A good rangefinder eliminates doubts and provides confidence. I’ve tested the most popular options, and here are my top picks along with hands-on reviews.
FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. Vortex Optics - Razor HD 4000 Yards
Highlight: Adjustable diopter and lighted display.
Helpful review: I have a friend who is a golfer and wants to borrow a rangefinder to improve his game. I did not think golf needed a rangefinder, so I had to jump on board. I was most interested in this experiment because they will deliver beer to the golf cart. Why would I not want to participate?
I had a box of rangefinders that needed to be reviewed, so I brought the box. The first one up was the Vortex Ranger. Anyone who has used an optic from Vortex knows the glass will be very clear. The diopter or eyepiece is adjustable to fit the user, so the view is nearly perfect. The onboard computer is fast and accurate in getting the measurements.
The Ranger uses a red readout in the viewfinder. The red numbers and letters make it easy to make out, while others I have used are white letters, which sometimes can be hard to find against the image. The red letters are easy to use when ranging in the early morning and will not affect my eyes' night vision. The Ranger is small and easy to use one-handedly. It comes with a heavy-duty nylon case with a metal belt clip. This pouch will be on my hunting belt or clipped to my pack all day. This carrier will make it home unless I get hung up and yank my pack off a branch.
On the golf course, I learned that a rangefinder is mainly used to find the flag or, as my buddy calls it, the pin. Then, it locks in the distance, which tells a good golfer what club to use, etc. I thought the distance was known to the golfers who pay attention, but I did not see anything posted on the green. We used the finder to find the distance to a bend in the river, chose the different clubs to get that far, and changed to the following distance to get near the flag. — Gary Anderson
Get it from Amazon now: $399.00 & FREE Returns
2. Gogogo Sport - Vpro GS03 1200 Yards
Highlight: Slop measurements and built-in magnetic mount.
Helpful review: We had a great day when one of the other golfers offered to buy this unit from me after it proved his expensive Garmin Golf Watch wrong. We had a bunch of golfers come to see what a couple of guys were doing with a box of rangefinders, and one guy told me he did not need a rangefinder because he used a golf watch.
The guy with a golf watch confused me because I could not understand how a watch can tell range; it does not even use a laser to measure. I found out the watch has courses programmed into it, and it will give the range from a map. This made me suddenly urge to make a cold beer bet, and it was on. Since I had multiple rangefinders, one of his pals used another rangefinder as the umpire. He told me the range from the Tee to the pin, and I used the Vpro.
One cold beer later, his golf watch was wrong for the next three holes. The group found us to return the rangefinder, and I had an offer to purchase right on the spot and a low price for a used golf watch.
This unit's range is accurate to about 500 yards. After 500 yards, accuracy is a bit shaky. The pin finder will vibrate in my hand to notify me. The sleek-looking design makes the unit very desirable for golfers. This one does not look like a hunting rangefinder—no camo, just sleek black and sharp. I do like the magnet mount, and this would work like a champ to hold on the dash of a personal golf cart that I could screw a washer to and not have to drag it in and out of a case on the golf bag. — Chris T. Klein
Get it from Amazon now: $129.98 & FREE Returns
3. TecTecTec - VPRO500 800 Yards
Highlight: Through-the-screen display
Helpful review: This product is a poster board of quality at the right price. We tested it against everyone on the course who would compare with us. I did not find anything that outperformed this rangefinder when comparing apples to apples. Something strange to me was that every golfer seemed to have a rangefinder, but only one person in the group was using one.
I have rangefinders dedicated to shooting with a slope calculation function, and I don't think that would do much good on a golf course. I have never seen a golf course with much elevation or slope change. I am not saying that is not a thing somewhere; I have never seen one.
This rangefinder fits in my shirt pocket. Now, I am of the 5XL variety, so my shirt pockets are more significant than most. In my hand, the buttons are easy to find and use. There are two buttons on the top of the unit, where my fingers sit naturally. It took me about one minute to determine which button was used and which did what. If I get confused, the buttons only do a certain amount of stuff; just push it again, and I am back on track.
The simplicity of this rangefinder was its most significant pro. All we were looking for was a direct line-of-sight measurement, and this one did it just as well as the more expensive units. The one thing this one did not have that more costly units did is the image stabilizer. From what I could learn, this is not a problem for a golf rangefinder. The pin finder and accurate distance are the only things anyone on the course seems to care about. Many more days of range fees can be afforded for the money saved using this rangefinder. — Lance Jenkins
Get it from Amazon now: $119.99 & FREE Returns
4. Gogogo Sport - Sport Vpro 1200 Yards
Highlight: Smooth continuous ranging.
Helpful review: This is the rangefinder that I carry in my shooting kit. I have the white one in the Ragne bag and a black one that has been upgraded with some Krylon camo treatment in my hunting stuff.
This unit's operation and viewing are worth five times the price I paid. The only thing that would make this a complete win for me is if it was rechargeable. It does use standard double AA batteries, so they're handy. They can be found at the Maverik Gas Station on the way out of town or when I realize the batteries are dead and I am already out of town.
The view through this machine is perfect, and it will use magnification. We recently took this to Yellowstone on vacation to see how far away we were from animals instead of guessing. I did not need to do this, but what a great place to practice. I could see we were more than our required 100 feet away from an adult bull buffalo, and then, in one tense episode, I found myself an accurate four feet from a bull buffalo, which was a little hair-raising. — Scott Crawford
Get it from Amazon now: $119.99 & FREE Returns
5. WOSPORTS - H-111 PRO 800 Yards
Highlight: Rechargeable, vibration alert.
