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 laser rangefinder and are unsure of which to get, you are in the right place.
Voice Caddie SL2 and Garmin Z82 are excellent GPS integrated laser 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 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 laser rangefinder devices. They have the same price tag. Thus, the voice caddie has a little upper hand due to its slope technology and green undulation. Still, Garmin Z82 remains a worthy competitor with its numerous 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 option 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 to golf lovers, and the brand is mainly known for its device’s best features.
The SL2 is a hybrid GPS laser rangefinder with remarkable slope adjustment and green undulation features. In addition, it is equipped with smart course new features that give you slope compensated distance and an 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 a pin location. It is challenging to find a fault in the SL2 given its numerous other features, but this device has some pros and cons.
- The essential golf GPS is integrated into the rangefinder device.
- Sleek design
- Lightweight
- 6X magnification lens
- Long-lasting rechargeable battery
- Excellent slope technology with green undulation
- 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 laser rangefinders. Garmin Z82 is another excellent product by Garmin ltd, a Swiss multinational technology company.
It is responsible for accurate measurements with elevations considered using plays like distance as its slope technology. The device also features a green view, laser range arc, pinpoint for distance, and exactly where to aim.
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.
- 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 accurate 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 accurate measurements, considering both downhill and uphill elevations. However, unlike Caddie SL2, it does not show green 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 slope feature, both of these would have to be considered.
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.
Accuracy and other features
The accuracy and performance of the rangefinder, Garmin Z82, compared to its precursors, is faster. 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 device also offers a range of features such as a color touch LCD screen, GPS pin assist, pin mode, etc.
Key Differences
Resolution
Optical resolution is essential for golf rangefinders. The Voice Caddie SL2 captures this essence by integrating a high-resolution color touch LCD screen and course layout graphics into this device. In addition, voice caddie uses a bright multicolor OLED display.
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 laser 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.
Voice Caddie SL2 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 device is worth the monetary value. The best feature of the Voice caddie is its slope technology, while Garmin Z82 is its numerous features.
Voice Caddie SL2 is relatively easy to set up, and you can toggle between front, middle and back yardage. The device continually updates its golf course map and is one of the best for measuring distances. This device 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 device 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 charge 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.