There’s a lot of dull greys, blacks and whites in the laser rangefinder market. No design has brought much joy to my life since I started testing the best rangefinders, until I opened up the new Pinned Prism+ laser a few weeks ago.
At £199 ($249), it falls right on the precipice of mid-priced in the laser rangefinder market. If anything, it sits on the cheaper side, considering the price of the likes of the Bushnell A1 Slope and the ridiculous Mileseey GenePro S1 I tested earlier this year. That being said, this product looks, feels and performs like a rangefinder double its price.
I’ll start with the looks, which really set this apart from the rest of the market. I chose it in my favourite green colourway, but there are six other colours to choose from, including red, navy, black, pink and white. Even the ‘Pinned’ font has a charm to it that no other rangefinder I’ve tested can boast. There is a built-in magnet too, which allows it to clip seamlessly to the side of a ride-on cart, but it’s been cleverly disguised in the device rather than being obviously signposted like it is on so many other devices.
Then there’s the quality. There’s a certain heft to the Prism+ that gives it a premium feel in the hand. The slightly textured material over the bulk of the device is a neat design cue, and even the premium unboxing experience resembles that of an Apple product rather than a £200 laser.
The carry case is one of the best I’ve ever used. It comes in a matching block colour to the device you choose and uses a fully magnetic closure system that is a joy to use. It makes it much quicker to access the device, and it feels all the more premium for it. It’s classy touches like this that, quite honestly, put the vast majority of similar and more expensive rangefinders to shame at its £199 ($249) price point. Pinned has shown the world that a premium, quality and charming device can be made and marketed at a much more reasonable price than its competitors.
My enjoyment of the Prism+ didn’t stop at how it’s designed; the performance stacks up, too. The highlight is, without a doubt, the 4K OLED display. It’s unbelievably clear and uses red graphics that really pop out in all light conditions. The 7x magnification is as much as you can get on the market, too, giving you a very clear and precise vision of what is up ahead of you. I’d have liked the option to change the colour of the graphics, like you get on the ShotScope Pro ZR, but I’m nitpicking here.
Target acquisition was quick, and a vibration through the device lets you know when you’ve got your target. There are slope-adjusted distances available, too, which can be toggled on and off for tournament play. None of these specific features make the Prism+ special - I’d expect them on any decent laser - but it all comes together to round off this stylish and premium package nicely.
Pinned claim a battery life of 70 rounds. I haven't used it anywhere near enough to test this yet (that's 18 months of golf for me), but I trust this is the case and the USB-C rechargeable battery shouldn’t take long to recharge when you do eventually run it flat. Cleverly, the device turns itself off when not is use to save battery life. The only thing I found that was perhaps missing was a scan mode, which I like to use quite often, but otherwise, there isn’t much you're left wanting for this device.
Overall, this laser has quickly become one of my favourites. Its charming and unique design is coupled with high-quality features and a crystal clear display. That it retails for £199 ($249) is just the cherry on top of the cake and is proof that a quality product can be made at a much more reasonable price.
