| General | |
| Manufacturer | Garmin |
| Type | Golf GPS watch |
| Series | Approach |
| Released | 16 March 2021 |
| Price at launch | USD 299.99 |
| Predecessor | Approach S40 |
| Successor | Approach S44 |
| Sizes | 43mm |
| Colours | Polished silver with white band, rose gold with light sand band, gunmetal with black band |
| Part number | 010-02572-01 |
Specifications and features as at launch. Garmin has discontinued the Approach S42 and lists it under previous models, so stock is now whatever retailers still hold.
Jump to: Expert opinion | What the S44 adds | Specifications | Battery life | Features | Activity profiles | Quick answers | Further reading
Expert opinion
The S42 is the last Approach watch built around a memory-in-pixel screen, and that is the main reason to still want one. The transflective display gets easier to read as the sun gets stronger, so it stays clear at midday on an exposed links course, and it delivers 15 hours of golf without the screen compromises an AMOLED watch has to make. Garmin replaced it with the Approach S44 in January 2025, which keeps the same 43mm case and the same battery figures on a 390 by 390 AMOLED panel.
The other reason is wrist fit. Two of the three colourways take a strap that closes down to 106mm, which is a genuinely small fit, and no current Approach watch offers it. The S44 ships one strap starting at 125mm.
Against that, the golf software has moved a long way since 2021. The S42 has no PlaysLike distance at all, with or without a Garmin Golf membership, so it cannot adjust a yardage for elevation. It has no PinPointer for blind shots, no full vector hole maps and no touch targeting. What it does give is the core set most golfers use on most holes: yardages to the front, middle and back, layups and doglegs, hazards, Green View with a manual pin, AutoShot shot distances and the scorecard. Green contour data needs the membership.
There is no heart rate sensor and no Pulse Ox, so daily tracking stops at steps, calories, distance and sleep. It connects over Bluetooth alone, which means course updates arrive through the phone and no external sensors pair to it. It is also the last Approach to work with TruSwing, and it uses the older CT10 club sensors rather than the CT1 tags.
Availability is now the deciding factor. Garmin has stopped selling the S42, there is no Amazon listing for it in Germany or the United States, and the one UK listing is a third-party seller asking £249, which is more than a new S44 costs. That leaves very little room for the S42 unless a used one turns up cheaply, or the small wrist fit is the thing you need.
Garmin Approach S44
Essential course yardages on a bright AMOLED screen for golfers who want the numbers and nothing else.
RRP $299.99
£259.00, €278.49
- use code:
Get it nowOrder now – Garmin Approach S44 Also sold direct by
Garmin Approach S50
Golf yardages plus heart rate, sleep and training tracking in a 29g watch you can wear all week.
What the Approach S44 adds
Hardware
- 1.2 inch AMOLED touchscreen at 390 x 390 pixels, against 240 x 240 on the S42’s memory-in-pixel panel
- Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens and an anodised aluminium bezel
- 4GB of storage, against 64MB
- Slightly slimmer and lighter at 11.4mm and 42g, against 11.7mm and 43g
- GLONASS and Galileo alongside GPS
Software
- PinPointer direction to the pin on blind shots
- PlaysLike distance, full vector hole maps and touch targeting, all with a Garmin Golf membership
- Approach CT1 club tags alongside the CT10 sensors
- Swing tempo, incident detection and assistance, and a device passcode
- Intensity minutes and Move IQ
The S42 keeps two things the S44 does not have. It works with TruSwing, which Garmin dropped from the newer model, and it offers the 106 to 176mm small wrist fit on two colourways.
