Reviews You Can Rely On

Comparing Avalanche Beacons

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Awards Editors' Choice Award  Top Pick Award Top Pick Award  
Price $500 List
$374.96 at Amazon
$450 List$400 List
$399.95 at Evo
$322.46 at Backcountry
Compare at 2 sellers
$340 List
Overall Score Sort Icon
85
85
83
83
81
Star Rating
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Pros Easy to use, many features, Bluetooth and smartphone app, good range, fast processor, best battery life in our review, excellent multiple burial and flagging featuresUser friendly, Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone app, good range, fast processor, great multiple burial and flagging functionalitiesIntuitive to use, very fast processor, excels at fine search, consistently produced quick rescue times with 1-2 burials, comfortable to wear in a zippered pocketVery intuitive design, excellent multiple burial capability, one of the longest maximum ranges, ability to operate in analog or digital, cool carrying design, fast processorEasy to use, Bluetooth compatible, good range, fast processor, great multiple burial and flagging functionality
Cons Battery life is only displayed in thirds and not a percentage, some force required to toggle switches, somewhat bulky to carry in a pocketBulky for a pants pocket, slider toggle is stiff, harness tether a bit shortTakes more practice to be proficient when searching for more than two signals, signal suppression "ends" after 60 secondsArrows disappear at 3m instead of 2m, less precise during the bracketing stage, slightly thicker and bulkier feeling in your pocket than other modelsBulky for a pocket, slider toggle is stiff, harness tether is somewhat short
Bottom Line This easy-to-use beacon is one of the best models for advanced users and beginners alikeThis professional-level beacon has a robust feature set and still remains one of the most user-friendlyOne of the fastest, most intuitive, and easiest to use beacons on the marketOne of the most feature-rich models on the market is also one of the easiest to useOne of the better basic beacons on the market, especially for the price
Rating Categories Black Diamond Guide BT Pieps Pro BT Backcountry Access... Arva Neo BT Pro Pieps Powder BT
Single Victim Search (25%)
9.0
9.0
9.0
8.0
9.0
Speed (20%)
8.0
8.0
9.0
9.0
8.0
Fine Search (20%)
8.0
8.0
9.0
6.0
8.0
Multiple Burials (15%)
8.0
8.0
6.0
9.0
7.0
Range (10%)
9.0
9.0
7.0
10.0
8.0
Features (10%)
9.0
9.0
8.0
9.0
8.0
Specs Black Diamond Guide BT Pieps Pro BT Backcountry Access... Arva Neo BT Pro Pieps Powder BT
Weight 210 g / 7.4 oz 210 g / 7.4 oz 215 g / 7.5 oz 214 g / 7.5 oz 225 g / 7.9 oz
Number of Antennae 3 3 3 3 3
Manufacturer's Stated Range 60 meters 60 meters 50-55 meters 80-90 meters 60 meters
Flagging Feature Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Battery Life (in "Send") 400 hours 400 hours 250 hours Alkaline: 350 hours
Lithium: 450 hours
200 hours
Digital/Analog Both Both Digital Both Digital