5 Reasons to Still Buy the Garmin R10

Are you looking for a launch monitor that gives you great data, built-in simulation, all without breaking the bank? The Garmin R10 delivers that and more. In today's video, I’m going to show you how it measures up, who it’s right for, and the 5 big reasons why you should buy the Garmin R10.

Every product category has a tipping point. For affordable launch monitors, the R10 was it. Before Garmin showed up, your choices were brutal: Spend thousands or accept junk data.

Seriously, guys, that’s how it was.

The R10 broke that wall down, and four years later, it’s still going strong.

That matters. In a space now filled with newer names and unproven models, the R10 has what they don’t: a track record.

Plus, I mean, it’s Garmin. Like, we all know Garmin makes gear that lasts. We all know it’s a huge company doing things way more important than golf. We all know the engineering power they have behind their products. So there’s a level of trust and an understanding that this product is built to last.

The R10 has aged into a proven tool. If you’re wary of being a beta tester for the latest gadget, the R10’s history is a huge selling point.

And let’s not understate this: The R10 basically created the legitimate under-$1,000 launch monitor category. The Rapsodo MLM2PRO? The SC4 Pro? The Square? They’re all chasing a market Garmin opened up. So when you buy an R10 today, you’re buying the device that made affordable launch monitors a real thing.

If history matters to you, this reason alone is compelling. The R10 is the device that made every one of its competitors possible.

One of the easiest traps when comparing launch monitors is to obsess over feature lists. But in the real world, reliability matters more than specs on a webpage. And outdoors, in my experience, the R10 is the most dependable of the sub-$1,000 group.

It almost never misses shots. It handles both mats and real grass without any issues. Alignment is simple. In general, compared to the finicky setups of some competitors, the Garmin R10 is refreshingly idiot-proof.

I don’t know about you, but when I bring a launch monitor out to the range, I just want it to work. I don’t want to have to screw around with an in-depth setup, and I don’t want to have to worry about missed shots. I just want simple reliability. And that’s one of the main reasons that I still grab the R10 as much as any other launch monitor if I just want quick outdoor numbers.

The R10’s size is also a big factor when it comes to outdoor use. It’s only as big as a deck of cards, so it’s more portable than any of the other affordable launch monitors. That’s definitely nice when you want to grab and go. The carrying case that is included is pretty bulky, but because the device is so small, it’s easy to toss directly into your golf bag for quick storage.

Even if you buy a launch monitor mainly for practice, sooner or later you’ll want to fire up some sim golf. And the R10 has one of the best ecosystems in the affordable space.

Out of the box, you get five E6 iOS courses for free. But the real kicker is the third-party compatibility list, which includes GSPro, E6 Connect, Awesome Golf, Creative Golf, and TGC 2019. That’s basically a whole buffet of third-party options. You’re not locked into one choice.

Then there’s Garmin’s own Home Tee Hero, which is a video-game-style sim software with more than 42,000 courses. Yes, it requires the Garmin Golf Membership, which costs $99 a year, but it’s fun and really addictive. Being able to tee it up on a cartoon version of your home course is pretty cool.

The R10 really is one of the most versatile choices for sim golf without requiring a ton of extra spending.

I’m not going to call the R10’s data and shot-reading perfect, but it’s better than it has any right to be for $599. It measures four metrics directly — ball speed, club speed, launch angle, and launch direction — and calculates the rest. But I gotta say, those calculations are impressively accurate.

Carry distances are solid. Ball and club speeds are very trustworthy. Indoors, you’re only going to get accurate spin if you use Titleist RCT balls. But with them, accuracy is impressive for the price.

What makes the Garmin R10 stand out in 2025 is that it still gives you a full 20-metric suite of data. Not watered down, not a teaser for a paid upgrade. Smash factor, apex, spin axis, face-to-path, attack angle — it’s all there. Is some of it estimated? Yes. But is it useful for game improvement? Definitely!

And don’t overlook how that compares to some of its rivals. The Square offers an impressive data set, but it leaves out some of the biggies like clubhead speed and smash factor. The SC4 Pro got a nice upgrade with spin metrics, but it’s still not as complete as the R10’s list. The MLM2PRO data is definitely impressive, especially now that they’ve added club path and angle of attack, but it’s also more expensive than the R10, both upfront and in ongoing subscription fees.

For a launch monitor that costs only $600, the R10’s data completeness is still tough to top.

Guys, this might be the biggest reason of all to still buy the R10. If you’re already wearing a Garmin watch, or using one of their handheld GPS devices, or one of their rangefinders, then it makes a lot of sense to go all in on Garmin. They’ve got a complete ecosystem, and through the Garmin Golf app, you can keep all of your data from all of your devices in one app.

None of the other affordable launch monitors can compete with this in any way. The MLM2PRO, the Square, the SC4 Pro… Those devices don’t have any compatibility with other golf tech.

You can even join global tournaments and compare numbers with friends through the Garmin golf app. Having access to that larger network might be a draw for some people.

And here’s the intangible part: The Garmin name. This is a brand golfers know and trust. Buying an R10 doesn’t feel like a gamble. It feels like a safe investment in a company that’s been delivering golf tech for decades.

Here’s the truth: Competition has caught up. The Rapsodo MLM2PRO has better built-in camera features. The Square is the new indoor accuracy darling. The SC4 Pro has a slick built-in display.

And yet… the Garmin Approach R10 is still here, still selling like crazy, still the most popular budget launch monitor of all time.

Why?

Because it threads the needle better than anything else. It’s easy to use, reliable outdoors, versatile as a simulator, and backed by a brand golfers trust. For most people, most of the time, it just works.

If you’re a golfer who wants one launch monitor to handle the range, indoor sim play, and data-driven practice, and you don’t want to spend more than $600 on hardware, the R10 is still your safest bet. It’s not perfect, but it delivers across the board.

And I’ll give you a bonus reason to buy the R10. It’s just fun. Not very long ago, I brought my R10 over to a buddy’s house. We fired it up in his backyard, playing Home Tee Hero, and it was awesome. Just super easy to set up for a casual sim round. Totally reliable. Nothing complicated. It delivers the good times.

So if you’re asking whether the R10 is still worth buying in 2025, my answer is simple: yes. It might not win every head-to-head category anymore, but as an all-around package, it’s still one of the smartest buys in golf tech.

Are you still using an R10? Or considering buying one? Or have you made the jump to one of its newer competitors? Drop your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to hear your take or questions.

Thank you so much for watching. If you’d please do me a favor and hit that like button, I’d appreciate it. And if you got something out of this video and want more content like it, please consider subscribing to the channel. Thanks again. I’ll see you out on the course.