Best Golf Course GPS Units
AUTOSHOT - Round analyzer measures shot distances with auto-recording for post-round analysis on your Garmin Connect account.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In order to get, let's say hazards, you have to push the "OK" button to bring up the menu, press the up or down button to get to "HAZARDS," press OK button and it'll show you distances to hazards, if there is more than 1, you have to press the up or down button to look at each as it will only show 1 hazard at a time, then to get back to main screen you have to push the "BACK" button. When it's enabled, the watch knows you've just hit a shot and will ask you which club you just hit, so it can track it, it's also pretty good at figuring out which club you just hit and makes it the first choice, for example you hit a drive, the watch asks "driver?" It does take some getting used to to pressing buttons after EVERY shot, if you don't press anything and hit your next shot, no big deal, it'll still track your shot distance, but when you download info to Garmin connect it'll just show a ? Basically it says "the courses you play most often are updated automatically via the Garmin connect mobile app which by the way you must have in order to connect to bluetooth to get message notifications from your phone to the watch; it does not connect to bluetooth the traditional way, you must go through the app. SUMMARY: Good watch, some cool features if you don't mind pressing buttons all the time, at first it's frustrating because you will NOT remember to press the buttons after every shot, just part of the learning curve. Also, asked about being able to edit the club selection list for shot tracking and they said its not possible right now, but maybe with a future update."
"Here is my review: Opened the box and connected the S20 to my laptop via the included USB cable. I already have a Garmin account setup and the software on my computer because I also own a Vivoactive HR as my everyday activity tracker. When you walk onto the green it automatically pops up a prompt asking you to enter your score, number of putts, and whether you hit the fairway. My personal experience has been a great one so far, and I've thankful that it seems that Garmin has fixed the issues that seem to have plagued earlier firmware versions. I'm hoping that Garmin only improves the S20 and am looking forward to seeing what features they adding the future."
"One reason I purchased this watch was so I could measure my shot distances. This watch will measure shot distances, BUT scoring must be turned on! With scoring activated the watch will try to keep track of every shot, but it can't if you take a practice swing because it adds the practice swing to the total swings forcing you to correct the score. Much later in the instructions they tell you scoring must be turned on for measuring shot distance."
GolfBuddy VOICE GPS The GolfBuddy VOICE GPS is a technological marvel with unparalleled features and functions. Audio Distance Information (It tells you the distance). Audio Distance Information (It tells you the distance).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The laser rangefinders are definitely appealing, but the form factor and having to dig a large item out of your bag when you need to get the pin distance was a major drawback. I also looked at a bunch of the new GPS systems, but many of them almost had too many functions and features - enough that I knew I would be distracted during my golf round. Need the distance to the front or back of the green - press the button again for three seconds and it tells you. If you don't want the voice, you can just peek down at your belt and see the distance in big numbers on the display, which update in real-time as you walk. I suppose you could just as easily look down before and after you hit and then do a little math, but I still found this feature to be a big bonus. I still had half the battery life left, so I believe this could easily last two full rounds, especially since under normal conditions I wouldn't be activating it every single time I saw a yardage marker for comparison. This product is small, the clip is strong so you won't lose it, and it just plain works with an unobtrusive form factor that makes it a huge bonus. UPDATE: NOVEMBER 2015 -- Well, I have played about 300 rounds with the Golf Buddy, and it finally died."
"Some times, for curiosity, fun or to learn the distances on my new clubs, I set it to measure that.But once arrived at the ball, getting it to measure the next shot has proven to be challenging at best. I think it eventually gives up when even it figures I did not hit a shot 675 yards, as it will at some point allow me to measure again."
"I took the yardage to a tree behind the green and clubbed down, however, I misjudged it and went OB into the bushes behind the green. So, once I was playing on a course where the fairways were next to each other and I sliced a drive on the 7th hole (yeah, I admit it) into the fairway of the 8th hole. When I got there to hit my ball back to the 7th green, it thought I was playing the 8th and would only give me the yardage to that green. Once, even though I was in the treeline of one hole, it still thought I was playing the hole next to it."
The second generation to the best selling Voice, the Voice 2 comes with an increased battery life, shows the Front/Center/Back of the green, and is water resistant. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It reports the distance to the green (front, middle, and back), it talks to you in your choice of male or female voice, and most interestingly (for me at least), is that it displays an image of the green shape. The distance of your last shot is also reported."
"I live in Florida 1/2 the year and it has all the courses that are even private in 55+ communities."
"Works as advertised."
"To much snow up here in the frozen north, can hardly wait for spring."
"Helpful tool on the course."
"Easy t use and contains a ton of info on the golf courses."
"Should come with a wrist band."
Best Cycling GPS Units
Multiple Protections: Non-slip Rubber Grip Cradles of the Bicycle Phone Mount Secures Your Device All-around to Guard Against Any Accidental Falls.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Minutes after I installed it, I set off on a 35-mile ride north of San Francisco and was blown away by how much more helpful turn-by-turn cycling directions are when you can actually see the map."
"I was a little dubious at first but this thing really works, it clamps tight on the stem of my fat bike and the adjustable phone clamp grabs my wide 5.5 inch phone in place, the last piece is the stretchy orange rubber bands that wrap around the corner of your phone."
"This is a very versatile mount for holding your device while you ride your bike."
"My phone has stayed on through some bumpy bits of trail and the occasional bunny hop on my cyclocross bike which does not have shocks. Side note: I forgot to bring lights for a night rise and I was able to use my phone's flashlight with this mount to give me some light for the trail and to make myself known to traffic."
