Ernest Sports ESB1 vs Garmin Approach G82
Ernest Sports ESB1 is the cheaper unit by $325. Ernest Sports ESB1 has no required subscription.
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Reasons to pick Ernest Sports ESB1
- Costs $1,374.97 less over 3 years with required subscriptions counted ($275 vs $1,649.97)
- No required subscription (vs $99.99/yr)
- Lefty + righty households: both hit from the same spot
Reasons to pick Garmin Approach G82
- Officially supports GSPro, E6 Connect, and more (the other doesn't)
| Ernest Sports ESB1 | Garmin Approach G82 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ✓$275 | $600 |
| Tracking tech | Radar (doppler) | Radar (doppler) |
| Placement | Behind the golfer | Beside the ball |
| Min ceiling | 9 ft | 9 ft |
| Min depth | 18 ft | 18 ft |
| Indoor/outdoor | both | both |
| Ball requirements | any | any |
| Measured data | 4 — Ball Speed, Club Speed, Spin Rate, Launch Angle | ✓8 — Ball speed, Club speed, Smash factor, Swing tempo, Carry distance, Putting stroke length, Putting tempo, Putting ball speed |
| Sim software | ES Range App | E6 Connect, GSPro, Awesome Golf, Garmin Golf |
| Sim platforms | — | ✓GSPro, E6 Connect, Awesome Golf |
| Subscription | ✓None required | Garmin Golf membership ($99.99/yr) for aerial imagery + green contour; basic GPS + launch metrics free. Third-party sim subscriptions separate. |
| Verdict | Legacy budget unit — superseded by PRGR/R10 at this price; included for comparison completeness. | 2026 GPS handheld with a built-in radar + 5" touchscreen — a range-warmup launch monitor with putting metrics, sim-capable via E6/GSPro. |
✓ marks the better value on rankable specs (lower price, fits smaller rooms, more measured data, no required subscription). Greyed rows are identical.
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