For golf lovers, when it comes to purchasing a golf rangefinder, many things come into play, and it might be a little confusing to choose the best options for yourself.
Several components are essential in selecting a suitable rangefinder—slope technology, battery life, design, weight, product price, etc. If you plan to purchase a GPS rangefinder and are unsure of which to get, you are in the right place.
Voice Caddie and Garmin Z82 are excellent GPS-integrated rangefinders, perfect for beginners and professionals. Both devices are easy to use and set up with long-lasting batteries to last for a minimum of 4 rounds. This article will take a deep insight into these two golf products to help you find the best choice for you.
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At a glance
The Quick Answer
Voice Caddie SL2 and Garmin Z82 are excellent GPS and rangefinder devices. They have the same price tag. Thus, the voice caddie has a little upper hand due to its slope technology. Still, Garmin Z82 remains a worthy competitor with its numerous key features.
Although, both devices can carry out the primary need of a rangefinder. Your decision on which to purchase should be influenced by the features you need. However, we recommend a Caddie SL2 due to its advanced slope technology.
Product Overviews
Voice Caddie SL2
Voice caddie has been a go-to choice for golfers for a while now due to their devices advanced measuring features. Yet, their recent Voice Caddie SL2 floors their previous devices, and one dare say it’s their best device yet. Voice caddie is a prominent Korean brand for golf lovers, and the brand is mainly known for its device’s best features.
The SL2 is a hybrid GPS laser rangefinder side with remarkable slope adjustment and green undulation features. In addition, it is equipped with smart course management new features that give you slope-compensated accurate distance and the ability to see your driver’s landing area. Also, it offers you zoom features for an enlarged view.
In addition to these, its active area view provides very natural green undulations. Thus, it helps golf players see breaks more efficiently, be aware of risky areas, and reset its location.
It is challenging to find a fault in the SL2 given its numerous other features, but this one device has some pros and cons.
Active Green View shows off the entire looks is intuitive and more realistic. You can move the pin around various areas of the green if for some reason it is not accurate, although in our testing it was spot on each time we used it.
- The essential golf GPS is integrated into the rangefinder device.
- Sleek design
- Lightweight
- 6X magnification lens
- Long-lasting chargeable battery
- Excellent slope technology with green undulations
- Less features compared to Garmin z8
Garmin Z82
When it comes to the best GPS rangefinders in the market, the Garmin Z82 is another option for golfers. The device embodies several features that outshine regular rangefinders. Garmin Z82 is another excellent product by Garmin ltd, a Swiss multinational technology company.
It is responsible for precise measurements with elevations considered using plays like distances as its slope technology. The device also features a green view, laser range arc, pinpoint for distance, and exactly where to aim.
Jumping from Smart Course View to Active Green View, we get a little of what we had previously, but in a presentation that is significantly better.
In addition, Garmin Approach Z82 includes several premium features, such as a GPS map with the ability to notify you of hazards of the hole you are playing in through the viewfinder. It also has a part to keep scores and to view scorecards. Let’s see some pros and cons below.
The Garmin Approach Z82 Pros & Cons Pros: Image stabilization helps lock onto the flag even if you have unsteady hands Comes with a microfiber cleaning cloth Digital scorecard Gives shot distance measurements Provides accurate distances to hazards Sharp color display Cons: It’s new so it is expensive It’s a bit heavy when it’s in the case Takes about 4 hours to fully charge You can’t attach a lanyard to it Check Out More Reviews Here: Garmin Z82 Vs.
The Garmin Approach Z82 comes preloaded with 41,000 course maps from around the world. The Garmin Approach Z82 Pros & Cons Pros: Image stabilization helps lock onto the flag even if you have unsteady hands Comes with a microfiber cleaning cloth Digital scorecard Gives shot distance measurements.
- Lightweight
- The eyepiece is adjustable
- 6X magnification lens
- Rechargeable battery
- The essential golf GPS is integrated into the rangefinder device
- The plays like feature can be turned off to make it legal for use in tournament play
- Sometimes, it locks on the wrong target.
- Its design could have been better.
Side-by-side comparison
Slope Technology
Regarding laser rangefinders, its slope technology is the first feature to watch out for before purchase, especially if you do not plan not to use the device in competitions. Voice Caddie SL2 and Garmin Z82 both come with slope technology. Although both have different slope technology, they both work just as effectively.
Voice Caddie SLl2 has excellent slope technology, including a green undulation for distances. It also shows a green vibration around the hole to help you hit your target.
Garmin Z82 uses a slope technology known as plays like distance. It is practical for precise measurements, considering both downhill and uphill elevations. However, unlike Caddie SL2, it does not show greens undulation. Instead, it takes the wind into account to help choose the right swing direction.
If you are looking for the best golf rangefinder with a slope feature, both of these would have to be considered.
The green undulation data is a sick feature if it’s available at your local course.
Long-lasting Batteries
Good battery life is undoubtedly essential for any device if you want to enjoy its use. Voice caddie battery life is excellent. Aside from its slope technology and numerous features, another benefit of the device is that it can last up to 45 hours in its laser mode and 20 hours in GPS mode.
Garmin Z82, on the other hand, uses around 15 hours in its GPS mode. The SL2 battery weighs 7.8 oz. It uses a li-polymer 3.7 v while Garmin Z82 has a little more weight at 8.2 oz and uses an internal rechargeable lithium-ion.
