Garmin S12 Vs Garmin S42 Comparison And Review 2021

New Golf GPS watches come out every year and when the manufacturer is Garmin, people will do well to stand up and take note.

The Garmin S12 is the entry level watch for Garmin which is the upgrade on the S10. It has a black and white face with high resolution and an almost never ending battery life.

The Garmin S42 was released in S42 as the Mid Level premium golf watch from Garmin which replaces the S40 which was only released in 2020.

Garmin S12 Overview

 With all the advanced features of the more premium watches, it comes as no surprise that there is a substantial market too for a more stripped down watch that costs less and performs the basic functions just as well.

That is exactly what you get with the Garmin S12. It as a smaller .9″ x .09″ black and white screen and shows distances to the front/middle and back of the green as well as offering a green views for more exact distances.

There is no fancy features or advanced fitness tracking but the battery will last 20 hours in GPS mode or around 6 rounds. There is nothing worse than running out of battery mid round on a premium watch.

You get the full array of 42,000 courses, expected from Garmin and this watch is as fast and accurate as any on the market.

You get auto shot distance tracking, a digital scorecard and a free subscription to the very useful Garmin App which tracks your progress over time.

The looks too have got a good upgrade from the S10 and you can wear this watch all the time or just for golf if that suits better.

Perfect for a budget option or less tech savy players who dont want all the extra features and consider them excessive.

Garmin S42 Overview

Garmin raised more than a few eyebrows in 2021 when they brought out the successor to the S40 which itself, only came out in 2020.

Even more bizarre about the S42 is that it is almost the exact same watch as the S40 and even comes in 1 less color.

The S42 does improve on the S40 in that the design is a little bit more rugged, the glass is sturdier and the battery life has been extended to 15 hours, in line with the Garmin S62, the heavyweight king of golf Gps watches that is unmatched in the market.

The S42 boasts a 1.2″ x 1.2″ color touchscreen which shows any distance on the hole you are playing.

There is green view with manual pin positioning as well as distances to hazards and dog legs.

If you were waiting for a heart monitor, you will be disappointed, it is still only available in the S62.

You get Tru swing, a handicap based scorecard, step counters and compatibility with the CT10 sensors.

Overall, very similar to the S40 and if you can get the S42 for the same price it is worth the cost for the extra battery life. The S12 is a quality investment and the S62 is the best on the market. the S42 falls somewhere in the middle for us.