Garmin Etrex Touch Series

Why we like it: Glass touchscreens make their grand entrance into the budget GPS market.

Ease of use: “It’s as intuitive as my iPhone,” one tester says. Like your smartphone, you simply touch the glass screen (no pressure needed) to select, zoom, scroll, record waypoints, or link pictures. “No cycling through obscure buttons,” one editor says. Note: Since the screen isn’t pressure-sensitive, it can be tough to use with gloves or in precip. Garmin has used this tech before (see backpacker.com/garmin-montana to learn more about it), but never in a sub-$400 model. There are three versions of the eTrex Touch, including the basic 25, which comes in at $250, but we preferred the more rugged 35t ($350) for its preloaded U.S. topo map (1:100,000).

Features: Don’t expect anything crazy for the price, but you get what you need: micro-SD slot (room for more maps), 4GB of memory, an electronic compass, and waterproof housing. In the 35t, you also get a barometric sensor and double the memory. All models last up to 16 hours, depending on use.