Rounding out the laser side of the feature list, is their Slope function, which compared nicely to other models we tested in giving what seems to be a very accurate number based on elevation changes.
Accuracy and other features
The accuracy and performance of the rangefinder, Garmin Z82, compared to its precursors, is quick. It takes shorter to connect to a GPS satellite to lock a pin. Garmin Z82 is accurate within 10 inches and effective for targets 400 yards away in terms of distance accuracy.
Garmin offers several other features such as pin lock, compass, courses and display, hazard and green view, etc.
Similar to Garmin, Voice Caddie SL2 is also very quick and precise. However, the pin-assist GPS technology further elevates the performance of SL2. The apparatus also offers a range of features such as a color touch LCD screen, GPS assist, a mode for the pin, etc.
The Voice Caddie SL2 Hybrid Rangefinder adds a color touchscreen to an outstanding laser. Loads of information yet very easy to use. The most impressive product in this category, and a distinct advantage for strategy.
The bottom of the rangefinder is equipped with a touch OLED screen. You’re able to see a birds-eye view of the hole layout similar to watches like the Garmin Approach S62 or Voice Caddie G1 . Even better, you can use your fingers to pinpoint any part of the hole, and it will tell you your distance to the target and how far away it is from the center of the green.
Many golfers pay attention to the big-name brands, but the Korean-based manufacturer mostly known for its launch monitors has some of the best GPS and rangefinder products on the market.
The launch monitor tracks things like Club Head Speed, Ball Speed, Carry exact Distance, and Smash Factor. It can let you see exactly how far you are hitting each club at the range as well as the ability to virtually play any of the courses or aim at a target distance and see how close you can get.
I’ve managed not to leave the Z82 behind (like so many other RF’s of days gone by) probably because I subconsciously know it has a ‘Find My Garmin” feature! Thomas Forsythe November 4, 2021 at 9:50 am · Reply Precision Pro R 1 seems more accurate to specific conditions since it includes weather data. Lots of other information available with their app.
The touchscreen is responsive, and the screens are laid out to minimize misread touches or swipes. On each hole, you can switch between an overview of the hole, front/middle/back yardages, and a view of the green.
So when I did choose to lock on to the pin while playing, it displayed my yardages without any delay. More importantly, I didn’t have to shoot the pin multiple times.
Key Differences
Resolution
Optical resolution is essential for golf rangefinders. The Voice Caddie SL2 captures this essence by integrating a high resolution color touch screen and layout graphics into this device. In addition, voice caddie uses a bright multicolor OLED display.
The touchscreen is responsive, and the screens are laid out to minimize misread touches or swipes.
Garmin Z82, on the other hand, has additional course details in the player’s peripheral vision. It uses its course view mapping technology alongside its GPS technology to produce a 2D image of the hole that you can view on the viewfinder.
Battery
We mentioned the battery life earlier because both devices have long-lasting batteries compared to other rangefinders that spend 8 to 10 hours. A common similarity between the two devices batteries is that they are both powered by a lithium battery. However, their hours of use and charging differ.
it takes over an hour to charge, approximately 90 minutes. Its battery duration lasts for a maximum of 45 minutes, depending on the mode.
Garmin takes about 4 hours to charge completely and uses up to 15 hours during average use. Although both last long enough, the voice caddie might be the best choice because of its relatively faster-to-charge and more prolonged use.
Monetary value
Both devices are clearly on the high side. Yet, however expensive it might be. Therefore, it is essential to consider if the gadget is worth the monetary value. The best feature of the Voice caddie is its slope technology, while Garmin Z82 is its numerous features.
It is relatively easy to set up, and you can toggle between front, middle and back yardage. The accessory continually updates its golf home course map and is one of the best for measuring distances. This accessory is worth every penny with a price tag of 600 dollars. You could easily purchase it on several online stores such as Amazon.
At the same price tag, Garmin offers different features comparable to the GPS watch Garmin s62. Several components include its lock on the flag, wind tracker, layer arc, etc.
FAQs
How many hours does the Voice Caddie SL2 work without charging?
Typically, the SL2 lasts up to 45 hours at a maximum when fully charged, depending on the mode. For example, the GPS pin assist mode can last for 20 hours and last a player for about 4 to 5 rounds. Once the number of hours is used up, the battery would need to be charged again.
Can I use Voice Caddie SL2 in low light?
Yes, you can. The gadget offers a 6X magnification and uses an OLED screen which will adjust its brightness based on the time of the day. Therefore, this is effective and comes in handy in lowlights.
When were Voice Caddie SL2 and Garmin Z82 released?
Garmin LTD and Voice caddie released the two devices in 2020.
How much time do Voice Caddie SL2 and Garmin Z82 take for charging?
Voice caddie takes approximately an hour and 30 minutes, while Garmin Z82 takes about 4 hours to charges fully.
What’s the critical difference between Garmin Z80 and Z82?
Simply put, the Garmin Z82 is an upgrade version of the Garmin z80. The images in the peripheral viewfinder of the former show up sharper due to a higher OLED display resolution. Other upgrades were also made, such as a faster pin locking, wind tracker, etc.
Final thoughts
It shouldn’t be too hard to decide given all we have established so far. The Voice caddie has a better slope technology and longer battery life than Garmin Z82. That’s not to say that Garmin Z82 is wrong but if you prefer a better slope technology to numerous features such as a laser arc, wind tracker, etc. Then the SL2 is absolutely the perfect choice for you.