Best Garrett Metal Detectors 2026: Complete Buying Guide & Reviews

Garrett is the American workhorse of metal detecting. Founded in Garland, Texas in 1964 by Charles Garrett, the company has been building rugged, field-proven detectors longer than most of the machines on the market have existed. The AT series has been the all-terrain standard for two decades. The ACE series has put more first-time detectorists into the hobby than any other line in the United States. And the Vortex series brought Garrett simultaneous multi-frequency without giving up the build quality the brand is known for.

The catch is that the lineup has grown. Three ACE models, three AT models, three Vortex models, and three gold machines is twelve detectors, and the spec sheets do not make the choice obvious. AT MAX or AT Pro. VX5, VX7, or VX9. Axiom or the new Axiom Lite. This guide sorts it out.

We have sold and swung every current Garrett detector. Below we rank them honestly: top picks by use case, top picks by budget tier, the head-to-head matchups buyers actually ask about on the phone, and the full lineup with 2026-verified specs.

If you already know what you want, jump to Best Garrett by Use Case, Best Garrett by Budget, or the full Garrett lineup table.

How We Tested and Ranked These Garrett Detectors

Every detector below was bench-tested with calibrated targets, then taken into real ground in three regions. Michigan farmland for mineralized clay. Florida surf for saltwater chatter. Nevada gold country for highly mineralized basalt. We logged depth on a buried U.S. quarter, target ID stability over 50 swings, weight and balance after a 4-hour hunt, and saltwater chatter at the waterline.

We also pulled the last 18 months of customer support tickets and warranty returns to understand which detectors hold up in real-world use. Garrett does well on that measure, which is a large part of why the AT series keeps its place. None of these picks come from spec sheets. They come from machines we actually swing.

Why Choose a Garrett Metal Detector?

Garrett has been manufacturing metal detectors in Garland, Texas since 1964. Generations of detectorists started on an ACE 250 or an AT Pro, and a surprising number of those machines are still in service. The brand earned its reputation the slow way, through durability, simple controls, and support you can actually reach.

Five reasons detectorists choose Garrett:

• Built in Texas: Garrett builds its detectors in Garland, Texas, with U.S.-based warranty service and phone support.
• Proven durability: the AT Pro has been in continuous production since 2010 and units from that era are still finding coins.
• Beginner-friendly controls: the ACE and Vortex interfaces get a new detectorist swinging inside an hour, with no menu diving.
• A full range of technology: single-frequency VLF in the ACE and AT lines, simultaneous multi-frequency in the Vortex series, and pulse induction in the Axiom.
• 3-year warranty: every current Garrett detector, pinpointer, and searchcoil carries a 3-year limited warranty when bought from an authorized U.S. dealer.

The Complete Garrett Metal Detector Lineup at a Glance

Every current Garrett metal detector, organized by series. Specs verified against garrett.com for 2026.

Best Garrett Metal Detector by Use Case

If you hunt parks, fields, freshwater, and the occasional beach and you want one machine that does all of it without babysitting, the AT MAX is the Garrett to buy. It is the most refined version of the AT platform: the same waterproof chassis detectorists have trusted since 2010, with wireless audio, a backlit screen, and better ground handling layered on top.

Editor’s pick: Garrett AT MAX. The 13.6 kHz frequency sits in the sweet spot between coin sensitivity and small-target sensitivity, Iron Audio lets you hear the trash before you dig it, and the Z-Lynk link is genuinely lag-free in a way Bluetooth headphones are not. Four AA batteries run a full weekend.

Best value: Garrett AT Pro. Same waterproof body, 15 kHz, no wireless and no backlight. If you hunt once or twice a month, the savings are real and the finds are the same. See AT MAX vs. AT Pro for the full breakdown.

Shop the Garrett AT MAX → | Shop the AT Pro →

The Vortex series is the most important thing Garrett has released in a decade. All three models run MD-MF simultaneous multi-frequency, all three are submersible to 16 ft, and all three weigh 3 lb with the 8.5x11 in DD coil. What separates them is how much control you get.

Editor’s pick: Garrett Vortex VX9. Seven frequency options, seven search modes, a three-tier target ID display, and three-step recovery speed. On a saltwater beach the Multi-Salt mode is the difference between a usable machine and a screaming one. On an iron-heavy park, the recovery speed control pulls coins out from between nails.

Best value: Garrett Vortex VX7. Multi, Multi-Salt, 5 and 13 kHz, a Beach mode, dual ID scales and two recovery-speed settings. For most detectorists it is 90 percent of the VX9 for less.

Shop the Garrett Vortex VX9 → | Shop the Vortex VX7 →

Gold country is where VLF detectors go to lose. Mineralized basalt, hot rocks, and black sand overload a single-frequency machine long before it gets near a nugget. Pulse induction ignores most of that, and the Axiom is Garrett’s PI.

Editor’s pick: Garrett Axiom. Four pulse timings let you match the machine to the gold: Fine for small low-conductivity pickers, Normal for mixed ground, Large for deep heavy targets, Salt for conductive wet sand and alkali flats. Terra-Scan reads two independent ground channels at once, so walking from conductive soil onto magnetic hot rock does not throw the threshold into a fit. The package ships with two coils and MS-3 wireless headphones.

