An explosion in golf's popularity in recent years means we're now seeing more budget-friendly golf equipment. We've never seen as many brands fiercely compete for the custom of players who are at the beginning of their love affair with the game but likely don't want to splash on hundreds of dollars on equipment, especially when it comes to gadgets.
With more competition comes more choice for the consumer - we've never had this number of genuinely useable budget rangefinders to choose from. Ten years ago it felt like you had to pay north of $200 for a device you could trust to give you accurate yardages, whereas now you don't even need to spend half of that to get your hands on a reliable device.
When I take a cheap rangefinder out for testing, I find myself almost more excited than when I test something three or four times the price. As I took the Cigman CT-1200PRO rangefinder onto the first tee at Royal County Down for testing, I was hoping to find a diamond in the rough and I wasn't left disappointed.
The theme of the day was set as I unboxed the CT-1200PRO. If you've read any of my previous reviews, you'll know I take the quality of a carry case very seriously. Especially with cheap rangefinders, brands often look to cut costs by skimping on the carry case, but Cigman has delivered one that is genuinely good quality, even if it is a little basic looking (do we really care what it looks like?). It's hard-shelled, so offers actual protection to your device, and was easy to access as it sat attached to the side of my bag.
Given the price of this device ($89.99 at the time of writing), I was half expecting the laser to feel a little cheap in my hands. Although it doesn't have the same build quality as one of the best golf rangefinders, it certainly doesn't feel cheap. It's lightweight but doesn't feel flimsy in your hands. Though it doesn't match the likes of the Bushnell A1-Slope or the MGI Sureshot SlimPRO in this regards, it's worth noting those are two of the best lasers I've tested over the last 12 months of similar size and they cost comfortably more than double the price.
Considering the price, this is a feature-rich device. The inclusion of a slope functionality is a welcome one and a range of 1200 yards is an impressive feat. Other modes are available and switching between slope, flag lock, scan, and speed modes is a breeze thanks to this rangefinder's best feature - the external side display. This small screen sets this device apart from competing models on the lower end of the price scale and is one I found very useful, especially as someone who often forgets the yardage he just shot roughly 1.5 second ago.
Not only does this display show you your yardage as a reminder, it also allows you to flick between modes as well as shows your playing partners when you're utilizing the slope mode - a green outline on the screen indicates this, giving transparency to your playing partners to show you aren't using slope in competition play.
The display is solid but not amazing, which is understandable given the price. I never had an issue shooting the flag and acquiring my yardage which proved accurate when I compared them to my 'gamer' device I use week-to-week. However, flicking between the two devices did open my eyes to the difference in clarity of each display. I keep banging on about the price, but it was inevitable this laser wouldn't match a device three times its price in every category.
Other pleasing features include solid battery life that allows 20,000 actuations on a full charge, a water resistant build to protect it against light showers and a lightning fast response after you lock in on your target which Cigman claim is only 0.5 of a second - I don't doubt it.
I think this rangefinder is perfect for the beginner player or golfers who play sparingly and want a reliable rangefinder that won't break the bank. If you're like me, play multiple times a week and compete competitively, be that in a club competition or further afield, I think paying a little more for a device with a clearer display is worth it. However, I also understand golf is a very expensive sport to play and one of the areas in which you can save money in with your distance measuring device - if you decide to do this, the Cigman CT-1200PRO should be high on your list of options.
