Our best budget golf rangefinder 2021/2022 is our third of four core rangefinder articles. When updating our low cost rankings article we tried to focus on 2 key aspects:
- Bring our rangefinder articles in alignment with our new methodology
- Apply lessons learned from our first look into this market segment.
For example, in the first go around we looked at many rangefinders on the lower side of the price range. We soon understood that slope calculation was no longer a point of differentiation. They basically all had it. This is why we have decided to phase out the slope sub-category and replace it with a GPS sub-category. In addition to this article the other core ranking lists for the rangefinder category are as follows:
Best golf rangefinder for the money 2021/2022
Our intention here it to track the best rangefinders on the market irrespective of cost.
Best GPS golf rangefinder 2021/2022
Slope calculation has become a norm across all lines of todays rangefinders. We have seen that the inclusion of GPS technology is where the premium offerings have now set their targets.
Best golf rangefinder 2021/2022
We have decided to maintain one master list where all of our product reviews are collected. So even if they fall from the top 3 you can still find all the rangefinders from the 2021/2022 cycle here.
What won’t change is the bench mark of approximately a USD 200 ceiling for our budget rangefinders. There is definitely much more room above this ceiling for the top end options. We have seen prices that can hit up to around the USD 700 mark. Having said, there are still a huge number of options to choose from in the budget category and it is very difficult to differentiate them apart.
With all of these choices we really want to keep to the new methodology and stick to focusing products launched in the latter part of the year. Then come this time next year we will move everything forward to our 2022/2023 rankings. Since it is a “budget/price sensitive” category we are of course paying attention to cost. But even at a budget cost there is no reason anymore to be using a rangefinder that does not get the job done.
It is also important to remember with the large number of offerings and movements in the budget rangefinder market segment, as the year progresses, many may get pushed out of our top 3 rankings. You can always find all of the rangefinders that we feel are worth your considerations in our best golf rangefinder 2021/2022 master rankings list.
So hopefully here we can help you find the distance to the pin while saving you a few dollars while doing so.
Gogogo GS34 Black-1200Y
The GS34 Black is a new offering into the budget rangefinder segment from Gogogo sport. While the name may not have the same brand recognition that some of the top tiered manufactures have, they have over the last years introduced many solid offerings to the market.
While the latest offering comes with an 800- and 1200-yard version we are sold on paying the few extra dollars taking the latter. It has actually nothing to do with gaining 400 yards but rather the inclusion of the red display that is the deal clincher. We took out both versions out in in overcast as well as bright conditions and there is no question that the high transmission Adaptive OLED red display is significantly better.
Especially when looking into those greens where the flag is seemingly blended into the background there is absolutely no reason to not spend the extra few dollars and make the problem go away. Additionally, the internal display automatically adjusts for the conditions at hand. You never need to struggle reading the distances being displayed and can get on with your game. Maybe some are less stressed and conscious about their surroundings than I am but I hate having to stand taking measurement after measurement while golfers stand around and wait.
There is a lot to like about the GS34-1200 but what also differentiates it from many of the other rangefinders is its use of a CR123 battery. With roughly 60% more power than the CR2 battery you need to even worry less about your charge running out. While this may lead to the rangefinder being slightly heavier due to the larger sized battery the GS34-1200 still is comfortable to grip and keep steady.
Some of the other GS34-1200 features include:
- Slope calculation with on/off switch
- High transmittance Adaptive OLED red display
- Low battery reminder
- 6x magnification
- Flagpole-lock
- +/- 1 yard accuracy
- Scan Mode
- Pulse Vibrations
- 1 Year Warranty
Even the 1200-yard version comes competitively priced in the middle of the price range so this should not be a barrier for most. The fact is this is an extremely competitive market segment with many of the rangefinders having almost interchangeable specifications. So, when we find a rangefinder doing something a little different and doing it well, we are happy to recommend you to take an extra look and see if it just what you have been looking for.
- Accurately lock the flag: in golf mode (mode 2), it will display the shortest distance within the scan range, so you don't have to worry about locking the target behind the flagpole; after stopping scanning, the slope and slope compensation distance will be displayed
- Adaptive OLED red display: the darker the environment, the more obvious the red display; you don't have to worry about not seeing the numbers displayed on the rangefinder, when you play golf at night or the plants near the target are too dark (only GS34-1200 rangefinder has red display)
- With slope switch: according to the rules of the game, you can turn off or on slope compensation, whether you are a professional golfer or a novice golfer, this rangefinder is a good choice
- High transmittance LCD: GS34-1200 adopts high transmittance liquid crystal display to give you a clearer view (GS34-800 adopts ordinary LCD)
- Adjust focus: 6x magnification, the focus can be adjusted by rotating the eyepiece to make view clear
- Wider application: suitable for golf, hunting, bow hunting, archery, target shooting and mountain climbing