New for 2026: Garrett Axiom Lite. We now stock the Lite, and it is the same detector: same control box, same four timings, same Terra-Scan, same 4.2 lb carbon fiber chassis, same 3-year warranty. Nothing is detuned or locked out. What you give up is what rides along in the box. The Lite ships with a single 11x7 in mono coil, no headphones, and no AA booster pack. If you already own good headphones, or you would rather choose your own coils than pay for a preset pairing, it is the least expensive way into the Axiom family. Add a DD coil later and Iron Check comes with it. That is also why the Lite edges the full package in the comparison table below, 91 to 90: we score the detector, and the detector is the same one. You are paying less for it and buying only the coils your ground actually calls for. See the Axiom Lite →

Shop the Garrett Axiom → | Shop the Axiom Lite →

Not every gold hunt needs a pulse induction machine. If you are working creeks, tailings piles, and moderately mineralized ground rather than a Nevada goldfield, a high-frequency VLF is lighter, cheaper, and discriminates iron the PI simply cannot.

Editor’s pick: Garrett AT Gold. The 18 kHz frequency is tuned for small, low-conductivity targets, and because it is an AT it goes in the water with you. That combination, hot on gold and submersible to 10 ft, is why it stays the entry point for prospectors who also want to hunt relics on the weekend.

Step up for fine gold: Garrett Goldmaster 24K. At 48 kHz it is dramatically more sensitive to tiny gold than the AT Gold, with Iron Audio and true all-metal, though the control box is not submersible.

Shop the Garrett AT Gold → | Shop the Goldmaster 24K →

The best beginner detector is the one that does not get put in a closet. That means simple controls, light weight, and a price that does not sting if the hobby turns out not to stick.

Editor’s pick: Garrett ACE 300. Five search modes, a digital target ID, and a 7x10 in coil. It is the machine we hand to most first-time buyers who walk into the shop, and it finds coins and jewelry in parks and yards from day one.

Worth the upgrade: Garrett ACE 400. Iron Audio, a higher 10 kHz frequency, enhanced iron resolution, and an 8.5x11 in DD coil. If you already know you are going to stick with this, start here instead.

If you want waterproof from day one: Garrett Vortex VX5. Real simultaneous multi-frequency, submersible to 16 ft, and still beginner-simple with four modes.

Shop the Garrett ACE 300 → | Shop the ACE 400 →

For a wider view across every brand we carry, see our Best Metal Detectors of 2026 guide.

Best Garrett Metal Detector by Budget Tier

Under $300: Garrett ACE 300

The ACE 300 is the only Garrett under $300, and it is a real detector rather than a toy. 8 kHz, five search modes, digital target ID, and a 7x10 in PROformance coil. Coil is waterproof, control box is not. For a first machine in parks, yards and school fields, it is enough.

$300 to $600: Garrett Vortex VX5, VX7, VX9, ACE 400, ACE Apex, AT Pro or AT MAX

This is the most competitive tier Garrett has, and the answer depends on water. If you want to get wet, the Vortex VX5, VX7 and VX9 are submersible to 16 ft and run true simultaneous multi-frequency, and the VX9 is the most capable coin and beach machine Garrett makes. If you hunt dry land and trashy parks, the ACE 400 and ACE Apex are lighter and cheaper. If you want the proven all-terrain platform, the AT Pro and AT MAX are submersible to 10 ft and built like tanks.

$600 to $1,000: Garrett AT Gold or Goldmaster 24K

If gold is the goal, the AT Gold gives you 18 kHz and 10 ft of waterproofing, and the Goldmaster 24K pushes to 48 kHz for genuinely fine gold.

$1,000 to $3,500: Garrett Axiom Lite and Axiom

Pulse induction territory. The Axiom Lite is the cheapest way into the platform: identical detector, one mono coil, no headphones. The full Axiom package adds a second coil, headphones, and the AA booster pack. Both weigh 4.2 lb and carry the same 3-year warranty.

The Three Comparisons Garrett Buyers Actually Ask About

Garrett AT MAX vs. AT Pro (the most-asked Garrett question)

The most common Garrett question on our support line. Both are all-terrain VLF detectors on the same waterproof chassis, both submersible to 10 ft, both 3.0 lb. The AT MAX adds Z-Lynk wireless audio with CS-3 headphones, a backlit display, True All-Metal mode, and improved ground handling.

Short answer: buy the AT MAX if you detect most weekends. The wireless audio alone is a quality-of-life upgrade most users will not give back once they have it. If you hunt once a month, the AT Pro finds the same targets for less.

Want the long version with depth tests? Read our full Garrett AT MAX review and our AT MAX vs. AT Pro comparison.

Garrett Vortex VX5 vs. VX7 vs. VX9

The Vortex line tiers by features, not by core technology. All three run the same MD-MF simultaneous multi-frequency engine, all three are submersible to 16 ft, all three weigh 3.0 lb, and all three ship with the 8.5x11 in DD coil and a 3-year warranty.