Specifications
| Display | |
| Size | 1.2 inch (30.4mm) |
| Type | Sunlight-visible transflective memory-in-pixel, colour |
| Resolution | 240 x 240 pixels |
| Lens | Chemically-strengthened glass |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Physical | |
| Case size | 43mm |
| Dimensions | 43.4 x 43.4 x 11.7mm |
| Weight | 43g |
| Bezel material | Metal |
| Strap material | Silicone, 20mm QuickFit quick release |
| Wrist fit | 106 to 176mm on polished silver and rose gold, 125 to 202mm on gunmetal |
| Water rating | 5 ATM |
| © the5krunner. Link required. | |
| Sensors and positioning | |
| GPS | GPS |
| Heart rate | None |
| Other sensors | Gyroscope, accelerometer |
| Connectivity and storage | |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth Smart |
| Storage | 64MB |
| Music | None |
| Maps | 43,000 preloaded golf courses with automatic CourseView updates. Green contour data needs a Garmin Golf membership |
| Charging | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
Battery life
Garmin rates the S42 on default display settings. The memory-in-pixel screen is always on, so there is no gesture wake-up trade-off to make.
| Mode | Battery life |
|---|---|
| Smartwatch | Up to 10 days |
| GPS | Up to 15 hours |
| © the5krunner. Link required. | |
Features
Feature explanations are covered in the relevant the5krunner Garmin features hub.
Prepare
- Step counting with auto goal and move alerts
- Calories burned, distance travelled and sleep tracking
- TrueUp
- Hydration and women’s health logging in Garmin Connect
Perform
- 43,000 preloaded courses with automatic CourseView updates
- Yardages to the front, middle and back of the green, and to layups and doglegs
- Hazards and course targets, and custom targets
- Green View with manual pin position
- Garmin AutoShot, with Approach CT10 club tracking through accessories
- TruSwing compatible
- Digital scorecard with handicap scoring and stat tracking for strokes, putts, greens and fairways
- Round timer and odometer
- Tournament legal for sanctioned events
- Green contour data with a Garmin Golf membership
- GPS speed and distance, with Auto Pause and Auto Lap
Connect
- Smart notifications, calendar and weather forecasts
- Find My Phone
- Pairs with the Garmin Golf app for strokes gained analysis, leaderboards and tournaments
- Garmin Connect for activity history
Activity profiles
| Category | Profiles |
|---|---|
| Golf | Golfing |
| Running | Running, Indoor Track Running |
| Cycling | Biking, Indoor Biking |
Garmin Approach S44
Essential course yardages on a bright AMOLED screen for golfers who want the numbers and nothing else.
RRP $299.99
£259.00, €278.49
- use code:
Get it nowOrder now – Garmin Approach S44 Also sold direct by
Garmin Approach S50
Golf yardages plus heart rate, sleep and training tracking in a 29g watch you can wear all week.
Quick answers
When was the Garmin Approach S42 released?
Garmin released the Approach S42 on 16 March 2021 at USD 299.99. It is now discontinued and sits under previous models on Garmin’s site.
Is the Approach S42 waterproof?
Approach S42 has a water rating of 5 ATM.
Does the Approach S42 have PlaysLike distance?
No. Approach S42 cannot adjust yardages for elevation, with or without a Garmin Golf membership. PlaysLike arrived on later models, so the Approach S44 and S50 are the cheapest routes to it.
Does the Approach S42 have a heart rate sensor?
No. Approach S42 has no wrist heart rate and no Pulse Ox sensor, so it tracks steps, calories, distance and sleep and nothing further.
What size wrist does the Approach S42 fit?
The polished silver and rose gold versions fit wrists from 106 to 176mm, and the gunmetal version fits 125 to 202mm. The 43mm case is 11.7mm thick and weighs 43g.
How long does the Approach S42 battery last?
Garmin rates Approach S42 for up to 10 days as a smartwatch and up to 15 hours in GPS mode.
Does the Approach S42 need a Garmin Golf membership?
Only for green contour data and the app’s strokes gained analysis. Yardages, layups, doglegs, hazards, Green View, AutoShot and the scorecard all work without one.
Further reading
- Garmin Approach upgrade guide
- Garmin Approach S44 specifications
- Garmin Approach S50 specifications
- Garmin watch specifications
- Release Radar: upcoming Garmin watches
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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