Silva Ranger Compass

What do you get when you pay almost £20 for a Silva compass vs. £4 for one of the dozens of other cheaper compasses? The answer is obvious when you hold both compasses side by side and start using them. The Silva compass returns to pointing north in seconds whilst the others struggle to do so, often taking 15 seconds or more. This problem is exacerbated the the compass is held at an angle. During practical use, this means that the Silva is reliable and easy to use, whereas the others are frustrating and slow you down.There are a number of other nice touches which don't seem significant but actually make quite a difference out on the trail - the bezel rotates smoothly and easily, even with gloves. The rounded edges also ensure this fits comfortably in the hand.I was initially skeptical about this compass justified the considerably higher cost, but now I wouldn't go back to using anything else.

Silva Field 7 compassAn excellent quality compass for general walking and hiking. The dial is clear and easy to read, plus the needle mount system employed by Silva means it doesn't 'stick' at certain directions when the compass is not exactly flat in your hand or on the map as other makes do. This is a brilliant entry level compass that will last years. Delivery time was superb even though it came from Europe.

I needed a new compass and I have owned this model before. This is a good quality, basic compass which is perfectly adequate for use on the moors where I walk.

Bought for my son's DofE because I couldn't find my Silva classic compass (obviously found just after this turned up). It's bigger than the classic, and has better markings, so I think this is a good buy. Silva are more expensive than some of the competition, but they are well made and easy to use.

I bought this in 2015, through Amazon, as a back-up for a 'Silva Ranger 3' that I'd bought in 2010. But a year or so later, and for no apparent cause, the old Ranger 3 suddenly developed a major fault - reversed polarity, so that the red end of the compass needle pointed south instead of north. An extraordinary fault, but, no doubt, a one-in-a-million event. EXCEPT that it wasn't - the second Silva compass , bought in 2015, has now developed exactly the same fault.Silva market their compasses as premium products, with a price to match. But a compass that cannot be relied upon to perform its core function with total reliability is worse than useless - ultimately it could prove fatal. I shall in future stick to cheaper brands - my Eurohike 'Lenser' has, so far, been reliable, as well as being much more accurate and far less expensive. (But, after my experience with Silva, I shall also ensure that I have to hand a back-up.)

nice compass, but no moveable declination scale, this has to be set manually, in england declination is 2 degree west, so just add that to the reading.

Fantastic product. Good build quality, nighttime use(glow markings), adjustment ring for magnetic declination, range (scale) markings, magnifying lens AND a five year warranty (!). Fantastic price for what you get. Excellent for teaching children map reading/compass use as tough build and easy to read. I never go hiking without it!

Compass had a fault where the pointer was unbalanced and facing upwards at an angle even on a flat surface. Also slow to point to north. Contacted Silva and they said it sounded like the pointer had become de-magnetized. Sent it off to Silva the be re-magnetized.