Big-screen Garmin vs budget Lowrance: which fishfinder earns your money?

Display

The Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv wins this section comfortably. Its 7-inch colour screen is significantly larger than the Lowrance HOOK Reveal 5’s 5-inch display, and that matters on the water: more room for sonar arches, split views, and quick interpretation when you’re fishing from a boat, kayak, or fixed shore position. Garmin’s Vivid colour palettes are also a genuine usability advantage, making fish, structure, weed beds, and drop-offs easier to separate at a glance. The Lowrance screen is perfectly usable, but the smaller size makes it feel more cramped, especially when you’re trying to run sonar and mapping together.

Performance

Garmin also takes the performance win. The Striker Vivid 7sv is built around scanning sonar and a more versatile imaging setup, which gives it the edge for reading bottom composition and picking out features in both shallow and deeper water. For UK anglers targeting carp, pike, or bass, that extra clarity can be the difference between seeing a clean gravel patch and missing it. The Lowrance HOOK Reveal 5 SplitShot is no slouch and will absolutely do the job for marking fish and reading general structure, but it is the more basic performer of the two and its 5-inch platform limits how much information you can comfortably process.

Build quality and design

This is closer, but Garmin still edges it. The Striker Vivid 7sv feels like the more premium, modern unit, with a bigger housing and a design that suits anglers who want a more serious fishfinder rather than a compact entry-level screen. Garmin’s interface is typically very straightforward, and the larger display makes the whole unit easier to live with, especially if you’re wearing gloves or working in rough weather. Lowrance has a solid reputation and the HOOK Reveal range is well-liked for simple operation, but the 5-inch body is clearly aimed at keeping costs down rather than delivering the most comfortable viewing experience.

Battery life

Neither unit has an internal battery, so battery life depends on the power source you connect them to. In practical terms, the Lowrance has a slight efficiency advantage simply because a smaller 5-inch display and less ambitious screen setup can be easier on a portable battery pack over a long session. That said, the Garmin’s larger screen and more feature-rich presentation are worth the extra power draw for many anglers. If you’re running a compact battery for long bank sessions, the Lowrance may be the more frugal choice. If you’re on a boat battery or a larger portable setup, the Garmin’s power needs are less of a concern.

Price and value for money

This is where Lowrance wins decisively. At £257.35, the HOOK Reveal 5 SplitShot is £214.54 cheaper than the Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv, and that is a huge saving in this category. If you want a fishfinder that gets you on the water with decent sonar and mapping without blowing the budget, the Lowrance offers strong value. But value is not just about price; it’s about what you get for the money. The Garmin’s larger 7-inch screen, stronger visual presentation, and more confident all-round usability justify the premium for anglers who will actually use those advantages regularly. For occasional use, the Lowrance is the smarter spend. For regular and serious use, Garmin delivers better long-term value despite the higher upfront cost.

Game library/features

If by features we mean the practical fishing tools and sonar options, Garmin wins again. The Striker Vivid 7sv’s Vivid colour palettes and scanning sonar presentation are the standout features here, helping you interpret what’s under the boat with less guesswork. It is the more flexible and confidence-inspiring unit for anglers who want to find fish and structure quickly. The Lowrance HOOK Reveal 5 SplitShot includes preloaded C-MAP US Inland mapping and a SplitShot transducer, which is useful, but the mapping is US inland-focused and less compelling for many UK buyers. For a UK angler, that makes the Garmin’s sonar-first, easy-to-read approach more relevant than the Lowrance’s mapping bundle.

Overall user experience

Garmin wins the overall experience. The bigger 7-inch screen, clearer colour presentation, and stronger sonar usability make it the better fishfinder for anglers who want less faff and more confidence when interpreting what’s below. It feels like the unit you grow into rather than out of. The Lowrance is easier on the wallet and still very capable, but the smaller screen and more entry-level feel make it better suited to casual use, smaller boats, or anglers who simply want a dependable basic setup.

Overall summary: the Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv is the better fishfinder and the one I’d recommend to most anglers who want the best display, the strongest sonar experience, and a more premium all-round package. The Lowrance HOOK Reveal 5 SplitShot only wins on price, and that is a meaningful win, but the Garmin’s larger screen and better usability make it the definitive choice if you can stretch to it. If your budget is tight, Lowrance is respectable; if you want the better unit, Garmin is the one to buy.