during driving.

I took a picture of the existing varia 515 next to it. The 515 also has a detachment prevention string, but it's not a hole, but a part that opens the USB cover and forces it on. Because of this, the cover would slightly pop up when closed, and I had to buy the detachment prevention string separately.

Okay... let's connect the Edge and mount it on the bike.

With the Varia 820 turned off, press the top button and wait for a purple light to come on.

At that point, you can add the Varia 820 on Edge by searching for sensors as shown in the picture.

When Baria 820 is added, a guide screen for new Edge features appears and you're finally ready to use 820.

These days, it seems like we rarely get manuals when we buy things. But over time, there are bound to be times when we need them, so just in case, I also take pictures of the manuals.

Finally, I went for a bike ride and tried installing it. The basic mount kit provided is great, but since there wasn't enough space to attach anything else to the seatpost, I've been using a saddle mount from before, so I installed it there this time too. It's not a mount specifically for Varia, but I wanted to install it in a way that pleased me, so I bought some parts and customized it myself.

Now that I've installed it, since it's a new product, the finish looks beautiful and nice ㅎㅎ

Now that I've finished unboxing, I think I should use it actively and enjoy it.

Please take good care of my rear during the trial period!!

However, when the trial ends, I'm worried that the 515 will look like squid and I'll end up buying the 820 ㅠㅜ

And..................

As a bonus, I tried opening it a bit more.

Garmin didn't provide a guide on how far to open it, and since the product is designed so you can replace the battery yourself later when it gets old, I thought it wouldn't be a problem and went ahead with it.

It was easy to open by just unscrewing 6 star screws, and it looked like battery replacement wouldn't be difficult if I unscrewed the screws on the right circuit board.

Of course, the reassembly process wasn't difficult either, and I'm finishing this unboxing review while thinking, "It's well made in a user-friendly way."