Best Budget Golf Rangefinders 2022

Best Budget Golf Rangefinders

If you’re a golfer and don’t have a rangefinder in the bag, you’re missing out on a chance to improve your game. Rangefinders offer significant advantages on the course by helping you hit shots with more confidence, improving your course management, and learning the distances you hit each of your clubs, all of which will lead to lower scores.

For some golfers, cost can be an obstacle when it comes to purchasing a rangefinder, but that shouldn’t be the case, as there are plenty of quality, affordable options to be found. In this guide, we break down our picks for the best budget golf rangefinders currently on the market, all of which can be had for less than $275 and many for significantly less. If you’ve been on the fence about getting a rangefinder or need to replace an old device without breaking this bank, use the information below to make a great choice for your game.

Best Budget Golf Rangefinders

The TecTecTec KLYR rangefinder has been one of the standout products we have tested in 2022 and it's one of the best golf laser rangefinders regardless of price. It has a compact, lightweight design that makes it easy to handle, and it excelled on the course in terms of speed and accuracy when retrieving yardages. It has incredibly vibrant display optics and comes with a magnet that you can use to attach the device to a golf cart during play or to a belt clip that is provided. The KLYR also has slope functionality that can be turned off for tournament play and a scan mode that allows players to shoot multiple targets at one time. The device is not waterproof but it comes with a sturdy carrying case for protection, and it’s available in yellow, black, and white.

Read our full TecTecTec KLYR Laser Rangefinder Review (opens in new tab)

Blue Tees hasn’t been around for all that long but in a short time the company has made a nice splash in the rangefinder market. The Series 3 Max rangefinder in particular has been a highly successful product by offering golfers all of the functionality that they would expect from a top rangefinder at a price point that’s significantly lower than some competitors. In fact, it's one of the best golf rangefinders with slope on the market price point aside. In our testing, the Series 3 Max provided incredibly clear optics in all light conditions and returned yardages instantaneously. The device’s slope functionality can also be turned on and off easily using a switch, making it legal for tournament play, and for the money this rangefinder, which is available in navy, pink, and black, looks especially sharp.

Read our full Blue Tees Series 3 Max Laser Rangefinder Review (opens in new tab)

When we initially tested the Voice Caddie L5 rangefinder, what stood out most was its simplicity, and we mean that in a good way. This device is just very easy to understand and use on the golf course, which we believe most golfers would appreciate. That’s not to say that the Voice Caddie L5 doesn’t have ample functionality, however. Included among its features are two modes, Normal and Pin, to help you get the correct yardage, as well as slope functionality to give you actual and adjusted yardages. We were also impressed with the clarity of this device’s display, and its compact size makes it easy to handle while playing. One downside to the L5 is that yardages are not offered in meters, but otherwise this is a great product and a great value. 

Read our full Voice Caddie L5 Laser Rangefinder Review (opens in new tab)

The GolfBuddy Laser Lite, which received a Golf Monthly Editor's Choice award for 2022, retrieves yardages in less than a second and vibrates when the target is locked. It also offers slope functionality and has three unique modes for players to use. Normal mode enables you to get a distance for anything you aim at, scan mode allows you to move between multiple targets with each distance being displayed, and pin mode helps you better identify the flag when there are obstacles behind it. In our testing, we found normal mode to be highly effective and pin mode to be excellent, but the scan mode seemed somewhat redundant given the other available options. Finally, the Laser Lite weighs just 143 grams and offers IPX4 Level water resistance, a rarity for a rangefinder at this price point.

Read our full GolfBuddy Laser Lite Review (opens in new tab)

As our other equipment guides have proven, we have become fans of Inesis gear of late and the same can be said of this rangefinder. Competitively priced, this device boasts slope functionality and a slope switch to easily turn the feature off for tournament play. We also tested the Inesis Golf 900 rangefinder against a more expensive device and we found it more than kept up in terns of accuracy and ease of use. Also of note, First Target technology isolates the flag and measurements are confirmed by vibration. The device is also accurate to +/- 1 yard and can measure in yards or meters. The display optics are also impressive and a sturdy carrying case is included for added protection.

