Izzo Swami 6000 vs Bushnell Phantom – Which One Should I Buy?

Izzo Swami 6000 vs Bushnell Phantom – Which One Should I Buy?

You don’t have to spend a ton of money for a golf GPS that will give you a decisive edge on the course and help you lower your handicap. We spent years and untold amounts of money thinking that the best golf GPS devices were the ones that costed the most money.

What we eventually learned is that the “premium” golf GPS devices included a lot of features that we never ended up using. But because they were loaded with these periphery features they were able to jack up the prices.

And while many people may actually find use for such lavish features, we have found that many golfers just want to get out there and play. So today we are reviewing two entry-level golf GPS devices that provide the essentials for a great price.

 

The Izzo Swami 6000

The Izzo Swami 6000 is the acme of the Swami line of golf GPS devices. This incredibly compact golf GPS device comes preloaded with over 30,000 courses from around the world. The color display (2 inches diagonally) shows you your shot distance and distances to the front back and center of the green.

The Swami 6000 also includes distances to hazards and doglegs as well as carry and layup distances. You also get a digital scorecard and you can save your scores for future reference or analysis.

Another cool feature of the Izzo Swami 6000 is that it has an integrated magnet so you can attach it securely to any metal surface like a golf cart. This was a very handy feature when we wanted to read data right after our shot but didn’t want to reach into our pockets and pull the device out.

It also comes with a clip so you can attach it to your belt or your golf bag. The battery lasts for about 16 hours off of a full charge and you don’t have to manually change the holes as you advance; it detects courses and course holes automatically.

Pros:

• Comes in either blue or yellow
• Very long battery life
• Connects with satellites pretty quickly
• Allows you to save your scores from certain rounds
• No subscription fees
• Only 3.8 inches long and 2 inches wide

Cons:

• The design isn’t the most attractive
• Sometimes thinks you are on a nearby hole
• No voice feature
• The buttons can be a little sticky

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The Bushnell Phantom

The Bushnell Phantom is actually quite similar to the Izzo Swami 6000 in terms of features. It offers distances to the front, back and center of the green and allows you to store distances for up to 4 hazards per hole.

All of the pertinent information like hole par is displayed on the 2 inch LCD screen. The Bushnell Phantom is a bit more compact than the Izzo Swami 6000 but it also comes with a magnet and a belt clip.

It comes preloaded with 36,000 courses from 30 countries, it has a shot distance calculator and automatically detects which course and hole you are on.

With your purchase of the Bushnell Phantom, you will be given free access to the Bushnell Golf App which provides more in-depth, robust course data on your smartphone including overhead course maps. Finally, the Bushnell Phantom’s course library can be updated wirelessly through Bluetooth.

 

Pros:

• The Bushnell Golf App has a lot of cool features
• This golf GPS device can easily fit in your pocket
• Very easy to get the hang of
• Picks up GPS satellites very quickly
• Very accurate with distances
• Rechargeable with any micro USB cable

Cons:

• It’s so small that it can be easy to lose track of
• It has trouble connecting to some Android devices via Bluetooth
• No color display
• Some hazard information seems to be out of date

Check Out More Reviews Here:

 

Performance Comparison

We were a bit worried when it came time to test the Bushnell Phantom because it was drizzling that day. But we were relieved to find that it is water-resistant. It held up perfectly in the light rain. The menus were easy to navigate through too via the side mounted control buttons.

The buttons of the Izzo Swami 6000 got a bit sticky and we had to press down twice sometimes to get to where we needed to go. It would also pick up the wrong hole information sometimes which meant we missed out on some of our shot data.

And while both of these devices performed comparably in terms of accuracy and logistics, we found ourselves playing around with the Bushnell Golf App quite a bit. It’s a fun interactive app that beefs up the performance of the Bushnell Phantom

Price Comparison

At most retailers, you can expect to pay about $150 for the Izzo Swami 6000 as opposed to around $115 for the Bushnell Phantom.

Other Devices to Consider

If you are not satisfied with the Izzo Swami 6000 or the Bushnell Phantom, here are some other devices we came across in our research that you may like:

 

The Garmin Approach G10

Another very affordable golf GPS device that sports a 1.3 inch black and white display, provides distance and par information and fits comfortably in the palm of the hand.

Check Out More Reviews Here:

 

The Garmin Approach G30

A nice little step up from entry level golf GPS devices that is still wallet-friendly. The Approach G30 features a color touchscreen display and provides all the important distance information you need.

Check Out More Reviews Here:

 

Which one is Better?

Both of these golf GPS devices were accurate with distances. But the Bushnell Phantom gave us less problems. Sometimes the Izzo Swami 6000 thought we were on a different hole which caused some trouble and headache.

And even though some of the GPS information on the Bushnell Phantom seemed out of date (not registering bunkers that had been there for years), the Bushnell Golf App more than makes up for this shortcoming.

Overall, we liked the performance of the Bushnell Phantom a bit more and it costs less. It is today’s pick so be sure to try it out!

 

***WINNER***

Bushnell Phantom

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