Top five sat navs for 2021

With a Best Buy sat nav you’ll get from A to B, trouble free, every time. So there’s no need to argue with a loved one over directions or if you find yourself heading the wrong way down a one-way street.

We test and review the latest sat navs, including new models from Garmin and TomTom, plus the latest and most innovative sat nav apps.

Each one is tested rigorously to ensure it’s easy to use, comes up with sensible routes and gives you clear directions you can follow when you’re out on the road.

Whether you’re looking for a dedicated sat nav with all the latest features or a sat nav app that works brilliantly even when you can’t get a 3G or 4G signal, you’ll find what you’re looking for below. We also reveal three sat nav apps you should avoid.

Only logged-in Which? members can view our recommendations in the table below. If you’re not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access to our sat nav results plus all of our online reviews.

Pricing, recommendations and test scores correct as of January 2021

Not found what you're looking for? Take a look at all of our sat nav reviews.

And here are three sat nav apps to avoid

The worst sat navs and sat nav apps from our testing have messy maps, vague vocal guidance and confusing visual cues. They are often tricky to use, too, with illogical layouts and unclear menus. 

Frankly, we think they should just get lost. Here, we take a look at the very worst sat nav apps from our testing, which are all bad enough to be Don’t Buys.

Pricing, recommendations and test scores correct as of January 2021

Should I buy a sat nav or sat nav app?

We put every sat nav and sat nav app through the same series of tough tests using a GPS simulator. And we’ve found some great sat nav apps in our tests, including apps that are good enough to be Best Buys. 

A sat nav app is installed on your smartphone and they tend to be cheaper than dedicated devices, but may not offer quite the same smooth user experience. Handily, it’s easy to download an app, try and then delete if you don’t like it. Many will include or have the option to add useful features. 

We have tested sat nav apps that offer good quality navigation to rival a dedicated device, but we’ve also found others that have such poor guidance we simply wouldn’t recommend them. If you’re unsure whether you need a standalone sat nav or a sat nav app, try our interactive tool and find out how to buy the best sat nav for you.