What you pay more for is frequency choice, search modes, target ID resolution and recovery speed control.

For most buyers the VX7 is the sweet spot: it is the cheapest Vortex with Multi-Salt and a Beach mode, which is the feature that actually matters on wet sand. Step up to the VX9 if you want the extra single frequencies and the three-tier ID. Take the VX5 if budget decides it and you hunt mostly fresh water and parks.

Garrett Axiom vs. Axiom Lite

This is the newest question on the list, because we only recently started stocking the Lite. The answer is simpler than buyers expect: the detector is identical. Same control box, same four pulse timings, same Terra-Scan dual-channel ground balance, same 4.2 lb carbon fiber chassis, same 16-hour battery, same 3-year warranty. Nothing is detuned or locked out.

What changes is what ships in the box.

Buy the Lite if you already own headphones or want to pick your own coils. Buy the full package if you know you want Iron Check and wireless audio from the first hunt, because building that kit piece by piece costs more than the package does.

Garrett Gold Detector Comparison

Garrett makes three machines aimed at gold, and they are not interchangeable. The question is how mineralized your ground is and how small the gold is.

Simple rule: if your ground is hot enough that a VLF chatters or loses depth, no amount of frequency tuning fixes it and you want the Axiom. If your ground is manageable and the gold is small and shallow, the Goldmaster 24K finds more of it for a fraction of the price.

How to Choose the Right Garrett Metal Detector

Step 1: Define Your Primary Use

• Coins & jewelry in parks and fields: ACE 300, ACE 400, ACE Apex, AT Pro, AT MAX or Vortex VX7/VX9
• Beach & saltwater: Vortex VX7 or VX9 (Multi-Salt is what makes wet sand workable)
• Freshwater, creeks and shallow water: AT Pro, AT MAX, AT Gold, or any Vortex
• Relic hunting in iron-heavy sites: AT Pro or AT MAX
• Gold prospecting: AT Gold (entry), Goldmaster 24K (fine gold), Axiom or Axiom Lite (mineralized ground)
• A first detector: ACE 300, ACE 400 or Vortex VX5

Step 2: Match Your Experience Level

• Beginner: ACE 300, ACE 400, Vortex VX5
• Intermediate: ACE Apex, AT Pro, AT Gold, Vortex VX7
• Advanced: AT MAX, Vortex VX9, Goldmaster 24K, Axiom, Axiom Lite

Step 3: Decide How Wet You Are Going to Get

This is the fastest way to cut the lineup in half. The ACE series, Goldmaster 24K and both Axiom models have waterproof coils but control boxes that are not submersible. The AT series goes to 10 ft. The Vortex series goes to 16 ft. If there is any chance of a wave over the control box, buy from the AT or Vortex lines.

Key Garrett Technology Definitions

Z-Lynk Wireless

Garrett’s proprietary low-latency wireless audio, roughly six times faster than standard Bluetooth for detector audio. Built into the AT MAX, the Vortex series, the Axiom, and the Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk, and available as an add-on transmitter and receiver kit for the AT Pro, AT Gold, and ACE detectors.

MD-MF (Simultaneous Multi-Frequency)

The engine in the Vortex VX5, VX7 and VX9. It transmits and processes several frequencies at the same time instead of one, which improves target ID accuracy and depth, and makes saltwater usable through the Multi-Salt setting.

Multi-Flex

The frequency-flexible platform on the ACE Apex. It offers 5, 10, 15 and 20 kHz single frequencies plus Multi-Frequency and Multi-Salt, so you can match the machine to the ground. It predates the more capable MD-MF used in the Vortex line.

Pulse Induction (PI)

The technology behind the Axiom and Axiom Lite. Instead of transmitting a continuous wave, it fires short high-power pulses into the ground and listens to the decay between them. Ground mineralization barely registers, which is why PI works in goldfields that shut a VLF down.

Terra-Scan

Garrett’s dual-channel ground balance on the Axiom. It reads two independent ground channels at once, so moving from conductive soil onto magnetic hot rock does not upset the threshold.

Iron Audio

Lets you hear the iron targets a detector would normally discriminate out. Relic hunters use it to judge whether a signal is a nail, a bottle cap, or something worth the shovel. Found on the ACE 400, ACE Apex, AT series and Goldmaster 24K.

Iron Check

The Axiom’s way of interrogating a target for ferrous content. It only works with a DD coil fitted, which is why the mono-coil Axiom Lite does not have it out of the box.

True All-Metal Mode

An unfiltered all-metal search mode with a threshold hum, used for maximum depth and sensitivity. Found on the AT MAX, AT Gold and Goldmaster 24K.

Where to Buy Garrett Metal Detectors

Once you have picked your model, the fastest path to a swinging detector is straight into the Garrett collection on this site. As an authorized U.S. dealer, we sell every detector in this guide at a competitive price, with free shipping over $99 and the full 3-year Garrett warranty.

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Need Help Choosing?

Still unsure which Garrett metal detector is right for you? Our team of detectorists answers questions personally, usually within a few hours. Call (844) 771-0707 or email us with your hunting style, location, and budget. We’ll give you a straight answer.