Helpful review: This affordable rangefinder has a long list of functions for a short amount of money. It will get accurate slope and angle measurements, which would be excellent for archery hunting. This is an article for golf rangefinders, so I will keep it there, but it would be nice in a cargo pants pocket in the sticks—just saying.
The thing I noticed about this rangefinder was how fast it would get the measurements. I have a different rangefinder in my shooting kit, and it seemed to be quick to me, especially in scan mode, but this one felt like an instant measurement. I know a laser works the same, no matter the maker, so it must be internal computing.
The H111 Pro has a Tour mode. I was told this is required for folks who play for real stakes. I don't know any of these people who ask why this is necessary, and to be honest, I should have looked that up before writing this article, but I forgot to, so I don't have that information.
The most valuable thing with this rangefinder is the ability to recharge it. The little round battery (CR2) lasts OK, but everything I have that uses batteries is always dead when I get them back out. And for sure, a golf bag in my world would have dead batteries. This is due to my lack of checking or removing batteries after I get home; it has nothing to do with the gear manufacturer or the batteries. Being able to plug this into a phone charger on the golf cart and be back in business is a winner. — Paul Parker
Get it from Amazon now: $159.99 & FREE Returns
6. Bushnell - 4x21 Xtra 600 Yards
Highlight: One button to activate and get information.
Helpful review: This is the only rangefinder that uses one button. There is no confusion; just push the button and look through the eyepiece. This is the easiest-to-use ranger that I tested. The other units used two buttons, which is not a massive, confusing, or complicated obstacle. Still, a push-and-go is pretty nice for a hunting application.
This Bushnell rangefinder is mainly a hunting rangefinder, not a golf rangefinder. But I love it. This one had the best-looking camo, in my opinion, and that is probably due to me living and hunting in Utah; it fits my surroundings the best. Also - it works perfectly for golf. I know some guys who use this one in amateur golf tournaments - and they really praise it. BUT - it has its drawbacks which I will get to in a minute.
This rangefinder is sold to reach out to about 600 yards. So, it may be the magic if a shooter or golfer is looking for closer-ranging information. The constant readout of information is excellent when scanning targets. This one did not have a pin finder or a vibration alert. Of course, the machine did not have a vibration alert; it did not have a pin finder.
The lovely coating will keep the rain from ruining the innards, but the finish is slick. This rangefinder would be hard to hold if I had wet or cold hands. If I was moving in a golf cart and holding this, it may be a little tricky.
If a golfer needs to own a Bushnell product, this is not a waste of money. However, if they need a full-function rangefinder with slope and angle functions, this one is not it. If Bushnell made one in a white or black finish, it would look better in the golf bag or on the dashboard of the golf cart. — David A. Roberts
Get it from Amazon now: $179.99 & FREE Returns
7. TecTecTec - ProWild 540 Yards
Highlight: 30-second auto shut off.
Helpful review: This thing is tiny and lightweight. It's designed for hunters, for the wild, but listen... you can carry it in your cargo pants pocket all day, and it does not feel like a burden.
The unit I was sent is camo-colored, so it also looks a hunting model. And it's also called: ProWild. I don't know if the golf model is different, but according to the listings on Amazon, they're all the same. I'm telling you, this toy is just as good for golf as it is for hunting.
The one feature that I thought was a great inclusion in this setup is speed reading. The speed reading will tell me how fast a deer is running or a golf cart is driving. That is good if the beer cart is moving away from me, and I have to cut them off before they outrun my ability to catch them. Tracking the speed of a critter I would be hunting is excellent if I want to watch the animal rather than get my scope on the target.
This speed reading may be a good thing for photographers or video folks to know where to get a focus or change settings. The range on this unit is just over 500 yards, so this one is great on a golf course, looking up ranges to sand traps and finding pins. If this is used for shooting, it will work great with short-range shooting but fall short for long-range shooters. — Harry Thomas
Get it from Amazon now: $99.99 & FREE Returns
8. TideWe - Basic 1000 Yards
Highlight: 6x magnification and rechargeable battery.
Helpful review: This rangefinder has a sticky or grippy coating, which is very nice for not dropping in the rain. The other thing that I like about this unit is the focus-adjustable eyepiece. The first thing I like about this machine is the rechargeable battery. It uses the same USB-C as my phone, so I only need one charging cable handy. The next thing is the focus adjustment on the eyepiece. After that, the coating is sticky or grippy, which may be closer to the proper term.
THOUGHTS:
- The rangefinder uses a 6x magnification, so it is close when I look through it to find objects.
- The lens coatings work well and keep the target clear, so it is near and clear.
- The LCD readout is precise and clear.
- The range is fast and accurate within feet.
- The continuous scanning feature is great for targeting multiple targets.
- The readout allows me to call out ranges faster than my buddy could write them down.
If I had to find one thing I do not like, it would be how I have to press and hold the mode or power buttons to change functions. The only reason that would be an issue is if I were in a hurry to get to the next piece of information. On the other hand, if I accidentally push a button, the mode will not change unless I hold it to change. — Mike Russell
Get it from Amazon now: $99.99 & FREE Returns