Cobalt Q-4 Rangefinder
Cobalt Golf is a newer brand with over twenty-five years in the rangefinder business amongst its team. With extensive experience around creating and marketing premium rangefinders, Cobalt Golf was established as a direct-to-consumer brand offering the very best technology and quality at a better price point. The new Cobalt Q-4 rangefinder offers a fully loaded device at a more affordable price point to appeal to more golfers whether serious or casual.
Out of the Box
Setting up the Cobalt Q-4 rangefinder is fairly intuitive. You really just have to work your way through the layers of packaging, remove the rangefinder from its case, then open the battery compartment to remove a plastic insert preventing the battery from “activating”. Then it’s pretty much point and shoot. On the left side of the device, there are three buttons to adjust yards/meters, display, and slope (on or off). No tricky combinations to press together and cycle through options. Really easy “one touch” kind of stuff.
One thing I will point out is that the display is very much on the small side so it’s pretty crucial that you get the “diopter focus” dialed in. I found that if it’s not perfect for your eye, reading output can be pretty difficult.
Additionally, the first thing you’ll find when you open the box is a small envelope on the top. The envelope contains the user manual as well as a cleaning cloth for the rangefinder’s lenses.
Features
There are a handful of useful features in the Cobalt Q-4 rangefinder. First, there’s a slope feature that’s easily engaged by a press of the button on the side. Slope being on will be indicated via a bright red light. For those that don’t know what slope is, it’s the distance to your target adjusted for elevation. Most tournaments will NOT allow slope to be used, so that’s why the red light indicator is key.
Another feature is the “Adaptive Contrast Display”. A single push of the display button allows you to choose between a black display or an automated red/black display which adjusts depending on the brightness of your environment. There’s a sensor in the Q-4 that automatically detects the brightness so the display can adjust accordingly. In darker settings, the display will automatically be red. If it’s brighter, it will display the output in black when in this “auto” setting.
Cobalt combines PinSense and Surge technologies for better locking onto targets. PinSense distinguishes the pin from trees or objects in the background. When locked onto that target, the Surge technology will return a vibration to let you know your distance is dialed. This feature is automatic and always on.
Also worth noting is that the Q-4 is waterproof with an IPX7 rating. Apparently this means “a device is durable enough to survive after being submerged in up to up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes.” Play it safe, don’t throw it in a lake.
On-Course Performance
The Cobalt Q-4 rangefinder is comfortable in your hand and returns its readings quickly and accurately. To determine this, I actually directly tested the Q-4 against Cobalt’s premium option, the Q-6 rangefinder. I’ve actually kept the Q-6 on my bag as my gamer since reviewing it last year so I’m comfortable in its performance. The distances measured were pretty much the same. The only difference I noticed was the Q-4 seemed to round up to the next whole number while the Q-6 returned decimal yardages. For me, this is absolutely fine.
The one criticism I have is that I’d like the digital output in the lens to be a little larger and more vivid. This is really good in the premium Q-6 making it easy to read in any situation and generally easy on the eyes. However, the Q-4’s display is a little small and faint in my opinion. While I don’t think it’s a deal breaker necessarily, I would prefer a stronger readout when picking up various yardages. A display that’s easier to read makes it a much quicker experience when using a rangefinder on the golf course.
Final Thoughts – Cobalt Q-4 Rangefinder
My experience with Cobalt Golf’s rangefinders has been positive. They are reliable and durable devices that perform just as well as many big name, household competitors. With the addition of the Q-4 to its lineup, Cobalt now has options for a wider range of golfers and their wallets. Players looking to spend more on a premium device can choose to go with the Q-6. Meanwhile, players looking to enjoy the benefits of a fully-loaded rangefinder without spending as much now have the option of the Q-4 rangefinder.
