Review – Leupold GX-1i and GX-2i Laser Rangefinders

Leupold GX-1i vs. GX-2i:  Slope or Nope

by Dave Wolfe

To slope or not to slope, that’s the question.

OK so I don’t know if it is really the question, but it is a question that you need to think about when shopping for a laser rangefinder. To make this decision, you need to consider the type of golf that you play and where you play that golf.

Is your home course flat or does it have lots of elevated tees and greens? Are you planning on using the laser in tournaments, or are you a casual player looking to get the most accurate distance numbers possible. “Slope or nope slope?” really should be a simple question to answer with a little golf game reflection.

Luckily most of the laser rangefinder companies offer their units in both with slope and nope-slope configurations. Slope or not, you can get the laser rangefinder that you need for your game. What I have for review today are Leupold’s new GX-1i and GX-2i laser rangefinders. The GX-1i is the no-slope unit, while the GX-2i will give you yardages calculated for slope. As you will see, the GX-2i can actually take more than just slope into account when giving you that distance that you are looking for.

 

Looks + Feel

The GX-1i and the GX-2i share the same basic body design. They both feature a very hand-friendly shape, with the smooth plastic base complementing the tacky rubber on the top. The only real cosmetic difference between the two units is that the GX-2i has a grey body, while the GX-1i’s is black. The lasers’ solid feel/ergonomics is also demonstrated by access to the buttons.

The seldom-used MODE button is in a place where you won’t hit it accidentally. The frequently pressed power button is right where you finger goes looking for it. It’s easy to find without having to see it.

 

Like the previously reviewed Leupold PinCaddie laser, the GX-1i and GX-2i units have a lanyard attachment sites, but you really won’t need a lanyard as these lasers also come with the excellent Leupold carrying case. The case is amazingly well designed in terms of utility.  The top is easy to open via a bungee/hook closure.  There are slots for the cleaning cloth (included) and an extra battery (just one battery is included).  The back has a hook to attach the case to your bag, as well as a loop to attach the case to your belt.

A very cool feature of both the GX-1i and GX-2i units is the ability to choose between seven different targeting reticules. The shapes range from a classic cross shape to a diamond, including many permutations of cross and diamond. I went with the Diamond Plex with Plus Point reticule.

Looks + Feel Score: 20/20

 

Performance

 

Ease of Use

The GX-1i is the paramount of ease. You press POWER to turn it on, and then press POWER again for your reading. If you want to get a variety of ranges, just hold down the button and sweep through targets. Easy. The rubber eye cup also easily folds down for use with glasses.

 

The GX-2i works fundamentally the same way, press POWER to turn on and again to range, but the set-up for all of its features is a bit more involved. You see, in addition to taking slope into account when calculating yardage, the GX-2i can also be calibrated to include temperature and course elevation into the overall yardage. This can be a huge help for the traveling golfer who plays in a variety of locations.

Now you don’t need to guess the yardage boost in the mountains, or loss at the ocean. The GX-2i can do that for you. Getting into the menus and changing the settings is a little challenging at first due to the navigation-restricting, two-button design of the unit, but gets easier with practice. There is also an included laminated card (that fits in the case) to guide you through the setting should you need a refresher.

 

On the Course

I was fortunate to have both of these units at the same time so I could truly compare them head to head. Truth be told, I did actually try to use them simultaneously. Sadly, simultaneous dual lasing was not successful…

 

GX-2i Calculated Yardages

The big differences between the two units is the fact that the GX-2i can give you a number that takes incline, temperature, and elevation into account. As I mentioned before, you will need to decide if this feature is useful to you based upon where you play.

I don’t typically play golf in non-slope laser situations (i.e. tournaments) and as such I appreciate the calculated number. Over the years of using sloped lasers, I think that this has helped my game. It’s educational to see the difference between the measured number and calculated number as I look up and down at greens. Now I find that if I am playing with a GPS or non-slope laser, I still have an idea about how to adjust my yardage due to slope laser training.

The temperature and elevation features on the GX-2i were not as useful to me as most of my golf occurs at the same elevation and relative temperature. Again, if you travel a bunch, this may be a huge boon to your game. If you are in Tahoe one week, and then Maui the next, then the chance to program in the temperature and elevation could be huge.

Going a bit on a tangent, the GX-2i got me thinking about the next generation laser tech. I envision a laser that can connect via Bluetooth to a small portable weather unit. This unit will measure temperature, elevation, humidity, and wind speed, sending all of this data to the laser. The laser then calculates the yardage based upon measured distance and sensor data. The weather unit could be mounted to a cart, your bag, your hat, or something. I like the image of golfers playing with little wind monitors spinning on their hats. Maybe you could even tell it what ball you are playing and it can take ball performance characteristics into account.

GX-2i Club Selector™

The GX-2i can also function as a digital caddy for the golfer, suggesting the correct club for a given distance. You first will need to input accurate distances for your 4, 6, and 8 irons. Once these are in, the GX-2i can then suggest what club to play when you take a range measurement. It can even tell you if you are in between clubs. Honestly, I’m not totally sure about the necessity of this feature. It seems like the golfer who is dedicated enough to buy a laser rangefinder will also likely know distances for each club.

Once you have the slope-adjusted range, you will likely already know the club to hit. Maybe this is a way that someone could learn what club to hit, like I learned how much to adjust for slope over the sloped-laser rounds. I just don’t know though.

Performance Score: 60/60

Value

So let’s get to the pricing.  The Leupold GX-1i comes in at a suggested retail price of $374.99, with the suggested price of the GX-2i being $439.99. A little bit of searching <cough> Amazon.com <cough> will turn up prices that are about $100 off of the MSRP. If we compare these units to the pricing of their competitors, both of the Leupold units are priced below other similar units from other brands. Outstanding value.

Value Score: 20/20

Overall Score: 100/100

Summary

The Leupold GX-1i and GX-2i are the best laser rangefinders of 2013. The GX-1i and GX-2i both met and exceeded every challenge and expectation that I could throw at them. I really could not find a single thing that was left wanting on either unit. You will need to decide if the features of the GX-2i warrant the extra cost, but that is really the only decision you need to make. One of these lasers will be hanging off of my bag for the remainder of 2013, and the Leupold GX-1i and GX-2i will be a tough act for rangefinder companies to top in 2014.