Bushnell Neo XS vs Garmin S2 Golf Watch Reviews

bushnell neo xs vs garmin s2

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You might be having your own Bushnell NEO XS vs Garmin S2 debate. This is complicated by the fact that both of these golf watches do, in fact, have similar features. However, there are still enough subtle differences between them that the  debate is going to continue. It is also a debate worth having for the people who have to budget their golf equipment carefully. People just need to look at the important features in a golf watch in order to figure out which watch is better according to some objective standards. Of course, you might think that certain features are more important than others and you might make your decision accordingly.

Important Features in a Golf Watch

Having a lot of pre-loaded golf courses.

This is going to automatically give the golf watches significantly more use than they would have otherwise. People who want to be able to play golf at a lot of different locations will really benefit from having golf watches with a wide range of pre-loaded golf courses. Lots of golf gps watches will literally have tens of thousands of different pre-loaded golf courses. As such, people should not have to settle for the watches that have only a small selection of them.

Being easy to use.

You don’t want to have to struggle on the course just to use a golf watch. There are lots of different ways that golf watches can be easy to use. They can have features that make course recognition easier. They can be lightweight and easy to wear. They can have screens that are easy to read. One way or another, ease of use is a feature that you should really look for in a golf watch. This is one of the most subjective features that people can find, but people will know it when they see it.

Having a wide range of features and capabilities.

For a lot of people, paying for extra features is just worth it. They’re more than willing to accept higher costs if their watches have more capabilities. Other people don’t care as much about getting as many features as possible as long as the watches have the basic features that they need in order to get everything accomplished.

Some features and capabilities will be fairly straightforward. Something as simple as a digital scorecard can really help a lot of people when it comes to playing a better game. Other features are much more complicated and they more directly relate to course recognition. Still, plenty of golf watches have a lot of useful features that will make it easier for people to improve their performance.

Durability

Different customers are going to care about this more than others. Some customers are going to want to make upgrades to their devices often enough that durability just isn’t going to matter. However, durability is at least something to take into account. Durability is complicated in that a lot of different features go into determining durability. It’s several features in one.

Being rainproof and waterproof is part of the picture. People can only do so much in order to stop their golf watches from getting wet. They will also probably drop them at some point or another. The most durable watches will be resistant to water and to most falls. They’re never going to be completely incapable of damage, of course. However, people can at least get watches that are resistant to damages.

Bushnell Neo XS vs Garmin S2 Features Comparison

Bushnell NEO XS

  • Total of 33,000 available courses or more; people should be able to find many courses all around the world.
  • Lightweight; 1.8 ounces
  • ​Rechargeable batteries
  • Waterproof
  • ​Rainproof
  • Resistant to falls
  • Durable
Bushnell NEO XS Golf GPS Rangefinder Watch, Black
  • Easy-to-read front/center/back distances; hazard/layup distances (up to 4 per hole)
  • Long battery life provides over 3 rounds of golf between charges or 2-year battery life when used in watch mode
  • Comes with USB charging/sync cable for easy charge or course updates and quick-start guide; one-year limited warranty

Garmin Approach S2 

  • Total of 30,000 courses.
  • Lightweight; 1.8 ounces
  • ​Capable of instant course recognition
  • ​Rechargeable batteries
  • Wide range of features
  • ​Digital scorecard; people can keep track of their golf scores in a convenient format
  • Waterproof
  • Rainproof
  • Resistant to falls
  • Durable
Garmin Approach S2 GPS Golf Watch with Worldwide Courses (Black)
  • Preloaded worldwide courses (over 30,000 courses worldwide) and free lifetime course updates
  • Battery life up to 3 weeks (watch mode); up to 8 hours (GPS mode)
  • High-sensitivity GPS receiver for stronger signal strength and improved tracking under trees

Conclusion

Bushnell NEO XS vs Garmin S2 debate is somewhat complicated. These two watches are ultimately very similar. There are certain features that neither of them have and that a lot of similar products have, in fact. Most of the advanced features that one watch has is a feature that the other watch has as well, which further complicates the debate. These two watches are certainly similar in terms of their resistance to the elements and their resilience, which is a powerful and important feature in its own right.

However, a digital scorecard might be enough of a deal-breaker for some people, in which case the Garmin S2 is the better choice. Other people might prefer to have more pre-loaded golf courses, in which case the Bushnell NEO XS is the better choice. However, both watches will ultimately be good choices and people should not worry about making some mistake by choosing either of them.

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