Garmin Striker Vivid 7cv vs Lowrance HOOK Reveal 5: which should you buy?

Display

Winner: Garmin Striker Vivid 7cv

This is the biggest separation between the two. The Garmin gives you a 7-inch colour display, while the Lowrance is a 5-inch unit. On the water, that extra screen real estate matters hugely: bottom contour, baitfish arches, and structure are easier to read at a glance, especially when you’re sat in a boat in bright summer light or trying to interpret marks quickly on a cold winter pike trip. Garmin also leans into its “Vivid” colour palettes, which are designed to make sonar returns easier to distinguish, and that can be genuinely helpful when you’re fishing mixed venues like deep gravel pits, canals, or tidal creeks. The Lowrance screen will still do the job, but the smaller size makes it less comfortable for extended use and less forgiving if you want to split attention between screen and rod tip.

Performance

Winner: Garmin Striker Vivid 7cv

Both units are built for straightforward sonar use rather than complex chartplotting, but the Garmin edges this category thanks to its larger display and user-friendly sonar presentation. The 7cv is aimed at easy interpretation, and that suits anglers who want to find drop-offs, weed edges, and fish quickly without a steep learning curve. For UK anglers targeting carp in large day-ticket lakes or pike over featureless water, the ability to read sonar clearly is a real advantage. The Lowrance HOOK Reveal 5 is no slouch, and Lowrance has a strong reputation for sonar performance, but in this head-to-head the smaller screen limits how much of that performance you can comfortably use. If you’re scanning for bass around marks on the coast or checking a lake shelf, the Garmin simply gives you more usable information per glance.

Build quality and design

Winner: Tie

Both brands have solid reputations, and both products are designed to be practical rather than flashy. Garmin’s Striker line is known for being intuitive, rugged, and easy to mount, which is ideal for anglers who want a reliable unit that won’t complicate a session. Lowrance HOOK Reveal units are also well regarded for their straightforward design and fishing-focused layout. The Garmin’s larger body and display may feel more substantial, while the Lowrance’s smaller 5-inch format can be easier to accommodate on a crowded console or compact boat setup. If you’re fitting a small inflatable, kayak, or tight helm space, the Lowrance’s footprint is a genuine plus. On overall build confidence, though, neither product has a clear enough advantage to call it a decisive win.

Battery life

Winner: Tie

Battery life is not clearly specified in the product details provided, so it’s hard to claim one model is better on raw endurance. In practical terms, both are fish finders that will draw power from your boat or portable battery setup rather than being judged like a phone or tablet. For bank anglers using a battery box on a day session, or boat anglers running a dedicated power supply, the real concern is power management rather than any built-in battery advantage. Since no direct battery data is available here, this category is effectively even.

Price and value for money

Winner: Garmin Striker Vivid 7cv

This is where the Garmin becomes the obvious value play. The Striker Vivid 7cv costs £385.24, while the Lowrance HOOK Reveal 5 is £536.50, making the Garmin £151.26 cheaper. That is a large gap, especially when the Garmin also offers the bigger 7-inch display. In pure value terms, you are paying significantly less and getting more screen for your money. For many UK anglers, that extra £151 can go into a better battery, a transducer mount, a carry case, or even a decent bait budget for a season. Unless you specifically need something Lowrance offers that isn’t listed here, the Garmin is the smarter buy on price-to-performance.

Game library/features

Winner: Garmin Striker Vivid 7cv

Neither product is a “game library” device, so the real comparison is features for fishing. Garmin’s Vivid colour palettes are the standout feature here, making sonar interpretation more intuitive. The 7-inch display also counts as a major functional feature because it improves readability and makes navigation through sonar returns easier. The Lowrance HOOK Reveal 5 is a capable fish finder, but based on the information provided, it doesn’t bring enough extra to overcome the Garmin’s larger screen and lower price. For anglers who want a no-nonsense fish finder for carp, pike, or sea bass scouting, Garmin’s feature set feels more immediately useful.

Overall user experience

Winner: Garmin Striker Vivid 7cv

The Garmin is the easier product to recommend because it combines simplicity, a larger display, strong reviews, and a lower price. With 4.6/5 from 3,070 reviews, it also has the stronger user sentiment compared with the Lowrance’s 4.3/5 from 2,181 reviews. That difference suggests more buyers are coming away happy with the Garmin experience overall. On the bank or boat, that translates to a fish finder that feels less fiddly and more confidence-inspiring. The Lowrance still has appeal if you prefer the brand or need the smaller form factor, but the Garmin is the one most anglers will enjoy using more often.

Overall summary: The Garmin Striker Vivid 7cv wins this head-to-head decisively. It gives you a bigger 7-inch screen, better review scores, and a much lower price, making it the best all-round choice for UK anglers wanting a reliable, easy-to-read fish finder for carp lakes, pike waters, or coastal bass work. The Lowrance HOOK Reveal 5 remains a decent compact option, but it simply doesn’t justify the extra cost here.