Golfbuddy Laser 1s Rangefinder Review

Golfbuddy Laser 1s Rangefinder Review

Golf technology has come along leaps and bounds over the past decades and if you showed a golfer from the 90’s a device like the Golfbuddy Laser 1s, they would probably wet their pants with excitement. Unfortunately for Golfbuddy, they are not the only ones producing devices like this Laser Golf Rangefinder and it is our job to investigate where it ranks among the packed field of competition.

The Golfbuddy Laser 1s sits as a mid level rangefinder and it does have a lot of the perks that we are going to see from a higher end rangefinder like pin lock with vibration, accuracy within 1 yard +-, 800 yards of range with slope that can be turned off for tournaments. On the face of things, the 1s looks like a good quality device that demands a closer look.

 

Who Are Golf Buddy?

Golf Buddy are not strangers to the golf game, they have brough some excellent devices to the Golf GPS market including GPS devices like the Aim W10 which has been very well received by the golfing community and even provides stiff competition for some of Garmin’s top watches.
Indeed, Golfbuddy have recently introduced 4 rangefinders that are all similar to each other and the 1s sits in the middle on the quality spectrum. One of the rangefinders, the Aim L10V will even call out the distances to you but this quickly gets more annoying than helpful.

 

First Impressions

The rangefinder comes well presented in it’s box and you can quickly notice this is a compact and light device coming in at 7.7oz which is quite light and with dimensions of 4” x 2.85” x 1.63”.
You also get the external CR2 battery included which is important because the battery is usually the first thing to go in these devices and if you have internal one, you may have to dump your rangefinder in the bin after no time.
It also comes with a handy carrier case so you can leave it in your golf bag between rounds and it won’t get damaged

Size	101.1 X 73.8 X 40.9 mm
Weight	6.7 oz (190g)
Display	LCD
Accuracy	+/-1 yard
Range	5~ 880Y
Magnification	6x
Battery Type	CR2 3V Lithium
Battery Life	3,000 ~ 5,000 actuations
Water Resistance	Yes
Slope	Yes
Vibration	Yes
Mode	Standard/Scan/Pin/Pin finder

Features

Distance

The 1s along with the rest of the Golfbuddy rangefinders is accurate to within 1 yard from 5 – 880 yards and this is quite impressive for the price tag. Even though the premium rangefinders will shoot further than this, you wont need anything more than what the 1s provides on a golf course.

 

Slope

It is one thing knowing how far away the flag is but if you are hitting, up or down a hill, the actual or ‘Playslike’ distance will be different. The 1s isn’t alone in offering an actual distance and a slope adjusted distance to the pin to allow you to select your club perfectly.

The slope can also be turned off for tournaments but there is no external switch so other players wont be able to tell that it is off which could be an issue.

 

Pin Lock With Vibration

One of the common problems with rangefinders is that they latch onto trees behind the pin instead of the actual flagstick but with the pin lock feature, you can be sure you are getting a realistic range and also vibrates once it locks on for ultimate accuracy.

 

Wide LCD Display

For such a company device, the LCD screen is wide and the numbers are large and clear for those of us with old eyes. The wide display could easily be a selling point for those who struggle with their vision.

 

3 Scan Modes

Again, 5 years ago, these features on a mid priced rangefinder would be amazing but today it is commonplace. The three modes are Standard which will allow you to free room, pin which will attempt to lock onto the pin and scan mode which will pick up the distances to many different targets and hazards in one go.

 

Water Resistant

This one is water resistant which will be important if you live in the UK or Ireland like we do. I wouldn’t go dropping it into a pond but if you have to play in the rain, this will be fine once you can get a clear view of the green.

 

Overall

 

Overall this is a clean, compact and quality design that offers great accuracy and value in a packed field. Would we recommend you go out and buy this particular model, probably not. The only reason we would buy the 1s is for the wide screen and the large display, otherwise there are better options available.

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Best Budget Option – The AOFAR Rangefinder

The Aofar Rangfinder comes in at $99 dollars which is awesome if you are on a budget or want a device for a second point of reference.

Its got almost all of the features of the Golfbuddy with 600 yards and accuracy of 1 yard +-. It probably a better and more comfortable design to hold and it has flag lock, slope on or off with a visible switch and much more. A quality device for the price.

Check Out More Reviews Here:

 

Best Mid Range – Tec Tec Tec VPro

1 word, accuracy and ease of use. The VPro has proven itself over time as a behemoth in the rangefinder game and it is $20 cheaper than the Golfbuddy 1s. The lens offer a super clear view and it has pin sensor technology along with scan mode, deadly accurate up to 540 yards, which again is more than enough.

The VPro has more than 2,000 5 star reviews so don’t forget to check it out.

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Best But Slightly More Expensive – The Callaway 300 Pro

Anytime time you see the brand Callaway you should immediately be thinking about quality and they also usually offer great value.

The lens in the Callaway 300 Pro is made by Nikon who are an huge name in the optics industry for over 100 years.

The 300 Pro is one of our most highly recommended rangers and it is accurate within a yard up to 1000 yards with the Patented P.A.T or Pin Acquisition Technology that chirps when it locks onto the flag.

It’s also got free mode and scan mode with slope that can be turned off for tournaments. The accuracy, clearness and overall quality of the 300 pro makes it well worth the $199.

Check Out More Reviews Here:

 

In Conclusion

All of these devices will get the job done, it just depends on exactly what you are looking for. If you want something to use in conjunction with a GPS watch, Id go with the AOFar, if you wanted a stand alone device go with the Callaway 300 and if you want something in the middle, you cant go wrong with the Golfbuddy 1s or the Tec-Tec-Tec VPro.