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Garmin Varia RTL515 Radar With Tail Light

GarminVaria RTL515 Radar With Tail Light(Return to Product Page)

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(248 customer reviews)
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User submitted reviews

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 10/27/2023
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Mesa, AZ
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Radar plus light equals longer battery life.

I have had both the radar only and the radar plus light. The 515 turns my light and radar on which allows me to skip two activations in the back. A small plus. What makes it more convenient than the 315 is the 515 battery life is significantly longer. Less removals for charging. I know, I'm lazy. Other than that, they are both fine and I use now use the 515 all the time.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Mick

Reviewed 5/19/2020
by Mick
Cycling Enthusiast
South Dakota
Value Rating
Overall Rating
6 of 7 customers found this review helpful.
I wont ride without it.

Im 75 with bad hearing and cant wear my hearing aids because of the wind noise. I ride in Spearfish Canyon and there is a lot of traffic at times and loging trucks. It works great and if the are several vehicles behind me it will show each one on the led lights.

My son bought it for me on Fathers Day several year ago and I been using it ever since

I highly recommend it.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Rusty Bottoms

Reviewed 10/20/2023
by Rusty Bottoms
Cycling Enthusiast
Sacramento
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Awesome radar, won't ride on the road without it

The Varia radar is seriously awesome. My buddy had one and was able to call out whenever a car was coming up behind us on a ride. I quickly bought one shortly thereafter and it is a necessary item whenever I'm out on the road. The peace of mind that it gives while descending at speed and having a warning when a car comes up behind me is worth the price alone. I pair it with my Garmin Fenix watch and it gives me an alert, love it.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by ggswanson

Reviewed 8/18/2023
by ggswanson
Cycling Enthusiast
Boston MA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
This tail light it genius

Wish I bought one sooner, as it's a brilliant product. Picks up vehicles way sooner than my mirror or my ears, and graphically shows how many vehicles, and closing speed. And it paired instantly with my Garmin computer. A huge advancement in safety, and other than being a little heavy it's a must-have for any road biker or commuter.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by WP

Reviewed 6/19/2023
by WP
Upstate NY
Overall Rating
Never leave home without it!

The varia radar is may be the best (and most important) piece of kit I have bought! While I continue to use a mirror to see WHAT is coming up behind me, getting the warning on my head unit prior has been indispensable. It allows me more time to focus on the road ahead, only having to glance in the mirror AFTER I get the warning from the radar. Riding on the road has been a night and day difference since I installed this on my bike!

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Fourflys

Reviewed 6/5/2023
by Fourflys
Cycling Enthusiast
Sonoma County, CA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Great product, really nice to know if a car, and how many cars, are behind you at any time. Wouldn't want to ride without it!

Never thought I needed an additional piece of tech on my bike until I bought an older, used Varia.. after using that for a while, decided I never wanted to ride without one and decided to upgrade to the current model with a better battery and light. Pairs instantly with my Wahoo Bolt v2.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by redrandy

Reviewed 5/1/2023
by redrandy
Cycling Enthusiast
Salem, OR
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Bought this for my brother for a b-day gift - he needs eyes in the rear!

I already had one, so I know how great this thing is. I also use a mirror, but have to say this is one of the best tech things I've ever bought starting with my first odometer that mounted down by the dropout and only recorded mileage....(yeah, I'm that old and have been riding that long).

I do turn off the alert sound though as anytime I'm near town and heavy traffic it's way annoying....otherwise zero complaints.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by WLC

Reviewed 9/12/2024
by WLC
Nashville
Overall Rating
Wouldn't ride without it

What a great piece of gear. The radar brings your situational awareness to the next level.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by MR. JEFE

Reviewed 4/11/2023
by MR. JEFE
Competitive Racer
Imlay City MI
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Hard to ride without it

4 Stars because of it being kinda pricey.

This is my 2nd one. 1st one broke off on a rough trail (crappy 3d printed mount I made) Not fault of device at all!!

I ride alot of dirt roads and this gives me a heads up when wind/dirt noise makes cars behind hard to hear.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by ABCBiker

Reviewed 3/3/2023
by ABCBiker
Cycling Enthusiast
Arkansas
Value Rating
Overall Rating
A great tail light that warns me of traffic behind me through my hearing aids via Bluetooth.

I'm 84 and ride with the Big Dogs on my E-Bike. This light/radar unit keeps me aware of traffic behind me, including the faster riders, and keeps me up on the world. I'm getting better at pairing the Garmin Varia to my cellphone via the Garmin Varia app, and pairing my cellphone to my hearing aids. Now, no more surprises from rear!

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by la15ota

Reviewed 2/16/2023
by la15ota
Casual Cyclist
San Jose, CA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Newbie needs to be safe

My cycling enthusiast college to me on a ride and afterward said I should have this item to keep me safe on the road. I love it. It's easy to pair with all the other gadgets he recommended, and it reassuring to know if something is coming up from behind. The light is super bright, and l like the flashing options.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Wil

Reviewed 2/16/2023
by Wil
San Francisco East Bay
Overall Rating
It works just as described. I feel safer with the Varia

A riding buddy has the Varia and told me how much safer he felt being able to see traffic coming up on him. I wholeheartedly agree. It tracks all the vehicles coming up behind you from asfar back as 150 yards. Amazing.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 6/14/2024
by Anonymous
Overall Rating
The Eyes Behind Your Head

Be seen day or night and be aware of anything approaching from behind. I never ride without it. A must for every cyclists.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 6/7/2024
by Anonymous
little Rock AR
Overall Rating
Sense of calm

Garmin Varia give you that sense of calm that you know what's coming even when you're riding solo I will never ride without one again

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 6/7/2024
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Mililani, Hawaii
Value Rating
Overall Rating
i feel safer riding with this

decent rear light and good radar. i like that i can hear and see cars coming up behind me. great battery life. the only con is sometimes the alarm sound is silent.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 9/30/2022
by Anonymous
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Don't leave home without it!!

Purchased for both bikes! Works as advertised. Keeps me alert on ALL cars coming up from behind. I find it very beneficial when riding on narrow roads or when I ride close to the road's edge. Only false positive is running parallel to the freeway.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Bill

Reviewed 9/1/2022
by Bill
Oxford, Georgia
Overall Rating
Gives some peace of mind

I ride mostly rural roads and use a small mirror but have cars still surprise me occasionally. Having this effective warning really gives me more confidence to enjoy my rides and feel a little safer. I recommend it highly.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 8/16/2022
by Anonymous
Overall Rating
Very bright

Alerts 'texters' way out, the radar option is ok and gives approx 5' warning so it keeps surprises to a minimum

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Brian

Reviewed 8/8/2022
by Brian
Mill Creek, WA
Overall Rating
Must Have

This radar with the tail light is a must have for anyone who rides on any roads. The tail light is great for getting the attention of the cars coming your way and the radar helps the rider know when a car is coming. I had the radar only version previously with a separate tail light but the integration of them in one unit is much better. All I can say is, this thing works and works very well!!!

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Garp

Reviewed 8/4/2022
by Garp
Cycling Enthusiast
Denver
Value Rating
Overall Rating
I wouldn't ride without it....

I rode with the original and now I got this one. Both are great but the new one won't fit the short seat post on one of my bikes, so I use both. I wish there was a camera that would display at the bottom of my Garmin but this is close enough.

Thank you for your feedback.

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