"It does work well and pretty securely clamps the phone in place."
"There is a small rubber insert inside the mount designed to help it fit snugly around bars, they should use a different type of rubber because the kind they use slips a little unless you crank down really, really hard."
"The only down side and the reason I’m not using it anymore is the rubber strap slides between the components and causes the mount to go into “swivel” mode."
"Other then that it will hold a phone well in a slim case."
Best Running GPS Units
Color: Black/Gray |. Style: Watch Only |. Configuration: New. Battery Life 11 Hours Training, 9 Days Watch, Activity Tracking, Notifications + Heart Rate.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With a brightly coloured strap, it could even look like a trendy time piece that doesn’t scream “FITNESS TRACKER!”. --HR recording--. I compared the HR data to that from a Polar H7 Bluetooth Smart HRM and the comparison is shown in the attached pictures. Finishing time. Features like training calendar and my workouts require that you log into Garmin Connect web and do some planning. The FR 235 allows the user to set interval distance, duration and time right from the watch device. As for finishing time, you just need to set a distance and go about your run while the FR235 will display roughly how fast you can complete the distance based on the current pace. The screen during activity tracking can be set to a total of 5 screens of which 2 can be further split into 4 data fields each. So in total you’re getting 4+4+1 (Heart rate) +1 (HR Zone gauge)+1 (Clock)= 11 stats to view during tracked activities. --Smart notifications—. The FR235 allows you to expand and read smart notifications or set the mode of alert, be it audio, vibration or both. --All day activity tracker—. The FR235 tracks steps, distance, calories burned, sleep, all day HR and intensity minutes but it doesn’t track number of stairs climbed due to the lack of a barometer. I was able to set alerts during a tracked activity session to buzz when I go beyond a certain HR. • Measure all day heart rate and heart rate during tracked activity sessions. • GPS+Glonass enabled with smart or per second tracking. • Vibration and audio enabled for smart notifications, alarms, move alerts. • Expand and read full messages on FR 235 display. • Pick up phone calls only. • Heavily customisable. • Garmin Connect IQ compatible for apps and watch face downloads. • VO2 Max score, Race time predictor, Recovery advisor. • Automatic laps for 1km/1 mile or customised. • Auto pause during tracked runs. • Interval run features. • Water resistant to 5 ATM. • Big screen that is not touch enabled. • Sunlight readable screen with back light. • Connect IQ compatible. • Reads lap number and time from Garmin Connect mobile app from connected smart phone. • Shows weather and calender events from smart phone. • Water resistant to 5 ATM. Cons. • Navigation on the FR235 takes getting used to. • No virtual pacer feature. --Updated 28th Jan 2016--. Well I had the watch for a while now."
"I was a runner through the Charge and Surge (GPS) but then had a knee injury and became a gym rat through the Blaze time period. This was an epic fail for me and although Fitbit customer service was awesome and replaced it under warranty, the new unit still did not work on GPS. It had a lot of bluetooth problems including not connecting often so that I could access music controls. It's also MUCH easier to download apps, widgets and watch faces connected to your computer than to your smart phone. I have read lots of reviews here that say this product has a bad hrm, but I have found that to be untrue. Since I have had many fitbits with this feature and experience with Polar heart rate straps (they cut my skin so I had to stop using them), I believe that the heart rate monitor is pretty reliable. It does not show the heart beat moving like the Blaze does, but that's minor and it does take a minute to update. Also, the Garmin does not let you know when you have reached your goal and that feature on the blaze was kind of cute. I wish they made small watch band sizes for women like me. Here is where I agree with the reviewer about making sure that you are buying this watch for the right reasons! -On the first night I had my Garmin, I was 100% sure I was going to return it because the set up process was such a pain in the butt. If Garmin could hire a Fitbit software engineer to sort out their IOS app, I would be a happy camper. I don't see any icon or any indicator that it is charging and I have to just come back in a few minutes to see if the percentage has changed. I charged it fully on Wednesday and then used it only during the day (turning it off at night) and it is Sunday now. I was very sad to leave Fitbit and I will probably go back if they ever come out with a Surge 2 that is not square (hate that look) so I can use their awesome app and do challenges with my friends and coworkers."
Best Handheld GPS Units
DUAL BATTERY SYSTEM Use with 2 traditional AA batteries, or the optional rechargeable NiMH battery pack that can be charged while inside the device.Weight 8.1 oz (230 g) with batteries.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Mainly, I wanted the much more finely detailed map of the US, but the built-in Bluetooth connectivity also seemed interesting and possibly useful. To even come close with the 64st, you have to turn off features like Bluetooth and GLONASS and use the display "battery saving" mode (which means the the screen is not on unless you press a key). To get around this, the manual suggests that you use (ultra high priced) lithium batteries. Even the user manual for the 64st is a minimalist document which appears to be designed to prevent you from finding how the 64st is supposed to work. Of course, since the device doesn't have most trails built in, the "calculation" always fails-- it never finds a route. I have had frequent trouble with the 64st including nonsense points in a track leading to absurd odometer readings. How hard would it be for the GPS to deduce that it is not possible to travel 24,000 miles per hour and ignore the spurious track point?"
"GARMIN real gives you the finger with there top maps. what I enjoyed about the app was. 1-the app is free. 2-the apps uses very detailed 10 ft elevation change USGS maps overlayed over your position. 4-due to the touch screen nature and the fact that the apps are designed for hunters they had convenient waypoint markers that could be used to designate tree stands, game cameras, trails etc. Luckily online you can find some very good FREE but limited 24K maps."