Read our full Inesis Golf 900 Laser Rangefinder Review (opens in new tab)

One of the first things we noticed when testing the Nikon Coolshot 20 GII was its lightweight, compact design, which makes the device easy to operate on the golf course. It also proved to be very quick in displaying yardages, and the display optics were quite clear, exceeding our expectations for a device at this price point. The Nikon Coolshot 20 GII also features a proprietary algorithm that measures the distance to the closest of overlapping subjects to pick out the flag and other targets more easily, and it can also measure continuously for up to eight seconds when scanning the terrain, both of which were excellent attributes during our testing. In terms of its aesthetics, this Nikon rangefinder also looks quite sharp with its contrasting white and black colors.

Read our full Nikon Coolshot 20 GII Laser Rangefinder Review (opens in new tab) 

The Gogogo Sport Vpro stands out as one of the best values in the rangefinder category, as for less than $100 you can get a device that is fast and accurate, as well as good from longer ranges. The Vpro offers 6x magnification and clear optics, as well, providing a quality user experience. Equally impressive at this price point is that it also provides slope functionality to give golfers actual and adjusted yardages on the course. If there’s one knock to be had when it comes to the device it would be that it’s not among the most durable rangefinders on the market, but at this price point you’re going to have to expect some sacrifices, and the ones being made here are not performance related.

There might not be a laser rangefinder on the market currently that offers as much functionality at such a low price as the Mileseey Professional. It has slope functionality, a pin lock feature, range to 660 yards, and it’s waterproof, the latter of which is incredibly rare at this price point. The ergonomic design of the Mileseey Professional makes it easy to use when playing and its optics exceed expectations when it comes to clarity as well. It also comes with a sturdy carrying case for protection. The biggest issue with this device is that the slope function cannot be turned off, so it won’t be legal for tournament play. But for casual rounds at your home club, this is a great, affordable option. 

How we test for the best budget golf rangefinders

At Golf Monthly we have a comprehensive testing procedure around all laser rangefinders. As you would expect, this involves using different models out on the course over a number of rounds and in different conditions, as this gives us an idea about how particular models deal with sunlight, rain, and wind. 

As the entire review team is comprised of avid golfers, rangefinders usually get a thorough testing and often get compared to one another side by side for things like accuracy, waterproofing, durability, and other features. That way we can give honest and insightful feedback to you, the reader. The final thing we wanted to mention in this section is no manufacturer can buy a good review. Our testing team reviews golf equipment and provides its own opinion as it relates to a product's merits. 

How to choose the best budget golf rangefinder

So you have decided you want a laser rangefinder that falls into the budget category, but what are some of the things you should be aware of before buying? Let's take a look.

Accuracy - This is the most important factor when buying a laser. If it isn't accurate, it is pointless because it will provide misinformation which could lead to you playing the wrong club and a bogey or two may ensue. Accuracy is what usually separates the models we have selected above, and the ones you can find on Amazon, so be wary of how inconsistent and unreliable some very cheap models can be.

Slope - Do you want your model to offer slope measurements too? If so check out the technical specifications of certain models. Always be careful here though, because if a model is not clear on whether it is in slope mode or not, if you use it in competition you could be in trouble. 

Waterproofing - A good laser will work just as well in the rain as it will in the sun, which makes waterproofing important. Here we would recommend doing research on which models offer full waterproof protection, and those that are only water-resistant as that can be a big difference especially if you play a lot of golf in the rain.

Strength - Linking with the above point, good lasers have to be able to sustain a drop or two because we all drop things every now and again. Here, check out which models have some degree of impact resistance, and be sure to check if the laser comes with a case because lots of models come with strong cases that conveniently clip onto your golf bag now.

Convenience - Speaking of convenience, lasers have to be quick and easy to use. Get it out, measure the flag, put it away in its case. If a laser is complicated or takes a while to display a measurement, then it adds time rather than saves it. To work this out, we would often recommend trying out some models in retailers and pro shops.